1. Another thread that runs through the history of the United States is that, inevitably, natural disasters are confronted as primarily political problems. This was as true in the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 as it has been when hurricanes, fires, floods, and, right now, the pandemic, have struck in our century. In 1927, a chief concern as the river rose to record heights and its gargantuan currents and waves destroyed everything in its wake, was how, in the face of this slowly developing disaster, would the wealthy protect their assets.
In Rising Tide, John M. Barry writes vividly about the wealthy power brokers in New Orleans and examines their deliberations. Their primary concern was with wealth protection, not human lives, not the protection of homes and properties of the lower and middle classes, but of their own businesses, banks, ports, and other endeavors. It's widely regarded as acceptable to let people of lesser means suffer, even die, while protecting both the lives and the capital of those with extraordinary means. Many of the wealthy would rather have people die, or at least suffer terrible deprivations, than suffer economic loss themselves. As power brokers, they have the most leverage to protect themselves, very much at the expense of those who can least afford it. It's a powerful continuum in the history of the USA.
2. Some listeners who commented on Bill Davie's Tree House Concert tonight thought his playlist was so exquisite that he ought to record an album of just the songs he played tonight. He touched wells of grief, bittersweet nostalgia, added in a little surrealism, and topped off the night with a soulful cover of Ian Anderson's flawless song, "Life's a Long Song". Bill read poems from Robert Bly's volume, Morning Poems, a collection inspired by William Stafford's habit of writing very early in the morning. The poems he read blended sublimely with his song selections.
3. I enjoyed two cocktails during the Tree House Concert. Each was the same drink, patterned after the Bourbon Renewal, but instead of bourbon I used Basil Hayden Dark Rye Whiskey. Once Bill finished, I continued to very slowly sip dark rye whiskey for the next few hours and listened to, while watching, YouTube videos. I started with Ian Anderson himself performing "Live's a Long Song" and by the time I went to bed I had listened to Harry Chapin, the Seekers, Guy Clark, Annie Lennox, The Highwaymen, Stan Rogers, Vanilla Fudge, Jimmy Buffet, and maybe others. I let myself be moved, especially by Judith Durham as she performed "Georgy Girl" and "I'll Never Find Another You"with The Seekers; Harry Chapin got to me, too; so did Stan Rogers; and I played Guy Clark's "Dublin Blues" at least three times, tears burning my cheeks.
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