"Everybody knows that the dice are loaded"-- "The system is rigged" Bernie Sanders might say, Of course this is correct--isn't it? This system is rigged in favor of a power beyond little control of the average voter. Everybody knows.
 |
| Seal of the President of the United States . (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
With the internet, full disclosure of a candidate's background is an ongoing process in the hands of legitimate investigation as well as the most outlandish smears unlike anything the press of the past was ever able to concoct. Now the press is not so much of a news dissemination service as it is a medium of influence and manipulation of public opinion. Truth is often indistinguishable from lies and many people don't care that much anyway.
So the mud is slung and the people wallow in it. In the process we all become dirtied and disillusioned. Most of all, the candidates themselves are stripped naked and their dirtiest secrets are revealed. Their families are put under the microscope and everyone touched by the candidates gets some of the filth rubbed off on them.
The political scene is nastier than ever. The candidates who run for president are risking being tainted for life if not being totally ruined. Friends, allies, and families can be split apart. Each election in recent decades has brought more distrust among the parties, the factions, and the people who make up an increasingly more divided nation.
Whoever wins the 2016 election as well as whoever loses will be exposed for things they've said and done as well as things they have been accused of saying and doing. The next president of the United States will likely face an almost impossibly divided electorate leading to less and less cooperative efforts toward getting things done and a greater threat of a United States ruled by a totalitarian leaning government.
The legislative branch of the United States government will likely continue in the weak bickering state they've been in over the past administration as the next president issues more executive orders or relies on Supreme Court decisions to make law. Exactly how all this turns out will depend on the outcome of the election.
In the days to come we'll see more and more layers of the onion skin peeled away with more and more disturbing evidence about each candidate delivered by biased media. Truth and lies will be rampant leaving us to figure out which is which. And the candidates will have to steel themselves up to endure the onslaught. The voters might have a difficult time sorting it all out and in the end the issues and the impact on the future might not even matter. Maybe it will just come down to the superficial things. The nation will pay the price in the years to come. Or maybe reap the rewards--we can hope.
Why do you think anyone would subject themselves to such exposure for themselves and their families? Do you think this current election will sharpen the divide among people in the United States or bring them together? Do you believe the system is rigged?
The Battle of the Bands
"Everybody Knows" (1988)
This song first came to my attention when I saw Atom Egoyan's 1994 film Exotica. The original Leonard Cohen version was used in the soundtrack. My wife liked Cohen's vocal in the song and the song became one of her favorites. Since my wife liked the song so well I purchased a number of different CD's with covers of the song as well as Cohen's original version which has remained her favorite. I like the Don Henley cover which got frequent play on Los Angeles radio stations in the latter half of the nineties.
"Everybody Knows" presents a bleak outlook of the world and human nature in general as it refers to a number of social issues and provides a commentary about the government and those under its rule. The song doesn't offer much hope for the future while delivering an acerbic judgement about humanity throughout the ages. Still, I find it to be an interesting song and not an unpleasant listening experience.
If you want to reference the original Leonard Cohen version you can listen here, but please don't vote on it. Instead, listen to the following two versions and vote on your favorite of these two.
Concrete Blonde "Everybody Knows" (1990)
Holly Figueroa O'Reilly "Everybody Knows" (2007)
Time to Vote!
I don't know if everybody knows what to do next so let me explain. Maybe it's not your style of music, but hopefully you'll keep a musically open mind in assessing the two versions. Let us know what you think about these two recordings. Is there one that you prefer over the other? Please give each song version a fair listen to decide which one you enjoy the most. If you don't like either then at least tell us which recording was least innocuous to you. This comes down to your preference and it's as easy as that.
Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours.
Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:
StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands
‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’
'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'
'Curious as a Cathy'
Sound of One Hand Typing
The Doglady's Den
Angel's Bark
Cherdo on the Flipside
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
Janie Junebug Righting & Editing.
J. A. Scott
Holli's Hoots and Hollers
Be ReInVintaged
Winner Announced on Friday October 21st
There will be no post on Monday in order for this post to get maximum exposure. However I'll be here on Friday October 21st to announce the winning version of "Everybody Knows." Not everybody knows which version is going to win the most votes, but on Friday you'll find out.
