Well – it surely ain’t the poor
And it ain’t the working class
And it sure ain’t women’s issues
‘Cause they’re just pieces of ass
And it sure ain’t jobs for people
And it isn’t Medicare
And it ain’t re-building cities
Or infra-structure anywhere
And it isn’t getting money
Out of our elections
Nor is it taxing anyone with
The right complexion or connections
And it’s not about the muzzling
Of their friends the Corporations
Or closing off-shore loopholes
Or passing regulations
And they’re sure not for the planet
Global warming’s just a “hoax”
And it’s not a level playing field
That thought can give them strokes
And they sure are not for science
They don’t really care for stem cells
Nor is it air pollution
(Where they live there’s none of them smells)
And they’re not for Social Security
‘Cause they’re not for helping old folks
Or for food stamps or nutrition
Or for heating oil for cold folks
Or to pay for worker retraining
By cuts to defense spending
Or to end our world policing
(Now Iran, ‘cause Iraq’s ending)
And they don’t much like our unions
Especially gays who wed
Or for separating church and state
That’s cause for dropping dead
Or for keeping people in their homes
By foreclosure prevention
Or for helping out the unemployed
By benefits extension
But they claim they’re for “recovery”
And cry that it’s “class warfare”
But they’ve no clue what it’s like
When you ain’t got money for fare
So what exactly is it that
Republicans are for
Well, privatizing all they can
And a lovely Iranian war
And drilling for more oil
And killing Roe v. Wade
And pushing prayer in school
And killing Medicaid
For stopping people voting if
They’ve no photo I.D.
(Poor people may not have a car
Or passports surprisingly)
Basically they’re all pro-“No”
To anything Barack says
And for whatever they can do
To seriously block “Prez”
From making any progress
And us too by extension
They sense their power waning
And so they want dissension
Confusion, obfuscation
The system just to fail
So they can point the finger
And by fucking us prevail
But really what it’s down to
Is for them there’s nothing bigger
Then to hijack our democracy
And get rid of “that nigger.”
And now below watch the Marx Brothers video from their great movie “Horse Feathers” that explains the Republicans in the clearest way possible:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtMV44yoXZ0
© tony powers and Barking in the Dark, 2012]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to tony powers and Barking in the Dark with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
This seems to sum them up perfectly. Well done, Tony.
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Thanks Al, we in this country gotta stop these creeps. continue…
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You got it absolutely right …the most important thing for this breed of repubs is to get that black man out of office…no matter the expense to the country morally or economically.
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V. sad ain’t it. thanks for the comment. continue…
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Brilliant. For people who use the words “freedom” and “liberty” as much as they do, Republicans sure are hot for taking away the rights of others.
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asshole hypocrites. they have no shame and cannot be embarrassed. thanks Lisa h. continue…
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Amazing. I do so love Groucho Marx.
Red.
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thanks Red, me too…Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar wrote the song – a brilliant piece of political satire. continue…
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Still laughing Tony! Not at your version of the words -that brings a sardonic smile- but at the scene from Horsefeathers, one of my fave Marx Bros films. Just watched Duck Soup a few weeks ago, another fave, which also contains so many references to politics and war that it still holds up.
Your piece was snide, funny, informative and you positively picked the best music to add to your lyrics.
Tony, it is such a pleasure to read your posts. Wit, musical knowledge, an appreciation for the classics, whether art, literature, pop culture or film, you find a way to acknowledge them. Then devilishly include these into your pieces, whether ballads or essays.
Have to say that you and Randy Newman are the only two artists that can get away with using the word ‘nigger’ to make a serious point, and not an offensive one.
Fave stanza:
So what exactly is it that
Republicans are for
Well, privatizing all they can
And a lovely Iranian war
Hooray for Captain Powers!
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love the reference to Capt. Spaulding Rachael, thanks as always for this wonderful comment, and the kind props…and i LOVE the new pic. continue…
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You’ve summed it up quite nicely….and topped it with the perfect video.
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Thanx WB, i appreciate it. continue…
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I am not sure what Republicans are for either. At the moment, social issues are the least of my concerns but I understand why both parties would like voters to keep the debate there.
My bigger concern is where the money will come from for all these programs. We are $15 tillion in debt, we have $40 trillion in unfunded liabilities and we are running a $trillion defecit. Those numbers are hard to wrap your head around so consider the following example. I will use the current GDP and translate into numbers that are easier to grasp.
