Saturday Music Hall: Lives in the Balance

This is a video accompanied by Jackson Browne's song, "Lives in the Balance." It's been termed an animated editorial by its creator, Andrew Thomas . Although Jackson wrote this song during the horrors we helped perpetrate in Central America in the '80s (remember Iran-Contra?), the video uses images related to the neocons' Iraq War. Now that neocon forces are behind a widening of the war into Lebanon, and probably beyond, I thought it was time for another look.

Lives are definitely in the balance all over the world and the dogs of war are ferociously hungry for blood. It can sometimes be hard for me to believe that so many still believe military power can produce "victories" in this era of guerillas vs. high tech machines. Minds and hearts don't change for the better at the point of a gun barrel, facing a tank barrage or exploding under a 500 pound bomb dropped from the skies. And when people have been so manipulated by power brokers that they have nothing to lose, "rebellions" will always, always erupt against the perceived oppressors. You'd think we'd know better by now and fix the root causes of these problems, but of course that wouldn't produce many profits for those who call the shots. And the rest don't seem to have the gumption to stand up to the war propagandists.

Below are the lyrics from another song off the same 1986 album by Browne. When you think of it, we have been "at war," whether cold or hot, for most of the time since WW II, haven't we? Meanwhile, billmon believes there may not be a way out of the gathering clouds of WW III, given the proclivities of the neocons and, yes, the Dems. Unfortunately, I have to agree with him for the most part. He claims the only forces that might have a chance to stop the attack on Iran reside within certain cliques in the Pentagon and deep within the CIA. If that isn't depressing, I don't know what is.

FOR AMERICA

As if I really didn't understand
That I was just another part of their plan
I went off looking for the promise
Believing in the Motherland
And from the comfort of a dreamer's bed
And the safety of my own head
I went on speaking of the future
While other people fought and bled
The kid I was when I first left home
Was looking for his freedom and a life of his own
But the freedom that he found wasn't quite as sweet
When the truth was known
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
It's in my blood and in my bones
By the dawn's early light
By all I know is right
We're going to reap what we have sown

As if freedom was a question of might
As if loyalty was black and white
You hear people say it all the time-
"My country wrong or right"
I want to know what that's got to do
With what it takes to find out what's true
With everyone from the President on down
Trying to keep it from you

The thing I wonder about the Dads and Moms
Who send their sons to the Vietnams
Will they really think their way of life
Has been protected as the next war comes?
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
Her shining dream plays in my mind
By the rockets red glare
A generation's blank stare
We better wake her up this time

The kid I was when I first left home
Was looking for his freedom and a life of his own
But the freedom that he found wasn't quite as sweet
When the truth was known
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
I can't let go till she comes around
Until the land of the free
Is awake and can see
And until her conscience has been found