[Marxism] VIDEO: Seeger and Springsteen sing original Woody Guthrie at Obama concert

[S. Artesian]

Well it's after midnight here, so I guess I can respond without abusing the 
posting limit.

Hey, I don't mean to get all Marxist on you or anything--  but we need to be 
clear-- the land as the land, as an entity of nature with all those cool 
things, like redwood forests, and rivers, and diamond deserts, and purple 
mountains majesty wasn't made for you, me, or anyone.  It was, is, and will 
be, but it is not those things for you, me, us, or anyone.

I think Marx said something back in the day like it's not the world of 
nature we confront, but the world of man-- like the land with its forests 
and diamond deserts only exists for us as it is appropriated by labor, by 
the social organization of labor.  Unless you're a hermit, in which case you 
wouldn't be singing Woody's song, or discussing this via computer..

So...we might, and probably do, enjoy the diamond deserts, the mountains, 
the canyons grand and petit, but singing the praises of that enjoyment and 
regarding that as a social statement  have much more in common with the 
physiocrats and with American pastoralism than it does with social 
liberation.  And.... when you think you're singing land-- others are hearing 
"country," and the next thing you know, the flags are waving, and somebody 
starts flicking a Bic.

That's the theoretical part.  The practical part is because the song is so 
wedded to that "naturalism," it can be used by anybody-- OK almost anybody--  
for anything-- hell, it could be used to sell SUVs, to extol the 
inauguration of a president who promises to expand imperialist war, almost 
anybody for almost anything and almost everybody would get that warm and 
cozy feeling from the group sing along.  If only we could daisy chain 
Jumbotrons across the US and get everyone singing.... why it would be almost 
as powerful as linking hands coast to coast and singing... We Are the World.

Anyway, like I said, no accounting for taste.  Particularly mine.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeffrey Thomas Piercy" <mqduck at sonic.net>
To: <sartesian at earthlink.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 11:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Marxism] VIDEO: Seeger and Springsteen sing original Woody 
Guthrie at Obama concert