This guy falls into the same category as Rush Limbaugh: loud mouth numbskull.

Westslope,

Thank you for your post. We in the U.S. tend to gloss over the fact that we are the No. 1 terrorist state on the planet. Our government or those we have elected (or our supreme court selects) claim all that U.S. war activities are for the purpose of bringing democracy to the poor down trodden souls that are oppressed by the tyranny of their government (in many cases pretending to forget the U.S. installed or supported the tyrannical government). Franti's tune is a very good protest song, which has sparked (as apparent from the comments on this page) some controversy and discussion of the issue. That is a good thing. The war is wrong, but in my opinion all war is wrong.

westslope wrote:

What a tragic song. Not because I disagree with the politics, but because it just sucks. Bad lyrics with no musical talent behind them.

31 Weapons are the tools of violence;
all decent men detest them. Weapons are the tools of fear;
a decent man will avoid them
except in the direst necessity
and, if compelled, will use them
only with the utmost restraint.
Peace is his highest value.
If the peace has been shattered,
how can he be content?
His enemies are not demons,
but human beings like himself.
He doesn't wish them personal harm.
Nor does he rejoice in victory.
How could he rejoice in victory
and delight in the slaughter of men? He enters a battle gravely,
with sorrow and with great compassion,
as if he were attending a funeral.
32 The Tao can't be perceived.
Smaller than an electron,
it contains uncountable galaxies. If powerful men and women
could remain centered in the Tao,
all things would be in harmony.
The world would become a paradise.
All people would be at peace,
and the law would be written in their hearts. When you have names and forms,
know that they are provisional.
When you have institutions,
know where their functions should end.
Knowing when to stop,
you can avoid any danger. All things end in the Tao
as rivers flow into the sea.
http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html

prickelpit96 wrote: The entire downtown 1945: (click here)

seems like this guy missed his calling, he should have went into politics (or join some revolutionary army) because music doesn't really seem his major talent/passion.

Poacher wrote:


This is not a protest song, it is simply naive rant! There is a big difference between the two.

Fire! Fire! Fire!

How refreshing to hear someone actually saying something of relevance in a song these days.

Shut up!

Listen again - the lyric is "O s ama's " - different consonant, very different person.

jamesat43 wrote:

jamesat43 wrote:
Nah, he probably got that from the SNL sketch where a terrorist called "Whos Bin Farteen" was mentioned.

sqqqrly wrote:

No. Not just as blindly pro-American terrorism tactics as you probably are.

Look, we all LOVE colonialism. Smart, culturally superior people kill and take resources from disorganized "inferior people", turn the country into a military powerhouse or perhaps "make the desert bloom".

It's just that colonialism no longer gives the desired net benefits (to the conquering people) it once did.

In the early 21st century, the USA has clinched the dubious honour of being the No. 1 terrorist state in the world. In this decade, the US has killed more innocent children and grandparents than any other nation state. Do you really think the US and her close allies are more secure as a result?

A lot of people hating his lyrics, but I really thought

"...and nobody knows where Obama's Bin Hidin'"

was a clever rhyme.

jt

Hippostar wrote:
Someone has to write and sing about important issues. There are not enough in my opinion. . . what happened to protest songs?

Yep, that's our Michael Franti!!

xkolibuul wrote:

Sloggydog wrote:
Perhaps, but I certainly wouldn't like to live with the hatred and contempt this singer has.

Tim_in_N_FL wrote:
To the lovers of peace, to those who love the magic of music and poetry and its power to unite, to all the freaky people who make the beauty of the world, and most of all to me my brother.

Seeing him again in a couple of weeks and gonna sweat my arse off to the funky grooves again. Best live band i've ever seen.

cleric wrote:
I concur...was about to write the same sentiment when I saw yours. To what demographic does Franti "preach"? He seems to have his devout followers...

xkolibuul wrote:
Its an old problem that goes back a long time (before presidents):

Only 19 people have been twice issued the medal of honor.

One of them wrote this (in 1935):

War is a Racket! It always has been.

http://tinyurl.com/alvc2