Destroyer of Worlds
Destroyer of Worlds
Recently I wrote and recorded a piece for Scott Ritter’s upcoming film, “Waging Peace,” called “Destroyer of Worlds.” In it, we hear part of John F. Kennedy’s famous 1963 “Peace Speech,” where he warns of the dangers of a nuclear conflagration. At that time, Russia and the U.S. were as close to nuclear war as, hopefully, we will ever get. JFK was saying that we may disagree with our opponents fundamentally but we still have to talk with them. I thought it was a great speech reminding us that we need to talk to one another no matter what our differences — on any level — whether it’s between us and our loved ones, between countries, or just people on the street. It doesn’t matter. Just keep on talking.
And then later in my piece we hear Vladimir Putin’s famous 2007 speech at the 43rd Munich Security Conference where he addresses the impending confrontation between NATO and Russia, which he could clearly see coming.
And we are now seeing that his words were not heeded either as we are yet again very close to nuclear war.
But most people don’t want to hear about nuclear war because it’s too difficult to contemplate. I believe that nuclear war and climate change are the two greatest threats to humanity that we currently face. I’m not sure which one is more dangerous but I do know that we have enough nuclear weapons to kill every human being over 100,000 times (or some ridiculous high number) and we keep spending more and more money on arming ourselves.
And what’s the point?
At the very end of the piece, we hear the voice of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s famous speech where he quoted the Bhagavad-Gita where Vishnu says to the Prince (Arjuna) that “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds” and that’s how they felt when they watched the first nuclear test go off in the deserts of Nevada in 1945. They suddenly realized, “Oh my lord, what have we actually done here…?”
Last week I did an interview with Russian journalist Alisa Kologorova. She wanted to talk about the state of music in the West. She was having a very hard time trying to find people like me — record producers, musicians and people in the arts — who are willing to have a conversation about this.
The mistrust between our two countries is so great right now and the misinformation, too, but at the same time we have to remind ourselves that people are people no matter where they are in the world. Despite what our governments may or may not be doing, we’re all human beings on this planet together.
In the midst of our conversation, Ms. Kologorova made a reference to people like Brad Pitt and other celebrities, and asked me, “Why is it that most of these people won’t speak out about politics?” I said, “Well, do you want to know the real answer or the nice answer?” And she said, “What do you think the real answer is?” And I said, “Because they’re afraid. Their little piece of their career — whatever it is — is more important to them than using their celebrity and their voice as a platform to reach people, educate them and help them to become more aware because our media doesn’t really do that for us.
Our media has abdicated its responsibility to inform the public in favor of what Chris Hedges calls “spectacle,” which is a hallmark of empires in decline. If anybody was watching the disastrous election debates last week you can see clearly this is an empire in decline but nobody wants to admit it.
And it doesn’t have to be like that. We could have a course correction. That is possible.
But meanwhile, we have these endless wars for profit that seem to continue at the expense of mostly black and brown people around the world — as we sleepwalk into oblivion, as the saying goes.
There are some artists who are speaking out. Angelina Jolie is very outspoken. I applaud her. I also applaud Roger Waters. But most entertainers are more like flag wavers and water carriers for the establishment at this point. It’s quite sad to see this.
It wasn’t always like this in music.
But there are artists out there, such as English rapper and political commentator Lowkey, who has a knack for transforming his politics and thought into words and music to get across a message. And currently one of the important messages is to stop the endless slaughter of the Palestinian people in this open-air concentration camp called Gaza on the West Bank.
We are seeing a genocide in front of our eyes yet none of our politicians seem able — or willing — to do anything about it. They pretend to do something about it. They wring their hands but they still keep sending bombs to drop on Palestinian heads. And we’re talking about 2,000 pound bunker busters. How can that possibly be reasonable when the people you’re dropping bombs on are civilians? It’s insane. It’s nuts.
“Pontificate, philosophize
Cross the t’s, dot the i’s
I heard ‘em say the revolution won’t be monetized
But it could be wrapped up,
Packaged and commodified
In this poisonous equation, I wonder what am I?
Tax dodging tabloids, profit from these horrid lies
Peddle patriotism but economically colonize
Sycophants, grippin’ flags,
Tell you that they’re on your side
Sell off your services abroad,
Who do they prioritize?
Robin Hood in reverse,
These robberies aren’t secrets,
Bonuses for bankers and backhanders for arms dealers
Can’t cage the alternative that now exists
With the skill of an alchemist
Turn pain to empowerment
Inspired to be alive, in this powerful moment
No more will these cowards sell us out to their donors
We rose, like a giant awoken out of his coma
Confront the culture of power with the power of culture
WE SING!” — Lowkey, The Death of Neoliberalism (feat. Greg Blackman) from Soundtrack to the Struggle 2