Pete Seeger wrote this song as an allegory for LBJ and the Vietnam War. But it applies just as well to Bush and Iraq – or to Obama and the Stimulus.
Pete Seeger wrote this song as an allegory for LBJ and the Vietnam War. But it applies just as well to Bush and Iraq – or to Obama and the Stimulus.
Roderick, there’s actually a big difference between Seeger’s allegorical song and LBJ/Vietnam, Bush/Iraq and Obama/Stimulus: in the song, the captain has his own skin in the game as well as that of the platoon, and pays the ultimate price (while everyone else escapes). But in these other situations our leaders transfer real costs and risks to us, with little personal at stake save reputation. Even more, in some cases – like Bush/Iraq – it is clear that the whole escapade is an exercise in fleecing the country for the benefit of insiders.
I think that was wish fulfillment on Seeger’s part.