Thursday 10 November 2016

Killing The Flame: More Prophetic Music From Leonard Cohen.

 

WITH THE SORT OF PRESCIENCE only a true prophet possesses, Leonard Cohen titled his latest album "You Want It Darker". And, lo, this morning has broken with a lot less lustre than the day before. What happened in the USA yesterday is beautifully anticipated in the first five lines of the album's title track:

If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game
If you are the healer, it means I'm broken and lame
If thine is the glory then mine must be the shame
You want it darker
We kill the flame

Having extinguished the candles of their better angels, all that's left to Americans now is the cursed darkness of their all-enveloping fear and rage.

Video courtesy of YouTube.

This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road.

10 comments:

Sharp Tack said...

Failed Democrat stategists and organisers should be forced to watch the film 'The Deer Hunter' several times. It will provide them with an instructive view of the Rust Belt & what motivates working class people in the Rust belt to vote.

The working class in the Rust Belt:

a) don't care if you are a Yale graduate
b) don't care if you are a woman and want to break the glass cieling
c) don't care if you are gay and want marriage equality
d) don't care about university students tuition fees & loans; they care about home loans
e) don't care about the 'hopey' 'changey' stuff , only economic stability
f) are patriotic & tribal; willing to serve in the US military
g) do want their steel mill / manufacturing plant etc re-opened & their jobs back

The reality is the Democrat stategists completely mis-judged this demographic.

David Stone said...

Hi Chris

I think you might be going off at the deep end a bit there, it might not be so bad ;We just don,t know what he will do. But presumably thats the end of TPPA isn't it? At least for now.

He is much less likely to start WW3 than Hillary was, but whether or not he will have any control over the military and the CIA
remains to be seen. And how his actions correspond with what he has said (and when) remains to be seen as well I must admit, but I don't think anyone knows how it will go yet.
Cheers David J S

greywarbler said...

The Standard have put up Michael Moore's ideas for what to do after the Party is over. You could take up knitting, very soothing, or follow his relatively light-hearted suggestions, made wryly in the circumstances of so many people feeling munted.
https://thestandard.org.nz/michael-moores-morning-after-to-do-list/

Guerilla Surgeon said...

"g) do want their steel mill / manufacturing plant etc re-opened & their jobs back"

Ain't gonna happen.

"f) are patriotic & tribal; willing to serve in the US military"

Well some of them are, but none of their leaders managed to serve in Vietnam, and indeed one of them shat himself repeatedly and pretended to be mad so he wouldn't have to go.
Trump didn't serve, with a spurious excuse. Neither did Bush ii. It's always intrigued me how conservatives who allegedly love the military always seem to be happy with people who avoided their obligations in the Vietnam war. Just as it has puzzled me that many so-called committed Christians would not vote for Clinton, who is a dedicated and obvious Christian, but were willing to vote for Trump who is either not a Christian, or a Christian by convenience. In my interactions with people on various websites, it would seem that many fundagelicals are so enamoured of the idea that Trump is going to revoke Roe versus Wade that they would sooner vote for a heathen than a Christian :).

David Stone said...

BTW I noticed that the Trump team was so sure of the result that they didn't think to have an alternative theme tune on hand to close the party to.
Cheers DJS

Guerilla Surgeon said...

DJS.
That was probably incompetence. All the news services I've come across – at least all the American ones, say that the result took the Trump people just as much by surprise as everyone else. That they didn't in fact expect to win.

greywarbler said...

This morning on Radionz Simon Marks reporter from Washington talking with Suzy about campaign promises disappearing from the website.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201823383/president-elect-donald-trump-visits-white-house
Simon's report is near the end of the audio.

Simon Marks said that people are wondering what Trump's plans and intentions are.
Trump talked about deporting two million people on his first day in office.
Also to rip up three trade agreements. (Canada's Trudeau has been in touch about changes apparently.)
Paris Climate Change Accord??
To rip up nuclear agreement with Iran.
e&oe

Guerilla Surgeon said...

He's just died apparently. Never one of my favourites, but sad nonetheless.

David Stone said...

GS

My point How else would you explain the choice

Tough for Chris to post these two references at such prophetic timing. Cohen got me more than any of the others.

D J S

Richard said...

Brilliant choice Chris. He died the next day. You read the tea leaves well.