DYLAN IN CHINA

Looks like it's time to try to take the old boy down again--our allegedly 'free press' is having a field day castigating Dylan for not being what they've insisted he be for the last 50 years--he's not singing 'songs of protest'...he's not living up to the expectations they've foisted upon him...he's not storming any barricades...he's selling out yet again!!!!!

Another generation of well-meaning but ultimately destructive imbeciles insisting that someone lead them and absolve them of any personal responsibility so they can merge into an illusory mass of 'humanity' fighting for some principle...and let's take Dylan down because he won't bless us--

Forget trying to explain to anyone that God's Plan (for lack of any phrase that can express the inexpressible) works like this: 1-2-3

In our attempts to be righteous--limited because what essence we share with the Universal Forces is boxed off in discrete little envelopes of flesh--we can only work from our own proximity to All--so from where you stand you make your move--and it comes out 2-1-3--no good--someone else from where he stands tries and it comes out 3-1-2--yet another tries it and it comes out 2-3-1--and so on down the unending line of numbers--we will always fail in our imitations of God because as long as we inhabit these bodies and this earth--we will never possess the Totality of the One--the only way it works is: 1-2-3

I am saying that to take full personal responsibility (1-2-3) you'd have to step out of the box--unless we do all we can do will be limited--but we must take that step--the man you're castigating now has already told you this--over and over again--Only a Pawn in Their Game--Hattie Carroll--these songs run so much deeper than mere 'protest songs'--included his greatest 'protest song' (if you wish to pigeonhole that as well) the utterly transcendent It's All Right, Ma--Dylan outside the box clear-eyed and straight from the hip--giving us the startlingly pure vision of all our fallen state--(shall I mention "Name me someone who's not a parasite and I'll go out a say a prayer for him" as well?)

Dylan's set list in Bejing was absolutely no different in kind than any of the sets he's been playing these last 20 years of his maturity--parse for meanings all you want--look closely enough and you'll find them--usually after the fact and without apologies or retractions--(see Dylan's remarks after playing Masters of War at the 1991 Grammy Awards--Iraq War I)--but every generation tries to crucify its mob-appointed 'leaders'--I don't know what guardian angel looks over Dylan--but it surely must work overtime (get it?)--so let's unleash the hounds--take the spears and follow Mr. (and Ms.) Jones or that jackass from the Wall Street Journal who caught Dylan on an off-night and raised a small media ruckus demanding that Dylan retire from preforming--ignoring (of course) the incredible raves from the following night's show at U of Mass--Lowell campus--a show that by all reports went absolutely through the roof and saw Dylan in peak form--with three nights at Manhattan's TERMINAL 5 not too far behind--

So let media stroke you all--"we're so tired of China and Libya and Obama and those Tea Party morons wrecking this country they so love to call their own and earthquakes and tsunamis and radiation and 2012--we want diversion we want Lady Gaga we want the latest ghetto king hitting number one on the charts while rich music executives kowtow to him while they reach around and pick his pocket--and don't forget the ever lunatic fringe that loves guns monster cars gory horror films with plenty of head crushing and lots of T&A yes sir" but Dylan will outlast you all--he already has--he always will

I'm reminded of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem Eight People On A Golf Course And One Bird Of Freedom Flying Overhead--the 'people' are the President of Earth--the King of the Car--the Spiritual Head--the General--Your Master's Voice---Your Friendly Multinational Banker--the Little Woman--and lastly, the Chief of All Police who says "You're all in the computer We've got all/ your numbers. Except one/unidentified flying asshole./On the radar screen./Some dumb bird./Every time I shoot it down/it rises."

Content (c) 2008-2011 Philip Milito.