"Don't Ask, Don't Smell"

In true fashion of the Californian judicial system, Federal Judge Virginia Phillips slipped in the back door of the Department of Defense a worldwide injunction immediately stopping President Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy from l993. Sidestepping Congress completely and the probable desires of the American majority, Judge Phillips plead in favor of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay advocacy Republican group. While covertly her ruling could be seen as an Obama success (his administration tried to slip in the repeal as pork in the recent defense spending bill), Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates speculated that an abrupt ending to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would have enormous consequences for the troops. We are at war. The federal government is deciding whether to appeal the decision, despite their own previous attempt to repeal the what most people consider anachronistic legislation. If Obama does appeal most pundits believe the courts temporarily will lift the injunction while the appeals process commences. The question here is whether the ruling stands for the good of the many or the good of the few. While personal civil liberties are important in the Constitution, rulings concerning the masses or class actions have more far reaching ramifications. In certain situations where many victims suffer at the hands of a law-breaking culprit, a class action is appropriate and can be helpful. For a spiritual and private liberty and one that can fall under the aesthetic of religion, legislating a global injunction affecting the entirety of America’s military would be a mistake. No one seems to be making a case for the adverse consequences of “Gay in the Military.” While the gay contingency continues it pursuit of American civil liberties, no one really wants to openly say sexual preference is a religious issue. Likewise religion in general and a belief in God has been spun as unpopular by many large media conglomerates. For whom is it elected officials are going? Hispanics? Black? Gays? Sexual harassment is not bridled just to heterosexuality, and until that issue is confronted in terms of a largely male fighting force often cloistered together in remote areas, real enlightenment over the effects of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will not be found. While homosexuality on television is a relatively tame affair, anyone that attends any of the many gay activist activities immediately would see what aberrant behavior is possible behind the close doors of same sex bunking. For the many well adjusted and couple homosexuals living common lives with no outward vigil, the repealing of the legislation could seem Constitutional. Why can’t homosexuals openly serve in the military? It is because the military is unlike any civilian organization. Civilians do not form battalions, brigades, or platoons. Civilians do not eat, sleep, and work together as a huge cooperating force. Civilians do not spend long hours forced together in extreme and often dangerous situations. It is for these reasons the Department of Defense has launched a probe in the effect of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” which are forthcoming on December 1^st. Any attempt to change the law before them, no matter how California-appropriate, would be a mistake. Fruits, flakes, and nuts don’t necessarily represent the best interests of the national security of this country. They tend to represent their own, which is proven again and again in California’s judicial system. Homosexuals are not celebrities, although they seem to want to be.

Pop's Box

What is “pop” attempting to say? Without an authoritative study of the history of “pop” as a musical style, some inferences deserve to be made. First the “Pop” charts in America give this rhythmic style a particularly high place in American music history. The “charts” or ranking as determined by Billboard Magazine or Rolling Stone recognize “pop” as a discreet musical style. Somehow “pop” music inherently sells and therefore makes money. Who was it that determined that this particular style was the choice of America’s masses, and what is it about “pop” that creates such a valuable commodity? Covertly hundreds of bands seemed to understand this phenomenon and without opening a musical cans of worms exploited this “style” to benefit themselves and their record companies. It must be assumed that this particular “style” of music lent itself well to the histrionic stage presentation that accompanied it. Was it really this style of music accompanied the histrionic stage presentation itself? This author believes the latter to be true, and that “pop” music was the perfect vehicle for such an exhibition. The greatest example of the validity of this statement is the band AC/DC. Upon casual acknowledgement AC/DC seems to be a heavy metal band. If one is sitting at a bar and hears AC/DC on the jukebox, it is most likely a clangorous cacophony of banging garbage can lids will ensue and one will become annoyed if not all ready versed in the art of Angus Young. This was my experience. I heard or felt nothing that engaged me in any way. That is because AC/DC is a “pop” band. They are not a rock or heavy metal band in the sense of Aerosmith or Metallica. While this might be surprising to most, it seems the same secret exists for fans of AC/DC as the hundreds of bands that exploit this style. Angus Young, while appearing to be full of vitriol, covertly is a softy. He pantomimes grand kinetic gestures, but when it comes to striking the strings of the guitar his touch is a soft as a kitten’s belly. This was surprising, perplexing, and alarming to me as a fellow musician. How could it be I had spent forty years perfecting my touch on the piano, embodying strength, power, tonal clarity, and dynamic nuance, and this man barely touches the strings of the guitar and represents hundreds of thousands of angst ridden adolescent youths who buy AC/DC’s records? It simply was not fair. How did he accomplish such a feat? The underlying secret of pop music’s success is such. While I cannot explain the universal appeal of the “pop” rhythmic feel, I can describe the technique that controls it. It ain’t much. In fact there is little to describe. There is no “clave” or interesting rhythmic pattern. There is nothing even that proves “pop” music is in 4/4 time, unless you define that by the chord movement. Like African music utilized by the fusion band Weather Report (who were the first to perform semi-commercial music in a ¼ time signature) pop really is in ¼. So is the music of Count Basie. Perhaps this is what makes “pop” so universally appealing. There is NO grouping of the quarter note to define actual bars of music. “Pop” music is just a string of eighth notes that go on interminably, just like a porno soundtrack. It takes no thought to digest the music, because one basic element of music of the holy trinity of three, rhythm, does not exist. As it does it is the most base level to what rhythm can be reduced while still qualifying as music. This foundation supplies the necessary framework for the grandstanding of alter musical egos on stage. It appears that “pop” musicians represent fire, pathos, and virility, but underneath there is nothing.

