I was reading one of the ‘Best Longform Articles from 2012’, brought to our attention by Leroy Lynch and Magickle. Specifically, ‘Jersey Boys’ by Jeffrey Goldberg, from ‘The Atlantic’ magazine:
href=”http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/jersey-boys/309019/”
It’s basically an investigation about 2 of New Jersey’s most famous sons, Governor Chris Christie, a Republican and self-confessed ‘biggest fan’ of Bruce Springsteen, and ‘The Boss’ himself, Bruce Springsteen.
The article describes how one, the Republican, can’t understand how the other, a wealthy Democrat supporter, can be that way, when, as he sees it, Bruce Springsteen is the embodiment of the Republican ideal, a self-made man.
So, I thought I would give the Springsteen ‘Right of Reply’, from the Progressive Left perspective, if I may be so bold. As ‘The Boss’ is busy touring the world right now, and coming to Wayne Swan’s home town of Brisbane pretty soon too I believe. At which event I’m guessing Wayne swan will be in the front row!
So here I go.
Now, the article starts out by making an interesting point:
‘…most politicians-certainly most politicians of national stature-are either too dull, or too monomaniacally careerist to maintain fervent emotional relationships with artists. And when they do, the objects of their affection often resemble them ideologically or dispositionally-‘
Take the lyrics of the Springsteen song that is quoted in the article:
“Workin’ in the fields / Till you get your back burned / Workin’ ’neath the wheel / Till you get your facts learned / Baby, I got my facts / Learned real good right now.” He screams the song’s immortal lines: “Poor man wanna be rich / Rich man wanna be king / And a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything / I wanna go out tonight / I wanna find out what I got.”
Now, it’s interesting to note the dichotomy of political belief as it relates to these 2 men & how they take different meanings out of the words of this song.
Chris Christie believes it exemplifies “The American Dream”, of starting at the bottom and working your way to the top. And no party enables the American Dream better than the Republican Party. That is, that the poor man working in the field aspires to be rich, that’s what motivates him to keep working in the field until his back burns. So that one day he might climb to the top of the greasy pole, and that he may become the rich man.
Then, as a rich man, he will keep aspiring to be more than that. He will aspire to be ‘king’. As in, in modern parlance, a CEO, PM or President. And that is fine and admirable according to Christie, and most modern Conservatives.
However, where I think Springsteen differs, is in the kicker in the tail told in that song, via the line:
‘And a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything.’
Springsteen is saying the ‘king’ wants to keep the man in the field, workin’ neath the wheel, till his burnt back is broken.
Chris Christie doesn’t question the ‘Power at all costs as you rise to the top’ mentality. Springsteen does.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Springsteen had a few modern media moguls and politicians, like Rupert Murdoch & Silvio Berlusconi, in mind, when he wrote that line.
Men mainly. Though mannish women, like Margaret Thatcher probably would qualify also, whose sole aim in life has been to seek to rule as much of everything as they can, and destroy, denigrate, divide and conquer, those who try and get in their way.
Chris Christie, and most Conservatives, see nothing wrong with this at all. It is the purest manifestation of their ethos, which basically amounts to bare-knuckle Social Darwinism.
However, I believe, as most Social Democrats do, that Springsteen questions this mentality, and what’s more, disdains it utterley and completely.
For what does it benefit a man, if he does not benefit the greater good? The Common Weal. And that he cannot bring relief to his fellow man with good deeds?
Such as paying your fair share of tax, which then provides public services for the needy, and allows government to give them opportunities they cannot afford to provide for themselves, in order to better themselves?
As opposed to Christie’s idea that you only get what you take, or break your back to get.
That’s why Chris Christie doesn’t get why Bruce Springsteen stoically refuses to join the ‘Club of Kings’, even though Christie thinks he can explain it, when he says, “You want to know what he’s saying?”, Christie asks. “He’s telling us that rich people like him are fucking over us poor people in the audience, except that us in the audience aren’t poor, because we can afford to pay 98 bucks to him to see his show. That’s what he’s saying.”
Well, where do I start with that lot?
For a start, I don’t think Bruce Springsteen would take too kindly to a Republican Governor, who has slashed taxes for the rich & services for the poor, and who seeks to smash the Working Man & Woman’s collective voice, the Union, in their joint Home State of New Jersey, paraphrasing what Bruce Springsteen means with his lyrics, or how he manifests a hypocrisy with them by his actions in being a wealthy person, who sings songs about the poor’s struggles. By telling others, who can afford ~$100 for a ticket that they are poor, and downtrodden by ‘The Man’, as manifest by Christie and his plutocratic mates in the Republican Party.
