This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night” See this for a plot summary.
This illustrates an aspect of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. It also illustrates an aspect of the genocidal nature of the occupation, as women were taken from their families and began new lives as “comfort women” for Cardassian officers. I agree with Kira’s attitude about it at the end.
“Inquisition” See this for a plot summary.
This episode is largely about witch-hunts of one kind or another, including political and McCarthyist ones and how intelligence agencies should have to answer to politicians. I discuss a related matter here when reviewing the two-parter “Homefront/Paradise Lost.” I would add that Section 31’s freedom from oversight and the fact that it’s existence is a closely-guarded secret are not good for democracy. We must not let democracy be destroyed in the course protecting it.
“In The Pale Moonlight” See this for a plot summary.
This episode raises some ethical questions about Sisko’s behavior. Considering that the Dominion were clearly imperialist and were almost definitely planning to attack the Romulans, I’m pretty much okay with what he did. I’m not sure about what Garak did, especially killing the guy who made the fake holo-recording.
“His Way” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one, I give it two stars out of five.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Reviews EE
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Far Beyond The Stars” See this for a plot summary.
A very special and political episode. It’s almost entirely a vision that Sisko has of his crew (and some other characters) as 1950s Americans. Sisko is a science fiction writer whose editor won’t publish his story about a Black Captain in outer space. There’s lots of dialogue about racism in America in the 1950s.
I give it four stars out of five.
“One Little Ship” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a very good one. I really like the idea of the ship, Dax, Bashir, and O’Brien becoming miniature and saving the crew of the Defiant. I give it four stars out of five.
“Honor Among Thieves” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it two stars out of five.
“Change of Heart” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I like the idea of Starfleet officers engaging in intelligence/covert-ops type stuff. I give it three stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Far Beyond The Stars” See this for a plot summary.
A very special and political episode. It’s almost entirely a vision that Sisko has of his crew (and some other characters) as 1950s Americans. Sisko is a science fiction writer whose editor won’t publish his story about a Black Captain in outer space. There’s lots of dialogue about racism in America in the 1950s.
I give it four stars out of five.
“One Little Ship” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a very good one. I really like the idea of the ship, Dax, Bashir, and O’Brien becoming miniature and saving the crew of the Defiant. I give it four stars out of five.
“Honor Among Thieves” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it two stars out of five.
“Change of Heart” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I like the idea of Starfleet officers engaging in intelligence/covert-ops type stuff. I give it three stars out of five.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Reviews DD
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Statistical Probabilities” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“The Magnificent Ferengi” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it three stars out of five.
“Waltz” See this for a plot summary.
Generally a non-political episode, although there is an interesting dialogue about the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. I give it two stars out of five.
“Who Mourns For Morn?” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode- I give it three stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Statistical Probabilities” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“The Magnificent Ferengi” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it three stars out of five.
“Waltz” See this for a plot summary.
Generally a non-political episode, although there is an interesting dialogue about the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. I give it two stars out of five.
“Who Mourns For Morn?” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode- I give it three stars out of five.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Reviews CC
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Favor The Bold” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, I give it three stars out of five.
“Sacrifice of Angels” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, I give it three stars out of five.
“You Are Cordially Invited...” See this for a plot summary.
The Klingons are fairly xenophobic. Martok explains that some Klingons believe that “bringing aliens into our families we risk losing as our identities as Klingons.” He then also says “we don’t embrace other cultures, we conquer them.” This makes the marriage of Worf and Dax fairly significant in terms of the multi-cultural theme of ST. I generally skip this sort of thing (i.e. Bashir the human dating Leeta the Bajoran) because it’s very common in ST, but this relationship goes a bit further in terms of promoting multi-culturalism.
Besides that, a very non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Resurrection” See this for a plot summary.
A mirror universe episode. I’m not a big fan of them, and this might be worse than the others. I give it two stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Favor The Bold” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, I give it three stars out of five.
“Sacrifice of Angels” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, I give it three stars out of five.
“You Are Cordially Invited...” See this for a plot summary.
The Klingons are fairly xenophobic. Martok explains that some Klingons believe that “bringing aliens into our families we risk losing as our identities as Klingons.” He then also says “we don’t embrace other cultures, we conquer them.” This makes the marriage of Worf and Dax fairly significant in terms of the multi-cultural theme of ST. I generally skip this sort of thing (i.e. Bashir the human dating Leeta the Bajoran) because it’s very common in ST, but this relationship goes a bit further in terms of promoting multi-culturalism.
