Kansas City Playlist: Peace Through Strength

Today, with help from BEST & BRIGHTEST TKC READERS we stumble upon a quote that seems to define the current epoch in American politics and the zeitgeist amongst the majority of Kansas City metro conservatives. 

On the national scene, there is a very real "MAGA Civil War" amongst the some of the same podcasters and influencers who helped Prez Trump retake the White House. 

However . . . 

We shouldn't forget that despite social media screaming matches, Republicans overwhelmingly still support the Commander-in-Chief and continue to align with MAGA policy both foreign and domestic. 

More to the point . . .

On the local level, around the KC metro and throughout the Missouri & Kansas region, there really is no vocal GOP opposition to Prez Trump. 

In fact . . .

Our TKC blog community entertains these ideas more than any other outlet because most of the cowtown political conversation is amongst paid shills who aren't allowed to veer from talking points whilst your second favorite blogger is an adult child of divorce and DOUBTS EVERY IDEOLOGY WHILST REFUSING TO SUBMIT TO POLITICAL PURITY GIVEN HOW MUCH WE ENJOY PLAYFULLY SLINGING MUD, SHADE & SNARK!!!

Thankfully for our conservative friends, there are still true believers out there and so we take moment to consider a recent worldview shared by Missouri Congressman Mark Alford who offered this high praise of Prez Trump to start the weekend . . .  

Oil prices DOWN. Shipping lanes OPEN. Iran BACKING OFF.

Peace through strength works. 🇺🇸

Currently . . . 

President Donald Trump said his administration has "very good conversations going on" with Iran on April 18 after a possible breakthrough in peace negotiations was dashed hours earlier when Iran announced the country will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

As for oil prices . . . 

We're not certain if the average American wants to engage in futures trading but what we do know is that Russia is making EPIC CASH from their oil now that Prez Trump backed off sanctions. 

On the bright side for Americans . . . Prediction markets seem like the new meme coins and allow so many newly minted compulsive gamblers an excellent way to play along with government insiders. However, that's NOT an endorsement given that longtime KCMO residents understand that more gambling only leads to an increased rate of home foreclosures. 

But I digress . . . 

In this post we merely take a pause to ponder if "Peace Through Strength" is something more promising, hopeful and workable than "Might Makes Right" which has always proven to be the fatal flaw of the human condition that ultimately results in universal suffering and existential dread. 

Similarly . . . 

There's a nostalgic debate over an often misheard line by a long dead 90s singer explaining triumph as "choking on the ashes of our enemy" and it still resonates tonight as the graying of America continues by way of one war after the next despite an endless array of promises to the contrary. 

There might not be a grand conclusion to be garnered but so far the course of Western Civilization has revealed that every promise of peace has been a lie.

Our constant local consideration . . . 

The phallic Liberty Memorial monument that looms over Kansas City pays tribute to "The War To End All Wars" and that is not only incorrect but only serves to remind us that up to 22 million people died in World War I for reasons that nobody REALLY understands and the only thing all of that killing accomplished was to facilitate World War II; a conflict that sparked the global shift that we currently live under and a struggle that would ultimately claim the lives of another 80 million people. 

Again . . .

History teaches us that, in spite of overwhelming strength, most wars are typically more arduous undertakings than instigators initially disclosed.

And as we hope and pray for peace . . . We share our www.TonysKansasCity.com playlist on the topic of strength in its many forms. 

Let's start with all "the feels" from the best Irish/Brit pop group of the 2010s-era . . . The One Direction song "Strong" marked a significant moment in the band's songwriting evolution, as Louis Tomlinson helped write it to challenge the stereotype of men suppressing their feelings.

This track has been lost to time but we enjoy the fashion statement if nothing else . . . "Only the Strong Survive" was Jerry Butler's biggest hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969 and certified as his first million-seller, but the song became a massive anthem for Civil Rights and Vietnam soldiers who used the slogan to overcome adversity.

This one reminds us all that we're getting older because we remember the initial music video was our only respite from playing Run-DMC & The Beastie Boys on loop . . . The latest clip is from a couple of years ago and serves our nostalgic purposes tonight. A couple of deets about the second best song from Crowded House . . . "Something So Strong" was initially a folk-style ballad written by Neil Finn in 1984, long before the band formed. It was transformed into a 1987 pop-rock hit by producer Mitchell Froom—who added an R*&B bassline and is credited as a co-writer—and was the first song Finn wrote specifically for the band.

For the bridge . . . Given that so much about modern day political communication is nothing more than outright bragadoccio & social media flexing . . . This hip-hop track fits into the mix given that it was defined by a misunderstanding . . . Rapper Kodak Black publicly questioned a line in the first verse that he, and many listeners, misinterpreted as "The only time I feel alive is when I taste d*ck". He called Future on Instagram Live to clarify the lyrics. Future clarified that the lyric was actually, "The only time I feel alive is when I take [a pill]".

The popular amateur video we're sharing features legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. who was so impressive that the mere mention of his name once cost KCMO about 15K and ruined the career of an otherwise promising councilman.  

Finally, The Stones singing an Otis Redding classic seems apropos for tonight . . .

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.