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Backlash Brews Over ‘Anti-Military Anthem’ Performed on National Mall During Veterans Concert
Blaze ^ | Nov. 12, 2014 10:35am | Zach Noble

Posted on 11/12/2014 6:48:37 PM PST by robowombat

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"Fortunate Son' propagates a half truth into an evil meme. The elites are today mostly absent from the armed forces but military personnel are not a lot of ignorant dirt poor cannon fodder as this tune makes it appear.

Springsteen at a Vets Day concert is an insult no matter what he performed. He was a draft dodger and has never done anything for USO or ever performed overseas for the US military.

1 posted on 11/12/2014 6:48:37 PM PST by robowombat
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To: robowombat

Fortunate Son is a great song. It was written and recorded in 1968 when most young men feared the draft and recognized that the elite did not have to shed their blood. I wonder, did anyone there boo Springsteen’s performance?


2 posted on 11/12/2014 6:57:12 PM PST by be-baw (still seeking)
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To: robowombat

Robert McNamara’s son never was drafted, never served.


3 posted on 11/12/2014 6:58:28 PM PST by ladyjane
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To: robowombat

Springsteen has no right to put his stank on anything vet related. Draft dodger.

Fortunate Son on the other hand is a fine song. It offends those who love to cheerlead and enjoy wars as long as they don’t have to participate. Draft or no draft, its aimed at a certain crowd. There isn’t a line in that song that is anti-war.
But it is quite insulting to establishment types left and right who love to send others to fight.
And Fogarty was in the Army Reserve.


4 posted on 11/12/2014 6:59:05 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: robowombat

“The Weekly Standard described it as an “anti-war screed, taking shots at ‘the red white and blue.’”

Uhmmm no. It is aimed at people like Weekly Standard editors. Red White and Blue people as it were,,, and when the band plays “Hail to the Chief”, they point the cannon at you,,,

Sounds fairly accurate to a grunt,,,


5 posted on 11/12/2014 7:01:41 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: robowombat

A song about the draft in 2014? Is Bruce really that stupid?


6 posted on 11/12/2014 7:05:34 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.)
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To: ladyjane

Most young men weren’t drafted and sent to Vietnam.


7 posted on 11/12/2014 7:05:59 PM PST by Eagles6 (Valley Forge Redux. If not now, when? If not here, where? If not us then who?)
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To: robowombat

As far as I can tell, ‘Fortunate Son’ is about the kind of military families that produce a lot of generals, senators, and governors.


8 posted on 11/12/2014 7:06:52 PM PST by proxy_user
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To: robowombat

Some folks are born, made to wave the flag
Ooo, their red, white and blue
And when the band plays “Hail to the Chief”
Ooo, they point the cannon at you, Lord

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand
Lord, don’t they help themselves, y’all
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yeah

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no, no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no

Yeah, yeah
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask ‘em, “How much should we give?”
Ooh, they only answer “More! More! More!”, y’all

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son, son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, one
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no, no, no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, no, no, no

Song has not a single anti war word in it. It simply notes what element of society declines to participate,, except to beat the drum for others. It doesn’t even specifically mention the draft. So it even holds up well in todays wars.
It wont make sense when we see the Bush and Obama daughters in Uniform. Or when grunts snorting coke get the same treatment as Biden’s son.
It even brings to mind Petraeus flying to Paris in a Lear Jet for dinners,, enjoying the fellating of a camp following biographer.


9 posted on 11/12/2014 7:15:09 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: robowombat

Fortunate Son was pretty popular among my fellow combat infantrymen in Vietnam in 1970-1971. They identified with it and considered it a pretty accurate description of their lot in life. I was one of those military sons mentioned in the song, but since I was out there with the line doggies and not in some cushy job inside the wire, it apparently didn’t apply to me.

I’d love to hear from other combat infantrymen about what they think. My own opinion is that this is a bunch of bunk.


10 posted on 11/12/2014 7:17:18 PM PST by centurion316
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To: robowombat

Fortunate Son was pretty popular among my fellow combat infantrymen in Vietnam in 1970-1971. They identified with it and considered it a pretty accurate description of their lot in life. I was one of those military sons mentioned in the song, but since I was out there with the line doggies and not in some cushy job inside the wire, it apparently didn’t apply to me.

I’d love to hear from other combat infantrymen about what they think. My own opinion is that this is a bunch of bunk.


11 posted on 11/12/2014 7:18:46 PM PST by centurion316
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To: robowombat

I think the last line of Born in the USA is, “I’m a tone deaf moron in the USA!” It’s hard to tell with Bruth’s teeth-clenched John McCain singing style.


12 posted on 11/12/2014 7:25:39 PM PST by Rastus
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To: robowombat

The pukes at the I Heart Radio stations in Miami are just fawning over the Hate America “artists” who “performed” last night.


13 posted on 11/12/2014 7:27:43 PM PST by SoFloFreeper
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To: Rastus

I have loathed Springsteen ever since he had an affair on his sweet Catholic wife and took up with a skank.

His first wife never remarried.


14 posted on 11/12/2014 7:29:19 PM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: DesertRhino
Agree totally regards Springsteen, maybe even moreso.
As to John Fogarty, you have to remember that the reserves in '66-'75 were pretty much a risk free summer camp and much sought after by discerning draft dodgers - plus many of those reservists got retirement bene's 10 or 15 years after the draftees were back on the street.
It also might help to remember that skipping out was considered as honorable to many of our peers and a lot of us paid a price back "home" for wearing green.

On the other hand:
Today's reserve and Guard are being beaten like rented mules by the Pentagon and Congress, they deserve every honor that might be put forward.

Most old timers here should remember that Fortunate Son, Fixin' to Die Rag, and We Gotta Get Out of This Place, were pretty damn popular within the ranks...and we're veterans just like today's kids. (Except for the creaking joints and such.)

Really sad to know that aside from better prosthetics and admitting to PTSD, the VA still sucks after 40 years.

PS to Rhino; Great tag line.

15 posted on 11/12/2014 7:35:57 PM PST by norton
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To: proxy_user

the warrior class

I can remember at the hail and farewells, there were always guys who would get asked was your dad ole Colonel so and so? And their dad was ole colonel so and so who went to the Point with ole general so and so and it was a small world. I was the first officer in my family and looks like I will be the last too.


16 posted on 11/12/2014 7:37:56 PM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: DesertRhino

That bass turd Patraeus, what he did is so sickening.


17 posted on 11/12/2014 7:38:33 PM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: yldstrk

Wasn’t it the redhead in the Glory Days video? I think she’s in his band. She shakes her tambourine or something.


18 posted on 11/12/2014 7:51:34 PM PST by Rastus
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To: Rastus

Yes, I believe the homewrecker skank was in his band


19 posted on 11/12/2014 8:13:04 PM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: DesertRhino
It simply notes what element of society declines to participate, except to beat the drum for others.

Three thoughts:

1) Lots of Ivy League KIAs in Vietnam.

2) Never saw a rich punk beating the drum for war. The rich punks I knew were beating the drum for peace, love, and Communism.

3) Being a veteran seems to increase your maturity and also your employability. It teaches discipline and responsibility, and employers (and potential fathers-in-law) value that. That's why non-Ivy type kids willingly join up. Several of our home-school group boys are in the Marines, one in the Coast Guard. When they're home on leave, man can you see the difference.

20 posted on 11/12/2014 8:19:35 PM PST by SamuraiScot
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