Our fiscal situation is like an family household that earns $70,000 and has a mortgage of $150,000. That works, but if that household is spending an additional $100,000 per year, it does not. Furthermore, that household mortgage will balloon to $400,000 in the future. It is a mathematical certainty that the US is going to fail if we don’t deal with our financial problem. Neither party has an agenda to deal with it. We need to cut and some of the things will hurt. There will be suffering either way. In my opinion orderly suffering is better than chaos.
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Tom, thanks for the comment, but how about before we cut funding for people in need we cut most defense spending since we have more weaponry than the next 8 or 9 nations combined…and we stop spending all our money on policing the world – that’s why there’s an Interpol. Benjamin Disraeli said “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics” i say yes, we must get our fiscal house in order – quick – just don’t understand why “social issues” must be ones to burn on the altar of “sacrifice” and are not a greater concern for you…what good is a nice car if you’re too sick to drive it? also disagree somewhat that both parties are equally to blame in not having an agenda – republicans have been saying “no” to whatever proposals have been made re this…and remember -they’re the ones who pushed through Citizen’s United (what an obscene joke of a name ) anyway, always enjoy hearing your take. continue…
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Tony, If you have not figured it out, I love banter. My oldest brother is just like you and I have had these debates 1000 times with him. Of 6 kids, he is the only Democrat and the only one in my family that I enjoy discussing politics with. I refuse to associate with either party any longer.
Anyway, I agree on military. I believe in defense but not at the expense of our personal liberties. Military spending should be cut/slashed as well. We don’t need to occupy other countries and tell them how to live their lives. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. I suppose our forefathers were terrorists as well according to the neocons.
My reference to “social issues” we directed at things like gay marriage, pot, display of the 10 commandments etc. They don’t cost anything and I could care less about any of them (I am torn on abortion). Religion is a private matter between an individual and their god. If you want to smoke pot, why should I care? Why should I care who you sleep with as long as it is consensual? Unfortunately those are sensitive issues for many and both parties want to debate those issues and take our eye off the ball. FWIW, my math was wrong. I had to rush on my first post. I will correct it if I use the example in the future. Sorry.
Keep up the good work. I have convinced my oldest brother to vote for Dennis Kucinich (write in). I am voting for Ron Paul. I am close to convincing my most Republican brother to vote Ron Paul as well as my brother-in-law. If we all convince 1 person not to vote for the DNC or RNC we all win.
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Tom, re abortion…will you raise the unwanted child of a rape? just curious. and you keep doing that…it’s NOT both parties who want to debate this settled law – it’s just the one party, i’ll leave it to you to guess which one that is. anyway, thanks for the comment as always. continue…
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To answer your question…it depends. However, I don’t understand why always the fringe examples…Are you suggesting that you would be ok if only abortions from rape and incest were legal? Anyway, this is not a black and white issue but I am far from passionate regarding the choices of others that have almost no impact on me. Also, it is not just Republicans that prey on the divided opinions. You and I just fell for it and got off the more important big picture. If the US fails, pregnant women will have fewer options than they do today. Thanks Tony.
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Tom, this is a VERY big question. the abortion issue ie a person’s right to choose what they do with their own body is representative of a fundamental issue and goes to the very essence of freedom absent any interference from religion…separation of church and state i believe it’s called. to answer your question i am neither for or against abortion, i AM for a person’s right to choose. again – a fundamental issue as to whether we are a nation governed by religious principals or by settled law. and i’m curious as to what it “depends” on ( Q. are you going to raise the unwanted child of a rape? to put a finer point on it – a child whose mother you do not know.) thanks for the comment. also, if the US fails it will be because of the huge transfer of money from the 99% to the 1% largely the doing of the Republican party. may i suggest if you really want a way out of our mess that you don’t waste your vote, albeit an admirable “vote of conscience” but ultimately impotent, and instead, vote to give Obama a Democratic Congress, and you will see corp. tax loopholes closed, tax cut for the rich repealed, military spending cut, more banking regulations implemented, infra-structure re-building leading to many more jobs created, etc. just my humble opinion. continue…
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The gray area with abortion is not with the mother (I get that part), the gray area is when life begins. While I would not make a big fuss about a stranger in some random state making this decision, I can have an intellectually honest opinion. I have a hard time aligning a right to terminate a pregnancy when that child is capable of living on their own yet if that baby were born and the mother killed the baby, she would go to jail. That does not add up for me. Sorry. It is not separation of church and state but separation of civil and uncivil.