Besides that, a very non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Resurrection” See this for a plot summary.
A mirror universe episode. I’m not a big fan of them, and this might be worse than the others. I give it two stars out of five.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Reviews BB
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“In The Cards” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one, I give it three stars out five.
“Call To Arms” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one, it starts the Dominion War. I give it three stars out five.
“A Time To Stand” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it three stars out of five.
“Rocks And Shoals” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it three stars out of five.
“Sons And Daughters” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it two stars out of five.
“Behind The Lines” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it three stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“In The Cards” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one, I give it three stars out five.
“Call To Arms” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one, it starts the Dominion War. I give it three stars out five.
“A Time To Stand” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it three stars out of five.
“Rocks And Shoals” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it three stars out of five.
“Sons And Daughters” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it two stars out of five.
“Behind The Lines” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one. I give it three stars out of five.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Reviews AA
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Soldiers of the Empire” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one, I give it two stars out of five.
“Children of Time” See this for a plot summary.
A very non-political episode, but one of my favorites. The idea of them meeting their descendants is pretty neat. I give it four stars out of five.
“Blaze of Glory” See this for a plot summary.
Aside from the politics of the Maquis, a very non-political episode. I describe my feelings about the Maquis here, while discussing the two-parter “The Maquis.”
A good episode, I give it three stars out of five.
“Empok Nor” See this for a plot summary.
A very non-political episode, I give it two stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Soldiers of the Empire” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one, I give it two stars out of five.
“Children of Time” See this for a plot summary.
A very non-political episode, but one of my favorites. The idea of them meeting their descendants is pretty neat. I give it four stars out of five.
“Blaze of Glory” See this for a plot summary.
Aside from the politics of the Maquis, a very non-political episode. I describe my feelings about the Maquis here, while discussing the two-parter “The Maquis.”
A good episode, I give it three stars out of five.
“Empok Nor” See this for a plot summary.
A very non-political episode, I give it two stars out of five.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Reviews Z
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“A Simple Investigation” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode but a good one, I give it three stars out of five.
“Business As Usual” See this for a plot summary.
A political episode about arms dealers. Considering how probably some large majority of the time they arm forces I don’t support I’m not very fond of arms dealers. Is that in conflict with me supporting the IRA? Considering that the IRA got a lot of their arsenal from Libya, the Irish military and the British military and manufactured a lot of their weapons themselves, and considering that I’m concerned about the world outside of Ireland, I’m fairly comfortable saying that I support the IRA but not arms dealers. The overall affect of arms dealers is negative.
On the other hand, there are some conflicts where it’s not the flow of weapons that fuels the fighting but the flow of injustice. So, although I’m not fond of arms dealers and I’m sure they usually arm forces I don’t support, the main thing is that we need to change the world so there aren’t conflicts to be fueled by arms, and although the flow of arms often makes that difficult, it certainly doesn't make it impossible.
So, you could say I have mixed, mostly negative feelings about arms dealers, but I see the actions of participants in a conflict as the biggest problem, and it’s possible that those actions can be stopped without necessarily cutting off the flow of arms. Also, crucially, to one degree or another, the flow of arms to the wrong forces can be cut off by the global community (the fact that there will be disagreement about who the wrong forces are, doesn’t matter to me- that argument is inevitable and we can win it). And if we get to a point where there are no longer arms dealers, we’ll probably also be at a point where people aren’t being oppressed. And if not, there are other ways for oppressed people to get arms.
The last thing to consider when I say that I support the IRA and not arms dealers is when the latter sold guns to the former, they did it for money- it’s not like they did it for free and deserve gratitude.
These mixed but mostly negative feelings are well illustrated in the episode when it turns out that the arms dealers on DS9 supplied the Bajoran resistance with arms, and now the Bajoran government is shielding them from the law.
“Ties Of Blood And Water” See this for a plot summary.
This episode is kind of about a movement for democracy on Cardassia and also about the occupation of Bajor. I usually find episodes with one or both of those themes very enjoyable and very inspirational but not so much with this one. I give it two stars out of five.
