BLUES JUNCTION Productions
7343 El Camino Real
Suite 327
Atascadero, CA 93422-4697
info
Q: Hey Dave, what does this new Trump administration and that ugly word “politics” have to do with blues music?
A: Everything!
That’s right, everything. While some might feel that a place like BLUES JUNCTION is a place to get away from all this unpleasantness, I don’t. It’s very simple. There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. We are all human beings first and fans of this quintessential American music second.
Beyond that, government policy has a direct and profound impact on the lives of all of us of course, but might under these circumstances have a truly disastrous impact on the musicians themselves.
Starting with health care...Here are three questions. How many blues musicians have health care provided to them by their employers? What is the average life expectancy of the average American compared to the blues musician? How many musicians of all kinds will lose access to affordable health care with the proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act?
Republican administrations have always been very hostile to the arts and the people who make our lives worth living. There is no indication that the Mango Mussolini will be any different. These people seem very leery of beauty. They can’t see it and sure as shit can’t hear it either. They know that others can and that it gives our lives joy. It drives them crazy, which of course is a short journey. They also know that music is a unifying factor and can be used as a way of protest. When one steals the reins of power without any type of public mandate they sure don’t need this. Yet, they are sure going to get it.
It is no secret that the largest single threat to all humanity beyond having an unhinged, thin skinned, unscrupulous, demagogue in charge of the nuclear codes is global warming. This new administration doesn’t believe that this exists.
We are still reminded daily what is great about America. Not the least of which is our people who are being threatened, our National Parks, same thing AND our music. Our music, as I have said numerous times here through the years, is our most enduring and endearing cultural export.
The blues came out of oppression. It came out of protest. It came from America’s most barbaric institution, slavery. This is music of joy and redemption in the face of some tough reality. It is music to which we dance. That never hurts. It is music that can inspire within all of us the notion that we can do better...love better...be better. The blues tells us we can overcome. That’s right, overcome…anything.
Just like the massive unprecedented protests that took place the day after the coronation of Trump, the blues represents music of the people, by the people and for the people.
Blues music, public policy and their relationship to our past can’t be separated.
With this in mind are providing a resource page here at the JUNCTION where like minded people can go to find ways they can help remove this man (and I use the term “man” loosely) who has seized control of our government.
If you were one of the 27% of registered voters who cast your ballet for Trump, that’s OK, we understand. He represented something that appealed to you...change. We get that. By now you get that you were lied to and may also want to join this fight. Perhaps more to the point you really never thought he would actually do the things he said he would do. You thought that was just crazy rhetoric to appeal to a certain, hopefully latent darkness that lies in all of our souls and has never been uttered out loud by someone running for high office. I would love to hear from you too on these issues. All is forgiven. We are all just Americans who just want what we think is best for our families. Thoughtful people do not have to agree on how best to get there. We do agree that a stolen election to place this man in charge of our affairs is perhaps the most potentially dangerous crisis to have ever faced our Republic. We also respect our Constitution more than any one man.
For those who continue to wish to be led by an authoritarian regime, well I suppose I lost you a long time ago. Critical thinking, and of course reading, is not a prevailing characteristic of your kind. Oh my, I just talked down to you and was condescending. Deal with it. Get used to it. We aren’t going away. You can at any time excuse yourself from the grownup table, which by my way of thinking you did a long time ago. It is my belief…our belief that public policy should not be dictated to us by the lowest common denominators amongst our population. To align yourself with this autocrat proves a level of disconnect with intelligent, reasonable thought to the degree that you may not be salvageable. That’s fine, but it does not mean you get to be in charge.
In addition to that BLUES JUNCTION is a “publication” for adults. If you are a Trump supporter this doesn’t include you.
Like that idiotic concept of “no child left behind,” where a school curriculum is geared for the dumbest kid in the class and not the smartest, your ilk has driven this country as low as it is willing to go. YOU are about to be left behind.
- David Mac
If you want to support our ongoing efforts in providing thought provoking content, click here ->
Copyright 2022 BLUES JUNCTION Productions. All rights reserved.
BLUES JUNCTION Productions
7343 El Camino Real
Suite 327
Atascadero, CA 93422-4697
info