Welcome to the Future?

Just saw this year's Boston Pops celebration of the Glorious Fourth. My husband and I, being former Bostonians, get really nostalgic for Pops Promenade concerts, and normally really get off on the Fourth. This year, I had to conclude the Pops had been hijacked by Republican Governor Romney trying to stick it to his blue state. It started badly, by being announced as "commercial-free"--immediately before a commercial. Another commercial completely overrode the fireworks finale. The broadcast quality was poor--what was billed as "high definition" was anything but, and the sound was badly mixed too. The live music was lifeless. The music finale was all recordings. Is this what our Glorious Leader plans to do to the arts?

Which reminds me--did Senator Durbin overstate his case by comparing the situation at Guantanamo to the Soviet Gulag and the German camps? A historical purist could probably say so, yes. A historical purist could make a good case that Mussolini's Italy would be a more apt comparison. But neither Durbin nor his critics know that much about history. What Durbin should have said in response to his critics is that throwing people behind bars without charges, without a chance to prove their innocence, and for an indefinite period wasn't the worst thing the Soviets and the Nazis did--but it was certainly among the worst things. And now we're doing it. End of argument.

Oh well, have a Glorious Fourth.