“Ferengi Love Songs” See this for a plot summary.
Another episode about how Ferengi society treats women. Such episodes are pretty good.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“A Simple Investigation” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode but a good one, I give it three stars out of five.
“Business As Usual” See this for a plot summary.
A political episode about arms dealers. Considering how probably some large majority of the time they arm forces I don’t support I’m not very fond of arms dealers. Is that in conflict with me supporting the IRA? Considering that the IRA got a lot of their arsenal from Libya, the Irish military and the British military and manufactured a lot of their weapons themselves, and considering that I’m concerned about the world outside of Ireland, I’m fairly comfortable saying that I support the IRA but not arms dealers. The overall affect of arms dealers is negative.
On the other hand, there are some conflicts where it’s not the flow of weapons that fuels the fighting but the flow of injustice. So, although I’m not fond of arms dealers and I’m sure they usually arm forces I don’t support, the main thing is that we need to change the world so there aren’t conflicts to be fueled by arms, and although the flow of arms often makes that difficult, it certainly doesn't make it impossible.
So, you could say I have mixed, mostly negative feelings about arms dealers, but I see the actions of participants in a conflict as the biggest problem, and it’s possible that those actions can be stopped without necessarily cutting off the flow of arms. Also, crucially, to one degree or another, the flow of arms to the wrong forces can be cut off by the global community (the fact that there will be disagreement about who the wrong forces are, doesn’t matter to me- that argument is inevitable and we can win it). And if we get to a point where there are no longer arms dealers, we’ll probably also be at a point where people aren’t being oppressed. And if not, there are other ways for oppressed people to get arms.
The last thing to consider when I say that I support the IRA and not arms dealers is when the latter sold guns to the former, they did it for money- it’s not like they did it for free and deserve gratitude.
These mixed but mostly negative feelings are well illustrated in the episode when it turns out that the arms dealers on DS9 supplied the Bajoran resistance with arms, and now the Bajoran government is shielding them from the law.
“Ties Of Blood And Water” See this for a plot summary.
This episode is kind of about a movement for democracy on Cardassia and also about the occupation of Bajor. I usually find episodes with one or both of those themes very enjoyable and very inspirational but not so much with this one. I give it two stars out of five.
“Ferengi Love Songs” See this for a plot summary.
Another episode about how Ferengi society treats women. Such episodes are pretty good.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Reviews Y
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“For The Uniform” See this for a plot summary.
Aside from the politics of the Maquis, a non-political episode. I give my thoughts on the Maquis here, while discussing the two-parter “The Maquis.” I have mixed feelings about Sisko making the ex-Federation colony uninhabitable for humans. It seems okay since Cardassians moved there right afterwards and from their perspective the environment wasn’t damaged. But it’s still using an indiscriminate biological or chemical weapon and even with the warning Sisko issued, it could have caused civilian death or illness. But it did get Eddington to surrender. So, I’ve got mixed feelings about it.
“In Purgatory’s Shadow” and “By Inferno’s Light” See this and this for a plot summary.
A very non-political two-parter, but a good one, I give it four stars out of five.
“Doctor Bashir, I Presume?” See this for a plot summary.
I haven’t looked into this much, but I would say that genetic enhancement as they talked about in this episode is a bad idea. The Eugenics Wars (in the ST universe) are a good reason to ban genetic enhancement. There are probably related procedures that I would support- things like curing someone of neurological disorders. But what they describe in the episode seems like a bad idea.
UPDATE 2/24/11 Here's a brief note about the Eugenics Wars (I can't find an article about it on startrek.com). The only thing of any importance that I can remember, is that it was a war on Earth which resulted in 30-35 million deaths, sometime in the 1990s I believe.
A good episode, I give it two stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“For The Uniform” See this for a plot summary.
Aside from the politics of the Maquis, a non-political episode. I give my thoughts on the Maquis here, while discussing the two-parter “The Maquis.” I have mixed feelings about Sisko making the ex-Federation colony uninhabitable for humans. It seems okay since Cardassians moved there right afterwards and from their perspective the environment wasn’t damaged. But it’s still using an indiscriminate biological or chemical weapon and even with the warning Sisko issued, it could have caused civilian death or illness. But it did get Eddington to surrender. So, I’ve got mixed feelings about it.
