So, I’m sitting here in a small town in Uruguay on the coast. I’m American and I’m thinking about this third world country (please, this is how they refer to themselves - not as a developing nation, so just hard stop right there) and I’m thinking about where we are as humans, are heading. Well, as my father said tonight, history doesn’t repeat, it rhymes…here we are. What is going on??? I try and try as someone who grew up as the only white kid in my area in Chicago, dirt poor, to understand how, in my opinion, we as the United States, and therefore the world, are going backwards. (Sorry I’m using the US as a bell weather for the world because through my travels I’ve found this true.) why why why is there not improvement everywhere? Can we not do that as a human race? Do we not have enough resources. Now, some will write, but medicine has extended our lifespans, etc etc. Ok, but are we closer as humans? Have we implemented solutions that some say we are able to solve like world hunger? Na…anyway, rage came on the scenes when I was in middle school-ish. It was the mainstream radical that had existed during the 60s, but just one band made it mainstream - there were of course others that didn’t blow up. A group that came on the scene when it was comfortable in this country, as we were exporting our manufacturing jobs abroad. Rage spoke up about what was going on and it was strange. People were comfortable in the US and they banged their heads to the music but what did they absorb - what actions were taken? Things need to get shaken up to preserve democracy, challenge it. But this wasn’t necessarily the result from the band. We don’t see stuff like this mainstream. We are at a crossroads currently. I’m not sure the “best” outcome is going to show its face. If it did we would have more groups like this now that were mainstream. But instead we have Taylor swift filling the top ten - family member of JP Morgan Chase (disclosure, I bank w them but don’t listen to her music). I’m ranting, but all I have to say is that their music was inspiring and helped inspire me to pursue “sustainable business”. I hope to live in a world one day that instead of operating at .05% of its potential (quotation needed), it operates at just 25%. The mixture of music genres and messaging that rage created moved along the path of informing us of the struggles through a medium in which we could all connect…if you liked grunge and hip hop and all that.
If some of y’all want to throw some lyrics from their songs up on this post, it would definitely exemplify what I’m saying. Rage, thanks for keeping us apprised…
“Check it, since 1516, minds attacked and overseen
Now crawl amidst the ruins of this empty dream
With their borders and boots, on top of us
Pullin' knobs on the floor, of their toxic metropolis
But how you gonna get what you need to get?
The gut eaters, blood drenched get offensive like Tet
The fifth sun sets get back reclaim
The spirit of Cuauhtémoc, alive and untamed
Now face the funk now blastin' out your speaker
On the one - Maya, Mexica
That vulture came to try and steal your name but now you got a gun
Yeah, this is for the people of the sun!”