Tag Archives: Politics

Let’s Ask Arty About the Lead-Up to the War with Iran

Let’s Ask Arty uses existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to query LLMs about politics in these troubled times.

Q1 – What did US intelligence reporting suggest about Iran’s threat to the United States before the US joined Israel in their bombing campaign against Iran?

US intelligence reporting, as reflected in publicly available accounts and statements cited in news coverage, suggested there was no clear imminent threat to the United States from Iran in the period immediately before the U.S. joined Israel in striking Iranian targets.

The most explicit articulation of this came from Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned on March 17, 2026, stating that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.”

Q2 – Can you break down America’s core intelligence assessment before the strikes?

No imminent threat to the U.S. homeland: Joe Kent’s resignation post directly challenged the administration’s justification for military action, asserting that intelligence did not show an immediate danger to the United States.

Critics argued the U.S. acted without a triggering intelligence warning: Analysts at institutions like Brookings and media outlets such as The Guardian described the strikes as a “war of choice,” implying that intelligence did not support claims of an urgent threat.

Q3 – What Did the US intelligence reporting say about the long-term threat that Iran posed to the United States?

While not indicating an imminent threat, reporting emphasized a persistent, long-term pattern of hostile Iranian activity, including:

  • Iran’s IRGC and proxy network had killed more than 1,000 Americans since 1979.
  • Over 180 attacks on U.S. military bases in 2023–2024 by Iranian-backed groups. These were cited by some analysts as part of a broader argument that Iran represented a continuous threat, even if not an immediate one.

Before the U.S. joined Israel in bombing Iran, intelligence reporting—at least as described by senior officials and public sources—did not indicate an imminent threat to the United States. Instead, the intelligence picture pointed to a chronic, long-term pattern of Iranian hostility, not an immediate trigger requiring urgent military action.

Q4 – If the Intelligence reporting did not indicate that Iran posed an imminent threat to the US, why did Donald Trump commit to join Israel in attacking Iran?

The Trump administration justified striking Iran by publicly framing the attack as an act of self‑defense against “imminent threats,” even though intelligence briefings to Congress and internal assessments did not support the existence of such an imminent threat.

The justifications shifted repeatedly in the days surrounding the strikes, creating a patchwork of sometimes contradictory explanations.

Q5 – Arty, can you provide a breakdown of the various reasons the Trump Administration gave for attacking Iran?

Sure!

Claim: Iran was close to nuclear breakout: President Trump argued that Iran was rebuilding its nuclear program and was “probably a week away” from bomb‑making material or would have a “very powerful nuclear weapon within a month.”

However, reporting noted that these claims contradicted U.S. intelligence assessments, which said Iran was years away from such capabilities.

Claim: Iran was developing long‑range missiles that could soon reach the U.S.: Trump said Iran was developing missiles that could “soon” reach the American homeland. A 2025 Defense Intelligence Agency assessment, however, projected that Iran might be able to develop an intercontinental missile by 2035, if it chose to pursue one.

Claim: The U.S. needed to preempt an Iranian attack: Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially claimed Iran posed an imminent threat because it would retaliate against U.S. forces once Israel struck Iran. The next day, Trump shifted the explanation, saying Iran was going to attack first, independently of Israel’s actions.

This shift created confusion because it contradicted both earlier statements and intelligence briefings.

Q6 – Arty, can you help us understand what the intelligence actually indicated about the Iranian threat?

Private briefings to Congress: No imminent Iranian attack: According to ABC News reporting, Trump administration officials told congressional staff that U.S. intelligence did not indicate Iran was preparing a preemptive strike on U.S. forces or the homeland. They described only a general regional threat, not an imminent one.

This directly conflicted with the administration’s public messaging.

Q7 – What was the messaging about Iranian threats from the Trump Administration after initiating strikes against Iran?

Claim: Iran refused to halt uranium enrichment: Some officials later said the strikes were ordered because Iran would not agree to stop enrichment altogether. This justification was offered after the operation had already begun, which reporters noted was unusual for a major military action.

Claim: The U.S. was acting in collective self‑defense with Israel: In its Article 51 letter to the U.N., the U.S. framed the strikes as lawful self‑defense. Legal analysts argued the justification was weak because Article 51 requires an armed attack, and the administration had not demonstrated one.

Q8 – Arty, can you help us separate the Shit-from-Shinola regarding the Trump Administration’s threat assessment leading up to the war with Iran and after the war began?