“In Purgatory’s Shadow” and “By Inferno’s Light” See this and this for a plot summary.
A very non-political two-parter, but a good one, I give it four stars out of five.
“Doctor Bashir, I Presume?” See this for a plot summary.
I haven’t looked into this much, but I would say that genetic enhancement as they talked about in this episode is a bad idea. The Eugenics Wars (in the ST universe) are a good reason to ban genetic enhancement. There are probably related procedures that I would support- things like curing someone of neurological disorders. But what they describe in the episode seems like a bad idea.
UPDATE 2/24/11 Here's a brief note about the Eugenics Wars (I can't find an article about it on startrek.com). The only thing of any importance that I can remember, is that it was a war on Earth which resulted in 30-35 million deaths, sometime in the 1990s I believe.
A good episode, I give it two stars out of five.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Reviews X
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“The Ascent” See this for a plot summary.
A very non-political episode, but a good one. I give it two stars out of five.
“Rapture” See this for a plot summary.
A very non-political episode, but a good one, I give it two stars out of five.
“The Darkness And The Light” See this for a plot summary.
This episode fuels my positive feelings about the Bajoran resistance. It was a very inspirational struggle, both because of what they were fighting against and because they conducted their struggle honorably. The bombing described in the movie seems like a pretty legitimate operation- a military figure is still a military figure even in their home, although in some ways it’s better to attack the military somewhere besides their home. The IRA killed a lot of part-time members of the security forces when they were off-duty and those attacks were a little bit easier for people to interpret as sectarian, even though they weren’t sectarian (I discuss sectarianism or the lack of it among republicans 2/3 the way through this post).
A good episode, I give it two stars out of five.
“The Begotten” See this for a plot summary.
A very non-political episode but a good one, I give it two stars out of five.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Four new songs
I've got four more songs. They're all "Those Lyrics," see this for an explanation.
One of them is about anti-racist skinheads, see the introduction of the first post with such songs for some information about them.
These are all about the same quality.
1. Lace Up Your Boots. Anti-Racist Skinheads.
2. Solidarity. The global working-class.
3. The Only Solution. The IRA in N. Ireland.
4. This Island is Ours. Same.
For the rest of the poems click on the "lyrics" label at the bottom (there are at least two pages worth of posts, so click on the "older posts" at the bottom of the first page).
“Lace Up Your Boots” based on “Allegiance” by Final Solution (original lyrics are here)
1. This is a song about anti-racist skinheads.
2. The first two lines are about how some large chunk of anti-racists, probably about half of those who know that there ARE anti-racist skinheads, are very critical of anti-racist skinheads.
3. anti-racist skinheads tend to be working-class.
4. It’s partly meant as an appeal to traditional (non-political) skinheads to become anti-racist. (no, I don't expect them to give a shit what I think of them, but I feel comfortable saying they should be anti-racist)
5. Black laces on their boots indicates that skinheads are traditional, blue indicates that they’re anti-racist.
6. The roots of the skinhead culture are with Jamaicans in the UK. The original skinheads were neither fascist nor white supremacist.
**7. 39% of this version is me, 61% is the original (this figure reflects the changes made in the 1st two lines).
8. I give this song/poem three stars out five.
9. UPDATE 2/21/11 I have just changed most of the 1st line (1st verse) and all of the 2nd line (1st verse)
You say we´re too violent, you say we don't assist
In taking down the white supremacists
We're proud anti-racist workers, deep from our heart.
To unite our class, we shall do our part.
United we stand, divided we'll fall.
Stand up all you skinheads and answer our call
Because change is near and the battle is at hand.
We must fight now to save our land.
Chorus:
Wake up all you skins and show your faces!
trade in the black for blue laces!
Shave your heads and lace up your boots,
with this anti-fascist fight we must remember our roots!
We're not a trend, we're here to stay
We're anti-racist Skinheads and fuck the KKK
We're the workers fighting for our class.
We'll finish our foes with a boot in their ass.
We want workers power, we'll feel the glory.
We'll fight till the death for our victory!
Chorus
***
“Solidarity II” based on “this planet is ours” by Centurion, original lyrics are here.
1. It’s about the working-class.
2. the references to fighting are meant to be something like 90% non-violent.
