Dissenting General Newbold Says The Who Got It Wrong

Lieutenant General Greg Newbold, USMC, is one of the many retired military leaders to have come out against our administration's policies in Iraq recently. But Newbold, writing in the 4/17/06 issue of Time, was the first military officer know of to quote from Pete Townshend's prophetic anthem from the 70s: "Won't Get Fooled Again.," which I've discussed in an earlier entry. According to the General, the tune was an "anti-war song" and,

"It's 35 years later and the judgment is in: The Who had it wrong. We have been fooled again."

Well, I'll agree with Newbold that Americans have been fooled again. In fact, we as a people have been duped numerous times since that tune came out 35 years ago. It's hard to believe that the generation who sent "Who's Next" to the top of the album charts were the same folks who supported Bush and his clowns. And the English haven't done much better for themselves.

But was Pete predicting that we would not get fooled? I think the General should dig out his old copy of the album and listen more carefully. That tune clearly ends with an acknowledgement that nothing had changed. It's also interesting how he interprets it as an anti-war song. There is no mention of a a formal war, just a revolution in the streets. Still, it's good that somebody is at least quoting what I consider to be the greatest song to come out of the Seventies to show how things really haven't gotten better in many ways- they're worse.