MM: I guess where I'm coming from is that I think there are a lot of young people that are detached from the American political system. I think they are doing the right thing in the way they live by maybe by being a good consumer‚ or the fact that they are serious about recycling‚ but I think they are detached from the way the political system runs. The thing that really brought that to my attention was the recent elections. The country has shifted into a very conservative "in the now" power‚ that I feel has very little vision for the future. From my viewpoint‚ this is a government that is showing no responsibility towards the environment‚ and the way we interact with the rest of world. I feel like we have resources and options right at our fingertips to do things more efficiently and responsible for the rest of the world. For instance‚ what's the real problem we have with Iraq? I think over the course of time it all comes down to oil. Well‚ why do we need oil? We have the resources to be less dependent on oil...
BB: Until the alternative is made available‚ it's really hard for people to seek it out themselves‚ for the majority of America to seek it out. It just hasn't worked that way for I don't even know how long‚ since World War II‚ or even before‚ where we're so dependent on this authority that dictates how we power our cars and houses. As technology advanced‚ we became dependent on these powers. It's just our daily lives and we just want things to work‚ you know. I don't think anyone in America cares at all if their cars are hybrid or electric as long as they have a car working. So you're right‚ it's in the power of the oil companies and the politicians that bow down to them. It's all power and big money dictating and they're holding on as tight as they can. They're probably scared... or maybe they're not. I wonder what kind of system they have set up for the future where they have to make a shift themselves‚ or if they will hold on to this and fight. I think there's a feeling in America that there are alternatives and we don't need to be fighting wars with Iraq. No matter how much we cover it up with the idea we're fighting this war for peace or we don't want Saddam to have all this power... I think it's obvious that it's all about oil.
MM: The whole beginning of this conflict has to do with that‚ that's the underlying theme to it all…
BB: Iraq was invading Kuwait - that was the beginning to it.
MM: I think there are contradictions in terms of our purpose. We're supposed to be the big brother promoting peace‚ but we had an opportunity to support the people of Iraq and overthrow Saddam‚ and assist them in the implementation of a new government. We backed out in the early nineties when the first Bush was in office leaving these people hanging‚ and leaving them to be slaughtered. They lost their trust and faith in America. I'm just talking about some ideas I formulated by listening to all different medias‚ I'm like you - I don't know the facts and stats of it all. I do know that something is corrupt about our whole reasoning.
BB: A lot of thoughts there... sometimes you just feel so overwhelmed. I feel like what I can do is just try to create‚ and make life richer and more vibrant in terms of being a creative human. I guess that's that the goal - to make everyone feel that everyone can be a creative human and that they can be much more sympathetic to the world around us. I guess the way we treat other countries‚ and their economies‚ like the World Bank and the IMS... I think bringing that awareness is the first step. It was for me‚ and the next step is how we implement some kind of alternative. I guess a lot times I feel like I have more questions than answers‚ and I'm sure many people feel that way. As a person who spends my life bringing people together‚ such as a musical event‚ I would like to get those questions out there and possibly provide some alternatives.
MM: Like you said earlier‚ you're holding this forum for a community to come together and celebrate - why not offer some alternative media to provide to people? That doesn't mean you have to be up there preaching‚ or saying this is what we believe in‚ but it's more about "hey‚ here's some stuff you should be turned on to - take it‚ absorb it‚ and think about it."
BB: It's actually another really good example how music pushed me‚ and has driven me to become a more aware person. Suddenly we have this forum‚ and I want to educate people‚ but before I can do that‚ I have to educate myself. So the pursuit of music and being in a playing situation has inspired this whole other thing about being socially aware and politically aware and trying to spread that on. I guess it's the other really important aspect to this whole thing‚ and the other end of my aspiration is to know enough that I can educate people and offer something. The art of music is an environment where stuff like this can come into play‚ a place where our minds are allowed to go into our imagination - the creative world. The more I ask myself about that‚ the more I come up with the answer that they do need to go together. The best music has always been a reflection of the times‚ whether it's been deliberate or not. So I welcome anybody who has good sources of information‚ like a good website‚ or a publication‚ to contact us. That's how we learn as well.
MM: I think it's like you said‚ you have more questions than answers‚ and I think we all feel that way. I think it's about proposing those questions and this is where we can start to find some answers.
BB: I feel so overwhelmed though - how can I get the truth? How do I really know the truth? Are we ever going get the reason why George Bush is so interested in war with Iraq‚ or why the World Trade towers were destroyed? Will we ever know the truth behind that? I think people are so far away from knowing. Then‚ it comes back to being an example‚ living your life simply and not relying on these corporations for my information‚ my news‚ energy or food. That's one simple answer‚ the solution might be as simple as if everyone gave up one little thing.
MM: Yeah…
BB: We just had a serious symposium there. It makes going back to the whole music‚ album‚ and songwriting thing seem so measly. Like - "what were you thinking when you wrote the lyrics to 'Take a Beetle to the Badlands'?"
MM: (laughing) Yeah‚ I don't know man‚ I think for people it works. Music definitely can open the mind up‚ and you can take something back to your life from it. I know this happened to me where I went to a show and came back with some conclusion in my head. I feel it's definitely spiritual‚ like you come to this event‚ you let your mind wander with music and you become in touch with everything surrounding your life. A lot of times I find a solution‚ or the tools to make life better. So I think it is important.
BB: Right‚ yeah it's not trivial at all. It's about getting people in touch with their own imagination. Most of the people I talk with that come to our shows are in touch‚ and I like to think a lot of people are aware of this system which dictates a lot of their own ideas. I remember being terribly scared thinking about how much I've been influenced by all the television I watched between the ages of five and fifteen. To think that someone who grew up far removed from that‚ how fortunate they were to live without TV‚ or electricity‚ and be in the environment that created the mind. I remember reading this quote in Ad Busters‚ are you familiar with that publication?
MM: Vaguely‚ I've heard of it‚ but I don't think I've ever read it.
BB: It's a great magazine‚ very creative. I can't paraphrase the quote‚ but it was something along the lines of - the evolution and creation of the human mind was a product in evolution shaped by wilderness‚ and the more we destroy that wilderness and nature‚ the more we become dependent on man-made technology‚ the further we get away from the nature of our own mind and the source of our own sanity. Not to say that technology isn't part of the human evolution‚ but not being aware of the sources‚ the wilderness of where our minds come from. It's sort of like detaching ourselves from the notion of sanity. I remember reading that in that magazine and thinking what a heavy‚ heavy thought it was.