No mention, of course, about how it may well be the case that a lot of the ticket purchasers could have put aside the equivalent of $2/week from their Minimum Wage jobs, for a year, just so they could afford to see Bruce Springsteen play live.
No, simply because they can still afford a ticket, that means they are not as badly off as Bruce Springsteen makes them out to be, according to Christie. A telling, and common, current Conservative mindset.
Maybe Bruce Springsteen understands better than Chris Christie exactly how these people came by the money for the tickets, and he expresses his sympathy and empathy in his songs?
Also, what Chris Christie, and most modern Conservative politicians, doesn’t understand, is that a wealthy individual does not have to abandon his principles and beliefs, nor empathy for the plight of the poorly-paid worker or the indigent who have fallen on hard times, or the disabled…just because he is a wealthy individual himself.
I mean, that’s the core difference between these 2 men. One believes that being a high-wealth individual disqualifies you from sympathy for the poor devils, and you are a hypocrite, therefore, if you seek to speak to that.
And then there is the other one, who believes in the eternal struggle against the wealthy in society, in order to get a better deal for those who don’t have as much, due to whatever circumstance, and so sees it as his duty to campaign to force the wealthy to share a little bit of their fortunes with those less fortunate. Even if you are one of ‘The 1%’ yourself.
Therefore, maybe, because Springsteen knows that Christie will never be able to comprehend this basic fact, is why he has no time for him. And never will.
I mean, Chris Christie is the living, breathing embodiment of the (fat) kid who never wanted to share, and thus is the walking, trash-talking epitome of today’s global Conservative Manifesto:
‘I got mine. You can go fuck yourself!’
THE PUB 
sprocket_
Posted Monday, January 14, 2013 at 10:31 pm | Permalink
Vince O’Grady @vogrady2132
@geeksrulz @GhostWhoVotes Gary Morgan has Labor in front in his face to face poll. Whoohoo
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I hope to see a lot more of this in the coming year.
there was some speculation that it may have just been a twitter rumour
but sprocket posted agai n
[———————————————————————————————-]
sprocket_
Posted Monday, January 14, 2013 at 10:46 pm | Permalink
just for William
Justin Barbour @justinbarbour
Rumoured to be 52.5-48.5, to the ALP. MT @roymorganonline: our next federal poll will be out tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Retweeted by Ashley Leahy
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denese
Newspoll is fhe poll that is respected amongst the political class. It is a great result for Labor. The Liberals and their cheersquad will be worried
I told you that the Essential was like a poll cat chasing it’s tail! 😀
Slowly, slowly, catchee :monkey: !
Things are looking good for the good ship ALP, steady as she goes.
PTMD,
‘Steady as she goes’ has to be the mantra of the federal government this year. One foot out of place and the media will be all over the government like a rash.
‘No Hubris Allowed’, has to be a sign in every government MP’s office.
denese and victoria, glad you liked it 😎 😀
Cheers 🙂 😀
I reckon, if this Newspoll is replicated by Nielsen, then, by the time the parliament resumes in February, the Opposition will go full tilt feral.
They don’t do things by halves. The closer they are to oblivion, the harder they’ll try and go against the government. They will throw anything they can lay their hands on at the government, some of it with only a passing resemblance to the truth. They’re probably cooking it up right this very minute. I shudder to think what it might be.
Well, the Newspoll came right on the heels of:
– Puff-piecery over how wonderful Abbott is supposed to have been to another woman in his life
– Abbott out there fighting every fire in the country
– A bit more railroading of Slipper, and best efforts to make it an ‘ALP problem’
– Gee whizzery over Mackin and Newstart, how dare she etc….
– Lots of coverage allotted to the terrible news that the surplus now no longer being guaranteed*
* Though in the second half of last year all the talk was about how the Government shouldn’t be chasing a surplus**
** And keeping in mind the the reportage today is suggesting that a surplus is back on the agenda again on the back of rising commodity prices
Given all that – and it had the ‘right mix’ of positive Abbott reportage and negative ALP scuttlebutt – I’d say 49-51 is a great result for the ALP.
Interesting that the Oz have mentioned the ALP taking votes off the Greens. Where does that leave Bandt and his week-on-Newstart stunt? It obviously didn’t give them the boost they were looking for.
C@tmomma – we’ll see. It’s my suspicion that the Coalition stunts are getting weaker and more speculative over time. They had fertile ground with Slipper and Thomson and Carbon Tax, and even Boats before it got largely neutralised. But the latest attack they tried on – Gillardgate – was assembled on a very shaky base – Larry Pickering was the only one pushng the story by the time they pressed the button on it – and the supporting cast (Blewitt? Really?) was hopeless. No amount of Mesma hyperventilation was going to put that one across.