I don’t know what I would do if my wife, daughter, sister, etc were raped. I would accept responsibility for the life of any child of a relative regardless of the situation (maybe even a friend/neighbor) but probably not a stranger (just being honest). At the same time, I spend so much time in community service that my wife complains. I am not cold. I do my part.
Regarding the finances and the “1%”… The misnomer is that Obama and a Democratic Congress (mostly proud 1%ers) would make the difference. Think self service. The Federal Reserve Banking system has ruined the economic system. Very few understansd and comprehand the complications and consequences of The Fed’s role in our economy. I happen to work for a “too big to fail” brokerage firm. I wrote my congressman in 2008 and warned him that if he voted for the bailout (my firm included), that I would never vote Republican again and I will not. I had been such a dependable vote for them. I have even been approached, several times, about getting into politics and running – as a REPUBLICAN. The Bush family and the 2008 bailout woke me up. Do the Bushes have banking ties in their family?
Voting Obama will not solve this. In the last 50 years there have been 2 presidents interested in neutering the Fed. 1 – JFK, who was shot and his agenda reverersed 180 degrees immediately (George Bush head of CIA). 2 – Ronald Reagan, who was shot as well. Although he survived, his primary agenda, which he harped on for 15 years prior, was immediately vacated (George Bush VP and family friends with Hinkley’s). Coincidence? RFK and Ross Perot discussed this and now Ron Paul. The real money people will not let them see the white house. We all owe it to ourselves, our kids and grandkids to learn all we can about the Fed. Basically, they are a private banking cartel that controls our money. Right now, in the interest of protecting the 1% they are in the throes of competitive devaluation of our currency. They want to strategically devalue without completely collapsing us, Europe and Japan or creating massive inflation in China. Why? to protect the 1%. The 1% owns assets that appreicate with inflation. The 99% is in debt, their wages stagnant and their dollar is losing value daily. Check your grocery bill, energy, doctor and so on. You will not see it in a gov’t number like CPI as they can simply change the formula. But, it is inflation that is killing the middle class and it is the Fed that holds the gun and pulls the trigger – literally and figuratively.
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Tom, i repeat;”may i suggest if you really want a way out of our mess that you don’t waste your vote, albeit an admirable “vote of conscience” but ultimately impotent, and instead, vote to give Obama a Democratic Congress, and you will see corp. tax loopholes closed, tax cut for the rich repealed, military spending cut, more banking regulations implemented, infra-structure re-building leading to many more jobs created, etc. just my humble opinion. thanks for the comment, continue…
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Wow, I dont think you missed a thing …. and the Marx brothers, you know how to deliver a smile !!!!
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thanks Janet, always trying to deliver a giggle with the vitriol. continue…
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This is their mantra, and they seem to add to it as time goes by. The Marx Brothers video was spot on. This is another one of your great posts…
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Thanks Don, i appreciate the kind props. continue…
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Bravo! Once again, you have outdone yourself. Humorously true. Thank you, Tony!
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thanks Michelle, i’m glad you liked it albeit a drag to have to write it eh? continue…
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love it! the ballad was dead on and the video was a very nice touch
i enjoy the creativity with which you express political viewpoints
thank you…
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thanks Beth, i appreciate the kind props and comment. continue…
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Dude – greatest Republican manifesto ever.
Right now, some Republican lackey is printing this out and hanging it in the Republican congressional cloakroom.
The lackey’s only sorrow is that there is no word “Eskimo” for him to highlight.
(Anyone? Anyone?)
Hilarious and incisive as always. Thanks.
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EG, thanks for the terrific comment…hmmm…Eskimo…yeah, too bad. continue…
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Once again, the nail has been firmly smote upon its pate, hit on its head and left for dead. Thanks, Tony!
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Carole, you always leave such poetic props and comments. Thanks and continue…
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I want to say, “What is it the republicans are for? I don’t know, but whatever it is – I’m against it.” But I’m not as rigid as they are.
Now ask me if I’d vote for one if he/she ever says something I agree with. Well, I’m not an idiot. If they weren’t dangerous, they wouldn’t align themselves with the republican party. Right?
Another good one, Tony. Thank you.
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You got that right Re, if they weren’t such extreme nut jobs they wouldn’t be allowed in the Republican party. thanks for the comment. continue…
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