I am getting sick and tired of people being labelled as anti-Semites every time they so much as even criticise what the Israeli government does. There is a vast difference between believing ‘Jews suck’ and believing that the actions of the Israeli government are reprehensible. But popular media seems to imply otherwise – that the mere mention of anything Jewish in a negative light means that you’ve forgotten about the atrocities that were committed in World War II, and you’re a dirty, anti-Semitic, racist bastard.
Just the other day I was reading an article in one of Australia’s leading ‘intellectual magazines’. There were three articles there to do with Jews, and all had to do with what they perceived to be a revival of anti-Semitic sentiments in Australian Universities. They conveniently tied it in to the anti-American rhetoric that they claim is also pervasive through local academia. Now, considering the firm ties between the two nations, and considering that in all of the latest war debacle they could be blamed, isn’t it fair to see some sort of criticism from those who oppose the actions of Israel/USA? This doesn’t make them racist.
Granted, ideas like these can be expressed in a racist manner, but to claim that expressing anything like this is racist in and of itself is ridiculous, and they’re exactly the claims that are thrown around at the mention of anything even slightly critical. It’s rubbish.
I know that it’s a very teeny-boppy thing to post lyrics, but this song has been running through my head for the last week or so. It’s lyrics like these that make me love music oh-so-much. It’s poetic and beautiful, and scathing at the same time. I’ve yet to find another artist who can write music like David Gray does. It’s perfectly beautiful.
This is called Birds Without Wings. It’s not that long, read through it:
Wishing that something would happen
A change in this place,
‘cos I’m tearing off the fancy wrapping
Find an empty package
Take for a while
Your trumpet from your lip
Loosen your hold, loosen your grip
On your old ways
That have fallen out of step
In a changing time
Hoist a new flag
Hoist a new flag
Angry sun burn down
Judging us all
Guilty of neglect and disrespect
And thinking small
And death by boredom
And death by greed
If we can’t stop taking
More than we need
But across the fractured landscape
I find the same things
Tired ideas
Birds without wings
Ray LaMontagne is a 32 year old singer-songwriter from Maine, in the US. His rough and husky voice is beautiful. It sliiides over each of his notes, and works perfectly with his subdued guitar work. He’s got a very powerful voice, and belts out the notes in a powerful crescendo. You can feel the passion emanating from his songs. It’s very intense.
And so, if you haven’t already heard his album, I suggest you do so. It’s called Trouble. Check out the stand-out track from the album, called ‘How Come’.
A few weeks ago I posted a link to a blog which linked to various Ray LaMontagne early songs – unsigned, and completely legal to download. ;) In case you didn’t get to check them out, I’ve narrowed it down to a few of my favourite selections from that bunch. It’s three songs, and they’re all worth listening to:
Still Can’t Feel The Gin.
Hobo Blues (acoustic).
Everything I Need.
Check them out. Especially if you’re into lyrically-interesting acoustic folk-type music. :)
[Click to view the original.]
This semester, I’m taking a class titled ‘State of the World’. I’ve already had my eyes opened to a whole new world [excuse the pun] of issues affecting us globally, and population is just one of them. I’m completely clueless as to what the solution is, but it’s obvious to me that there is a problem. I’m hoping that the reading I’m doing will eventually lead me to some sort of conclusion on how best to approach this issue. So far, it’s been a case of ‘here are the facts, enjoy’ but no actual solutions. It’s quite frightening. Heh.
Anyway, this graph. This graph scares me more than anything else.