The Trump administration justified the strikes by invoking imminent threats, nuclear danger, missile development, and preemptive self‑defense. But intelligence reporting shared with Congress did not support the existence of an imminent threat, and several of the administration’s public claims contradicted both intelligence assessments and earlier statements by its own officials.

My Take

Good god, the toxic mix of incompetence and callousness from the Commander in Chief has painted the United States into a corner so completely that the only way the President feels he can get us out of said corner is to threaten bombing an entire civilization into extinction.

The President’s attention deficit to reading, assessing, and understanding intelligence reports is eclipsed only by a morality deficit fed by greed, the lust for power, and the President’s narcissistic personality disorder.

At a recent White House Event, President Trump said that he “automatically loves people who are nice to [him], even if they’re bad people.” Knowing this about our President, all Benjamin Netanyahu (or any other leader for that matter) has to do to curry favor with President Trump is blow a little sunshine up his boxer shorts.

So, we have an American President on the public record saying that a person’s character or behavior does not influence his support for them; it’s their loyalty that wins him over. It’s why our President fawns grotesquely over Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, and Benjamin Netanyahu, a known anti-democracy authoritarian and two war criminals, each of them showering Trump with favorable press.

So, when Benjamin Netanyahu sits at the head of the table in the situation room at the white house, he understands that all the loyalty showered on President Trump over the years is about to pay dividends (regardless of what our US intelligence reporting says). He makes his pitch to Donald Trump for launching a joint US–Israeli war against Iran, a pitch that included the following assessments as reported publicly:

  • Iran’s ballistic missile program could be destroyed within weeks.
  • The Iranian regime would be too weakened to close the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Regime change was achievable, with street protests resuming and Mossad operations helping topple the government.
  • He presented a video montage of potential post‑theocratic Iranian leaders, including exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi.

What was the reaction of US Intelligence officials to Benjamin Netanyahu’s pitch? A whole lot of push-back:

  • CIA Director Ratcliffe called the regime‑change scenarios “farcical.”
  • Secretary of State Rubio summarized the assessment as “In other words, it’s bullshit.”
  • Gen. Caine warned that Israel routinely oversells its plans and that the proposals were not well‑developed.

The US Intelligence assessment was that:

  • Iran could be struck militarily,
  • But regime change was unlikely,
  • And Iran could still close the Strait of Hormuz or retaliate in a significant way.

A true leader would have huddled with experts on his team and with officials from the intelligence community and would have done a deep dive into all the data and reporting. Instead, immediately after Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation, and with total disregard for the gravity of the situation, Donald Trump said: “Sounds good to me.”

According to reports from people in the room, Trump appeared focused primarily on killing Iran’s Supreme Leader and destroying Iran’s military capacity, rather than on regime change. He dismissed concerns about the feasibility of replacing the Iranian government.

Of course, we now know that many of Netanyahu’s predictions have proved to be incorrect, including the assumption that Iran would be unable to close the Strait of Hormuz or mount significant retaliation.

And so, here we are, in a terrible mess that we could have avoided if we had an ethical, moral, and competent President.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

Liar’s Spit and Gravel

I took a poem I wrote several months ago, titled Spit and Gravel, tweaked the wording, added a chorus, and used Suno to set my words to music under the artist profile Sapient Rain.

Sapient Rain is a collaborative musical project that pairs me, the lyricist, with the AI music platform Suno.

Liar’s Spit and Gravel is available on music streaming platforms on April 12th, 2026, but you can listen to it today on Suno.

Liar’s Spit and Gravel, by Sapient Rain

Carpet bombing
Pedophile
The trashy king
Of tacky tiles
Pushing sneakers
Selling bibles
Names all over
Epstein’s files

Hawking watches
Hats and tees
What’s the price
Of dignity?

