Those round about my age will most likely be familiar with this line sung by the former Federal Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett in his former life as the frontman of Midnight Oil in their seminal work ‘Power and the Passion’, an ode to the unofficial corporate takeover of Australia by multinationals, their transference of truth and pervasive influence of everyday life.
Powerful words indeed.
The quote has been attributed to many and used by even more but the last bastion of quality reference material, Wikipedia, says Emiliano Zapata coined the phrase. Being a leading figure in the Mexican revolution he would have said it in Spanish as ‘Mejor morir en tus pies que vivir en tus rodillas‘ (according to Google translate, Spanish friends, please correct me).
The fate of the oppressed is life without power in any form. I’ve longed held the belief that the true goal of banks is to take 90% of our wages through encouraging home ownership via mortgages (which literally means debt until death) and shiny trinkets via credit card and the associated crippling interest. The true evil is leaving us with 10% of our wages to provide the illusion of limited power. That’s where my conspiracy theories begin and end. I don’t believe in chemtrails, the Illuminati , Q Anon or Pizzagate.
I’ve lived the powerless life and it is less than fun. I think working inside the mass marketing machine opened my eyes to how manipulative advertising and PR can be. I don’t think I ever worked on anything truly evil (like a Trump campaign) but I have sold everything from fizzy water to life insurance. The only thing I haven’t sold is tobacco only because these guys have created a product more desirable to their market than heroin and advertising it is pretty pointless.
Human nature is towards comfort and away from pain. More often than not pleasure will lead to a false comfort with a delayed but ongoing cost. So it hardly hurts at first. By then it’s too late to get out easily.
Your gift for staying around is this work of art from the days when video editors had to use every tool in their box of tricks.
People, wasting away in paradise
Going backward, once in a while
Moving ahead, falling behind
What do you believe, what do you believe
What do you believe is true
Nothing they say makes a difference this way
Nothing they say will do
Take all the trouble that you can afford
At least you won’t have time to be bored
At least you won’t have time to be bored
Oh the power and the passion, oh the temper of the time
Oh the power and the passion
Sometimes you’ve got to take the hardest line
Sunburnt faces around, with skin so brown
Smiling zinc cream and crowds, Sundays the beach never a cloud
Breathing eucalypti, pushing panel vans
Stuff and munch junk food
Laughing at the truth, ’cause Gough was tough till he hit the rough
Uncle Sam and John were quite enough
Too much of sunshine too much of sky
It’s enough to make you want to cry
It’s enough to make you want to cry
Oh the power and the passion, oh the temper of the time
Oh the power and the passion
Sometimes you’ve got to take the hardest line
I see buildings, clothing the sky, in paradise
Sydney, nights are warm
Daytime telly, blue rinse dawn
Dad’s so bad he lives in the pub, it’s a underarms and football clubs
Flat chat, Pine Gap, in every home a Big Mac
And no one goes outback, that’s that
You take what you get and get what you please
It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees
It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees
Oh the power and the passion, oh the temper of the time
Oh the power and the passion
Sometimes you’ve got to take the hardest line
Songwriters: James Moginie / Martin Rotsey / Peter Garrett / Peter Gifford / Robert Hirst
Power and the Passion lyrics © O/B/O Apra Amcos