This week, Congress decided how much everyone was fairly obliged to pay to the federal government and Boehner was comfortably returned to the Speaker chair. Have we brought fairness to our tax code? Fuck no. And no reasonable person could say that Boehner deserved to be left in his position. As proof, I point to the fact that the House Republicans did just exactly that.
As Washington continues to exert itself to ever greater displays of unaccountable ineptitude, I am heading off this morning to interview for a promotion at my current employer. An opportunity brought about by years of dedication and hard work. I only bring this up to note my ambivalence about the existence or absence of fairness. In my own case, I can see how my own efforts have brought about opportunity. Pretty straight-line fairness, right? Yet in the larger scheme, I’ve never been more confused by looking at events and seeing my own sense of fairness left so unfulfilled.
We are clearly our own judges of what is and isn’t fair. I don’t think Obama deserved to be re-elected based on his economic record, for example. I also think that it’s wrong for the federal government to raise taxes when it is incapable of living within its means. I think everybody should have to pay something in federal income taxes and have some stake in society.
Clearly, America disagrees with me.
Let’s have some music about it. I deserve songs about:
1. Getting what’s due, good or bad
2. Karma, fortune, luck, joss, chance, and all those strange twists that seem to lead to some being successful where others fail
3. Anything by a musician who has been waaay to hyped beyond his/her abilities or talent. Or maybe just an asshole who really deserves to suffer (Hint: Madonna has lots of songs)
4. Schadenfreude or even just a touch of: “You know, one of these days, something terrible is gonna happen to you. It HAS to!”
5. You don’t deserve a fifth. What? You think you do? Fine. How about “Getting Away With It?”
And yet, my own sense of fairness insists that I redistribute the wealth of my musical library to those who earned it last week.
Biggie G: Let’s Lynch the Landlord by The Dead Kennedys
pfluffy: Give it Away by RHCP
Santino: First It Giveth by Queens of the Stone Age
Iconoclast: The Good Times Are Killing Me by Modest Mouse
working_man: Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads
Santino: Charlie Brown by Coldplay
thelastdakrat: Don’t Shoot (I’m A Man) by Devo
Mississippi Yankee: Mr. Lincoln by Hank Williams, Jr
27 comments
No ping yet
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 9:19 am at 9:19 am (UTC -4)
Ah, nice one, Thrill! And I see you left me one of my favorites :) for #1 and #5:
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 9:30 am at 9:30 am (UTC -4)
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 9:42 am at 9:42 am (UTC -4)
For #2 …
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 10:03 am at 10:03 am (UTC -4)
#3 …
FPrefect89 says:
January 4, 2013 12:42 pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
The Who, Won’t get fooled again…. yeah right.
Mississippi Yankee says:
January 4, 2013 4:02 pm at 4:02 pm (UTC -4)
Here’s a “big ol’ #4
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 4:08 pm at 4:08 pm (UTC -4)
#4
Iconoclast says:
January 4, 2013 5:10 pm at 5:10 pm (UTC -4)
Iconoclast says:
January 4, 2013 5:16 pm at 5:16 pm (UTC -4)
Brush up on your Latin…
Thrill says:
January 4, 2013 7:02 pm at 7:02 pm (UTC -4)
Updated!
No thread is complete without Cash. Wouldn’t be fair.
Mississippi Yankee says:
January 4, 2013 7:50 pm at 7:50 pm (UTC -4)
A #2… for the ages
Mississippi Yankee says:
January 4, 2013 8:04 pm at 8:04 pm (UTC -4)
Love this lady and a fitting #1
West Virginia Rebel says:
January 4, 2013 8:50 pm at 8:50 pm (UTC -4)
Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)
Any Way The Wind Blows
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
The Atrocity Exhibition
West Virginia Rebel recently posted..Platinum Change
Thrill says:
January 4, 2013 9:05 pm at 9:05 pm (UTC -4)
Joy Division is always welcome, WVR. Have some Smiths to go.
Thrill says:
January 4, 2013 9:24 pm at 9:24 pm (UTC -4)
pfluffy already had me with Asshole (my family has a video somewhere of me singing that on a karaoke machine when I was 17) and then went beyond with a favorite by Cake. It requires something special in return.
Thrill says:
January 4, 2013 9:30 pm at 9:30 pm (UTC -4)
For when it’s just totally not fair…
Biggie G says:
January 4, 2013 9:38 pm at 9:38 pm (UTC -4)
1. Cage the Elephant – Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked
2. I have to try and fit them into every list. Social Distortion – Bad Luck
3. I will probably take a beating on this one, but I think this band is one of the most overrated of all time. They have it all. Tortured poet bleating and 3 other guys playing whatever they feel like. The Doors – The End
4. One of the greatest “I hate you woman” songs ever. JJ Jackson – But It’s Alright
5. The James Gang – Walk Away
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 10:06 pm at 10:06 pm (UTC -4)
More comeuppance:
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 10:16 pm at 10:16 pm (UTC -4)
Very nice, Thrill, thank you !!! Love the drums in that one. Here is another 90′s classic …
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 10:44 pm at 10:44 pm (UTC -4)
Biggie, you’re breaking my heart. I have the same feeling about the Beatles, so you get a pass …
pfluffy says:
January 4, 2013 10:48 pm at 10:48 pm (UTC -4)
It was a tossup between Mean Mr. Mustard and Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, both describing assholes.
Thrill says:
January 5, 2013 8:48 am at 8:48 am (UTC -4)
I’ve always had a thing for the stripper in the catsuit in that video. Who in the hell is she anyway?
Yeah, we can do some asshole music.
Thrill says:
January 5, 2013 8:57 am at 8:57 am (UTC -4)
For when it’s so unfair you want to REALLY show them how you feel.
Biggie G says:
January 5, 2013 8:42 pm at 8:42 pm (UTC -4)
Here’s another #5.
Santino says:
January 5, 2013 9:04 pm at 9:04 pm (UTC -4)
Please tell me someone has that on their computer. I WOULD PAY TO SEE THAT!! (Didn’t JimK post a video of himself doing karaoke? Maybe we could do a virtual RTFTLC karaoke, Lion Sleeps Tonight anyone?)
That got a thumbs up from me! (Sorry pfluffy, but I did go through my Beatles stage in high school/university). I’ve never understood The Doors “mystique”.
Redemption
#2 – Instant Karma – John Lennon
For government in general. Beastie Boys – Rhymin and Stealin
Santino says:
January 5, 2013 9:06 pm at 9:06 pm (UTC -4)
Forgot to add this for #4.
Thrill says:
January 6, 2013 12:47 pm at 12:47 pm (UTC -4)
VHS only, thankfully. It’s probably pretty well buried too. Thank God I grew up well before every phone got an Internet-ready video camera on it.
Life’s Been Good by Joe Walsh
What Did I Ever Give You by Kaiser Chiefs