They’re too frightened of Thomson’s lawyer to push that any further. They’re doing their best with Slipper, but they’re pinning their hopes on an obscure breach of travel rules from 2010, which is a long way from the trumpet-blaring when Ashby’s story hit the papers. If they’ve got any sense they won’t go anywhere near policy, because they’re going to lose.
And it’s way too late to resurrect Abbott’s character. That boat left years ago.
They’ll bluster, of course. And if anything turns up for them they’ll jump on it. But for the moment they’re reduced to mining tax (who cares?), begging for a budget deficit, and pretending money management is the the Liberals DNA. They’ve got nothing else going for them.
Aguirre,
At last someone to talk to! 🙂
I believe that the improvement in Newspoll is partially down to the gratitude in the Community for the calling of the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse.
The abandonment of the Surplus Pledge is being rewarded as a Perverse Incentive acknowledgement that now NDIS and the Gonski Education Reforms will probably be funded in the Budget.
Another “Perverse Incentive’ tick for the government from the general community would be recognition that it was time to transfer all the Single Mothers with children >8yo, who were fit to work, onto Newstart with everyone else.
I think the earlier villification by Coalition governments of these sorts of people has been hard to shake in the community, and may actuallly have worked in the government’s favour to have been seen to be ‘doing a Howard’ and moving them on from a special payment. I know I have a friend, who voted Labor federally for the first time in 2010, but who generally enjoys bagging the government, who has a daughter about 8-9 years old, and she does not look kindly on women on the ‘Single Mothers Pension’ (sic), while she works hard in a local cafe to support her daughter.
I’m also thinking a couple of issues have gone under the radar, like the launching of Prosecutions over Armed Forces Abuse, which would be working in the government’s favour.
Not to mention that the government have sent out smoke signals that they are considering raising Base Newstart payments.
Plus just looking like a government. In contrast to the Opposition, which is resembling some sort of weird political soap opera, more and more every day.
Too obvious, and so tacky it’s becoming cringeworthy in the electorate’s eyes.
How can you support that as a serious, thoughtful elector?
Oh yeah, Peter Slipper’s lawyer, Peter Russo, isn’t too bad either! So maybe Ashby will be put on the back burner too?
Did you hear about the latest batch of scandalous texts from an Opposition MP? We all know who that is likely to be. 😉
c@tmomma,
“Did you hear about the latest batch of scandalous texts from an Opposition MP? We all know who that is likely to be”
(Sorry, but snipped – BB) ugly image I know, but couldn’t resist 🙂
You may be right, C@tmomma. My feeling is that Abbott has finally reached his use-by date. I think we all knew that Coalition numbers were being kept artificially high because they kept on piling ‘scandal’ upon ‘scandal’ and rolled out negative commentary on everything. We’ve hit the point now where most people are ready to assess what the ALP is doing for themselves, without suggestions from Abbott and co. At some point the doomsaying had to lose its sheen, seeing as it was so clearly divorced from reality.
So the numbers will naturally sink back to their level, which I think will be slightly toward the ALP, and are due to settle about March. The Coalition look stale, and there’s nothing they can do to rejuvenate. They chose the Abbott path, whoever takes over from him (if anyone does) will be saddled with it in the short-term, and there simply isn’t time for them to set a new course.
I doubt the electorate are very far down the path of assessing the ALP at this stage. They’re not ready to absorb the latest policy directions. Most of them are just getting used to the idea that Carbon Pricing is good, the mining tax isn’t going to kill the industry and the NBN is actually attractive. Just letting that filter through is enough to gain the ALP majority support.
Are we ever going to see these texts? That story has been hanging around for months now, and nothing seems to be happening to it.
Thanks for the link to the Ashby stuff BB. Having read it i think it will be over really fast, or, from the stuff in section 5, drag on for weeks. You say “pfft” to that section, but it strikes me that a competent shyster could speak for a long time on those and try to take it into other jurisdictions like the High Court maybe??
The FWA / Costs link is interesting. I would have thought he has self scuppered that by taking it to the Fed Court in the first instance??
Just realised my name has changed back again. That’ll be my fault – I’m having issues with everything lately, and the latest was my home page being hijacked by a search engine that I inadvertently downloaded with another program. Virulent little bastard too – resisted both its add-on being disabled and its removal from my list of programs in the control panel. I had to reset and reload Firefox entirely, so all my add-ons had to be manually restored one at a time.
Looks like it reset my identity here too. So this may go into moderation. On that note I will bid those of you still around a good night.
