Guest Post by Jim Kunstler
A February night in 1924, in a Manhattan concert hall owned by the Aeolian piano company… the wailing, warped, and flatted clarinet glissando that opens George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue announced the 20th century’s self-recognition that something new was up in the world, and especially in the USA. The composer tried to represent the stupendous energy of the maturing industrial culture in a symphonic cacophony with a core of the deepest tenderness — capturing all the wonder and grace of the moment. For America, everything was on the move. Love and power were in the air.
The idea that this was the American century stuck. The 1920s were a kind of hormonal rush of wonders and amazements. Radio, movies, airplanes, giant industries, electric power in farm houses, the dizzying rush of progress that welled up into a dangerous wave that broke over the world in economic depression, and then war in 1939 — by which time George Gershwin was gone at 38.
America performed splendidly in World War Two, rescuing Europe and Asia from manifest evil. The nation found itself the fully mature leader of the free world, with daunting responsibilities in the Atomic Age, filled with confidence, but tinged with an understandable paranoia in the nervous peace of the 1950s. This was the time of my childhood, along with my fellow travelers, the Baby Boomers. What a time to come into this world!
For a while, the USA luxuriated in power and stability. I sang the Davy Crockett theme song from the Disney TV show, and wore a coonskin hat, and lived in a home where dad left for work in a business suit, and all was well in the world. To me and my childhood friends, the mindboggling horrors of the recent war were reduced to comic books and plastic soldiers in the sandbox. Everything else in America seemed to work as advertised. We built a lot of stuff and saw the USA in our Chevrolet. President Ike bossed around Britain’s PM Anthony Eden. The Yankees bossed around the major leagues. Hardly anyone knew what the Federal Reserve did, or even what it was. Elvis was in the Army, babysitting the defeated Germans. Then somebody splattered John F. Kennedy’s brains all over Dealey Plaza in Dallas, and everything changed again.
That event was not the beginning of the Deep State, but it was the recognition of a more deeply sinister thing than the public had previously imagined — if they thought about it at all. The Vietnam War coincided exactly with the Baby Boomers’ adolescent rebellion and was widely viewed as an exercise in Deep State wickedness. It was violently opposed, and it only ended when our vaunted military lost control of the entire field of operations and got ignominiously shoved out. Meanwhile a rush of events confounded and aggravated the country: the civil rights commotion, more assassinations of major political leaders, Watergate, Feminism, and then the slow, demoralizing dismantling of the very industry that made the 20th century America’s moment in history.
The memory of all that lingers on, while dreams die hard, the clichés go. The institutional damage along the way has been epic. The outstanding moral lesson of World War Two was that there are some things worth believing in and even fighting for. The scene today is a debris field of broken ideals and lost trust in any organized endeavor that advertises itself as having national purpose. The Baby Boomers in their own twilight’s last gleaming seem to be equally composed of the most hardened cynics and the most credulous fantasists. In any case, we are doing a controlled demolition on what used to be pretty rigorous American values while leaving the planet a ruin.
That was not exactly the plan, but as the sad song goes: sometimes things turn instead of turn out. The century we are now in may turn out to be somebody else’s, or perhaps nobody’s — and by that I don’t necessarily mean the end of the world, just the end of a certain chapter in human history. In a mere hundred years we’ve journeyed from George Gershwin’s tender nocturne at the center of his Rhapsody to the clanking, thrash-metal morbidity of Megadeath and beyond. You cannot possibly miss the point. But even that is passing into history. The question begging this haunted country now is: what do we become? And can we find any grace in it?
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It’s Megadeth, not “Megadeath”. Besides, what’s wrong with Dave Mustaine? I have all of their albums and “Sweating Bullets” is one of the best rock tunes in metal history, IMO.
Perfect.
My personal theme song has become “Angry Again”.
The question begging this haunted country now is: what do we become? And can we find any grace in it?
We are becoming nothing. There is no national unity or focus. This is why socialism is creeping in – it ‘seems’ to offer a solution for desperate/lazy people.
The loss of grace can be seen in the demise of music: George Gershwin / Big Bands / Jazz / singers like Sinatra. I don’t think we will ever get this back.
