para-para-parrotdies

Mutya Keisha Siobhan - Flatline [ame=http://soundcloud.com/mutyakeishasiobhan/flatline]Mutya Keisha Siobhan - Flatline by MutyaKeishaSiobhan on SoundCloud - Hear the world?s sounds[/ame]

Uh oh when I start being likened to my mortal enemy, things are not looking good for me... :( I'm not so naive to suggest that of course meant everything was going to be peachy in Egypt post-Mubarak. Nor am I suggesting that the Egyptian people don't have a right to protest. What I am pointing out however is that these protestors are throwing out via force someone who was democratically elected a year ago. Literally one year! You cannot have democracy in Egypt in one year. You cannot even begin to solve the multitude of problems in one year. Yet still they are protesting and having the military assert their power and throw out someone elected by the people. They are giving up on representative democracy in one year. If they were so unhappy with Morsi, why not vote him out of office instead? By some people's reactions, it seems as if you are suggesting that we should take to the streets in our own respective countries and throw out our leaders every single time things are not to our liking (actually shades of Occupy Wall Street… remember how that was supposed to be "the" revolution of the people?) If that is indeed the case, then my apologies. At this point, we just have to agree to disagree. Look - anyone who's ever taken a basic Poli Sci 101: Middle East can tell you some of the reasons for the failings in Egypt. Some might point at the stagnant education system and how it does not lend itself to social mobility. Others would point out the always-present clash between Islamism and secular liberalism, or perhaps the remnants of Nasserite nationalism and its failures. And the sad part is I haven't even begun to talk in depth about the issues in Egypt - and by extension, the Middle East - and the hoops it needs to jump through to achieve a true representative democracy (at the very least, getting into topics beyond a quick scan of Wikipedia as I suspect most of you think I just did). Countries like Egypt need a critical mass of people with a vision of how to build a modern society. These protestors don't provide that vision, nor is it their intention - which is my big issue and the reason for my deep skepticism. It's easy to have these protests; it's even easier for your country to collapse because you don't have any ideas on how to right the ship per se (speaking of, fill up your cars now if you haven't done so already). You want to protest? Fine. You want to have a better life and country? Who doesn't? But there's a difference between just wanting something and working towards a goal, a vision. These protests are not indicative of that vision. Whether communist and totalitarian as in Russia, China or Vietnam, democratic socialist as in India, nationalist and quasi-capitalist as in Ataturk’s Turkish Republic and Peron’s Argentina, or any of the other varieties of twentieth century developmentalist ideology, these big ideas and grand visions mobilized populations for the difficult work of transformation and uplift. The leaders of Egypt's opposition still cannot articulate their idea and vision, beyond getting rid of Morsi. Great, you got rid of the big, bad president. Now what? I just can't help but think back to the Algerian elections in 1991 and its aftermath - how can I not think this might be what is in store for Egypt? This is especially crucial for Egypt because of its role it plays in the Middle East. I think I would have been ambivalent about the protests in Egypt if it weren't for the breadth of human rights abuses that are occurring... to their fellow protestors! The Human Rights Watch reports over 91 sexual attacks in 4 days. Three things about that: 1) Wow that's a large number (especially once you read the harrowing accounts of these women); 2) mind-blowing considering this is only the reported number of sexual assaults; 3) the perpetrators are getting away with these crimes with no fear of repercussion. Now these assaults are happening in the public square! Sure, it's unfair to condemn the actions of some and attribute it to the larger group but the fact that these attacks are happening in public (and still happening) puts me at great unease. Why did I write so much about this topic? Well, today is the 4th of July aka Independence Day in America. One need only look at Egypt as the most recent example of how mind-blowingly improbable it is that a country hosting such a diverse, passionate populace has managed peaceful and (relatively) democratic transfers of power for so long. Our country has tons of problems - I'll be the first to admit that - but it's also extremely well-equipped to solve them. I wonder: how would America have turned out if the people rebelled and forced Washington out after 1 year on the job…? tl;dr version: I just can't help but be skeptical about the revolution in Egypt (and Arab Spring by extension... remember how the news reporters were salivating about this? Where are they now?) Morsi inherited most of the economic mess and surely cannot have been expected to turn things around 180 degrees in one year. Moreover, I don't think the guise of a revolution excuses you of abusing fellow protestors. Finally, I hope to never be compared to Saffire again. I hope he's doing fine in Guantanamo - I would have loved to hear his thoughts on the recent NSA developments. :( One thought experiment: The conservative Islamists who won post-Mubarak has been deposed by liberals who lost the elections and now many people support their actions. What would have happened if the tables were flipped and now the secular liberals were being thrown out of power by an unyielding Islamist mob? Are all actions justifiable if you have the "will of the people?"

