When The President Talks to God: Protest toward George W. Bush Policies

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C. When The President Talks to God: Protest toward George W. Bush Policies

The third song to analyze is When the President Talks to God which is taken from the EP album First Day of My Life Saddle Creek, 2005. This song is composed in 6 stanzas without any refrain and repetition. The song takes 2 minutes 36 second and it is played in strumming acoustic guitar only. The less melodies and monotonic vocal makes the song plain and straight forward. The way the singer sings, which is more like talking rather than singing, and the single musical instrument emphasizes the power of the song relies on the lyric rather than the music. The use of simple musical instrument, combined with monotonous singing indicates the typical of folk music. It shows that Conor Oberst still preserves the musical element of folk on his works. Moreover, the fast tempo expresses agitation, anger, and protest toward the issues uttered on the song. The title, When the President Talks to God, shows an illustration of what will happen if the President talks to God to ask for solution in solving his country’s problems. From this song title, the President is described as a faithful person who believes in God and believes the divine power of God. This song is trying to criticize George W. Bush’s policy in legitimating his action in the name of God on declaring war. The President believed that the war he declared is a part of God will. As the president said in the closing lines of his acceptance speech at the Republican convention, “we have a calling from beyond the stars”. Raban, 2004, para. 2 His statement raises controversy, considering that his action seems paradoxical with the principles of his Christianity faith. Through this song, the commit to user singer protests the President controversial statement in relation with his faith, his war policies, and other policies. The song is played also in Bright Eyes’ live album ‘Motion Sickness’ Team Love, 2005. He starts the song by dedicating it to the incompetence and arrogant President of America, George W. Bush. His dedication is followed by applause from the audiences. The applause indicates that the audiences agree with the singer statement. The analysis of the song relies much on the lyric rather than music, considering that the lyric plays an important role toward the song. The lyric has an aim to express the protest words, while the music was played plaintively. The singer starts the song by hard strumming guitar and sings the first stanza in ‘talking-like’ way and trembling voice. The way the singer sings express a curiosity of the singer toward the President, the curiosity of what will happen if the President talks to God for asking recommendation. The first verse contains 6 lines. Each line correlates to the other lines and creates a rhetorical question. When the president talks to God Are the conversations brief or long? Does he ask to rape our women’s rights? And send poor farm kids off to die? Does God suggest an oil hike? When the president talks to God? commit to user On the first part of the song, the singer is questioning technically the conversation happened between the President and God: whether the conversation is brief or long. The words brief and long on the second line refers to the seriousness of the conversation. The long conversation tends to be a serious, while brief conversation tends to be less serious. It questions whether the President has a serious conversation, or just an unimportant and not serious conversation. On the next part, the singer states Does he ask to rape our women’s rights? He in this line refers to the President. The singer questions whether the President asks permission to God for raping American women’s rights or not, considering that his policy seems hurting American women. This line refers to George W. Bush economic policies related to women employment. The word ‘rape’ in this line is a harsh metaphor for ‘abusing’ women’s right. Rape in this line is not explicitly refers to an action of ‘raping’ or ‘abusing’ physically, but it is the metaphor for abusing women’s rights. The women’s rights are rights for better life, getting proper job, and getting proper salary. Meanwhile, President’s policy seems not offering those things. His policy has made some women, especially single mother, lose their job and make their life become more difficult. The policy is cutting funding for child care, which are essential to single parent households. Women, especially single mothers who have to raise their children, must experience the impact of that policy. According to the institute of Women’s Policy Research, the proportion of single mother who are employed fell in 2003 and the unemployment rate rose markedly among single mothers, from an already high 9.5 percent to a desperate 10.2 percent. Shiozaki, 2004, para. 4 commit to user The next line states or sends poor farm kid off to die. This line still talks about economical failure during the administration of George W. Bush. Poverty rises up and lots of Americans lose their jobs. Shiozaki argues that during Bush presidency poverty is on the rise, healthcare coverage is on the decline, and the country is faced with the largest national deficit in history para. 5 This line criticizes harshly the incapability of the President in handling National economy. The singer chooses the word ‘off to die’ to emphasize that American