jte said:
And I think that's the problem with Lennon's song- he talks of imagining a world without conflict but it doesn't address who's to determine what IS right and preferable.
THAT's the real question, isn't it?
At least the US isn't trying to
eradicate the populations of the countries we're in, with the intent of staying in place for ever. Also, we have a definitions of war crimes and even try our
own war criminals.
AS for someone's comment about turning the other cheek, that may be fine on a personal individual level, but I wouldn't have that attitude if
I, like the President of the US, had the responsibility for the safety of millions of innocent civilians. We may debate whether the means used to ensure that safety so far are justified, but I don't think any of us would debate the premise of being entitled to safety within our own borders. Or any other nation's basic right to the same.
It's the old "your freedom to wave your fist around stops at the end of my nose" argument.
I'm a big Lennon fan, he was a major influence on my worldview as a youth, and yet, musical heresy, "Imagine" actually turns me off for the most part. To me it was a musical wimp-out compared the truly incisive lyrics of songs like "Isolation" and "God" on the "Working Class Hero" album. But hey, those are
my personal tastes..
jte said:
Bottom line is that while I like the sentiment of "Imagine" there are some real problems with the details- and I'm confident that Lennon felt the same way.
John
Me too:
Isolation: "Just a boy and a little girl, trying to change the whole wide world" and "But then again, you're not to blame,
you're just a human, a victim of the insane..."
God: "God is a concept by which we measure our pain"...."I just believe in me...and so dear friends, you'll just have to carry on. The dream is over."
To me
that one's a clear piece of
antidogmatic rage. H--ll, he even renounced his hero Elvis. :shock:
Between the two songs I see a pretty clear message that change
has to start with one's self.
Seems to me that's a common thread in all religions.