guest post by S. ANAND
We Back on the Ground (WeBOG) would like to congratulate the Indian state for sending up a rocket towards the moon. That’s one small step for nationalist achievement, and one giant bombastic leap for servile running dogs of imperialism.
We wish the Indian space program every success in developing as quickly as possible a big manned spaceship capable of taking every single member of the ruling class to a faraway planet. We also wish the workers and peons waiting on and tolerating the ruling class, a speedy and quick revolution..back here on the ground.
Please enjoy the following video set to the classic poem/song/tune/chant/anthem by Gil Scot Heron, “Whitey on the moon”.
Lyrics from http://www.gilscottheron.com/lywhitey.html
Whitey on the Moon
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face and arms began to swell.
(and Whitey’s on the moon)
I can’t pay no doctor bill.
(but Whitey’s on the moon)
Ten years from now I’ll be payin’ still.
(while Whitey’s on the moon)
The man jus’ upped my rent las’ night.
(’cause Whitey’s on the moon)
No hot water, no toilets, no lights.
(but Whitey’s on the moon)
I wonder why he’s uppi’ me?
(’cause Whitey’s on the moon?)
I wuz already payin’ ‘im fifty a week.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Taxes takin’ my whole damn check,
Junkies makin’ me a nervous wreck,
The price of food is goin’ up,
An’ as if all that shit wuzn’t enough:
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face an’ arm began to swell.
(but Whitey’s on the moon)
Was all that money I made las’ year
(for Whitey on the moon?)
How come there ain’t no money here?
(Hmm! Whitey’s on the moon)
Y’know I jus’ ’bout had my fill
(of Whitey on the moon)
I think I’ll sen’ these doctor bills,
Airmail special
(to Whitey on the moon)
received from “M. V. Ramana” ramana AT isec DOT ac SOT in
Thanks for the video Anand. I really enjoyed it. ‘Servile running dogs of Imperialism,’ I haven’t heard that one in a while though…
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Anand, I remember reading many years back, a translation of a poem by a Putukavitai poet, about the first Indian astronaut, which read something like this.
‘When the rocket surged up into space
It wasn’t just India’s Rakesh that it carried
Also an accursed caste — Sharma’.
Do you know what the lines were, exactly?
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No Devika, that’s a good one. I will ask some better informed Tamil friends about the Sharma not Rakesh Pudukavidai (which for non-Tami/Malayalis I must say, means New (pudu) Poetry (kavidai)…
this whitey poem rekindled my interest in the work of Gil Scott Heron.
I also discovered a cuter rock-mix version of Whitey… here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thYKn2Tj-wg&feature=related
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Brilliant! It put a smile on my face and a hop in my step!
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did anyone read the TOI today on how the chandrayaan project cost less than the money spent on cricket league that indians (or many indians) are besotted by?
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The Chandrayaan cost Rs. 186 crores excluding Rs. 100 crores spent on deep space tracking system in Karnataka. However, the money spent on ISRO is not factored in. Whether this is big or small is a matter of opinion. What is significant is the cost benefit ratio which needs to be worked out.
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