**3. 25% of this version is me, 75% is the original.
4. I give this song three stars out of five.
5. I skipped the last verse.
We’ll drive out the capitalist crud
We’ll crush the fash back into the mud
We’ll break the hold of the corporate powers
Soldiarity! This planet is ours!
We’ll stand against the right-wing lies
Not stand and watch as our children die
We’ll take it back in this perilous hour
Solidarity! This planet is ours!
Chorus:
This planet’s ours! We have the right!
This planet’s ours! We have the might!
This planet’s ours! We’ll ever fight!
This planet’s ours! Until the world’s without the Right
We’ll watch our power grow in might
As we inspire our enemy’s fright
We’ll show no mercy as our foe cowers
Solidarity! This planet is ours!
****
“The Only Solution” based on “Allegiance” by Final Solution original lyrics (original lyrics are here)
1. It’s about Irish republican socialists Volunteers.
2. Many critics of the IRA (which (during the 1980s, when this song is set) was mostly made up of socialists) call them fascist. This is debunked in the post “The Brown And The Green.”
3. There are 32 Counties in Ireland.
4. This is another where I suggest that IRA members wore combat boots, in this case it’s because “boots” is in the original. They might have worn them, some of the time. UPDATE 10/5/10 I just learned that, yes, many of them DID wear combat boots, although it was more common in rural areas.
5. I’m not sure what country Final Solution is from, but in case they’re from a country with a large Irish population, this contains a lot of left-wing and some anti-fascist stuff. For why that’s important, see this. (UPDATE 2/8/20 I just did some research. They're American but their frontman was with the Hammerskins, a network of Nazi skinhead crews that at one point included one in the unionist community of N. Ireland (I can't find an answer, but the band may have been officially connected to the Hammerskins))
6. Considering the original, I should say that Irish pride is very different from white pride (most of the time). (I just heard something making me think that it's probably a small minority of northern nationalists that would talk about "Irish pride"; I still feel odd completely re-writing that line, so I'm going to keep it)
**7. 44% of this version is me, 56% is the original.
8. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
9. This poem is not meant as an endorsement of armed struggle since 1997.
10. UPDATE 4/22/11 I said something about the 32-County Republic which sounds like I believe it exists. I believe in the vision of that Republic, but I don't believe it exists.
11. UPDATED 2/5/16 Based on what might be called a fairly scientific look, only about .2% of the IRA's operations intentionally resulted in civilian death.
you say we’re terrorists, you say we’re fash
your bullshit lies will not last
we’re proud republican socialists deep from our heart
to free our nation we shall do our part
united we stand, divided we fall
stand up all you Irish and answer our call
because revolution is near and the battle is at hand
we must revolt now to free our land
Chorus:
wake up all you Irish and sign up quick
vow your allegiance to the 32-County Republic
load up your rifles and lace your boots
the british presence we will uproot
we’re not just reacting, we’re creating revolution
Irish unity and socialism are the only solution
we’re republicans, fighting for our land
we’ll push out the squaddies with rifle in hand
we want freedom, we’ll feel the glory
we’ll fight to the death for Irish victory
****
“This Island Is Ours” based on “This Planet Is Ours” by Centurion, original lyrics are here.
1. Squaddies is a term for British soldier.
2. Orange is the color of anti-Catholic bigotry in the Irish-British context.
3. “Tiocfaidh ar la” is a republican slogan which means “our day will come.”
4. This is set in the early 1970s and is about the Provisonal republican movement.
5. The RUC were the police until late 2001.
**6. 29% of this version is me, 71% is the original.
7. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
8. I’m not sure what country Centurion is from, but in case they’re from a country with a large Irish population, this contains some anti-right stuff. For why that’s important, see this.
9. This poem is not meant as an endorsement of armed struggle since 1997.
We’ll drive the Squaddies out of our land
We’ll crush the Orange back into the sands
We’ll break the hold of the imperialist power
Tiocfaidh ar la! This island is ours!
We’ll stand against the Tory lies
Not stand and watch as our childen die
We’ll take it back in this perilous hour
Tiocfaidh ar la! This island is ours!
Chorus:
This island is ours! We have the right!
This island is ours! We have the might!
This island is ours! we’ll take on the RUC
This island is ours! Until all Ireland is free
We’ll watch our numbers grow in might
As we inspire our enemies fright
We’ll show no mercy as squaddies cower
Tiocfaidh ar la! This island is ours!
