Don Mclean’s song, “American Pie”, is one of the iconic pieces of the 20th century. The song is quite complicated, but has a recurring theme exemplified by the line, “The day the music died”. When Mclean wrote the song, he was lamenting the death of musicians Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper in a 1959 plane crash.
There is, however, a greater meaning to the song. We’ve heard the term, “As American as apple pie” which is a metaphor for the old wholesomeness of post-war America. If you were around in those days, you would have seen the Dinah Shore commercial, “See the USA in your Chevrolet”. The Chevy was also part of the folklore of 1950s America. In Mclean’s song, “Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry”, has a more significant meaning.
I remember the 50s well. World War 2 was behind us with tremendous growth and the development of suburbia, where the car became king. It was a time of traditional values with the post-war baby boom. Then came the 1960s when everything started to turn upside down; protests, riots and domestic terrorism. Does that sound familiar? The “Levee was dry”, had the meaning that the old values had dried up.
American Pie is very relevant today. With the upcoming election on the heels of the rioting, police shootings and ascendency of Black Lives Matter Inc, and Antifa, America is at a crossroads, as never before. People say that this is just more of the same, just a repeat of the 1960s and that things will die down. However, it’s not the same, because there is a deeper problem.
In the 1960s, there was no internet, no big Digital Technology companies, no social media and the press were much more even-handed. Today, Tech companies are more powerful than most governments. They can suspend or delete both individuals or companies, and worse, manipulate what you see on their sites.
What is at stake in this election is a choice based on a fundamental ideological divide like never before. Some want to continue to build up America, support more traditional values, and allow the citizens to experience the fundamental rights as afforded them by the constitution. These are the values of most western countries, including Australia.
On the other side––as hard as it is to believe––are people who are espousing Socialism and its dark side with a loss of individual rights and the ascendency of the political elite. The disturbing aspect about this is that companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter are in control of the messaging. In a way, this will not be a “free” election.
There is now move to link the Covid-19 restrictions with Climate Change and other “progressive” items such as social tracking. It is called “The Great Reset”. The people who are pushing the reset are happy to make our lives more restrictive. They want to limit your freedoms, control what cars you drive, what homes you live in and where you go. In other words, they are leading us into a Communist-style existence akin to what is going on in China.
America is at a significant tipping point. I find that as I speak with many Australians, they are not aware of the danger that awaits the most powerful country in the world. By extension, this will affect all of us. If the left wins the election and wins handily, we will indeed remember “The day the music died” in America.
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