Tradition and Treacle

Just spent a glorious Fourth, as a always, listening to military bands, the National Symphony Orchestra and America’s top musical artists, while watching the most spectacular fireworks display over the Washington Monument. The only thing better than being there is where I was – on my couch in an air-conditioned family room watching the whole Public Broadcasting System’s “A Capitol Fourth” on a wide screen HD TV.

I was proud to be an American until I was exposed for the first time to the vomitorious sack of treacle known as Josh Grobin. That he is as famous as he was said to be reminds me again of H. L. Mencken’s dictum that no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.

(Note: The filthy ratbastard Republican leadership shown enjoying itself on the Capitol Lawn was partaking of an event broadcast by the PBS it wants to eliminate and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is also wants killed. On the other hand, the broadcast ended by thanking for financial support “viewers like you” and adding, of course, that the whole shebang of cannonfire and aerial explosions was “brought to you by the Boeing Corporation.” As were most of the wars of the past 70 years.)

I am still such a peacenik that I detest the ubiquitous public adoration of “wounded warriors” -- because if we stopped honoring morons who sign up to be shot at and then are surprised that it hurts, we wouldn’t have the forces to invade the half of the world we don’t like at any given time.

But I am still a sucker for small town parades, bombs bursting in air and the 1812 Overture, although I am amused that the most jingoistic day of the year must be accompanied by the strains of the Russian and French national anthems.

I also found it somewhat discordant, but amusing, to have as the penultimate act of the concert on the Capitol Grounds the proudly degenerate Little Richard (that’s Little Dick to you, Mark Halperin) singing the joyous filth of Fifties rock’n’roll while toddlers danced with their oblivious flag-waving parents and grandparents.

Is this a great country, or what!