I too shared that period growing up and the events described were part of my life. Until we moved to Egypt when I was 17. The stark reality of a foreign country or two – third world had not become media babble vogue yet – it was interesting – but as they say I digress. The question is what will we become? In keeping with nature – everything decays – radio active stuff takes a while as do countries. How long was it before Rome fell completely apart 2-300 years. Well I think we are doing the same as england and all the other countries that held sway – Spain, Portugal, and the others who just seems to slip away once the driving force dies. I am unable to detect who that person is in our present govzilla but rest assured there is some doofus who can tell everybody around him what to do, how it is going to be, and it will for the most part stick. The people, well they just want to be left to their devices, but those addicted to the power money virus just have to keep at it endlessly – hillary and willie – and all the rest of the power junkies. So my answer is we will become decayed matter. The country will settle – hopefully into the same sort of entity that Italy has – a nice place to visit and that’s about it. Wonder if that means Disneyland will be the focus of the next millenia. If the democrats keep it up they will manage to get lots of people shot up because at some point the rest of the country will have had enough of their stupidity. Here’s hoping they just fade out. Not what I see and the greatest probability .
The country will settle – hopefully into the same sort of entity that Italy has – a nice place to visit and that’s about it.
Nice places to visit like St Louis / NYC / Philly / Baltimore / Chicago / Camden / Newark / Compton / LA … the list of ‘interesting places seems endless”.
When I feel like the world is trying to invade my territory, I listen to this, which my father played on his harmonica along with me on piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMcrvzb7osQ
We are no longer a melting pot. We have become a mixed salad with each individual community maintaining its own identity. Until we all become Americans, we will continue to be divided by the politicians for their gain.
I’m a boomer, and when considering the most momentous events of the past 45 years, I have to say they they have one thing in common: almost no one saw them coming. Today, I am much amused when I hear pundits of various sorts state what will be the almost certain consequences of tariffs, or raising taxes, or lowering interest rates, or whatever their field of self proclaimed expertise happens to be. How can anyone takes seriously the utterings of political hacks who completely missed the biggest upset in American history, the election of Donald Trump? That it actually occurred is still amazing.
The most I allow myself, when considering the issues of the day, is “it seems to be the case that…” or “the likely outcome is..”, before adding a disclaimer that I might be wrong. It is not a matter of being overly cautious, but simple prudence and a realization that I, too, have erred.
It is clear that a lot of the narratives, certainties, conventional wisdom, etc, of the past are being swept away, giving rise to a feeling of weightlessness in life. Yet, I feel no despair about this at all. Coincidentally, I am in personally an uncertain time of life, where my path forward seems shrouded in mist. I have used this time to go through my living quarters, and clear everything that no longer serves me in life, that which is outdated or broken. This sorting out applies to physical as well as spiritual and emotional goods. I think of this as being like a farmer, who clears his field and tills it in preparation for planting, hoping for a rich harvest. It is all I can do.
None of us know what will grow out of the current confusion and strife which, admittedly, seems dire. But it is a sifting process, and hopefully what is valuable and true will survive. I personally remain optimistic, even though I have no knowledge of how or when a new turn will come, or at what cost. I am not expecting heaven on earth to arrive presently, and I am hoping we avoid complete annihilation. But nothing is written, and there at least a chance we can nudge the outcome in one direction or the other by our personal habits, inclinations, and attitudes, and a ruthless adherence to the truth.
Or so I believe.
Wow, two great pieces of writing on one thread. I’d upvote it twice but it won’t let me.
As seasoned citizen boomers, the best thing we can do for our country is to make sure our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren learn the true beginnings of the United States, explain to them the freedom we enjoyed as children and apologize for letting the politicians take that future away from them.
Our parents gave us the greatest country the world has ever known and we let it slip away, rather than making it better for our offspring.
“… what do we become?”
Perhaps a couple more decades of Slouching Towards Gomorrah?
I guess my mind still remains in my hometown after a visit there this weekend. But as we walked through the shaded city park, past the Carnegie Library with the words stamped above its large doors “FREE TO THE PEOPLE”, I began to think about the men who built the country. My memories of the library included getting books as a little kid as well as much studying there for a 6th science class; a class taught by a teacher who, I learned later, had run it like a college course -and it was nearly as demanding too.
As we walked by a renovated residence that used to be the old funeral home, I stopped to consider its architecture and mentally compared it to its replacement now located at the edge of town. The new funeral home, of course, is one level, handicapped accessible, and with ample parking. The older model which I stood before just then, had a sort of decadent elegance raised high off the intersection of two streets. The main entrance had stairs curving up the hill into the front doors, but the building was structured so as to accommodate a narrow garage entrance off the side street for the hearse.
