In these days of widely expected change in the USA I want to share an alternative national anthem with you: "This Land is Your Land" performed by Anti-Flag, The Nightwatchman and BigD.
Compared to Bush and McCain Obama will probably do quite a good job but he will NOT bring real change unless all the people that made his victory possible will constantly put pressure on him in order to put his campaign promises into practice. Otherwise he will give in to his counselors and sponsors from Wallstreet and Big Business. And let's be realistic: Obama definitely is no radical although he "pals around with terrorists" (good one from Palin ;). We will see what the new president will be able to do but let's not forget that real change will not come from above but from below, from us. Why wait for a political leader to better our lives? Let's organize - in the States and everywhere else!
2 Kommentare:
Hmmmmm...great song, great rendition, great use of music by the artists to do political education. At the same time, the title and the refrain show how the left in North America has mostly throughout its history refused to deal with the colonial past and present of the countries that currently claim Turtle Island...the fact is, it isn't my land, it's indigenous land...if only we can find ways to work a recognition of that reality in, musically and politically, with the anger, the recognition of class struggle, the rebellious nature of anthems like this...
Thanks Scott for your important remark! You are completely right. Actually I first hesitated to publish the song because it (or parts of it) can be used to promote "politically correct" patriotism but I decided to show it because of it's rebellious potential. We definitely have to stress the importance of the neglected colonial past of North America.
I tried to learn more about the Canadian case during my stay in Quebec City by working with local political groups open to the Aboriginal question like those forming L'autre 400e, by attending some of the few Aboriginal activities of the "400e" of Quebec City and by taking a class on Aboriginal politics.
During the demonstration against the Canadian Army marching in the city, an awful symbol of militarism, at least some people argued "400 years of colonialism - nothing to celebrate", photo on the bottom of the post or here.
I also commented Harper's apology to Aboriginal peoples in Canada and the answer of Aboriginal women: Femmes Autochtones répondent à Harper.
I learned that there is a lot of work to be done in Canada concerning it's past and the disgusting treatment of the Native population by the colonizers, not only by the government but - as you said - by the Left as well. I could not believe it when progressive friends of mine simply told me that they were not interested in the First Nations! There is a long and difficult way to go to accept the past and to work on an acceptable recognition of the committed atrocities and of Aboriginal rights. Progressives with a European origin have to understand that it's a common fight or at least it has to become one.
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