All posts by Augustus

Masters of War: Peace Song of the Day 9/10/11

Masters of War by Bob Dylan is the Peace Song of the Day for Saturday, September 10, 2011.   When Duchess Susanna heard Duke Augustus playing this song this morning, she requested he post it as it the Peace Song of the Day because she had to leave to go bring music into the world.  Duke Augustus find these to be some of Dylan’s most straight-forward lyrics, but there still seems to be room for disagreement.  The song was released in the spring of 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.  Wikipedia claims that Nat Hentoff‘s liner notes frame the song as a protest against Cold War arms build-up.The liner note themselves seem to give the song a broader context:

“Masters of War” startles Dylan himself. “I’ve never really written anything like that before,” he recalls. “I don’t sing songs which hope people will die, but I couldn’t help it in this one. The song is a sort of striking out, a reaction to the last straw, a feeling of what can you do?” The rage (which is as much anguish as it is anger) is a away of catharsis, a way of getting temporary relief from the heavy feeling of impotence that affects many who cannot understand a civilization which juggles it’s own means for oblivion and calls that performance an act toward peace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpMEq1vmgpI]  Continue reading Masters of War: Peace Song of the Day 9/10/11

Palin, Nader, & Augustus Agree the Problem is “Corporate Socialism”

Corporate Socialism, after B. Lebedev
Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via Flickr

Duke Augustus was pleasantly surprised last night to hear former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin describe the US economy as “Corporate Socialism.”  This a a term that the Duke has been using for years to describe the US economy.  And a term that a quick Google search show was also used by Ralph Nader. The concept is simple.  The US has not had a capitalist economy since the first Europeans landed.  Classical Capitalism requires buyers and sellers with equal power and equal information.  Instead, the US has an economy planned by a small group, the classical definition of socialism.  That small group is not a politburo.  It is a klatch of large corporations.  Hence “corporate socialism.”

Duke Augustus agrees with Palin’s first conclusion.  That once we recognize that our economy is “corporate socialism”, it is clear that the bailouts are merely self-dealing by the oligarchs who run the economy.  The bailouts do not favor the flesh and blood citizens.  After all, large corporations do not make jobs — small and medium size companies are the job engines of the US economy.  Large corporations do not invest in the US economy.  They don’t even pay taxes.  These large corporations hide any profits they get in off-shore tax shelters and then use the tax rebates they get to lobby the US Congress to give them a tax holiday to bring these sheltered profits back while only paying a 5% tax.  Continue reading Palin, Nader, & Augustus Agree the Problem is “Corporate Socialism”

Thich Nhat Hanh Royal Comic Book of the Week: Monday 9/5/11

This weeks Royal (Comic) Book of the Week for Monday September 5, 2011 is Walking With Alfred Hassler, Thich Nhat Hanh and Sister Chan Khong by Peace is the Way. This comic book does not exist yet.   The plan is for a “feature documentary film and 3D animated comic book about normal people who became Nonviolent Super Heroes.” Peace is the Way is currently raising funds for this project through IndieGoGo.

[vimeo 27653813]

Peace is the Way describes the overall project:  Continue reading Thich Nhat Hanh Royal Comic Book of the Week: Monday 9/5/11

Has Your #Peace Group Joined #AfghanistanTuesday ?

Duke Augustus believes #AfghanistanTuesday is an effective way for your Peace Group to bring attention to the 10- year war the US is conducting in Afghanistan.  The US corporate media ignores any protests against the war, and even ignores that a war is going on.  The best way to stop the war is to bring the issue directly to thecitizens.  if you are not familiar with Twitter, they track search terms with a “#” before them, and report which ones are “tracking” meaning they are getting a lot of tweets.

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/MidwestAntiwar/status/108567578959544321″]

So what can your peace group do?  Get your members to give 5 minutes to advocate for peace:  Continue reading Has Your #Peace Group Joined #AfghanistanTuesday ?

Wartime Royal Song of the Day 9/2/11

Life during Wartime by the Talking Heads is the Royal Song of the Day for Friday September 2, 2011.  The Duchess and I are constantly feeling oppressed by living a war economy. Sometimes we wonder if there is just a way to escape. Or in the alternative a more efficient way to immediately end these wars.

This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco,
this ain’t no fooling around

The US is at war in at least 5 countries.  None of which attacked the US.  There is a budget debate raging but there is no discussion of the 1,000 US military bases in foreign countries and that 54% of the US budget goes to military.  The corporate media does anything possible to distract form this ceaseless killing. For the Duchess and I to remind ourselves of how horrible the situation is, we sometimes find ourselves drawn into absurd discussions like. “Are land mines or drones worse?”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzORu1dqEE0]  Continue reading Wartime Royal Song of the Day 9/2/11

@BarackObama End the #Afghanistan War #AfghanistanTuesday

Duke Augustus ask you to just take 30 seconds to end the war in Afghanistan by tweeting the title of this post. No need to look anything up or write anything.  Just copy, paste, & tweet.

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/wilderside/status/106154579300851713″]

 

What is #Afghanistan Tuesday?   Continue reading @BarackObama End the #Afghanistan War #AfghanistanTuesday

Man in Black: Royal Song of the Day 8/29/11

Man in Black by Johnny Cash is the Royal Song of the Day for August 29, 2011.   When Duke Augustus wears his black dress shirt, the Duchess often accuses him of being Johnny Cash. Like most people, the Duke wears black  for stagecraft or sartorial reasons. Johnny Cash turned this on its head by making his trademark black clothing into a political statement.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXRmJyIyJbM&NR=1]  Continue reading Man in Black: Royal Song of the Day 8/29/11