Politically Charged Music
“...For instance, take an old song like 'Burn' . It's overtly anti-American. And it's trying to make the point Canada has very much the same client-state relationship that your average Latin American country has with the United States. Nothing quite as drastic is at stake. We're better off so there's no resistance to the relationship. We don't have a dictator; we don't have the military trip. But if we were ever to swing too far to the left it would Prague '68 revisited. That's what the song is trying to say in a very lighthearted way. Canadians relate to 'Burn' really well; we love to flirt with anti-Americanism in a humorous way because it makes us feel independent. But that's about as far as most of us take it.”
What makes “Burn” anti-American? Interpret the first stanza in the margins.
In the 21st century, we know about Vietnam, Kabul, and Baghdad.... what are the references to the Philippines, Santiago, and Greece?
Given the last stanza, what does Cockburn think about U.S. foreign policy?
What is Cockburn referring to when he mentions “Prague ‘68” in the interview?
How do you feel about Cockburn’s view of Canada’s relationship with the United States?
How do you feel about Cockburn’s comments on how Canadians treat Americans?
Americans are often viewed as the world’s policemen. “The Americans are coming to ‘save the day’, but in the future, we will all pay for relying only on the Americans, giving them even more power.
Philippines - martial law declared in 1972, beginning of a dictatorship; Santiago (Chile) - military coup d’etat September 11, 1973; Greece - in 1973 the military dictators declared the monarchy terminated and proclaimed the republic of Greece, also Turkey-Greece fight over Cyprus began
Cockburn views U.S. Foreign Policy as just to “keep the Commies [bad guys] on the run”.... the Americans would bribe or kill everyone - for “freedom, safety, or just plain fun”.
In the “Prague Spring” of 1968, liberalizing political and cultural reforms took place in Czechoslovakia. Soviet leaders were threatened by the reforms, and in August they sent Warsaw Pact troops to occupy the country. In Prague, residents stoically resisted, but the occupation eventually managed to reestablish a rigid Communist regime loyal to the Soviet Union.
Cockburn’s view of Canada’s relationship with the United States - Canada has the same kind of relationship that many Latin American countries have - if Canadians ever showed signs of becoming too liberal, the American conservatives would quash the movement.
How Canadians treat Americans - we like making fun of Americans, but we never or rarely stand up for our displeasure with the only remaining superpower.
“...For instance, take an old song like 'Burn' . It's overtly anti-American. And it's trying to make the point Canada has very much the same client-state relationship that your average Latin American country has with the United States. Nothing quite as drastic is at stake. We're better off so there's no resistance to the relationship. We don't have a dictator; we don't have the military trip. But if we were ever to swing too far to the left it would Prague '68 revisited. That's what the song is trying to say in a very lighthearted way. Canadians relate to 'Burn' really well; we love to flirt with anti-Americanism in a humorous way because it makes us feel independent. But that's about as far as most of us take it.”
What makes “Burn” anti-American? Interpret the first stanza in the margins.
In the 21st century, we know about Vietnam, Kabul, and Baghdad.... what are the references to the Philippines, Santiago, and Greece?
Given the last stanza, what does Cockburn think about U.S. foreign policy?
What is Cockburn referring to when he mentions “Prague ‘68” in the interview?
How do you feel about Cockburn’s view of Canada’s relationship with the United States?
How do you feel about Cockburn’s comments on how Canadians treat Americans?
Americans are often viewed as the world’s policemen. “The Americans are coming to ‘save the day’, but in the future, we will all pay for relying only on the Americans, giving them even more power.
Philippines - martial law declared in 1972, beginning of a dictatorship; Santiago (Chile) - military coup d’etat September 11, 1973; Greece - in 1973 the military dictators declared the monarchy terminated and proclaimed the republic of Greece, also Turkey-Greece fight over Cyprus began
Cockburn views U.S. Foreign Policy as just to “keep the Commies [bad guys] on the run”.... the Americans would bribe or kill everyone - for “freedom, safety, or just plain fun”.
In the “Prague Spring” of 1968, liberalizing political and cultural reforms took place in Czechoslovakia. Soviet leaders were threatened by the reforms, and in August they sent Warsaw Pact troops to occupy the country. In Prague, residents stoically resisted, but the occupation eventually managed to reestablish a rigid Communist regime loyal to the Soviet Union.
Cockburn’s view of Canada’s relationship with the United States - Canada has the same kind of relationship that many Latin American countries have - if Canadians ever showed signs of becoming too liberal, the American conservatives would quash the movement.
How Canadians treat Americans - we like making fun of Americans, but we never or rarely stand up for our displeasure with the only remaining superpower.
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