Good post. And it's true... for various reasons, there hasn't emerged an artist that packs the punch that Seeger did, or even pre-electric Dylan, in voicing dissent.
The Dixie Chicks were blacklisted heavily for making one crack about George Bush... prior to that they were quite popular in the C&W world. That audience turned on them viciously. And since then the C&W world's 'patriotism' has been incredibly heavy handed... an integral part of the pro-war propaganda machine.
Folk is largely an irrelevant force these days... it's content to rehash clichés and preach to the choir.
Rock has pretty much abandoned politics. There are some rockers out there who do address the world beyond it's own domain, but they don't get airplay.
The sad fact is, much of the youth today are apolitical, apathetic, and disconnected... they're plugged into video games (much of them violent, indirectly or directly pro-war).
I'll tell you what would resurrect a sense of unified opposition, and kickstart a return to popular artistic fury against the system.... a draft. That is the one thing that today's kids don't have to worry about, the thing that the kids of the sixties faced.
Not that I'm advocating a draft...! And not that a draft would happen anyway, because the military-industrial complex won't have it. The draft was what sparked massive opposition then, they're not going to repeat that mistake. They're ripping off the future and slinking away into the sunset quite well as is.
No, the powermongers have successfully managed to rig society for their benefit. As insidious as they wanna be, and few are paying attention.
The next worldwide depression is on it's way, so I guess this means that the blues is coming back in style?
PS: Right after I wrote this I got an email about new shit on iTunes, and there's a bit about how Billy Joel has written something called 'Christmas in Fallujah'.... proceeds to go to wounded vets.
Plenty of that sort of thing these days... lots of gooey 'support the troops' stuff, not much raging fury aimed at ending the war and putting the fuckers who started it on trial..... That sort of thing is frowned upon, even by the spineless Democratic leadership! Argh.
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