Aguirre,
I don’t think the Coalition will ditch Abbott before the election. If he loses, they always ditch losers and it will just seem the natural thing to do.
Plus, they don’t want to be seen to be doing in Opposition, what they have spent so long criticising the government for doing-stabbing a leader in the back just before an election.
So we’ll see more and more of the Opposition trying to control the agenda by trying to enforce control of the media that does not already do it’s bidding. Probably some in-depth scathing ‘analysis’ by the ‘veterans’ of the Press Gallery, such as Peter Hartcher. And lots and lots of appearances by the Rent-A-Right Wing Opinion crowd.
I don’t know how long Channel 10 can get away with calling Nick Minchin a ‘Climate Change Expert’ though. 😀
Plus some furious attempts, behind closed doors, to keep Liberals, Tony Abbott and Michael Kroger, OUT of court. I wouldn’t be surprised if talks weren’t going on now to settle with Barbara Ramjan and Paul Setka.
Aguirre,
Don’t worry, we love you whatever shape you take! As long as it’s always beside a picture of Marvin the Martian. 🙂
At least the way Newspoll Jumps about let’s you know it’s alive, the Essential is so static you wonder if their sample has any swinging voters at all.
Going by the traditional polls (and samples) it is getting very close. The ALP have the trend, incumbency, and coherent policy on their side. The Libs have Abbott. Anyone who tells you Abbott is likely to be the next PM has been asleep for 6 months or can’t see what’s happening.
Oh, and I always check for little automatically-ticked boxes that have something to do with a new type of Search Engine whenever I download a new program. They are usually worse than useless, they are, as you say, dangerous! 🙂
And it’s good night from me too! 🙂
Tobe,
Anyone who tells you Abbott is likely to be the next PM has been asleep for 6 months or can’t see what’s happening.
They are the ones they hope will sleepwalk in to vote Liberal! 🙂
Can we keep the speculation about these text messages (if they exist) down please???
Thanks – BB
ABC Nightline mentioned the jump in Labor support, wondering if some journos re-assessing likely election outcome and changing the way they report politics?
Text messages:
The whole crew has already walked.
A very nice 11c here now.
After yesterday’s hiatus it “Good morning Dawn Patrollers!”
This sort of story may play a significant part in the election campaign this year.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/its-happening–just-like-climate-scientists-said-it-would-20130113-2cnej.html
See!
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/extremes-of-rain-heat-on-the-way-20130114-2cpq4.html
This may not workout too well for Ted.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/baillieu-hides-project-costs-20130114-2cpsw.html
Cathy Wilcox is back. This time with the American school lunch.
David Pope less than impressed by the Centrelink letter.
End of section 1 . . .
Section 2 . . .
Some interesting political times ahead in SA.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-labor-mps-faxing-axe-in-rumoured-cabinet-reshuffle/story-e6frea83-1226553746273
David Rowe has returned.
And here is yesterday’s. A beauty!
And from the Land of the Free –
Idiots everywhere!
http://americablog.com/2013/01/dad-threatens-to-spill-blood-over-way-grade-school-kids-say-pledge.html
Colin Powell has a good dip at the Repugs.
http://americablog.com/2013/01/colin-powell-gop-dark-vein-intolerance.html
I don’t fancy your chances Chuck!
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/01/14/quickie-sen-schumer-asks-gun-retailers-to-stop-sales-as-congress-debates/
The geniuses at Fax and Friends.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/01/14/video-fox-friends-genius-club-are-oscars-punishing-pro-america-films/
Rush Limbaugh is getting worse.
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/limbaugh-liberals-dont-kill-kids-guns-they-
End of section 1 . . .
Section 2 . . .
Can’t they see what they are doing to themselves?
http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/welcometo-crazytown-usa-arming-school-j
How can these people believe this crap?
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/marsha-blackburn-opposes-gun-control-because
Obama has lifted the stakes!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/14/1178885/-Obama-to-GOP-Your-move
Sound familiar?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/14/1178811/-Yup-Republicans-are-talking-nonsense-But-clueless-reporting-isn-t-helping
Gun freak has a meltdown.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=91555
And now it’s off to the flatlands for another day’s work.
I will have the 51/49 wind in my sails.
Good morning everyone. Good news day with Newspoll, slow and steady wins the race. Onya Labor.