It's so easy to reflexively side with revolutionaries isn't it? Not so long ago Morsi had an +80% approval rating. You can't hit the streets and protest once things don't go well for you.

The people spoke when they democratically elected the president literally just a year ago. These protestors are rejecting representative democracy, without having had much of a chance to participate in it. Protest in Egypt has become an end in itself—more satisfying than the hard work of governance, organizing, and negotiation. Moreover, Egypt’s opposition is neither particularly coherent nor interested in governing.

Awfully convenient for the people to take the streets and have the military hit the giant reset button every time a "revolution" does not go their way. What exactly stops them the next time from protesting and raping without impunity? After all, it's worked twice now. Happy independence day.

You mean just like the last time?

Annie - Back Together [ame=http://soundcloud.com/richardxbm/annie-back-together]ANNIE- BACK TOGETHER - From The A&R EP by Richard X on SoundCloud - Hear the world?s sounds[/ame] Beck - I Won't Be Long [ame=http://soundcloud.com/planned_obsolescence/beck-i-wont-be-long]Beck - I Wont Be Long by planned_obsolescence on SoundCloud - Hear the world?s sounds[/ame]

Joey Bada$$ - Summer Knights

Pixies Announce First Leg of World Tour Now, the Pixies have announced the first leg of a global tour, which promises live premieres of brand new material, and the Muffs' Kim Shattuck taking Deal's place on bass. Black also promises "songs that we haven't played in ages or never played live before." http://pitchfork.com/news/51382-pixies-announce-first-leg-of-world-tour/ 2013!!!! :o

Janelle Monáe - Dance Apocalyptic [ame=http://soundcloud.com/atlanticrecords/janelle-mon-e-dance]Janelle Monáe - Dance Apocalyptic by Atlantic Records on SoundCloud - Hear the world?s sounds[/ame]

Stream the First New Pixies Song in Almost a Decade, 'Bagboy' Legendary rockers the Pixies have released their first track in close to a decade, titled ‘Bagboy’. It’s available now as a free download, and although Kim Deal (whose other group, the Breeders, had their classic Last Splash reissued this year) recently left the group, she still features on it. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGdSYPh5_BI]PIXIES - BAGBOY - YouTube[/ame] http://www.factmag.com/2013/06/28/stream-the-first-new-pixies-song-in-almost-a-decade-bagboy/ 2013, the year of the comeback: can there actually be a new Pixies album??? :stunned:

He's a musical visionary.

Blondes - Swisher

Listen: Franz Ferdinand: "Love Illumination" and "Right Action" Franz Ferdinand will release their new album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action on Domino on August 27 in the U.S. and August 26 in the UK. It's their first release in four years. Today they let go of two new tracks, "Right Action" and "Love Illumination". The former was produced by Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip and mixed by Dave Fridmann. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWjN1GctWog]Franz Ferdinand - Love Illumination (Official Audio) - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZa-FHRmoGg]Franz Ferdinand - Right Action (Official Audio) - YouTube[/ame] http://pitchfork.com/news/51310-listen-franz-ferdinand-love-illumination-and-right-action/

RZA Updates Status of Final Wu-Tang Album; Bobby Digital Film Forthcoming n an interview with Montreality, the RZA discusses, among other things, growing up, his favorite cartoon character, and his thoughts on the ODB hologram (he’s for it). More importantly, he updates the Wu-Nation on the status of the group’s forthcoming — and final — album, A Better Tomorrow. Originally slated for a July release, the difficulty of corralling the notoriously flaky supergroup has pushed the album back to November, which would coincide with the 20th anniversary of Enter The Wu-Tang‘s November 9, 1993 release. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdrTWoGwC7k]RZA x MONTREALITY /// Interview - YouTube[/ame] http://www.factmag.com/2013/06/27/rza-updates-status-of-final-wu-tang-album-bobby-digital-film-forthcoming/

