Embracing Dylan’s Mystique

I must confess from the outset that, being a card-carrying Dylan snob, I was thoroughly predisposed to not like A Complete Unknown. I was also happy to be disabused of this notion as the film artfully managed to avoid the mistake of solving the enigma that is Bob Dylan; but rather chose to embrace the complexity of this profound artist by exploring his early years in and around the Greenwich Village folk scene and present an believable representation of the artist as a young man.

This was made possible by suburb direction by James Mangold and a believable script written by Mangold and Jay Cocks (based on the book by Elijah Wald) after serious consultation with Dylan himself who provided numerous additions to the narrative. The result was an well-paced narrative that remained true to the life and particular time of a this great American artist. 

The individual portrayals of the principle characters were also essential to the movie’s success as Timothee Chalamet’s representation of Dylan was rendered with meticulous attention to the spirit of the artist without trying to imitate him. Make no mistake, Chalamet did capture Dylan’s mannerisms, including a faithful rendering of his voice, but did so by avoiding a simple mimic of Dylan’s sound. Edward Norton’s portrayal of folk legend Pete Seeger was equally impressive as he managed to fully embody the character in such a way as to express Seeger’s essential goodness, devotion to his music, and his utter sincerity. As the English might say: Norton’s performance was ‘different gravy’! Other cast members’ performances were also notable: Elle Fanning as Dylan’s Greenwich Village girlfriend (Suze Rotolo) was especially moving, Monica Barbaro was convincing as Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook as a slightly unhinged Johnny Cash, Dan Folger as Dylan’s loyal manager with a perpetual eye on the bottom line, and Will Harrison as Dylan’s faithful friend (Bobby Neuwirth) all made excellent and believable contributions to the telling of this story. Last but certainly not least was the remarkable Scoot McNairy who portrayed a dying Woody Guthrie with a stunning nonverbal performance.

As a consequence of his magnificent musical and lyrical brilliance, Bob Dylan has been a vital part of my life, from the early 60’s when my cousin first introduced me to this slightly unkept singer from the West Village, through various stages of life wherein he was a constant companion while assisting me to negotiate various sections of troubled waters on a sometimes difficult journey. Perhaps more importantly, it is Dylan’s persistent dedication to artistic integrity and his unfailing observation of truthful expression that has represented a reliable template for a life lived with independence and authenticity. A Complete Unknown gave us a clear-eyed glimpse into the early life of one of greatest artists of our time and opportunity to expose a whole new generation of young people to his unique gifts. 

Contrasting Legacies

It is with cruel irony that we celebrate MLK Day concurrent with the advent of another four years that promises to expand authoritarian rule under a Trump presidency. 

In a speech delivered at Stanford University a year before his assassination, Dr. King issued a warning to the nation to be on guard against the three evils of racism, poverty, and militarism working in concert to impede fulfillment of a vision of America wherein the values of being an agent of peace throughout the world, a society in which equality and human dignity are held as sacred, achievable ideals worthy of our collective attention, and the elimination of debilitating poverty, which has prevented the lifting of all boats to a place of economic security heretofore  reserved only for a privileged few. 

MLK’s vision stands in sharp contrast to the promise afforded by the incoming administration, which exalts an historic wealth inequality with a pledge to widen the gap by further decreasing the tax burden of the ultra rich, many of whom will occupy key positions within the new government; seeks to promote and approve the renewal of the defense industry’s contracts that will perpetuate a world-wide imperial network the existence of which requires perpetual military presence and likely violent intervention on behalf of a corporate empire beholding to its economic interests with scant regard for the human toll such an enterprise has always entailed; and actively supports and encourages the most base instincts among the population to revive and promote long-standing racist sentiments and white supremacy, festering just beneath the surface for countless generations only to be reawakened and cynically exploited by a demagogue dedicated to use whatever means necessary to further his narrow self-interest while remaining woefully indifferent to the real needs of ordinary citizens many of whom have ironically supported his candidacy. 

While Matin Luther King would be saddened by this turn of events, it is

also a certainty that he would now implore his fellow brothers and sisters to be vigilant in the pursuit of an American dream consistent with his vision of a society bound together by mutual respect, non-violence, economic justice, a desire to preserve Mother Earth, and a deep regard for our common humanity. Would that we honor his memory by making such a thing manifest in this world. 

A Reply To Current and Pernicious Reactionary Thought

 I have an acquaintance from the past who is fond of proclaiming his fondness for and fealty to the Confederacy, it’s leaders, and the cultural milieu from which it arose. In light of the recent resurgence of white nationalism, I feel an obligation to respond when these sentiments are brought into my field of vision. 