BK
None of the Aussie links, after the Baillieu worked for me. 😦 I’ll go to the age and have a look at the others, but don’t know how to get to the AFR……but will try, if I get time.
the wind was in my sales so much i had a bad night s sleep
but when i realised what i was thinking about, i went back to sleep with another extended smile on my face.mmmm.
the question i would like to ask, did the loto know there was a newspoll
,
Truth Seeker
Well you’ve done it again, hit the nail on the head……..after the last couple of years, we have become immune to the way the OM work, enough to just ignore it now. We know there will not be a bad word written about the Nopposition, now matter what. 😦
Oh what a beautiful morning! The weather’s been cooler and the bricks are flying towards the Opposition benches. Now all I ask for is substantial precipitation to grow the grass for the cows.
Janice
So pleased for you and Paddy, enjoy the cool while it lasts. 🙂 Cows do love their greens, but as you know they won’t starve themselves out of spite, they will begrudgingly eat what is there.
Hmmm, Wonder if last weeks stunt, of Fireman Tony, might be some sort of Catalyst in the mind of the voters ?
Are Stunt Mans continuous campaigning finally starting to backfire ?
Wonder how much longer Stuntman Tony has ?
Nine or ten months to THE poll that matters. Th only real plus from the latest Newspoll is that it will lessen the certainty in the MSM that the ALP is doomed.
What PM Julia Gillard needs to do now is to continue to govern the country with aplomb while the government continues to pass legislation that makes such a positive mark on the social fabric of the nation.
Yessir Rebob,
Are Stunt Mans continuous campaigning finally starting to backfire ?
It’s all so transparently fake. You can see right through the Opposition and their stunts now. And Tony Abbott has done it so much that parodies can genuinely get a run.
Plus, combine it with genuine disgust, either at Tony Abbott’s ‘Fire Fighting’ in Joanna Gash’s electorate, for what? a couple of hours, before flouncing off on holiday. Or the disgusting ‘true colours’ some of the Coalition’s MPs are showing:
http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/mps-inflammatory-tweet-slammed-20130115-2cqc7.html
Add a little antipathy to State Coalition governments, plus a begrudging acknowledgement of the good PM Gillard is doing, and you have the makings of a realisation that Tony Abbott and the Coalition aren’t what the media has cracked them up to be.
It took a while because there is still that residual belief in the community that reporting is pretty straight down the line, when seasoned observers know it’s just not.
However, we have Tony Abbott and his over-egging of any situation, to thank for removing the scales from people’s eyes.
And the Prime Minister’s indomitable spirit, keen eye for what is the right and proper thing to do, against often intransigent opposition, and the runs on the board it is now becoming very hard to deny.
Bushfire Bill, today would be an absolute corker day to listen to 2GB! They will be going absolutely spack with this Newspoll. 😀
Gravel,
Paddy and I revelled in the blissfully cool day yesterday. It will be much warmer today but hopefully not as unbearable as we endured through last week.
You are right – the cows are not starving but my concern is for the freshly calved cows (the first time Mums) that need green grass to promote adequate milk production for their calves, especially as their udder capacity is much less than the old experienced girls.
janice,
So glad to hear it has cooled down for you and the animals. 🙂
Morning all.
Today’s Jacqueline Maley is one for C@t and fiona. 😉
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/pms-may-be-gone-but-women-are-in-no-mood-to-lose-anger-20130114-2cpnd.html
janice,
but my concern is for the freshly calved cows (the first time Mums) that need green grass to promote adequate milk production for their calves,
We have a Septic line that runs under the bottom of the yard, and the green grass grows along and around it all year round! So you can have all my grass for the cows if you want. 😉
confessions,
Didn’t you know Bushfire Bill was Jacqueline’s BIGGEST fan? 😀
C@t:
I had an inkling based on some of his past comments. 😀
confessions,
I am an equal opportunity grump! Any time of the day or night, and day of the month, as a ‘Grumpy Old Lady’ I have been given licence to grump! 🙂
C@tmomma:
Oh, and I always check for little automatically-ticked boxes that have something to do with a new type of Search Engine whenever I download a new program. They are usually worse than useless, they are, as you say, dangerous! 🙂
Mea culpa. I thought I had that trick sorted, but they slipped one past me. I’ve been using Freecorder to convert Youtube clips to MP3 files (after having some issues with other programs – either functionality or quality), and it’s been working really well. Apart from the toolbar ceasing to function every time they upgrade. But the latest one worked for a few days then all the buttons disappeared. So I uninstalled and reinstalled.
But the sneaky buggers tied the us.search toolbar and homepage in with their terms and conditions this time. No ticked box, no extra bit to uncheck, if you want the program you get the unwanted stuff with it whether you like it or not. After all that, it still didn’t work, and I had a homepage that kept reinstalling every time I started Firefox.
So I’ve ditched the entire thing now, and found myself a Firefox add-on that does the job, no fuss.
Testing 🙂