Their message might be liberal but it's not pro-democrat or anti-republican and not at all BS. It's a mistake to think this song is about Bush because all of the mentioned overthrown and assassinated leaders were before his time. This song is about America's role in the world throughout history, especially following WWII. Today we blame the obsession with military interventions on the neocon republicans but democrats have done the same things. It was clinton who bombed yugoslavia for nearly 80 days and used the Lewinksy scandal as a distraction. But anyways, this song is about how we talk about freedom and democracy and making the world a better place but we really have no idea of what our government does.
"Repeatin’ the same slogans we don't know where we've been
We've been all over the globe on our government's funds
Leavin’ man, woman, and child dead bloody and numb"
And while we repeat slogans about building democracies and freedom in the world our government is overthrowing and assassinating leaders who won't fall in line with neoliberal economic policies that exploit their citizens.
"We've been overthrowing leaders with legitimate views
Democratically elected but we didn't approve...."
"Who let ‘em overthrow Jacobo Arbenz
Who let ‘em overthrow Mohammad Mosaddeq
Who let ‘em assassinate Salvador Allende
I didn't let ‘em but they did it anyway
Who let ‘em overthrow Kwame Nkrumah
Who let ‘em overthrow Aristide
Who let ‘em assassinate Oscar Romero
I didn't let ‘em but they did indeed"
In case your thickheaded, 'em = US
Here's who these guys are:
Jacobo Árbenz (1913 – 1971) was the President of Guatemala from 1951 to 1954, when he was ousted in a coup organized by the CIA, and was replaced by a military junta, plunging the country into chaos and long-lasting political turbulence. (WIKI)
For the rest here's their countries and dates in power. Look them up to learn more.
Mohammed Mosaddeq - Prime Minister of Iran 1951-1953
Salvador Allende - President of Chile, 1970-1973
Kwame Nkrumah - Leader of Ghana, 1952-1966
Aristide - Catholic Priest / President of Haiti 1991, 1994-1996
Oscar Romero - Bishop in El Salvador who spoke out against human rights violations until his assassination in 1980.
Keep in mind this song only mentions a fraction of unjust US interventions.
"Don't let them assassinate Hugo Chavez
Don't let them assassinate Evo Morales"
Hugo Chavez - President of Venezuela
Evo Morales - President of Bolivia
Both were democratically elected and whose socialist views put them at risk from our government.
"And bring back Martin, Malcolm, Medgar,
Hampton, Schwerner, Goodman, Chaney "
All were civil rights activists who were murdered, except for Hampton (Juliette Hampton Morgan) who was a white woman who commited suicide after her friends, family and community rejected her for standing up for blacks.
skolpaddaon August 24, 2008 Link
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