economy is on the crisis and the lowest point. According to Shaft, children also experience the impact of economical hardships which cause ‘food insecure’, a term for those people facing hunger and malnutrition. America’s Second Harvest states that 35 million Americans are now considered ‘food insecure’ and more than 13 million children are now considered ‘food insecure’. as cited in Hamm, 2005, p. 158 The next line states does God suggest an oil hike when the President talks to God? This line criticizes George W. Bush’s hiking oil price policy, one of the policies that caused bad effect during his administration. The cause of oil hike is fear of disruption in global oil supplies. Although there are several reasons for the surge in prices, analysts agree that one is a “fear factor” of potential shortage. http:www.nytimes.com The Bush Administration is grappling with an unwanted side effect of its policies. Moreover the side effect of oil price brings no wealth to American Society, but it makes the condition of poor family far from better. Not only does the singer criticize Bush’s policies, he also criticizes Bush’s action in solving his Nation’s problems and racial issues commit to user When the president talks to God Are the consonants all hard or soft? Is he resolute all down the line? Is every issue black or white? Does what God says ever change his mind? When the president talks to God Is he resolute all down the line? This line is questioning the President’s seriousness in solving his country problems, whether the President will solve seriously the problems until it is done or not. While black or white on is every issue black or white represents the dualism of ‘right and wrong’. President Bush is considered as the President that sees things in black and white. Things are black and white, with few shades of gray. i dont do nuance, George W. Bush told the reporters. McAdams, 2011, p. 40 This line criticizes his attitude in seeing all things in black and white, even in Middle East war. If he does not see good things, then he associates it with something bad or evil. He feels that what is not going along with America is considered as evil, and this kind of view can be threatening for the world and America itself. Besides, black or white also suggests racial issue in America. Racial issue is a long-lasting issue in America. It usually happens between Black American as the minority, and the White American as the majority. This issue is what the song is trying to question. The racial issue also relates to the 4 th stanza which is talking about Black American issues as well. commit to user When the president talks to God I wonder which one plays the better cop We should find some jobs. The ghetto’s broke No, theyre lazy, George, I say we dont Just give em more liquor stores and dirty coke Thats what God recommends The word ‘I’ on this stanza refers to the singer. Here the singer is wondering which one plays the better cop, whether the Bush himself or God. Cop is a police officer, whose job is to keep public order, prevent, and solve crime. The singer is questioning which one is better in preventing and solving crime, and keeping public order. This line satirizes the action of George W. Bush that should become a Cop for his Country. In fact, the President seems far from being a good cop for his country and his action is more like doing crime rather than preventing or solving crimes. The next line states We shall find some jobs The ghetto’s broke. The word ‘We’ in this line refers to God and the President. It can be known from the following stanza No they’re Lazy George, I Say We Don’t. George refers to the President George W. Bush while “I” refers to God. In this stanza, God recommend the President not to find some jobs to the Black American, even though their ghetto has broken as well. Ghetto is a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live, esp. because of social, legal, or economic pressure Merriam, 1990, p. 516. The ghetto refers to New Jersey, a city where the majority is Black commit to user American. The “ghetto’s broke” relates to broken town of New Jersey caused by disaster Hurricane Katrina striking on 2005. This disaster cause Black Americans lose their settlement, family, and job. Even though they need more job after their lost because of disaster Hurricane Katrina, but God recommend to ignore them. Because God is the one that the President will obey, so the President will surely do what God suggest. This part is criticizing the ignorance of George W. Bush toward the Black American. George W. Bush allowed all the death and misery after Katrina to go down the way it did. He was fine with the people trapped in the city, he was fine with the bodies floating in the water, and he was fine with masses of poor and working people--in their great majority Black--forced into truly desperate and traumatic conditions. http:revcom.us This ignorance raises questions whether the President really cares to minority, especially Black American or not. Other Black American problems during Bush’s presidency are unemployment and poverty. The number of unemployment and poverty of Black American is higher than White American during the era of George W. Bush. Unemployment today for young Black Men aged 16 to 91 tops out at more than 30 percent; double that of young white men in the same age category. In spite of that appalling statistics, Bush announced that he will cut funds for urban job training programs by 70 percent, from 225 million to 