And in the stars shall we proclaim
Our heroic deeds of glorious fame
And see our people be empowered
Tiocfaidh ar la! This island is ours!
One last note: Even with the songs that are only about 10% me (and at the upper end, one is 80% me), I have a request, although I don't have strong feelings or expectations about this. First, I want credit for these songs. Second, I'd appreciate it if the notes follow the lyrics around the internet. If you modify the lyrics further, please either make some notes for the changes if you leave some of my changes, or just provide a link to this URL so people can see my version. Although I'm not sure how many people will like what I'm doing with the lyrics, to one degree or another (depending on how much I changed them) I'm proud of these songs- and at the risk of getting a little personal, if people like the songs, I could really use the extra boost of getting credit for them right now (or if you don't like them, they were all written by Sarah Palin- that fascist, what kind of sick person enjoys altering racist lyrics?).
One of them is about anti-racist skinheads, see the introduction of the first post with such songs for some information about them.
These are all about the same quality.
1. Lace Up Your Boots. Anti-Racist Skinheads.
2. Solidarity. The global working-class.
3. The Only Solution. The IRA in N. Ireland.
4. This Island is Ours. Same.
For the rest of the poems click on the "lyrics" label at the bottom (there are at least two pages worth of posts, so click on the "older posts" at the bottom of the first page).
“Lace Up Your Boots” based on “Allegiance” by Final Solution (original lyrics are here)
1. This is a song about anti-racist skinheads.
2. The first two lines are about how some large chunk of anti-racists, probably about half of those who know that there ARE anti-racist skinheads, are very critical of anti-racist skinheads.
3. anti-racist skinheads tend to be working-class.
4. It’s partly meant as an appeal to traditional (non-political) skinheads to become anti-racist. (no, I don't expect them to give a shit what I think of them, but I feel comfortable saying they should be anti-racist)
5. Black laces on their boots indicates that skinheads are traditional, blue indicates that they’re anti-racist.
6. The roots of the skinhead culture are with Jamaicans in the UK. The original skinheads were neither fascist nor white supremacist.
**7. 39% of this version is me, 61% is the original (this figure reflects the changes made in the 1st two lines).
8. I give this song/poem three stars out five.
9. UPDATE 2/21/11 I have just changed most of the 1st line (1st verse) and all of the 2nd line (1st verse)
You say we´re too violent, you say we don't assist
In taking down the white supremacists
We're proud anti-racist workers, deep from our heart.
To unite our class, we shall do our part.
United we stand, divided we'll fall.
Stand up all you skinheads and answer our call
Because change is near and the battle is at hand.
We must fight now to save our land.
Chorus:
Wake up all you skins and show your faces!
trade in the black for blue laces!
Shave your heads and lace up your boots,
with this anti-fascist fight we must remember our roots!
We're not a trend, we're here to stay
We're anti-racist Skinheads and fuck the KKK
We're the workers fighting for our class.
We'll finish our foes with a boot in their ass.
We want workers power, we'll feel the glory.
We'll fight till the death for our victory!
Chorus
***
“Solidarity II” based on “this planet is ours” by Centurion, original lyrics are here.
1. It’s about the working-class.
2. the references to fighting are meant to be something like 90% non-violent.
**3. 25% of this version is me, 75% is the original.
4. I give this song three stars out of five.
5. I skipped the last verse.
We’ll drive out the capitalist crud
We’ll crush the fash back into the mud
We’ll break the hold of the corporate powers
Soldiarity! This planet is ours!
We’ll stand against the right-wing lies
Not stand and watch as our children die
We’ll take it back in this perilous hour
Solidarity! This planet is ours!
Chorus:
This planet’s ours! We have the right!
This planet’s ours! We have the might!
This planet’s ours! We’ll ever fight!
This planet’s ours! Until the world’s without the Right
We’ll watch our power grow in might
As we inspire our enemy’s fright
We’ll show no mercy as our foe cowers
Solidarity! This planet is ours!
****
“The Only Solution” based on “Allegiance” by Final Solution original lyrics (original lyrics are here)
1. It’s about Irish republican socialists Volunteers.
2. Many critics of the IRA (which (during the 1980s, when this song is set) was mostly made up of socialists) call them fascist. This is debunked in the post “The Brown And The Green.”