It seems that what
We value most
Is the loud and proud
Who like to boast
About dropping bombs
And making ghosts

When all that matters
Is what we’ve grossed
When hate and greed
Are double-dosed
Our nation’s veins
Become thrombosed

We need a Dylan
Of our own
A collective moss
Around the stone
We need a Martin
For the day
To gather us
To make some hey
We need a Bobby
To inspire
To fight injustice
To light a fire
Where are the leaders
Of today
As dead as Caesar
and JonBenét

Autocratic
In his tone
His swelled-up ego
Overblown
A head that’s crammed
With nothing known
Cuts lady justice
To the bone

He snaps her picture
With his phone
He loves how she’s
Become so prone
To misogyny and
Testosterone

Bibi, Don,
And Vlady P
Selling war
To you and me
Killing, stealing,
And getting rich
Double-dealing,
Bait and switch

End-time preppin
Sneak attacks
Their Jesus Christ
Ain’t comin back
They drop his name
While talking smack
And stab our allies
In the back

We need a Dylan
Of our own
A collective moss
Around the stone
We need a Martin
For the day
To gather us
To make some hey
We need a Bobby
To inspire
To fight injustice
To light a fire
Where are the leaders
Of today
As dead as Caesar
And JonBenét

Hegseth, Miller, RFK,
On the news
To fuck my day
Lindsey, Marco,
And Pammy Bee
Spewing lies
For all to see

See JD’s Maybelline
Eyeliner
Trump on the hunt
For vagina
Wraps himself
In stars and stripes
Pretends he’s cool
Like Wesley Snipes

Cocky, brass
In midnight rants
Surrounds himself
With sycophants
Marco, Graham,
And JD Vance

As lies unfurl
And we unravel
As truth
Gets bashed
By Johnson’s
Gavel
The blood-soaked
Trail on which
Truth travels
Gets paved with
Liar’s spit
And gravel

Fuck the Prez
And his crew
Screwing over
Me and you
He’s full of shit
A fucking liar
Making us
The world’s pariah

We need a Dylan
Of our own
A collective moss
Around the stone
We need a Martin
For the day
To gather us
To make some hey
We need a Bobby
To inspire
To fight injustice
To light a fire
Where are the leaders
Of today
As dead as Caesar
And JonBenét

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead

We’re living in a world where the rules of decorum from the office of the president have gone out the window. Decorum won’t return until Trump is pushing up daisies.

Donald Trump said he was glad that Robert Mueller, a decorated soldier and respected public servant, was dead. In true Trump fashion, he went to his Truth Social platform and posted:

Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Of course, there was an immediate backlash to the president’s comment from decent people and public servants, which was in stark contrast to the all-too-familiar silence from the testicle-free, scared-shitless Republican representatives in Congress.

After Trump’s post, I got to thinking, if I’m lucky enough to be around when Donald Trump dies, will I celebrate? Will I dance in the streets with the millions of like-minded Americans? If I do, does that make me a hypocrite for chastising the President for celebrating the death of Robert Mueller?

No, it does not.

In the same way, I would have celebrated Hitler’s death and been saddened by President Roosevelt’s death. In the same way, I would be heartened by the death of Vladimir Putin and crestfallen at the death of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the same way, I would have celebrated with my Munchkin brothers-in-arms at the death of the Wicked Witch of the East.

It’s natural to celebrate the death of vicious people.

Vladimir Putin attacked a sovereign nation without provocation, murdered civilians, kidnapped children, and committed war crimes. I’ll be glad when he’s dead.

In America, we celebrated the life and actions of Claus von Stauffenberg cinematically in the movie Valkyrie. Claus von Stauffenberg attempted to kill Adolf Hitler. If he had succeeded, would we have mourned Hitler’s death, or would there have been a global three cheers to Claus?

I did not feel glad or elated when Mueller, a decorated soldier and public servant, died. Robert Mueller was a decent man who served his country with honor.

Under Donald Trump, America has become the kind of nation we used to despise and oppose on the world stage — a loud-mouthed aggressor nation that denies the sovereignty of other countries and the rights of citizens and immigrants in its own, a nation that shows a blatant disregard international law, attacks the free press, bastardizes and uses religion as a tool of the state and cozy’s-up to other leaders of other authoritarian states. That is the America we’ve become, and it’s not even debatable.

To put it in a simpler context that Trump supporters might understand, Trump’s America is the Biff to Marty McFly, the Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker, the slimy Nazi general in Raiders of the Lost Ark to Indian Jones. We are officially the bad guys, and no amount of “USA! USA! USA!” chanting can cover up that fact.

And the main reason we have become the bad guy is pretty fucking simple to understand – it’s because we’re being led by a morally decrepit criminal, a convicted felon, a credibly accused pedophile and rapist, a seditionist who gave a blanket pardon to violent convicted felons who attacked our democracy. So yeah, when that guy dies, I might raise a glass.