45 million Taylor, 2003, p. 3 On the last line of the stanza, the singer says just give ‘em more liquor stores and dirty coke. Liquor is an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented, while coke is carbonated soft drink which usually relates to unhealthy drink. The word ‘dirty’ also emphasizes coke as something negative. Both liquor commit to user and dirty coke are something closer with an alcoholic drink. Alcoholic drink is prohibited in religion, considering that it can cause social crimes. Many Crimes are taken place for alcoholic people. It causes physical problems including mental illness, short term memory loss, and performance reduces. In fact, alcohol has been one of the worlds greatest destroyers. It is terrible violent consequences are felt all over the world. In addition, the prohibition of alcohol is stated also on Bible: ‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise’. Proverbs 20:1 http:www.writearticles.org That’s what God recommends; this last line says that those things are God’s recommendation for the President to solve Black American problems. However, God’s recommendation in giving Black American more liquor stores and dirty coke seems irresponsible. God solutions are ungodly and it shows what President believes as God is fake. It is not a real God, but only his own thought. The President only uses the name of God to legitimate his ignorance and wrong action in solving Black American problems. The next stanza exposes other things which are criticized by the singer. These things are considered as the crimes made by the President, George W. Bush; Killing the convicts, building and filling the prisons, and concealing voter frauds. When the president talks to God Does he fake that drawl or merely nod? Agree which convicts should be killed? Where prisons should be built and filled? Which voter fraud must be concealed? commit to user On this stanza, the singer ends the last line by screaming. The screaming voice expresses an angry emotion toward the song. This anger is expressed on this stanza because this stanza is exposing the crimes made by the President. Killing convicts and building and filling prisons relate to his policy in establishing prisons for Afghanistan and Iraq detainees. On 2002, a prison namely Guantanamo was built on Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. This prison was built to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The prisons should be built in this line refers to the establishment of Guantanamo prison, while ‘filled’ in this line has the meaning that the prisons should be filled by the terrorist and the suspect terrorist coming from Afghanistan and Iraq. Though there is no evidence that the prisoner is guilty, they were still put them inside the prisoner. “any individual believed to be affiliated in any way with terrorists can be imprisoned indefinitely without any showing of evidence, and providing no opportunity to the detainee to argue his or her innocence” Parker, 2005, p. 103 furthermore, the reason of keeping the innocent is not tolerable. “George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld covered up that hundreds of innocent men were sent to Guantanamo Bay prison camp because they feared that releasing them would harm the push for war in Iraq and the broader War on Terror. Reid, 2010, para. 1 The prison raised controversy because the investigation found out that there were torture and torment toward detainees inside Guantanamo. The use of Guantanamo Bay as a military prison has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and others, who cite reports that detainees have been tortured or otherwise poorly treated. The international Committee of the Red Cross ICRC has been allowed to visit detainees, but the ICRC’s confidential operating methods prevent it from commit to user reporting publicly on conditions of detention. Even s, in October the ICRC said that it has noted “a worrying deterioration in the psychological health of a large number” of the detainees attributed to the uncertainty of their fate. Thirty-two detainees have attempted suicide. Parker, 2005, p. 103 The next last line of the stanza deals with the third crime of the President: voting fraudulent. Voter must be concealed means concealing the truth. And concealing the truth is a form of crime as well. The winning of President Bush on election is believed as the result of fraudulent. Bush victory over Gore in the 2000 election depended upon a number of fraudulent techniques in Florida which he officially won by 537 voters, without which Gore would have won by ten of thousands of voters. Bush was aided by the fact that his brother Jeb was Florida Governor, his campaign co-choir Katherine Harris was the top Florida election- supervising official secretary of state, and 4 of the 9 members of the US Supreme Court has been appointed by Bush’s father or when Bush senior was Vice President. http:rangevoting.org stealing the vote is considered as crime. It covers the truth and brings large effect for the Nation itself. Furthermore, the policies made by George W. Bush, as the elected President, do not make the Nation better, but it makes the condition worse than before. The following stanza talks about the invasion toward Muslim Country When the president talks to God Do they drink near beer and go play golf While they pick which countries to invade Which Muslim souls still can be saved? commit to user I guess God just calls a spade a spade When the president talks to God