Born in the U.S.A.
In an upcoming 60 Minutes Bruce Springsteen will advance a profound debate about the true nature of Americanism.
It is time for progressives to light up the sky with patriotism, to rewrite the rules of our current debates, to rekindle that timeless spirit that has made America America for more than 200 years.
From the internet to the arts, from the houses of Congress to the houses of worship, from the movie theaters to the concert halls, from the community organizers to the corporate boardrooms, from the studios of progressive radio to the grassroots of the real America, we should seize the high ground of American patriotism, American values, American ideals, our American history, the American spirit and the American future.
Let freedom ring.
We stand at an extraordinary moment in the history of our nation. Things have been done in the name of America that dishonor the trust of the real America. Beyond the vision of a tired Washington, beneath the radar of a self-indulgent media, our people are in revolt as they were in the days before the Liberty Bell first rang.
On the issues that matter the most almost 70 percent of Americans agree with us.
On the issues that challenge the globe, we are the authentic voice of the free world.
Even Republicans have abandoned the ship of George W. Bush and what he has done to our nation: more than 60 percent of Republicans want their party to stand for something that is dramatically different than what is being done to our country today.
Enough of him. Enough of that. One era is ending, a new era is beginning. It is our mission and our moment to define that era, to lift our country, and to remind ourselves of who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.
Our faith and values are derived from the Sermon on the Mount and the words of healing and hope where we feed the hungry, clothe the needy, comfort the hurting, and lift the poor.
Our spirit is derived from the Bill of Rights, the greatest document of freedom and justice in the history of humanity.
Our patriotism is rooted in the Constitution and the truth that in our land, the law is the king, and the king is not the law.
Our Americanism is centered in the Declaration that promised the new nation and the whole world that certain rights are endowed by our Creator and inalienable, to be defended against attacks by tyrants, dictators, kings, or any other despot, for any reason, at any time.
Our sense of community is embodied by the Emancipation Proclamation and the Pledge of Allegiance and the notion that we are a country of many races, diverse peoples, and countless backgrounds who stand for the principle of equal justice and the idea that we are one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice, for all.
We the people who are the legatees of Jefferson and Lincoln, are the legatees as well of the Marines who stormed Iwo Jima, the soldiers who landed at Normandy, Doolittle's band that took the fight to Tokyo when Americans were rising from the fires of Pearl Harbor, and a President who lifted himself from a wheelchair and said we have nothing to fear but fear, that we are in this together.
We do not wage war with shopping, slanders, tax cuts and lies.
We avoid war when we can, win war when we must, and whether we support or oppose the plans that take our nation to war, we are the voice of those serve, we are the champion of the wounded troops, the disabled vets, the homeless heroes, the men and women who wear the uniform, bear the burden, pay the price, give their lives, lose their limbs, and fight for us.
Let us banish forever from the lexicon of America phrases such as scandals of wounded troops, preventable deaths of American heroes, torture memos and metaphors about mushroom clouds designed to create fear and terror in our good, great and brave nation.
Let freedom ring.
As Thomas Paine wrote in his time, it is within our power to remake the world, if we mobilize the armies of the progressive internet, the progressive airwaves, the progressive media, the progressive grassroots, the progressive arts, the progressive journals, the progressive stars of screen and song and theater and sports, the progressives of faith and progressives of hope, the progressives who dream, the progressives who work, the progressives who pray, the progressives who know that we are the heart and soul and spirit of Americanism in its highest and truest form.
We are the heirs of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, the Sermon on the Mount and the Battle of Midway, the soldiers who give their lives for freedom and the civil rights heroes who gave their lives in the segregated South to bring hope and light to future generations.
What is more American than Springsteen singing "Chimes of Freedom" at a concert for Amnesty International?
Who is not proud that an American is honored around the world for championing the cause of saving the earth from blindness, pollution and greed?
What is more patriotic than George Clooney making a film against McCarthyism in America and raising his voice to banish forever the genocide that still poisons the world?
What is more noble than JAG officers wearing the uniform of every branch of the military services, defying those of lesser Americanism who would destroy their careers, as they join human rights advocates, civil libertarians and civilized people everywhere rising against torture that violates the cardinal values of America and the two hundred year tradition of American military history championed by our greatest leader who crossed the Delaware at the head of the Continental Army?
It is time for progressives to mobilize, organize and fully understand that we speak for the aspirations of the vast majority of Americans and the vast majority of citizens throughout the world who believe in democracy, justice and freedom.
We should end the defensiveness and the depression of the present, and begin a new boldness and confidence based on the power of our numbers, the truth of our ideas, and the reality that a dark era is coming to an end and a new era will soon be born again in the country that is forever young.
We should champion a great America of progressive patriotism, and we will begin a new era of patriotic renewal, rejuvenation and reform for the great spirit that was "Born In The U.S.A."
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I would just ask that you mention that any notion of GOD needs to be cleared by the ACLU before it can be blessed by Progressives.
1. Sermon on the Mount
2. Declaration of Independance
3. US Constitution
4. Pledge of Alligence
5. Eman Pro
etc...
We're $10,000,000,000 in debt, and have accumulated ill will in matching proportions. Excuse me if I'm not all gung-ho about America right now.
Yes, let's DO talk about 'americanism', one sub-topic there can be 'hyphenated-americanism', or 'The Neverending Entitlement Mentality'.