Unfortunately for us, after Trump passes, there’s a fresh bumper-crop of the morally crazy waiting in the wings and they’ve got a blueprint in hand.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

Wounded Teaser 4: Donny Shakes the Jar

Donny Shakes the Jar
Donny stirs the pot
Donny knows that hate and fear
are really all he’s got

Insurrectionists as martyrs
the freedom fighter lies
“A fraudulent election!”
his fake-ass battle cry

He’s got minions on the take
and congress in his pocket
FOX to help him spin the lies
Vlad Putin in his locket

On 02/26/26, the single “Donny Shakes the Jar” from the album “Wounded” comes out on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and iTunes under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”

Sapient Rain is the artistic collaboration of writer/lyricist Geoffrey Reilly and the AI music engine Suno.

Click here to pre-save Wounded on Spotify.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

Wounded Teaser 3: Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious

We cannot be afraid to speak at what is being done
Trump’s a bully and freak who wants to shock and stun
With fascists in our government, this isn’t a dry run
And so, we have a song to sing, a song that must be sung

GO!

Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious
Elon-Bezos-Zuckerberg are really quite atrocious
We need to fight them in the streets and call them on their grossness
Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious

Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I

On 02/26/26, the single “Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious” from the album “Wounded” comes out on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and iTunes under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”

Sapient Rain is the artistic collaboration of writer/lyricist Geoffrey Reilly and the AI music engine Suno.

Click here to pre-save Wounded on Spotify.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

The National Prayer Farce and Christian Sectarianism

Did any “Christians” at the Prayer breakfast call out the President of the United States for his shameful statements and treatment of immigrants in America?

In between pancakes and coffee, did anyone speak to the hypocrisy of Donald Trump attending the event, considering his well-documented dishonesty, vindictiveness, and unrepentant sexual immorality, or was there just a hushed acceptance of this “flawed man”?

Did any of the “Christians” in attendance voice their concerns about the Trump administration’s cutting of USAID, which will lead to millions of deaths by 2030?

Did those in attendance lend support and prayer for marginalized people, and justice for young girls trafficked and abused by the rich and powerful, as documented in the Epstein files?

Seems like a prayer breakfast would be the perfect place for talking about all these things.

From what I’ve read, rather than promoting unity, spiritual reflection, and reconciliation, the Orange Ayatollah of Ice Brigades and Sexcapades turned the once venerated event into a boastful campaign rally brimming with self-promotion and partisan political attacks. Like every other institution he encounters, the president torched norms and obliterated traditions, while religious bigots in attendance bowed down to their true king.  

One thing about Trump you can’t deny: there’s very little subterfuge when it comes to his bigotry, vindictiveness, and hate. And his unvarnished take on anyone who defies or challenges him has laid bare the true morality of his religious base, who have revealed themselves as people who care more about power and control than grace and humility, who want to subjugate and dominate, and who would sooner punch you in the face than turn the other cheek.   

The National Prayer Breakfast is a National Farce. What used to be a bipartisan and unifying event has become a partisan pigpile, obscuring the event’s original, inclusive, ecumenical nature.

Examples:

  • President Trump used the breakfast to criticize political opponents, claiming they “oppose God and religious freedom.”
  • He also used the platform to attack political enemies along religious lines, turning the event into a partisan stage rather than a shared spiritual gathering.
  • Trump mocked Democratic lawmakers and questioned why “people of faith would ever vote for a Democrat,” despite the event’s bipartisan leadership.

Trump’s rhetoric excludes Christians who refuse to align themselves with the undeniably Christian Nationalist identity of the MAGA movement. Through words and actions, the President continues to make a mockery of Christianity, and that mockery gets amplified by conservative Christian leaders who to turn a blind eye to Trump’s amoral behavior.

The quote “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross” describes perfectly what occurred at this year’s National Prayer Breakfast and what’s happening in America today. The president’s remarks are indicative of the dangerous merger of nationalist demagoguery and religion.

How long before Christianity in America undergoes a full-blown sectarian split?

As America struggles to maintain Jefferson’s wall of separation between church and state, Atheists, Agnostics, and religiously unaffiliated need to unite behind the version of Christianity that promotes kindness, empathy, and love.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

The Rope-a-Dope Pope

Mike Johnson’s recent attempt to use biblical arguments to justify America’s immigration enforcement shines a light on a dangerous problem: political leaders are misusing scripture to defend actions that run counter to the central Christian moral tradition. That should be a red flag to those of us who cherish living in a country guided by the rule of secular law.

