Perhaps this is the key to understanding what’s been happening in the White House for the last several year.
For more on what’s in the White House library, which can only hold 2,500 books, read this.
“How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone ?”
The Dylan Lyrics book looks photoshopped into the photo. Also, if it’s a truly socialist library, Dylan would be out of place. He’s much more a libertarian than a socialist, although he tries pretty hard to avoid fitting into any category. Considering that he thumbed his nose at the liberal Folk Music back in the sixties by going electric. In the 80’s He changed his way of thinking with Slow Train Coming, bashed the unions (Union Sundown) and supported Israel (Neighborhood Bully). It’s a wonder that the liberals still claim him as their own.
I wasn’t trying to say the White House library has skewed socialist, for whatever that’s worth, but I don’t think the book is Photoshopped. It’s right next to America’s Favorite Poems, and it has not dust jacket, which a commenter on one of the posts I looked at noted.
I thought this large book on Dylan, who is a bit confusing both on and off stage, makes a good, simple joke. I think if I was on the White House staff, I’d want to start featuring books in the library, like what the President is currently reading or what he recommends for others–those books placed on a podium for public viewing.
Too bad George W didn’t peruse the lyrics while pondering the invasion of Iraq…
“Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks.
You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly.
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain.
You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion’
As young people’s blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud.”
So, we had no business going to Iraq?
I wish I could some more Dylan lyrics that would at least appear to contradict these.
According to Dylan himself, the song wasn’t about denying government its legitimate role in defending our country, but rather the profiteers who promote war so they can make money manufacturing armaments.
From USA Today, 2001,
(link from Wikipedia)
Still, some criticize Mr. Bush for profiting from a war in Iraq. I don’t know where they get the idea, because it seems baseless on its face. Michael Moore’s movie was full of crap. “Look, there’s a pipeline. That’s proof we went to Iraq for oil.” nonsense.
“but rather the profiteers who promote war so they can make money manufacturing armaments.”
Yep — this is the complaint I had. The war in Iraq has been a massive boondoggle for the Military Industrial Complex and private security. The only connection I know off the top of my head is the Cheney/Halliburton one, but when the election system is corrupted (across the board) because campaign contributions drive policy, politicians are necessarily friends or puppets of the wealthy who contribute to their campaigns.
See, the thing about Halliburton is that it is or was one of only two companies that could do the work required. It may have been the only company to offer all of the services needed, and the other company could only do some of them. To say they were given the contract solely because they were pals with Cheney is not fair.