Kansas City Playlist: Iran From MAGA Republican Rift

Let's start with a truism . . .

Here in the Heartland we've always noticed that most of our neighbors absolutely HATE talking about global politics.  In fact, it's likely some kind of FAIL that midterm voters have legit questions about the Straight of Hormuz despite the troubling fact that that they couldn't have found it on a map last year. 

And so . . .

Gas station politics is silly but a sticker confronting us inspired this missive which really hopes to consider the feelings and perspectives of our conservative friends.  

And so this quote seems apt and worth considering for anybody on the Internets late into the morning . . . 

"As the midterms approach, the White House continues to define the war through its own authorities and objectives, while Republicans facing voters increasingly have to explain how it should end. Their cautious distancing suggests less a change in foreign policy than a belated confrontation with political accountability.

"Republican appeals to party loyalty rest on a familiar premise: On national security, the party should stand behind its own president. But a war without a clear end in sight raises a difficult question: Can party loyalty substitute for an explanation of where a military conflict is heading? Or do elected representatives, even when they support their own administration, have a duty to ask why the war continues and under what conditions it can end? The recent positions of some Republicans suggest that these questions are no longer confined to debate among analysts; they have entered the governing party itself."

And all this brings us to more reading on the topic . . .

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Trump says 'it's possible' Iran war could cost him the midterms

President Trump on Thursday said "it's possible" the Iran war could cost him the November midterm elections by risking Republican control of the House, Senate or both. "Well...

Trump's own family member concedes GOP may lose over president's decision

The former RNC Chair said it may be necessary for the GOP to lose Congress if it meant Iran didn't obtain a nuclear weapon.

Hegseth battles with Democrats -- and some Republicans -- over the Iran war and top officials' firings

Hegseth says biggest 'adversary' in Iran war is "defeatist words of Democrats and some Republicans" as Pentagon comptroller says the campaign has so far cost $25 billion.

As always we're open to comments from any perspective but, again, what we've noticed is that our conservative friends are hesitant to consider the impact of this war even as it threatens to influence local elections. 

And all of this inspires our playlist tonight . . . Dedicated to a great deal of musical nostalgia regarding Iran, war and peace . . .  

A reminder from 1982 about how far this problems goes back: Radio DJs were often instructed to introduce A Flock of Seagulls' hit as "I Ran So Far Away" instead of its actual title, "I Ran," to prevent audiences from mistaking it for a political reference to the Iran hostage crisis.

Forgive us a bit more current reference that's apropos given this year's pop music protest politics . . . Ed Sheeran's single "Azizam" is an upbeat, Persian-influenced pop track that translates to "my beloved" in Farsi, written alongside Iranian-born producer Ilya Salmanzadeh. Amid the ongoing geopolitical Iran conflict, the song has provided a vital source of soft diplomacy and positive cultural representation for the global Iranian diaspora, while its collaboration with banned Iranian singer Googoosh has highlighted the strict restrictions and lack of freedom women face under the current regime.

Given that it's a round world . . . We share this definitive Middle-Eastern reference for a song that we might have played more than 1,000 times in the first few years of this blog . . . One of the defining rap-pop crossovers in history. The entire backbone of the track is built around a vibrant, high-pitched woodwind and string melody sampled from the 1957 Egyptian composition "Khosara Khosara" by Baligh Hamdi.

Another 90s track apropos for conversations regarding Middle-East adventures . . . Sting's "Desert Rose" is famous for its groundbreaking fusion of Western pop-rock with Middle Eastern music. It features a soaring, emotional performance by Algerian Raï music star Cheb Mami, who sings the intro and counter-melodies entirely in Arabic. Sting has noted that the song is fundamentally about longing, romance, and the mystical aura of the desert.

Finally . . . Something exceptionally campy that we found at the last minute from the depths of the Internets . . .  Mr. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band deliver a lively trad jazz rendition of the 1920 classic "In a Persian Market." Accompanying the music are The Guler Sisters, professional mid-century exotic dancers who provide an energetic performance in their signature style. The entire scene unfolds inside London's opulent Omar Khayyam Restaurant, a famously themed venue that perfectly complements the exotic atmosphere of the track.

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe and fun rest of your weekend.