Desperate Times Calls for… These Guys!

My fellow Americans,

In light of the recent political scene that is rapidly engulfing our nation for the next year, I find it appropriate to reconnect with our past and look at the Presidents who actually did great things. These men achieved their administrative agendas, stuck to their guns in spite of political backlash, passed executive orders when shit needed to get done, and successfully willed their visions of a strong and unified America into being. If any one of these guys came back they would find a country sorely in need of their leadership.

George Washington

 Of course Washington was the first President, and in being so, had a unique opportunity to do what other presidents wish they could- set precedents. What made Washington remarkable was that he had the chance for everything he could ever dream of, however, he rejected such titles as “Your Majesty” and “Your Excellency” and insisted on being called “Mr. President.” To have someone in office today with such a humble attitude and strong moral fiber, while still being able to push your agenda forward would be miraculous. Shunning the idea of political parties, he wouldn’t be swayed by lobbyists or one side of the aisle over another. He would simply do what he thought neccessary to make American great.

 

 

Andrew Jackson

 Now Andrew Jackson is remarkable because he was truly a no BS president. If something needed to get done, it would get done without Congress standing in the way to muck it up. Now thet may sound rather extreme, but sometimes a president needs to step up and issue those executive orders or else nothing is ever going to be accomplished. When South Carolina wanted to break away from the Union in 1832, Jackson stopped that notion real quick. He also got rid of the Federal Bank and put it into the private sector and believed that the States and people could be entrusted with more powers (to an extent) that they had been given credit for. He was a true man of the people who loved nothing more than the United States of America, and our country loved him back just as strongly. Were some of his ideals controversial? Sure. But they were neccessary evils in order to bring prosperity to our land, and shape America into the power it soon became.

 

 

Theodore Roosevelt

 Now this is the guy we could use these days. Teddy was a Republican, but unlike the Republican presidents before him, he decided that big business had gotten way out of hand. Businessmen and their companies seemed to weild more power than the actual government all of a sudden! Now, any Republican today would tell you that Washington should lay off of Wall Street and let the engine run itself. But anybody with common sense would say that there has to be a point when enough is enough and the President is in fact leader of the country. Would you believe that Roosevelt was such a Republican? What he was trying to do was move the GOP forward and later became a leader of the Progressive Party. However, he was not about to let people push him around. Teddy’s foreign policy was a major buildup of our military but only to deter, never to draw first blood. Afterall, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for ending a war! And last but not least, he realized the importance of conservation and founded the National Park System which is, perhaps, the greatest treasure we as Americans enjoy today.

 

 

 

Abraham Lincoln

 Oh, you knew Honest Abe was on the list. I like to think of Lincoln as embodying attributes from all the aforementioned presidents- the moral integrity of George, the no BS attitude of Andrew, and the common sense of Theodore. It takes a special kind of person to lead a country through a civil war, and have plans of peace and goodwill towards the rebels. In the wake of his assassination, Lincoln was called the South’s best friend, for those plans that went with him to the graves. As a politician before the White House, he was an elequent speaker with tremendous foresight into what lay ahead, and didn’t wait for the shit to hit the fan before doing somthing about it. The first Republican, who would share little in common with today’s Tea Partiers, he honestly believed that all men were created equal and everybody deserves a world without judgement and hate. It is for this reason, that Abraham Lincoln is our greatest president, and why he is the preeminent model to which our congressmen, governors, and president should look up to.

AC/DC: For Those About to Rock

Most people who know me fairly well will also know that my favorite band is AC/DC. I can say that hands-down, forever and always, because like my adoration, their music is timeless. Tales of trying to snare girls within our teenage clutches and the subsequent rejections of those girls, having a drink, and in general cutting loose and raising a little hell.

Now of course, those examples are not exactly elequent pieces of poetry. As a music lover and artist, I will tell you that I am immediately drawn to deep, thought-provoking lyrics, however AC/DC does in fact go much deeper- to the music itself. I don’t believe there is a finer rhythm and blues rock n’ roll band out there. Magazines and VH1 will label them as “hard rock” or “heavy metal,” but the band members themselves will tell you that they only think of themselves as simply rock n’ roll.

And what exactly is the essensce of Rock n’ Roll? For me, it is a calling to challenge the rules a little- to turn up the volume a little too loud, to drive my car a little too fast, to have a little too much fun! Now believe me, when infused with the boogie woogie that is AC/DC, nothing is more infectious, and you see it in the band when they’re onstage. They may be nearing their sixties but it’s still the some rockin’ energy from when they were young and when I saw them live in 2008, I knew I was a part of something special.

This band is fun and there’s a reason they’re the biggest selling band in the history of popular music, because sometimes folks want to get away from the rock operas and poetry and just shake a leg.

PS

Don’t misunderstand me either, AC/DC does have a few songs that are the definition of Blues music, and I can’t not have them inspire me (specifically “Ride On”, “It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock n’ Roll”, and “Aint No Fun (Waitin’ Round to be a Millionare”). I don’t know, something about those songs speaks to the artist in me.

1. Highway to Hell (1979) “Highway to Hell” “Touch Too Much” “Shot Down in Flames” and “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”

2. Back in Black (1980) “You Shook Me All Night Long” “Hells Bells” and “Back in Black”

3. Powerage (1978) “Down Payment Blues” “What’s Next to the Moon” and “Sin City”

4. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) “Ride On” “Aint No Fun (Waitin’ Round to be a Millionare)” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”

5. Black Ice (2008) “Rock n’ Roll Dream” “Big Jack” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”

6. Let There Be Rock (1977) “Whole Lotta Rosie” “Bad Boy Boogie” and “Hell Aint a Bad Place To Be”

7. For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981) “Lets’ Get It Up” “Put the Finger On You” and “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”

8. High Voltage (1976) “The Jack” “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n’ Roll)” and “TNT”

9. Ballbreaker (1995) “Hail Caesar” “Boogie Man” and “Ballbreaker”

10. Flick of the Switch (1983) “Nervous Shakedown” “Bedlam in Belgium” and “Flick of the Switch”

11. Fly on the Wall (1985) “Shake Your Foundations” “Sink the Pink” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers”

12. Blow Up Your Video (1988) “Heatseeker” and “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll”

…. And from there I can’t really discern the rest of their albums. Not because they’re not worthy! But because until I haven’t listened to them all (can you believe I haven’t?? Neither can I!) I can’t really order them, can I?

But in case you’re curious the rest are The Razor’s Edge (1990)  and Stiff Upper Lip (2000)

Thank you and goodnight!