Monday, July 4, 2016

The Rebel Black Dot Song of Independence Day


Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, "American Patrol" from Glenn Miller's 50 Finest (The Last Angry Man)

Commentary: There are no lyrics to "American Patrol" for me to quote, but methinks the timeless & universal appeal of Glenn Miller's swing version makes this an apropos choice for Independence Day.


Bonus! Song of Independence Day
Toby Keith, "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" via iTunes (The Last Angry Man)

Commentary: Mostly just an excuse to re-post the above photograph—of four Fairchild Republic A-10s, officially designated the Thunderbolt II but more widely & affectionately known as the "Warthog"—which makes me grin from ear to ear.
"Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist,
And the eagle with fly and it's gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell,
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you,
Brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue!…"
Operation AXIOM
I wrote eloquently on the subject of Independence Day last year, so allow me to direct you to my earlier remarks: Wayback Machine. Happy birthday, America!

Liberty & Union
In this contentious & mystifying election season, when the presumptive nominees of both the Republican Party—the odious Mr. Donald J. Trump, who is no more a Republican than was Wendell Wilkie in 1940—& the Democratic Party—the odious Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton, to whom I've been implacably opposed for most of my life—having abnormally high unfavorable ratings, it appears that the election will come down not to choice of whom the electorate likes more, but whom the electorate dislikes less. There appears to be no end in sight for our polarized, naval-gazing politics, as each side continues to vilify the other & view compromise as morally reprehensible. Between this malaise & the popularity & nigh-universal acclaim of the musical Hamilton, perhaps now is a ripe moment for a revival of one of America's original political parties, Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party?

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