Watch Frank Ocean Perform New Tracks in Concert Back in February, the singer revealed that he was “10,11 songs” into the follow up to last year’s wildly successful channelORANGE, with Danger Mouse and Pharrell both named as collaborators. During a concert in Munich last night, Frank Ocean took a break from channelORANGE and nostalgia, ULTRA material to air three new cuts, presumably taken from said sessions. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X9xF0NCs4o]New Frank Ocean track #4 live in Munich 26.06.2013 - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-q_e2HqSiI]New Frank Ocean track #3 live in Munich 26.06.2013 - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATetR22n0qk]New Frank Ocean track #1 live in Munich 26.06.2013 - YouTube[/ame] http://www.factmag.com/2013/06/26/watch-frank-ocean-perform-new-tracks-in-concert/

Rick Rubin Says Kanye West Could Release a Yeezus Sequel "Initially, he thought there were going to be 16 songs on the album," Rubin said in an interview with the Daily Beast. "But that first day, before he even asked me to work on it, I said, 'Maybe you should make it more concise. Maybe this is two albums. Maybe this is just the first half," to which Kanye excitedly said, "That's what I came here today to hear! It could be 10 songs!" When asked if there's "another Yeezus in the pipeline," Rubin said: "Might be." Still, Kanye is known to create loads of material in the making of every album that never sees the light of day. http://pitchfork.com/news/51347-rick-rubin-says-kanye-west-could-release-a-yeezus-sequel/

Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels

The Dismemberment Plan Announce New Album Uncanney Valley The Dismemberment Plan are back in full force. After a ten-year run beginning in 1993, the band broke up in 2003. In 2007, they staged a pair of benefit reunion shows, before coming together for a full-on reunion tour in 2011. (A reissue of their landmark 1999 album Emergency & I also came out in 2011.) Now, the band have finally shared details of their first full-length studio LP since 2001's Change. It's called Uncanney Valley and it's out October 15 via Partisan. http://pitchfork.com/news/50916-the-dismemberment-plan-announce-new-album-uncanney-valley/ Omg 2013!!! :vuvuzela:

Joey Bada$$ - Amethyst Rockstar [prod. DOOM] [ame=http://soundcloud.com/proeraradio/amethyst-rockstar-feat-kirk]Amethyst Rockstar (Feat. Kirk Knight) (Prod. MF DOOM) by PRO ERA RADIO. on SoundCloud - Hear the world?s sounds[/ame]

Julianna Barwick - Nepenthe

MGMT Announce Self-Titled New Album Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden have finally announced the new MGMT album. MGMT is out September 17 via Columbia Records. Earlier this year, the duo told Rolling Stone that their upcoming album was recorded as a duo-- not with a full band like on 2010's Congratulations. The album was recorded at producer Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studios in upstate New York. http://pitchfork.com/news/49849-mgmt-announce-self-titled-new-album/

J. Cole - Let Nas Down (REMIX) feat. Nas [ame=http://soundcloud.com/j-cole/j-cole-let-nas-down-remix-feat]J. Cole - Let Nas Down (REMIX) feat. Nas by J. Cole on SoundCloud - Hear the world?s sounds[/ame]

Drake Announces Release Date for Nothing Was The Same, Shares Collabs with Sampha and J. Cole Drake has shared a new track, presumably from his next album Nothing Was The Same, titled ‘The Motion’. Interesting, it features Young Turks’ Sampha. Drake’s shouted out Sampha before and memorably collaborated with his labelmate Jamie xx on his last album Take Care. Oh, and despite previously alluding to the album being out in time for Summer, Drake’s also announced that Nothing Was The Same will be released on September 17. [ame=http://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-the-motion]Drake ~ The Motion Feat. Sampha by octobersveryown on SoundCloud - Hear the world?s sounds[/ame] http://www.factmag.com/2013/06/22/drake-announces-release-date-for-nothing-was-the-same-shares-collabs-with-sampha-and-j-cole/

James Holden - The Inheritors