Poppy Cock

The West Coast’s seeming reaction to the heated pyrotechnics of the East Coast’s Bebop during the l950’s could be seen as a parallel to Europe’s own dichotomy of Classical versus Romantic styles. Romanticism followed Classicism as a musical “style,” but Cool Jazz usually is seen as a reaction to the precursory musically aggressive style of Bebop. Bebop was the Rock ‘n’ Roll of jazz music, while the Cool School was Adult Contemporary. The only difference was the series. The refined eloquence of the High Classic Style preceded the emotional and personally expressive style of Romanticism. The constraint and seeming distance of the Cool followed the energy and aggressiveness of Bebop. It is just a matter of where you tune in. Pop music in America merits its own study, because although pop is a derivative style it inherently possesses some of the same contrasting musical elements represented in both of the former examples of music lineage. What is America’s pop music attempting? Hip Hop was in popular music’s case the precursor to Pop. It was anti-establishment. It was aggressive. It was raw. It felt good, and you could feel it in your body. While its themes were controversial, often violent, and misogynist the rhythmic concept of Hip Hop was very similar to America’s jazz music. Who knew it swung? That itself historically must define part of the expression of Hip Hop music and why it dissolved. Jazz it is said dissolved in the bottom of a whiskey bottle. What happened to Hip Hop? Evidently more skill was needed to produce Hip Hop than was known, because after the elimination of quite a few of Hip Hop’s major figures the music began to flounder. Cheap electronic imitations began to surface as corporate America attempted to capitalize on Hip Hop’s former influence. The effort was not successful, and modern R&B has not recovered. Instead Pop music became the music of choice for America’s airwaves. How did this happen? First was the disappearance of sample loops, something that ensured Hip Hop always would have an engaging rhythmic feeling. Sampling hit records is not a bad way to ensure the success of your future project. With sampling could have come a neglect for the artistry of live music performance. While this was not so evident at the time, it could have had long lasting ramification for the music industry. If A&R money evaporated with the emergence of iTunes, then the focus of music became not live performance but preconceived, prepackaged, prepared “Boy Bands.” Corporate producers became the major purveyors of popular music shaping the sounds we would come to hear on America’s airwaves. Was this a successful movement? With this trend came the reliance upon pre-recorded tracks and a computer-created click. Tethered to this dragon bands would begin to lose the ability to improvise. Their music became a corporate created product void of the traditional angst driving and accompanying most teen-oriented pop music. While there may have been angst visible on stage, the skill of manipulating it musically and extemporaneously began to get lost. The Greatful Dead officially were dead. Cruise ship bands did not help this movement. With a decline in quality of music education, young musicians now were surfacing that had heard nothing other than America’s own choosen insipid pop music. They were programmed to believe that by conforming to this now created construct of seeming money production, they were satisfying the requirements of the art of music production. In fact there is no art involved at all. Unlike both the Cool School and Bebop, pop require no soul connection whatsoever. Often the vocal can express some emotion, but the underlying rhythmic feel inherently is incapable of stirring anyone’s soul or feet. The pop rhythm comes from the strumming of the guitar, and people’s dancing feet are in no way related to this rhythmic concept. That could be pop’s major downfall, because it fails miserably to connect with the human body unlike much of America’s previous popular music. Why has pop remained “popular” in America? Simply it is because it takes no musical skill whatsoever to create it. While techniques are required to play the notes, no rhythmic feeling is necessary making the instrumental accompaniment to vocals impotent. It seems some contingency of America has grown to love this tepid, submissive, and vaporous music. Could it be the same contingency that supports homosexuality? While that may seem like an extreme conclusion, many of the passive traits associated with this sexual transgression are exhibited in pop music. Pop music is music “in-the-box.” It is performed within the construct of a box. It is not free. It is not romantic. It is conformist at the highest level of conformity and in no represents the previous tenets of America’s music. It is Politically Correct. It is Conservative. It is nothing, and the quickly America moves on the more successful we will be at rebuilding a viable, virile, potent America free to express the deepest of her soul driven concerns.

