Also posted at Gonzo Times.
Back in 2003, I was present at several anti-war protests in Seattle - there were quite a few. Bush was about to invade Iraq and the opposition was at a fever pitch. I was a fan of most of the songs that came out during that period in opposition - everyone from Beastie Boys to Pharoahe Monch pitched in.
Pharoahe is a favorite of this website and his lyrics literally inspired the website title itself. It's about ten years and we seemed to have dodged a bullet from our current president launching a war like his predecessor had - neither of them are bad men but the tendency to want to "push the button" in that position of power seems a little too great for anyone of any stripe to resist.
Pharoahe is an Obama supporter, from his lyrics, but his music hasn't failed to continue to be politically provocative and illuminating because the current president is preferable to the previous.
"Agent Orange," released on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, was a taste of the fusionist sound that he continued with albums like Desire and W.A.R. - the talk of weapons of mass destruction, chemical weapons and the title itself, Agent Orange, eludes to one of the many times this country itself has used chemical weapons on developing countries.
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