While staring at the old funeral home I recalled its ornate architecture and décor as well as touring the facility in high school. I also remembered a mechanical lift that raised the caskets from the lower level to the upper rooms where the visitations and services were held. I thought about the people back then; the men who wore suits and the woman in dresses. They were serious and most of the adults still retained a constant air of formality and professionalism. Truly, it was a different era.
This brought to my mind another recollection while staring at the old funeral parlor. When touring the lower level in high school, we walked by some very small caskets and were told they were for babies and toddlers. One of my good female friends grabbed my hand and squeezed it so hard her fingernails broke the skin in my palm. When I looked at her she was crying and asked me to take her outside. Weeks later she admitted that she had an abortion and the sight of the tiny caskets caused her to panic. At the time, I don’t even think her boyfriend knew.
Comparing the generations may be considered by some as a futile endeavor. Even so, as I walked away and noticed a Bernie Sanders bumper sticker on the back of a parked car, it made me wonder. Somewhere along the way, the kids got lost.
“America performed splendidly in World War Two, rescuing Europe and Asia from manifest evil.”
America’s sacrifice wasn’t small, over 400K dead. Still, our casualties pale in comparison to China and Soviets. The red army beat Hitler. 200 German Divisions were on the Eastern Front on D-Day. The Western Front was just a diversion. Perhaps our fall since then was because we took all the credit.
I suspect that death numbers may be low by a factor or two of ten.
The cultural, spiritual, physical, and mental collapse of America was a purposely engineered “Long March” by TPTB (the core are the Fascist-Communist ZOG). The outcome will probably be the culmination of their Plan plus the Natural Disasters that accompany a GSM : The Four Horsemen of Rev 6, the economic enslavement described in Rev 13:16,17 etc. I hope and pray Trump is a Stumbling Block to their plans; if not, our doom is within a generation.
That may be the best thing he has ever written…
Stunning summation.
I’m going to go read it again.
One of JHK’s best articles ….. I remember the days when a JHK article would get 60+ comments in a heartbeat.
Nevertheless, the commentary, sparse as it may be, has been terrific.
Less is more.
“And can we find any grace in it?” “It” being what we become, come what may in this world of progressive entropy.
If sought in the one place few seem to earnestly explore, the grace available is truly beyond human comprehension. What we might become is truly extraordinary; a new creature. The first several verses of each of Paul’s epistles hint as to what’s to come further inside. The Apostle of the Gentiles encourages…
Philippians 4:5-9 KJB… “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Ephesians 1:7 KJB… “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJB… “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Fatal Attraction’s son…
…can blow away a ‘flatted clarinet glissando’ in his pajamas after being awakened from a nap.
“the clanking, thrash-metal morbidity of Megadeath and beyond” does not define the generation that Baby Boomers raised. That’s media’s definition. It is doubled by self-promoting mouthpieces. It doesn’t take many sparks of brilliance to continue our climb out of darkness, despite thrash-metal morbidity. There are enough bumble bees among our overheated, seized-up cylinders.
I like coonskins too. I like Davy Crockett who ran for political office on the platform that he had killed 52 bears in his life. I like Daniel Boone and other men who did what they had to do to carve out a home for their FAMILY.
I, too, grew up in the 50’s & 60’s and remember the days where keys were left in cars and houses were never locked. Yes, the assassination of JFK was like losing our virginity and was the end of our innocence. It gave way to the ascension of LBJ and in adherence to the saying “never let a good crisis go to waste”, he passed the (not so) Great Society in the shadow of JFK’s death, dooming generations of poor people to a life of dependence. He also bowed to the MIC and ramped up the proxy war called Viet Nam, wasting 58,220 American lives and maiming 10’s of thousands more, all to enrich his industrialist friends and provide a revolving door to the generals at the pentagon.
Nixon ended the war, but went to China to open them up and give them a path to join the rest of the world. China took advantage of the opportunity, created a massive industrial infrastructure and began to systematically replace American industries through the use of industrial espionage, slave labor and government owned businesses. This has continued for almost 50 years and only with the election of Donald Trump has ANY American leader ever stood toe-to-toe with them.
Will Donald J. Trump be successful in his plight to even the playing field with China is something we will have to see. You can certainly bet that China, Russia and Mexico will do all they can to insure he does not get a second term, as they will lose the long game if he is re-elected.