It's Going Down: Riots or Revolution?

Riots or Revolution? What seems to be the difference between the two? The London riots caught our attention fast and the response was a split decision, as I recall. So let's try and find the instruction manual for Riots and Revolutions. Don't worry, I'll wait...

While we are waiting for the rule book...

I will mention that what happened in Egypt was called a revolution. Why? Well...because after years and years of tyranny and oppression, the people finally said, "ENOUGH" and went down to the town square and stood there in protest with demands. They were unified and seemed organized. They were not violent about it, really. Although there was much violence reported. Things were smashed and blown up, some people died...but they were persistent enough to get the change they were asking for: Revolution.

In 1789 The French did the same thing. We have Bastille day to remember it by. The epic march to Versailles that forced the Royal Court back to Paris. Economic factors included rising bread prices after years of poor grain harvest. Another cause was the state's effective bankruptcy due to the enormous cost of previous wars, particularly the financial strain caused by the French participation in the American Revolutionary War. So, the French people decided it was time for a revolution. Things were smashed and blown up, a lot of people died...but they were persistent enough to get the change they were asking for: Revolution.

And that reminds me of one of our own American Revolutions. Not the first one that kicked out the British. But the Civil War that happened later. The one about Slavery and the succession of states from the union. I mean, it took a few hundred years to boil the pot, but when it did, we ended up having the bloodiest revolutionary war in America's history. The whole country was like an out of control riot for years. HELLA shit was smashed and blown up, HELLA people died...but they were persistent enough to get the change they were asking for: Revolution.

And so now this London thing. It's had the ingredients of a revolution. But for some reason it was not given the right amount of ingredients that a revolution requires. And many condemned the "blacks" for going as crazy as they did. Looting and pillaging without proper organization makes the military grunt with disgust. Perhaps if they had just waited for a few hundred more years, all the people would have all joined in and declared a revolution. However...Things were smashed and blown up, some died...but they were NOT persistent enough to get the change they were asking for. In fact, now their own people hate them and want to blame them for what the elite and wealthy are creating from their high ranks above.

Every generation has their version of "The Man" and it only takes a few people to damn him into submission. If they are organized. I hope the Londoners regroup and really think about what just happened. Compared to their previous civil war in 1642, there are definitely some notes worth jotting down.

It would be nice to NOT have that happen again...without proper organization and support from all who need to be involved...considering the poor and middle class out number the rich and wealthy by a huge amount.

Anyway...

And here is a song that was inspired by the London Riots. Damn the man...

Your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

It's Goin' Down by mooselethridge

No Strings

I watched the London riots from the comfort of my own home last week, here in Northern California. Which is its own perspective, I know. Every where on earth there is a class division of wealthy, rich, middle class and poor. How the wealthy and rich keep playing the sidelines on issues like this is beyond my comprehension. Every time. They just let the poor suffer until they snap. And the middle class seems to always take the brunt of this reaction. Then the rich step in afterwards and narrate the story with control of the press. Then it starts all over again.
All over the globe there is revolution. Now London. But for some strange reason this particular chain of events got lumped into another category. Wrong. It's the same thing. The only difference is that it is happening to YOU now and you are not as united as the Egyptians were. And because of this subdivision among the classes, it makes it easier to reprimand the poor for being revolutionary. I really don't see the difference between the collateral damage in London and Afghanistan. Both are being looted, bombed and pillaged by a bunch of 18 year olds for reasons that inevitably benefit some upper class regime; the wealthy corporations.

So in this song, I wanted to capture the moment where the middle class (portrayed by me) is reacting to the rioting poor in the street. Except I want to point out that we are both being played against each other by the corporations, the media and the wealthy by addressing the tactic in which they use to control us like puppets. And my question is how do they do that if there are no strings attached to anybody? Then in a moment of clarity, as I am watching footage of rioters walking down the street with televisions...it all makes sense. I look up at the satellites in orbit. I can't see them. But I know they are there.
So now I am wondering if this even matters to a group of people who are so desperate enough to loot. How can we read Robin Hood to the kids, if we are all dangling like Pinnochio? How do we change something that we cannot see? Where is the key that unlocks invisible chains? How do you ask this question without people laughing in your face(book)?
The fuck if I know either...but that's why I write songs, sometimes...so that I don't forget these questions.

Your friendly cyberhood
Uncle Samurai
No Strings by mooselethridge
Hey what the hell are you doing there?
Are you trying to manifest destiny?
Like a pawn on a chessboard now
In the hands of your so -called queen

But it has caught our attention now
We see you walkin' with that TV screen
Aint no time for intervention now
But there is something that you need to see

The rich are gettin' richer
And the poor keep on suffering
It's a theater of politics
Controlled like a puppet, but the puppet aint got no strings

I know they'd still be ignoring y'all
If it weren't for this emergency
But them guards that they're deploying now
They aint payed to think of what it means
They got a rope made of blood-red tape
And they love to just let it swing
They got you hangin' like Pinnochio
So they can blame you for falling in the streets

That's how the rich keep dividing up
All the poor for the conquering
In this theater of politics
That's controlled like a puppet, but the puppet aint got no strings

They got me gazing at the satellites
That they hook to your TV screen
And when you turn it on and watch tonight
You can see for yourself what I mean
But you still loot and run around
But it don't change a god damn thing
If you really want to hit 'em hard
We got to stand up in unity

Because the rich keep dividing up
All the poor for the conquering
It's just a theater of politics
That's controlled like a puppet, but the puppet aint got no strings