It was with this in mind that I requested that he further explain how his defense of an economic system that based it’s existence on slave labor and support of an insurrection that promised to sustain such an institution is in any way honorable or consistent with a proud heritage. I conceded that he was perfectly entitled to engage in the fantasy that the antebellum South was an idyllic land filled with honorable gentlemen, southern belles, and laudable behavior in spite of the ugly truth of human enslavement that occupied the moral center of its bankrupt white supremacist ideology. To celebrate its resurgence in the aftermath of the recent election, however, is tantamount to praising the onset of incipient fascism under the guise of patriotism and cultural pride. Indeed, we should all look away (look away) from this shameful iteration of Dixieland. While some feel it necessary to embrace this vision, others are left with the task of clearing the polluted air that lingers in its wake. 

Meanwhile, the South continues to rise; this time proclaiming the advent of a multicultural and multiethnic society asserting with a full voice the values of equity, inclusion, freedom, and human rights so long denied it’s otherwise marginalized citizens. Look ahead, Dixieland! 

A Current Example of Blowback

 With the installation of another iteration a Trump presidency, America has just voted for the same manner of authoritarian regime that it has supported and helped to install around the world for decades.  Karma is a bitch!

Echoes of Dylan in Reaction to Trump’s Election

Dylan’s lyric speaks eloquently to this moment: ‘you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears; bury the rag deep in your face for now is the time for your tears’. 

A Citizen Alert

 In the wake of Trump’s election for a second term, it appears that Dylan’s past observation that ‘it’s not dark yet’ needs an update: the Darkness has arrived!

Resist, reimagine, retool, and revolt! Our collective response to this clear and present danger to democracy as we have practiced it in the past is urgently required from all freedom-loving citizens. 

The Consequential 2024 Election

As we look forward to yet another presidential election this year, we should do so with a clear understanding of its importance for our republic and a sober look at the elements that will factor in its eventual outcome. 

As was the case in 2016 and 2020, the Democratic candidate will be faced with the formidable task of turning back the representative of a growing tide of ethnocentric, America First sentiment in the person of Donald Trump whom also pledges to replace our democracy with the installment of an authoritarian/totalitarian regime dedicated to one party rule, the suppression of free expression, retaliation against his political adversaries whom he regards as mortal enemies, the persecution of mainstream and independent journalists, the continued brutal assault on women’s reproductive rights, the appointment of governmental officials/cabinet members/court judges based more on blind allegiance to the seat of power than on individual qualification, the open embrace of radical white supremacist militias (the current version of Hitler’s Brown Shirts), the promise to declare martial law and bring the full force of the US military against otherwise organized and legal redress of grievances, the elimination of the judicial system as an impartial arbiter, continued relentless and vile mendacity, and the reshaping of society from a self governing entity into one characterized by an obedience not to the rule of law but rather to the will of one authoritarian figurehead. Even more alarming is that the above description of what is to be expected from another Trump administration is likely more understatement than hyperbole. 

Another concerning factor in the upcoming political contest is the question surrounding the viability of the opposition to the imminent threat posed by the Republican cadindate. As was the case in both the unsuccessful campaign of 2016 and the retaking of the presidency in 2020, the Democrats chose to nominate decidedly centrist candidates as the ‘safe’ alternative to Bernie Sanders and the evolving progressive wing of the Party. As observed here on several occasions, they did so at the risk of alienating an emerging electorate, most notably among the 18-32 demographic. This tactic met with mixed results as Hilary Clinton was increasingly viewed unfavorably by independent voters, particularly in the crucial swing states, and subsequently lost the election to Trump who emerged as an unlikely populist candidate representing a groundswell of nationalistic sentiment largely based upon the fear of losing an imagined identity as a singularly dominant, cultural voice in favor of the reality of a multicultural and multiracial presence widely expressing itself throughout society. 

In 2020, as the nation was reeling in the wake of Trump’s staggeringly

inept and corrupt ‘leadership’, the Democratic establishment locked arms around yet another centrist candidate in the form of Party loyalist Joe Biden and effectively terminated the Sanders campaign in dramatic fashion in the wake successive Sanders’ victories in both Iowa and New Hampshire primaries when South Carolina Representative James Clyburn famously threw his enormous political weight (together with ‘behind the scenes’ urging from former President Obama) in favor of Biden resulting in a cascade of lock step support (eg Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and a host of Party regulars) to a heretofore faltering candidacy. This turn of events prompted long time Democratic operative James Carville to suggest that the primary process should effectively be suspended by declaring: ‘its now time to shut this puppy down and rally behind Joe Biden (see the Supreme Court’s 2000 decision to suspend the incomplete vote count in Florida via their ruling in the Bush vs Gore case) to the dismay and chagrin of millions of loyal Sanders supporters who were now cast aside by party regulars dedicated to capturing the slim yet significant portion of the electorate, namely those independent voters lost to Trump in 2016, at the expense of an emerging, popular and progressive voice within its ranks. The tactic was ultimately successful in recapturing the White House while also further risking the alienation of its progressive constituency. In deference to this group, the Democratic Party did insert progressive elements into its official platform (eg environmental and reproductive rights provisions) to assuage an otherwise abandoned segment of the Party and thereby formed a vital coalition of support necessary to defeat the authoritarian/fascistic spectra of another Trump term.