3. There are 32 Counties in Ireland.
4. This is another where I suggest that IRA members wore combat boots, in this case it’s because “boots” is in the original. They might have worn them, some of the time. UPDATE 10/5/10 I just learned that, yes, many of them DID wear combat boots, although it was more common in rural areas.
5. I’m not sure what country Final Solution is from, but in case they’re from a country with a large Irish population, this contains a lot of left-wing and some anti-fascist stuff. For why that’s important, see this. (UPDATE 2/8/20 I just did some research. They're American but their frontman was with the Hammerskins, a network of Nazi skinhead crews that at one point included one in the unionist community of N. Ireland (I can't find an answer, but the band may have been officially connected to the Hammerskins))
6. Considering the original, I should say that Irish pride is very different from white pride (most of the time). (I just heard something making me think that it's probably a small minority of northern nationalists that would talk about "Irish pride"; I still feel odd completely re-writing that line, so I'm going to keep it)
**7. 44% of this version is me, 56% is the original.
8. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
9. This poem is not meant as an endorsement of armed struggle since 1997.
10. UPDATE 4/22/11 I said something about the 32-County Republic which sounds like I believe it exists. I believe in the vision of that Republic, but I don't believe it exists.
11. UPDATED 2/5/16 Based on what might be called a fairly scientific look, only about .2% of the IRA's operations intentionally resulted in civilian death.
you say we’re terrorists, you say we’re fash
your bullshit lies will not last
we’re proud republican socialists deep from our heart
to free our nation we shall do our part
united we stand, divided we fall
stand up all you Irish and answer our call
because revolution is near and the battle is at hand
we must revolt now to free our land
Chorus:
wake up all you Irish and sign up quick
vow your allegiance to the 32-County Republic
load up your rifles and lace your boots
the british presence we will uproot
we’re not just reacting, we’re creating revolution
Irish unity and socialism are the only solution
we’re republicans, fighting for our land
we’ll push out the squaddies with rifle in hand
we want freedom, we’ll feel the glory
we’ll fight to the death for Irish victory
****
“This Island Is Ours” based on “This Planet Is Ours” by Centurion, original lyrics are here.
1. Squaddies is a term for British soldier.
2. Orange is the color of anti-Catholic bigotry in the Irish-British context.
3. “Tiocfaidh ar la” is a republican slogan which means “our day will come.”
4. This is set in the early 1970s and is about the Provisonal republican movement.
5. The RUC were the police until late 2001.
**6. 29% of this version is me, 71% is the original.
7. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
8. I’m not sure what country Centurion is from, but in case they’re from a country with a large Irish population, this contains some anti-right stuff. For why that’s important, see this.
9. This poem is not meant as an endorsement of armed struggle since 1997.
We’ll drive the Squaddies out of our land
We’ll crush the Orange back into the sands
We’ll break the hold of the imperialist power
Tiocfaidh ar la! This island is ours!
We’ll stand against the Tory lies
Not stand and watch as our childen die
We’ll take it back in this perilous hour
Tiocfaidh ar la! This island is ours!
Chorus:
This island is ours! We have the right!
This island is ours! We have the might!
This island is ours! we’ll take on the RUC
This island is ours! Until all Ireland is free
We’ll watch our numbers grow in might
As we inspire our enemies fright
We’ll show no mercy as squaddies cower
Tiocfaidh ar la! This island is ours!
And in the stars shall we proclaim
Our heroic deeds of glorious fame
And see our people be empowered
Tiocfaidh ar la! This island is ours!
One last note: Even with the songs that are only about 10% me (and at the upper end, one is 80% me), I have a request, although I don't have strong feelings or expectations about this. First, I want credit for these songs. Second, I'd appreciate it if the notes follow the lyrics around the internet. If you modify the lyrics further, please either make some notes for the changes if you leave some of my changes, or just provide a link to this URL so people can see my version. Although I'm not sure how many people will like what I'm doing with the lyrics, to one degree or another (depending on how much I changed them) I'm proud of these songs- and at the risk of getting a little personal, if people like the songs, I could really use the extra boost of getting credit for them right now (or if you don't like them, they were all written by Sarah Palin- that fascist, what kind of sick person enjoys altering racist lyrics?).
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