"Music is always a commentary on society"

- Frank Zappa

Whenever I hear that Stephen Harper’s base is primarily made up of seniors, I am a bit perplexed. Not that I don't think it's true, because it is. But boomers, of which I am one, are now seniors. And when I think of older people or seniors, I think of the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Randy Bachman, Leonard Cohen, Dylan, or Van Morrison to name a few. It is musical artists that come to my mind; not just because I love their music, but because almost everything that we thought, idealized, loved, valued, hated, or wanted changed as a generation, was written into the music. In fact, it was the music.

If the generation that created and listened to this music is now members of the Conservative Party of Canada under the rule of Stephen Harper and his regime, then even B.B. King can't sing the blues enough to undo the sadness. Two of the most important issues that Harper and his government now violate - anti-war and freedom - are issues that boomers valued starting with their stand against war five decades ago.

In the 60s, Prime Minister Lester Pearson told President Lyndon Johnson that Canada would not be supporting the US's war in Vietnam. Pearson’s successor, as everyone knows, was Pierre Trudeau, who opened Canada's doors to young Americans who did not want to fight in Vietnam. There were tens of thousands of them and they were told they were welcome here. Trudeau said, "Canada should be a refuge from militarism."

My, how times have changed. Stephen Harper, who supported the Iraq war and has committed Canada to joining other NATO allies in the air bombing of Iraq, will see to it that soldiers of conscience from the U.S. will not be able to seek sanctuary in Canada, as they have been labeled "Criminally Inadmissable." Not one of the 30 to 50 war resisters who were already here and had applied for refugee status has received permanent residency in Canada. Most are in the process of, or have already been, deported back to the States. This is in spite of the fact that the majority of Canadians think we should allow war resisters, including from the Iraq war, into Canada. But when has the Harper regime ever done what the majority of Canadians want?

The stand against war when I was growing up was reflected in songs like Dylan’s "Masters of War", John Lennon's "Give peace a chance", Richie Havens’ "Handsome Johnny", Steppenwolf’s "Draft Resister", Creedence Clearwater Revival’s "Fortunate Son" and Country Joe and the Fish’s "I Feel Like I'm Fixin’ to Die Rag", to name just a few of many, many, anti-war songs. It wasn't about just being against war; it was as well the expression of hope for a future without war.

Harper and his Regime’s violation of our rights and freedoms is done through suppression, control, and legislation. His idea of freedom of speech is "Freedom of Speech is When I like what you Say."

Government scientists cannot speak freely, MP's from his cabinet and caucus cannot speak freely, and pretty well anyone from his government cannot speak freely. Harper and his cronies do not always have an easy time of it trying to dismantle our democracy, because previous governments created some strong infrastructures in support of freedom – infrastructures created by governments that believed in nation building.

One of the most important infrastructures is, of course, The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This originated from the mind of a man, Pierre Trudeau, who thought throughout his life about justice and about how to create "The Just Society."

That Charter has acted to protect Canadians against several ill-considered bits of legislation that Harper tried to invoke, only to have the Supreme Court rule against the constitutionality of the proposed laws.

The Charter and Pierre Trudeau’s legacy – and Harper has a near pathological hatred for both – have stopped him from carrying out his authoritarian legislative agenda. There are many ways, however, where he has been able to suppress freedoms or remove rights. Ways like setting up toothless bipartisan committees in almost all areas of government, committees that should be discussing and evaluating the importance of motions, programs, or policy but instead pretty well just rubber stamp whatever is on the agenda that day.

No process. Dictators and their minions don't like process, especially judicial process. So much for freedom under Harper.

There is nothing more important than freedom, though. I knew that at a young age and I think many people from my generation knew it. When the concept of freedom is put to music it can give a voice to a movement. There is a reason why, under Stalin in the former Soviet Union, Russians were not allowed to listen to Jazz. It wasn't because of the race card – Moscow long ago embraced immigrants from Africa – it was because jazz made people feel alive.

Songs of the 60s and 70s, with messages of freedom, had an impact on society and some of them broke new ground musically. Songs like "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke, "Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds, "One day we'll all be Free" by Donny Hathaway, "People Got to be Free" by The Rascals, to name just a few that touched millions. These words of Phil Ochs are still true: "One good song with a message can bring a point more deeply, to more people, than a thousand rallies.” I grew up in a culture that placed freedom at a high value.

I've given some thought to those seniors that make up Harpers base. Because I cannot take them seriously politically, I think most, but not all, are evangelical Christians like Harper. That I think is the connection they have with him. Even though many of them are probably from the boomer generation, the music of their own generation, for the most part, does not seem to have touched them. I don't think you're going to find any of them, as an example, listening to The Rolling Stones song "Sympathy For The Devil", or "The Future" by Leonard Cohen.

Unfortunately, their Dear Leader does seem to favor songs from that era, particularly The Beatles, and likes to showcase his talent as a pianist and singer. He is oblivious to the distaste that he evokes in his audience. Like his inability to read how Canadians judge his behaviour, so he is not able to read how people judge his musical talent.

Watching Netanyahu with his wife, both wearing forced smiles, when Harper sang and played piano at a state dinner in Jerusalem said it all to me. Harper sang before a room full of people whose Jewish compatriots’ contributions to music is nothing short of epic. Whether composers like Strauss, Mendelssohn, Mahler, Gershwin, Bernstein, and Copland, or classical musicians like André Previn, Itzhak Perlman, and Isaac Stern, or more contemporary artists like Carole King, Bob Dylan, Mark Knoffler, Don Fagen, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Simon and Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, and Billy Joel – just a few names from a list that could fill several pages.

Singing and playing the piano for family or friends at a wedding is one thing. Singing off key, while plunking on a piano at a state dinner when you're the PM of Canada is quite another. Unlike his tyrannical control of the message that he wants Canadians to hear or to not hear, the audience listening to him sing and play the piano cannot be controlled. This is Harper at his freest, displaying his questionable and marginal talent. Those who don't know him may think him quite brave, considering he has only minimal talent. For those who do know him, it's just another example of him being completely out of touch with his audience.

Since he likes The Beatles so much and doesn’t appear ready to just shut up, perhaps he should start performing “The Fool On The Hill”. It could be the opening chords to his autobiography.

thnkfryrslf lives in Canada and is mainly interested in studying how ideas from philosophy and history shape politics. And listening to a wide array of music.