Pulling no punches
“His Lordship” Trump has always had “Kneel before Zod” fantasies. And for “every kneel shall bow” evangelicals, he’s a natural object of veneration. They’ve been taught their whole lives since Sunday school to want a king but have grown tired of waiting for their heavenly one. Donald Trump is eager to fill in. Fuck that.
So you may have heard that Trump is lashing out this week at superstar musicians who shine brighter and refuse to kneel. He’s demanding federal investigations of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Bono (he’s not even an American).
Democracy Docket reports on the pushback from a very unbowed Springsteen who went out of his way in a pulls-no-punches speech to show who’s Boss:
In reality, Trump’s rant was ignited by Springsteen’s acerbic comments on stage at two concerts in Manchester, England last week. Springsteen, who is 75 and has taken part in American political and social protests since he played the No Nukes festival at Madison Square Garden in 1979, spoke more directly than any major entertainment figure has since Trump’s inauguration. Before those words sink into the oozing quicksand of daily outrage and click-chasing Trump media coverage, it’s worth a closer look at the message — because I think it’s an important moment in the evolution of the growing opposition to this authoritarian gang.
First, it’s important to note that Springsteen’s words were scripted. I watched the videos from both nights, and the words were clearly on the lyrics prompter that major artists use on stage. This was no rant of the moment — it was intentional, targeted and as carefully crafted as any song off Darkness on the Edge of Town. Springsteen posted a video and a full transcript to his website. This was a plan.
“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” Springsteen told his Manchester audiences.
“There’s some very weird, strange and dangerous shit going on out there right now,” he said.
These are Springsteen’s seven key talking points (annotated with links):
- In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.
- In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now.
- In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers.
- They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that has led to a more just and plural society.
- They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom.
- They are defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideological demands.
- They are removing residents off American streets and, without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centers and prisons. This is all happening now.
This is a list devoid of fatty media outrage and flabby distraction — it cuts to the bone of American values in this imperfect republic, and it gets to the heart of the current struggle. As Springsteen said: “A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government. They have no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American.”
This was just previews. I can’t wait until he brings the “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour to his home stages. His shows will need increased security.
“Let’s pray.”
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