Gaga's new album came out, I can't get over it, it's amazing, it's the rapture. It will take me a little while to digest, as expected it is a new leap forward in consciousness. She is divinely inspired, a genius, and while I want to focus on what she actually says in her new album, I am also particular about wanting to write down what it sounds like she says to me before reading the actual lyrics - I am like that about music that I find mystical. And some of her lyrics are especially cryptic, like the entire "artfulogical" verse.
So I want to talk about some of my perceptions while I "don't speak your language no no" before I get the "translation." I still have some topics I had not adressed before it came out as well, so I will try and catch up.
I saw a story on TV news about long-toed boots being the new craze in Mexico, and it reminded me of Gaga. These boots are crazy, with curling toes literally three feet long, and they say girls won't dance with you unless you are wearing them. I know Gaga is very popular in Mexico, but even if it is not a direct influence of Gaga it seems like there must be some mystical connection that people in Mexico are wearing fancy boots with three-foot toes curled up like elves - its just gagariffic.
Gaga spoke up long ago for immigration rights and I'm sure she will continue to. The song "Americano" on the new album expresses sympathy and love for immigrants and trials they face, such as the verse "don't you try to catch me don't you try to catch me no no no no, I'm living on the edge of living on the edge of the law law law law". To me any kind-hearted, liberal person shares a welcoming view of immigrants. Most of us are immigrants and we have not treated the native people well, historically, so it disgusts me to hear anti-immigrant sentiment from hypocrites and uncaring people. I am so proud of Gaga for protesting the racist laws in Arizona that would require people to prove citizenship when they were first being introduced - she did a show in Phoenix and wrote a tatoo on her arm saying to oppose the state law, and partnered with a group protesting it to raise money with temporary tatoos replicating hers. I did not receive mine or I might have kept up with the group and had more to report, but Gaga was on the right side of history early on and has continued in the crusade for immigrant rights. The fact that we have such impresive new forms of communication leads me to hope we can be educated and live well with each other, but I'm disappointed by the nature of our current civil rights battles, for gay rights and immigrant rights and still for women's rights - even more, once again, somehow, fighting for the right to choose and ability to afford reproductive choice within the new health care debates. The fact that we consider the problems of world poverty and disease and war and pollution and climate change to be a "little too big to tackle" is disappointing in itself, because I think we can solve those problems. And it makes it even more embarassing that we argue about things like where someone was born or whether gay people can marry. The truth is its all part of the same problem, greed. Super rich people, who are powerful in the world and weak at heart, have duped us into arguing so we don't get together and fix the big problems, because they profit from imbalance and disparities between people. In the immigrant debate, they profit from cheap labor and whip up fear about language and culture to demonize immigrants and blame them for economic problems that are really fault of right-wing war profiteering and the bank schemes to mask its economic impact. The people who are arguing against immigrants and health care and welfare, and often for war, "coincidentally", are just standing in the way of progress. We just need to educate them so they change, enough of them to let us all move forward. The cure for the greed of the people "at the top' who perpetuate all this more actively is the same as the cure for everyone, for everything - Love. Gaga is a messenger of this pure love, who stirs controversy because the role of a divinely inspired genius in a flawed society is to address and cure those flaws with great art. Of course she is going to be "on the right side of history" on this and all social issues - its one reason I felt she was the goddess incarnate more than a year ago, she just always displays that perfect perspective of the divinely isnpired artist who is right on about everything. As she says "I know the truth!"
Gaga is going to represent Justice and Love in everything she does. I saw Cornell West on a late night show saying that Justice is Love expressed publicly, something like that. We all have the sense of justice, and the spark of love, in ourselves, I am just so impressed with Gaga for being completely immolated in Love. Many other people have been messengers of love as well and continue to be. I am proud of Carlos Santana for some things he has done recently. He was being honored at a "Civil Rights"-themed baseball game in Atlanta, a Braves game. He had a moment at the microphone and said he spoke for immigrants and that Atlanta should be ashamed of itself and expressed love. He was referring to a law being considered in Georgia that would be similar to the racist laws in Arizona, requiring people to show paperwork of citizenship. He also mentioned on CNN, in an interview for the same award recipients, that he was calling for immigrants to go on strike. I was born in Georgia and always look forward to going back there to visit family and my hometown, Athens, but if they pass these laws I will not want to, for the same reason I "boycott" Arizona. I'm not afraid of being targetted by the law, I just can't support that and it makes me uncomfortable that people are like that. And I am well aware of the stupidity and racism that is rampant in the south, it is just that in many ways that is improving but in this case it is an embarassing step backwards. It does come down to politics, because right-wing politicians always use fearmongering to stoke anti-immigrant and racist sentiment, but while we can overpower them ultimately, good will win out, we need to influence the people who buy into the mentality. We can influence them, on a personal level, with love. The rich and powerful who perpetuate the evils of greed do so out of a longing for love as well, and they can see the light and change as well. Or maybe change if enough of them feel the consequences of their greed, such as the IMF chief who will hopefully go to jail instead of the presidency of France since he is so greedy he feels entitled to exploit women. Its probably a common outcome for someone who, like many people, feels starved for love, but goes on to have power. Love is the greatest power, without it no other power could be fulfilling, and some of the richest and most powerful people are pitiful for having "gone far" while missing love all along the way.
I love it when powerful or famous people use their talents for good. There are so many people who do this, often in arts and sports and entertainment. And its wonderful when they can finally get some support from within the establishment. I saw a piece on 60 minutes about the Rev. Al Sharpton, and the slant was that he had tranformed from a "rabble-rouser" or something into a respected confidant of President Obama. They mentioned that he was making speaches in solidarity with the people of Arizona and immigrants all over against the racist laws in Arizona. When asked about his percieved transformation he said that he had changed and that America had changed. I think its important to keep focused on the future and stay hopeful. It is wonderful to see that while everything changes it can change for the good. We have a government and president we can be so much more proud of than a few years ago and we can really make some positive changes, maybe turn a corner forever. While I want to give credit to the powerstructure if it is improving, and also to the celebrities who encourage us, the power of being a messenger of love is in the people who the message reaches. It is up to all of us, as individuals and part of the human family and nature, to hope and expect the best outcomes for everyone, together, and work together to achieve them. And its easy, because the way to do it is love. The obstacles are unloving, and the cure is love. If we just approach things with that standard, are we being as fully loving as possible, we can cure everything. Gaga love to all!
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