No rhythm in symbols, no tempo in drums
“A tent had been set up Wednesday to shield dignitaries from the rain, but it was taken down because of faith placed in an overly optimistic weather report.”
OK, let me get this straight. The Clinton Library opens.
In “a steady, bone-chilling rain.” Bono and the Edge perform a three-song set, including “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”
That’s the song that begins:
“I can’t believe the news today
Oh, I can’t close my eyes
And make it go away
How long, how long must we sing this song?”
This wasn’t a library dedication. It was a symbolic funeral for progressive politics. And it just goes to show what a sad pass we’ve come to that Bill Clinton (who had to go and make a damn Bush-appeasing speech) is the best we’ve got from that particular school of thought.
But that, as a smarter man than I* once said on a similar occasion, is another topic for another sleepless night. For now, I’ll only say this: That tent wasn’t the only thing lately to have been taken down by overly optimistic early reports.
*Harlan Ellison.