The first and the second line of the fifth verse illustrate how the President and God talk to each other. Drink near beer means drinking some beers on a bar. In politics, beer relates to something dirty and far from holy act. Sometimes a beer is just a beer—except in politics, where beer may signify any old thing we want it to. It is the most abused of all alcoholic beverages. Dickerson, 2009, para.1 On the other hand, golf refers to the game of an elite and upper class society. This line illustrates how the President can get the right resolution for the lower class society if they discuss the resolution by playing upper class game. It will make the resolution become ineffective and perfunctory. This line indicates how less serious the President makes a decision. The next line ‘pick which countries to invade, which Muslim souls still can be saved? Guess God just calls a spade a spade’. A spade a spade is an idiom to speak honestly and directly about a topic, specifically topics that others may avoid speaking about due to their sensitivity or embarrassing nature. http:dictionary.sensagent.com These two lines criticize the policies of George W. Bush on attacking Muslim countries Afghanistan and Iraq that caused massive death among the Muslims on both countries. This is the most unpopular and controversial policy made by President George W. Bush during his presidency. This line shows once again that the President only legitimates his wrong action in the name of God. All of his action seems paradoxical with his faith. commit to user On the last verse of the song, the singer gives resolution for the questions before. When the president talks to God Does he ever think that maybe Hes not? That the voice is just inside his head When he kneels next to the presidential bed Does he ever smell his own bullshit? The first and the second line says when the President talks to God, Does he ever think that maybe He’s not. The singer says that what the President talks to is not a God, but it is only his own thought. The singer emphasizes the word by screaming. It expresses the singer’s feeling which is tired and angry with President’s hypocrisy. The followed line that the voice is just inside his head gives more explanation of it. The President thinks that he talks to God and asks Him recommendation in solving problems. However, what he talks to is not God, but just a voice or an imagination inside his head. It shows that the President does not get an order from God, but only from his mind. It also suggests that the policies believed as God order are just the policies made by the President himself. The President only legitimates his action in the name of God. On the next line, Does he ever smell his own bullshit?, the singer uses harsh metaphor bullshit to refer the nonsense things stated by the President. The singer emphasizes that the President’s nonsense bullshit seems like something really bad. commit to user I doubt it I doubt it The singer ends the song by saying, I doubt it, I doubt it. It illustrates how the singer is not sure that the President realizes his own fault. What the President talks to is not a real God or something that he called as the One beyond the star, but only his thought. The depiction of God which is far from godly act in resolving every issue reflects the Presidents ambition. This ambition led the President to make some policies during his presidency, which are mostly raised controversy and protest. In addition, some of his policies bring the nation into the lowest point. The singer illustrates the conversation of Bush and God to criticize Bush hypocrisy. Through the singer arguments, he shows that George W. Bush as the President of America is a hypocrite. The President says that he is enlightened by the holy God above, but his action seems ungodly and betraying his faith. The war declared by George W. Bush is one of the examples. He believes that the war is a holy war to destroy terrorism from the world. However, the result of the war is far from something holy. The reason of the war is questionable and it only kills a lot of people and innocents. The war declared by the President is considered as a failure and useless war, considering that it brings not victory but only causes miseries. Moreover, the war does not cut off the terrorism from the world, but it only makes hatred toward America itself. This song applies the characteristic of protest-propaganda song as ‘rhetoric’. According to R. Serge Denisoff, rhetoric song is pointing to some commit to user problem in society without offering a solution. Even though it does not offer solution, but it attempts to change the public opinion about the certain subject in society. Denisoff, 1976 The singer points out some problems related to George W. Bush policies in declaring war in the name of God, and values it as inappropriate. This song provokes the listener not to believe President’s statement which says that he gets an order from God to declare a war. In addition, the fact that the President brings less benefit to American people will also prove that the President is not enlightened by God but only uses the name of God to fulfill his ambition and legitimate his action. This song finally can change public opinion toward the President action and his policies. Moreover, this song can create moral unity among the listeners who disagree with The President policies and his action in declaring war. commit to user 90 CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

A. Conclusion