America's Middle Class Jobs

The news continually is reporting the American job market has not recovered from the recession. Middle class jobs in particular are scarce after massive corporate cuts to shore up those reeling from a huge Wall Street economic break down. While in the short term it is easy to cast blame on the pooling and selling of sub prime mortgages on the open market, other historical and far reaching political decisions have sealed the fate of America’s middle class. NAFTA or the North American Free Trade Alliance, a watershed institution under past President Bill Clinton, failed miserably and caused the peso collapse of South America. It seems those Mexican workers were not quite ready for the amount of hours Asians spend in their sweatshops. The venture capital evaporated as dreams of employing millions of Mexicans at cheap prices vanished. Many lost their life savings as Mexican “workers” continued their own cultural habits. Interestingly enough many of the same workers “flew the coop” penetrating the Texas/Mexican border seeking work as illegal aliens. This is an issue unto itself, and the employment status of these workers eventually will appear before America’s Supreme Court. Should businesses be penalized for utilizing the help of these willing workers? Since Americans themselves are unwilling to pursue these hard labor farm-oriented jobs, why shouldn’t practical businessmen capitalize on their willingness to work? It seems the fertile soil of America laced with the American Dream is more appealing than the rituals of South America. Conversely the continuing displacement of America’s middle classed jobs would point in another direction. It was not that long ago corporations began establishing hubs in foreign countries, and Argentina was a prime choice. These were middle-classed jobs, and a college education and relocation were required. To find a good middle classed job today one must relocate to a foreign country? It seems to be a dichotomy. Middle class jobs that require college always have been scarce therefore competitive in America. Now that corporate America has “out-sourced” many of their total jobs, these jobs are even more scarce here. America’s job market now is not in America. Was this the goal of “Globalization?” While the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the eradication of the Cold War could have been painted as a national defense issues, wasn’t the opening of global “markets” the goal? America is a Capitalist nation, therefore dollars are needed to ensure the long term economic security of here citizens. How was this to be accomplished exporting her jobs to India and China? As corporate America always has deemed appropriate, they pay the bottom line for free market labor and keep the rest for themselves and their shareholders. Is this the American way? Buying and selling shares of companies on Wall Street seems to be the downfall of Capitalism if it is accomplished greedily and with spite for the American middle class. Religion could play a role here, as our forefathers all ready knew. Capitalism with no conscience is evil. That candidly was proven with Wall Street’s aberrant behavior concerning sub prime lending. The repealing of the Glass/Steagall Act did not help. Allowing what once were discreet financial institutions to merge and interact without the watchful eye of the federal government created a new breed of upper class criminal. Maybe it was destined to occur. It could be the unspoken catalyst for the coup waiting to transpire in America. Luckily or not Obama came to the rescue and George Bush’s head was spared in the public square. Ironically although Clinton was an effective president in many ways, his precursory political legislation fertilized things that were to come. He and Bush’s heads have been spared. Speaking candidly about this situation is the only way to open discussion for the reemergence of America’s middle class. These jobs must come from somewhere, and if corporate America is not given some incentive to bring these manufacturing jobs back to America’s home soil, it will not occur. People keep shouting over these jobs. “I am disappointed with Obama’s lack of success decreasing unemployment in his short tenure as President.” While Clinton himself believes “Green Jobs” are the key, America as a Capitalist country must produce a Gross National Product. We must produce something and not just money. The pipe dream of manipulating money with no means of production is gone. The federal government must realize that to return to her former greatness, pride must return over America’s products.