First, the geographic reference. 'America'
is actually the name of the continent, both
North, and South America. Ameriggio Vespucci,
and all that. Though many countries make
up the geographic group known as 'the americas',
when you hear someone say 'american', typically
they are referencing a United States citizen,
or, 'Murkin'. Bruce Springsteen, like his
hillbilly counterparts, is 'proud to be a Murkin'. Sounds kind of Murky to me, like someone failed geography class and never gave
it another shot.
So, who are these Murkins in the 21th and a half-century?
Are we simply the Vast Innumerable Legions Of The Perpetual Government Doughnut-eaters? Hmmm...in some circles, it would seem so. And, more importantly, why is it that we're so fond of 2-legged propaganda tone generators like Bruce Spring$tein, er, SpringSTEEN? (Fronken-STEEN,my NAME is FRONKEN-STEEN!)All of this
politics set to music? Ah, yes, a 3-hour dissertation on the REAL motivations behind
some of the garbage the top 40 consumer programming industry has pushed out the door
these last several decades...(I'll give it a '3' Bob, you can shop to it)...frankly, the
label has started to peel off the surface of
'brand america', (probably some of that good
chinese-made glue, wink wink nudge nudge), and
it's time to talk about where this company's going. Well, much as New Coke was kind of a
flop, most Murkins like Original Formula,
Constitution-brand, not the PNAC 'new coke'
policy shmolicy runaway debt garbage. And,
no number of Spring$teins are going to be
able to apply enough lipstick to THIS particular pig. Hyperbole is no substitute
for applying Ockham's Razor with impunity to
all the rough edges that've developed over
time(Ockham wasn't a Murkin, but he sure
was smart, and stuff). Pick up an Ockham's
Razor today, not at stupid Walgreens, but
over at your public library! (While you
still have one...) Either that, or accept
soundtracked consumer hell as your future...
'citizen'...
Dear Brent,
Wow! Time capsule, I remember taking my girls to take part in hands accross America who were 8 and 4 at the time, our spot was in on a country road, as we drove I played "Born in the USA"; that was in the Spring of 86.
My my, how things have changed. Agape.
This could be a replay of the part Woody Guthrie took in writing & singing the musical scores for a couple of shit storms that hit America in the 20th century. The Boss, Mr Springstein, has experience in singing hits that become anthems for a group of Americans or a generation; he could become this century's Woody. No, the Boss isn't poor like Woody was. As far as I know the Boss doesn't have a chronic, progressive disease either.
I don't know enough about what rap artists are doing to comment on what this group of poets is doing in commenting about W or giving their view of what America is to become in the 21st century.
Stevie Wonder is re-entering the music scene; it's far too soon to even guess what he will do with his genius. There will be music for this shit storm W started. It won't be Wagner-that's for damn sure.
I hear what you are saying and it is an inspiring idea. The cynic in me, however, always comes back to a few nagging issues.
First, the broadcast media in this country is controlled by corporate interests. Those interests always shape the debate to favor the right wing viewpoint. That is a big hurdle to overcome in trying to re-establish the liberal brand of patriotism.
Second, there are just too many in the US population who would surrender any freedom or allow any sort of government excess provided they get a tax cut. And they would elect immoral imbecile to the presidency over an intelligent, able leader if the they feared the later might raise their taxes.
The very notion of patriotism has been polluted by the right wing. Instead of being patriotic by being a member of a mutually supportive society, the right has re-branded patriotism as being for the "freedom" to get as much as you can and too bad about anyone else. To them patriotism is chanting USA! USA! USA! while driving your gas guzzling Hummer to a pro war rally.
"Chimes of Freedom" (cont.)
Dylan's lyrics, sheesh!
Always lengthy...but always concise, not superfluous.
In the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
For the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Even though a clouds's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An' for each unharmfull, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
By Bob Dylan
Read the lyrics to "Chimes of Freedom." There is strength in kindness, in gently embracing the downtrodden, in speaking up for those who have no voice, in laying down arms and taking up diplomacy and peace. By raising up the most vulnerable among humanity, you become the strongest; by lending a hand to the poorest, you become the richest; just give with an open heart.
"Chimes Of Freedom"
Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden as the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An' the poet an the painter far behind his rightful time
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Sounds great. Unfortunately, the "progressive" movement has nothing to do with what "the vast majority" of Americans really stand for.
Right on, Brent!!
It seems like without progressivism, there's nothing about America to be proud of. From our public education to our foreign policy, it is our progressiveness that makes America great. We're great when we're progressive.
As I recall, and it's often overlooked, in Springsteen's anthem of the betrayed American working class male in the wake of the Viet Nam debacle, the line went, "The first time they kicked me, I hit the ground--born in the USA; I was born in the USA."
For many of us, the great fortune of America is that it was a nation born during The Enlightenment, whose greatest spokesman, Voltaire, warned that "patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel."
I agree with many of your points in the posts you provide here at Huff Po, Mr. Budowsky, but we can be citizens with integrity without ever resorting to chest thumping or grandstanding in our nation's name about our ethics and morality.
Actually, Samuel Johnson, according to Boswell, made the "patriotism..." statement, not Voltaire.
Ctizen--
The actual quote is:
Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up...
Got it off the still free internet!
I guess instead of Voltaire, we've got The Boss, which is not all bad. Consider the uproar when Woody Guthrie first sang "This Land Is Your Land."
Now we sing it every year at our July 4th fireworks festivities, but back then, it was considered the height of Socialist thinking by the Corporate Masters who were busy driving working class people off their farms--sort of like today, come to think of it!
Yes, it is time to get back to the true meaning of America! It is time for a new American Revolution based on a great old idea: The Constitution!
Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
End up like a dog that's been beat too much
Til you spend half your life covering up
Right Rule of Law. Didn't read far enough.
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