Dylan on Sarah Palin

Maggie’s Farm Revisited

Bob Dylan entertained us with the powerful lyrics and “ants in the pants” like melody of Maggie’s Farm, off and on over the years. It started at the Newport Folk Festival, back in 1965. And most recently through a live rekindling the same, on national TV, as a performer with the task to entertain at the 53^rd Grammy Awards. We have to give credit where credit is due. When Dylan has the stage, the national stage in this case, the subliminal message surrounding the performance is something we need to pay attention to, as the message is probably the best state of the nation address we could take ownership upon and then act, “Ask what you can do for your country”! The words, his all so meaningful expressive words and phrases, the poetry within, it keeps on giving and the songs find different meaning, depending on the political situation at hand. It challenges our intellects, it challenges history. That is why Dylan’s songs never get old, and his works will entertain generations to come, like a bible. It is the only thing we need to include in a time capsule! “Every picture tells a story, don’t it”? Well, every Dylan song tells a theory, stone it, sometimes scary. And today some of it appears to be turning up, the scary stuff that is. But the true message within comes about through a combination of the words and musical attributes, and of course his mood. So why did Dylan pick Maggie’s Farm for this occasion, and during this 2-minutes claim to fame, surround himself in a jam session with many new generation talents? If indeed we as a nation “build to destroy”, Dylan sings to educate. It was clear and convincing an answer this question when he sang “Masters of War” at the Grammy Awards, in 1991, when he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award”. And this song, which defines how our totalitarian leadership engages in war, and does indeed “build to destroy”, it was so fit for the times, as this occurred when we had the neo-conservative thugs in control and this pathetic bowel movement following was trying to force democracy here, there and everywhere and if given the chance, was about to invade Heaven's peace and quiet. But due limited funds, they were successful only in pre-occupying Iraq and Afghanistan, and that success has approached total failure with many, too many innocent lives lost in vain. Yet they continue to smile as they wait in line at the bank. They lost, both the wars we are still engaged upon and we are about to loose the farm to pay for it. We really don’t like the title of Attila the Occupier, do we? And today we see “home grown” democracy taking root, without force, so the neo-snots were totally wrong their abuse upon others, which follows the trickle down theory and is an abuse on the “true” American spirit – that of brother can you spare a dime, Yes! So the “Farm” must have some meaning important with respect to current affairs affecting society. Again, he challenges us with this opportunity. Read between the lines we must, as Dylan is more than a poet, more than a philosopher, he knows too, too much, we must take advantage this gift and its giving. Silence is not golden in this case. So I will take the challenge this occasion this time. Now unlike many who have tried over the years to decipher Dylan’s lyrics, I take no claim to be an authority on this subject matter, as like already mentioned, the words bring different meanings as a sign of the times. So today may be different then tomorrow different then yesterday. Maggie’s Farm focuses on a family affair wherein the cast is bent on greed and power, a simple snapshot of things to come. I hear “dueling banjos”? The main Manson Family like characters include, Maggie, her brother, pa and ma. So who or what would fit so precisely Maggie’s roll, with today’s current state of affairs? Let’s try Sarah Palin for the fit test, this exercise. Why? Well for sure since Palin became Public Envy #1, I do indeed “fold my hands and pray” each day, that Sarah will go away and never return, except to face jail time for placing the target practice cross-hairs upon Arizona’s representative Gifford, wherein a nut-case followed through the order like Sarah was the Commander-in-Chief. John McCain created a monster with Palin, and today that monstrous maniacism finds a following, and this has taken our country on a crash course wherein if it continues it will convince the rest of the world that incompetency reigns and the once free nation called America will be banned from anything close to democracy. So the fit does indeed work. The shoe fits, she wares it well. Then there is Maggie’s brother that enters the scene. This has to define Corporate America, wherein CEOs are taking home all the “Farms” profits and using the same to buy government, through lobbyists, and since there is only so much loot to go around, “we the people” the “salt of the earth” may as well work for minimum wage, as that is what it amounts too when all is said and done – nickel and dime us to death the rich will. And complain, it means corporate fines, as with “at will” employment, one can be dismissed without prejudice for being gay, no matter how good a worker. Most recently when the Wisconsin maniac Scott Walker took an order from Maggie's brother, to make collective bargaining illegal, the Tea Party came to the governor’s defense. Remember, government has been sold to the highest bidder. This is war not only upon the unions, but war upon the American workers. And since most Tea-Party followers have not jobs and wait around with guns and dead roses, I guess the Tea Party membership finds not the intelligence to participate in concerted activity that provides for a strong America. Do they realize how important unions have been over the course of history? As paying healthy wages through “bargaining” finds an experienced work force that can build highways, can build bridges, can build America. And since the TeaCrappers have no future, they can be riled up to fight the Koch Brother's war, against humanity. Then we move on to pa, well, this is the GOP, the congressional GOP, which has been playing a hardball mutiny upon the government ever since the constituency lost out the majority. The pain and suffering they impose upon America is felt, “he puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks” says it all. When Mitch McConnell makes it clear and convincing that his main objective as a senator is too ruin Obama, to fail the presidency, we have treason run a muck amongst us. And with support from FOX's Murkydick, well I would bet this tycoon's “bedroom window is made out of bricks”. The National Guard that stands around his door? That's the PNAC, the William Kristols, the Dick Cheneys and the gun-toting neo-conservatives providing protection as the GOP attacks American decency, making it a thing of the past. And ma, well she identifies the missing link, the religious right and we all know that the IQ of this mass-murderous “preachers in disguise” snake-oil disease ridden brethren is so low that they still don't get it, that a strong America relies upon a separation! I hope that Gaddafi is correct with his assessment, that Al-Qaeda has given up on WMDs and resorted to spiking Nescafe and milk with LSD. We all can use a fix. During the 60s, it was relief to trip out and sail away from what was happening, getting away from things that were disenfranchising America. It wasn't an escape away from reality, it was a positive means to “Come Together” during tough and rough times, especially with the Vietnam conflict. The war we were supposed to “learn” from our mistakes, it didn't work. But that was the time the Cheneys and Rumsfelds were stuck in their dorm rooms and plotting against those exercising their 1^st Amendment rights, and that is the reason Dick once took credit for what happened at Kent State, no remorse, that this was a necessary form of control. Back then,I knew young republicans that found interest in Lucy. And when this side of the isle was high along with the other side of the isle, well things seemed to work out for the betterment of mankind. There was compromise and agreement that allowed Americanism to move forward without the burden of false witness precedent my way or the highway only. And back then, the greatest homeland threat was the fact that a terrorist group would spike the water reservoirs with LSD, as it was readily available and large quantities could be manufactured very easily with recipes make available from noted universities and Timothy Leary fan clubs. This country needs something, to “Come Together”, and then maybe we can come to grips, that Maggie's Farm and associated fan-club needs the chopping block and auction block, as that family and its followers is pure evidence that incest misbehaves evolution. I thought that 9/11 was the key, but it seems to have made things on the homeland more restrictive with respect to equality, with that, the enemy is so far the winer. And “I ain't going to work on Maggie's farm no more”, ever again, never did! So BRAVO to Dylan, that he has reminded us that things are creepy, if we fail to heed this warning, then we my as well get used to cigar burns and working for a nickel. We need to all come to grips with each-other, that we can agree to disagree as long as it doesn't disenfranchise my rights or your rights, if we cannot comes to terms, to settle indifferences on peaceful terms, then we deserve whatever Maggie's Farm can dish out, and it will be ugly. Armageddon in disguise it is, with well known family characters and traits that will make Atlantis look like a paradise! Now the Jokerman, that's a whole nother theory!