In the ensuing four years, the Biden Administration has presided over an greatly improved economy with the overall growth at 5.9% since 2021, the unemployment rate at a very low 3.7%, rate of inflation at 3.35%, significantly down from the previous year, the creation of 14 million new jobs, and real wage increase by 2% over the rate of inflation. On the legislation level, the American Rescue Plan has contributed greatly to the economic recovery in the post-pandemic; the Infrastructure/Investment/Jobs Act has further stimulated the economy with job growth and important changes to the nation’s roads, bridges, transit lines, airports, and waterways. The administration also turned its attention to environmental concerns with the enactment of the Build Back Better provision, which served to strengthen the electric grid matrix throughout the country. These accomplishments have oddly gone unnoticed by large segments of the population resulting in an historic low approval rating of a siting President. These findings might be the consequence of a public subjected to a barrage of misinformation from a myriad of media sources dedicated more to pandering to and influenced by an audience that has been convinced that the current government is part of some gran conspiracy whose intent is to end individual freedom and national identity. It is no wonder then that the positive factual elements of the current administration have been overshadowed by this miasma of imagined threat and impending doom. One of the mandates going forward will be to actively announce the very real accomplishments of the Biden Administration as a counter to the pernicious network of deliberate misinformation so ubiquitous throughout right wing media sources.

That said, the apparent unpopularity of another Biden candidacy might also be a result of his policy to support the Willow Project, which has given the green light to further oil drilling above the Arctic Circle in direct contradiction to his 2020 campaign pledge to never drill for oil on protected federal land. This has further eroded support among young environmentalists already skeptical of his past record of ‘playing both sides against the middle’ in an attempt to accommodate often distinct sides of a given issue. In addition, the Biden Administration has further alienated this vital constituency by its support of an Israeli government conducting a wildly disproportionate response (at least 15,000 civilians killed) to the brutality (1139 slain) perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th of last year. All recent surveys have confirmed that the current administration is viewed unfavorably by a young voter population already distrustful of a candidate with whom they cannot relate in terms of age discrepancy and a sense of commonality with respect to vision and lived experience. Add to this, a growing gap between young progressives and a status quo Democratic leadship that longer is regarded as representing their interests or, more importantly, has a real understanding of their experience as the inheritors of an uncertain future. As a consequence, the real danger here is that significant numbers of young voters will simply stay away from an election in which their interests are not perceived to be represented. If this scenario is allowed to unfold in 2024, the Democratic Party faces the very real risk of losing a vital part of the constituency it will require to defeat an incipient fascism on the verge of metastasizing throughout the body politic.

The task ahead for the Democratic Party in response to the existential threat to the democratic system as we have come to know it by Trump’s Republican Party is clear: it must rally all available resources to bring out a vote encompassing a broad spectrum of the American electorate. The positive accomplishments of this administration must be underscored by a nationwide effort to disseminate factual truths as an antidote to pervasive Trumpian prevarications. This will entail convincing dishearten traditional and young progressives who otherwise feel disconnected from a political process that is perceived to be less responsive to their immediate concerns (authentic and urgent attention to the global environmental crisis, courageous measures to finally provide universal health care, continued efforts to restore a woman’s right to choose, meaningful measures to recognize and protect the rights of the otherwise marginalized LBGTQ+ community, a long overdue reassessment of spending priorities aimed at a reallocation of resources; especially as it pertains to a DOD’s wasteful cost overruns and its role as the leading global supplier of armament, a rejection of a time-honored zero sum mentality that holds that one’s success must be achieved at the expense of another’s failure, promoting the collective value of the common good over the acquisition of excessive individual wealth, and full adoption of the vision of a society made stronger and more sustainable by virtue of its diversity and its embrace of our common humanity). To ignore this clarion call for a genuine paradigm shift not only risks the further alienation of our younger population but, more importantly, helps create the very real possibility of installing a dangerous authoritarian regime in the short run and an ongoing fascistic presence well into a future in dire need of careful, intelligent, and farsighted leadership.

In full light of the aforementioned considerations implicit in the 2024 presidential race, it becomes clear that what is at stake in this crucial year of decision is existential in nature and predictive of the very quality of life that Americans can expect to experience going forward. Our very survival as an free-functioning democracy depends on how we come to terms with the challenge before us and, in so doing, defines, to ourselves and to the world, our national identity. It must and likely will involve sober assessment, the unification of seemingly disparate elements, the possible enlistment of popular celebrities to rally otherwise reluctant voters, realistic appraisal of necessary compromise, and an honest reckoning with our essential values and the ways in which they can be made manifest at this pivotal moment in time.