Jackson Browne: Shadow Wars, Blood on the Wire and Lives in the Balance
As America prepares for a new (old) president, will the war machine slow down?
Protest songs from previous generations usually hold up well.
That’s because endless wars allow us to recycle them decades later.
Lives in the Balance was released in 1986.
According to Wikipedia:
The song has a dark theme and lyrically it is about, “A country lying to its people and war.”
Does this sound familiar? (Cough, Ukraine! Cough, Gaza!)
As we exhale from the U.S. Presidential election of 2024, there is good reason to revisit this Jackson Browne song for its “evergreen” story.
America at a Global Crossroads
When the incumbent president is defeated in an election, it usually signifies change.
However, this time, with Donald Trump winning a second term, we are in repeat mode. But, we just don’t know what to expect from this wild card candidate.
What we do know is that America is at a global crossroads.
The evolution of BRICS and the war fatigue of European and Middle Eastern nations means that the world is reaching a breaking point. America’s role is being questioned.
I’ve lived outside the USA the last 30 plus years. This sea change was in the works.
Dark Wars and Money in the Bank
In 1986, the following wars, interventions or conflicts had not even been fought yet:
U.S. Invasion of Panama
Persian Gulf War
Intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Invasion of Afghanistan
Invasion of Iraq
War in Northwest Pakistan
United States vs. Pakistan, mainly drone attacks2007–present
Somalia and Northeastern Kenya
Operation Ocean Shield (Indian Ocean)
Intervention in Libya
Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda
Intervention in Libya
Intervention in Iraq and Syria
Yemeni Civil War
I guess, the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Hamas conflict are not officially on the American war ledger books.
In the second stanza of Lives in the Balance, Browne sets the tone:
You might ask what it takes to remember
When you know that you've seen it before
Where a government lies to a people
And a country is drifting to war
Americans are in a quandary. When it comes to warfare and defense budget spending, does it really matter who you vote for?
Isn’t the military-industrial complex always the winner? Aren’t the major defense contractors just a jobs program for retired Pentagon generals?
There's a shadow on the faces
Of the men who send the guns
To the wars that are fought in places
Where their business interests run
There are a couple of significant global differences to note since 1986.
First, even though the money is still easy to hide, the killing fields are not. Independent journalism has replaced the captured international news networks.
And since the emergence of the Internet, smartphones and drone technology, anyone can upload a video for the world to see.
Second, this uploaded reality show does not allow coverup stories to last. Now, propaganda is a force counterattacked in prime time.
And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire
Yes, the “blood on the wire” is now available on Twitter/X, Rumble and other free-speech platforms.
Coda
Remember how easy it was to hide the horror back during the Invasion of Iraq.
President George W. Bush banned photos of flag-draped coffins arriving in cargo planes. All for the respect of family privacy.
Today, it is very difficult to click on “sensitive” photos that you know will make you gag: disemboweled torsos, body parts in bags, sniper shots in heads.
And these are just the kids.
Don’t ask about the mass graves, flag-filled funeral grounds and crushed communities.
Yes, lives are in the balance.
Let’s work to stop these senseless wars.
===================
If you like the songs and/or essays, please help me distribute them by sharing and following me on Twitter/X, Substack and now YouTube.
I appreciate your time and support in this endeavor.