The quote “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross” seems tailor-made for House Speaker Mike Johnson. Yesterday, he tried to “out-bible” Pope Leo by using his favorite little black book to justify the GOP’s cruel treatment of immigrants, saying, “Borders are biblical.”

Put aside the troublesome issue of the person third in line for the presidency using the Bible as justification for law; any credible theologian knows Johnson’s biblical argument for strict border enforcement is selective, incomplete, and doesn’t correspond to the broader Christian tradition.

When Pope Leo cites Matthew 25:35 (“I was a stranger and you welcomed me”), he highlights a moral duty toward immigrants, widely affirmed by Christian theologians: Hospitality to strangers is central in the Bible.

The Old Testament repeatedly commands care for foreigners (e.g., Deut 10:19).

Jesus’ teachings prioritize mercy over legalism.

Johnson uses scripture to highlight order and sovereignty, but pays less attention to major biblical themes such as hospitality, compassion, and the dignity of migrants. Additionally, this approach appears not to fully acknowledge Christian ethics, suggesting that governments also have moral obligations, as prophets in the Bible often addressed nations regarding their treatment of foreigners.

Again, putting aside the fact that we live in a society that is ruled by secular law, the Bible’s recognition of borders and civil authority does not override its commands to welcome and care for migrants.

Pope Leo is not a U.S. official—he is the spiritual and moral leader of Catholics worldwide. His call to “welcome the stranger” offers guidance for leaders in line with Christian tradition.

As an American citizen and atheist, all this bible thumping is infuriating. When officials use bible verses to justify policies, we cross the Rubicon. America is a constitutional republic, not a theocracy. Mike Johnson and Donald Trump are elected officials who swore to uphold the Constitution, not a religion.

Here’s a suggestion: Treat everyone with respect and dignity and give all people, including the undocumented, the due process guaranteed them by the constitution.

What Would Jesus Do? (Music by Suno, Lyrics by Me).

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

From Maine to Minnesota

Miller’s hate
is at the gate
with ray-bans and zip ties
their fascist heart
a devil’s dart
aimed at the civilized

Masked men with guns
behave like Huns
to meet Millers ugly quota
they brutalize and terrorize
from Maine to Minnesota

A bloated king
doles out their bling
they ask me for my papers
I scream bells will toll
and heads will roll
for pedophiles and rapers

Full mags and clips
they carry chips
of grievance on their shoulder
the hateful raids
of ice brigades
turn citizens to soldiers

We’re all bereaved
its hard to breathe
with black boots on our neck
our blood congeals
they make you kneel
their violence goes unchecked

A bloated king
doles out their bling
they ask me for my papers
I scream bells will toll
and heads will roll
for pedophiles and rapers

Get in their way
they’ll pepper spray
and push you to the ground
You have no say, in the USA
when Ice Men are around

We fight for Alex Pretti
We fight for Renee Good
We fight against oppressors
and for the common good

A bloated king
doles out their bling
they ask me for my papers
I scream bells will toll
and heads will roll
for pedophiles and rapers

Check out the song for these lyrics on Suno.com

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

What Happened to Political Protest Songs?

In these turbulent times, why don’t we have protest songs like we used to?

What cultural or sociological changes have made the protest song less popular?

Why Protest Songs Once Thrived

During the 1960s-70s, the economics and centralized nature of the music industry, combined with a shared identity amongst America’s youth (cemented by America’s role in the Vietnam War), provided fertile ground for protest songs to gain popularity.

In the America of the 1960s-70s, young, college-educated, middle-class Americans (a significant demographic) aligned with the counterculture, civil rights, and anti-war movements. This alignment allowed protest songs to find a home in the collective conscience of a generation of young Americans.

The conditions that led to the popularity of protest songs in the 1960s-70s included:

  • Mass movements: Civil rights and anti-war protests created collective spaces where songs unified crowds.
  • Limited media outlets: Radio and television amplified protest songs as rallying cries, giving them cultural dominance.
  • Shared identity: Songs like Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” or Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” became shorthand for generational values.

Why Protest Songs Declined

Protest songs haven’t disappeared, but their cultural role has shifted due to the following conditions:

  • Fragmented music culture: Streaming platforms and niche genres mean fewer “universal” hits that everyone hears.
  • Commercial pressures: Record labels often avoid overtly political content to maximize global market appeal.
  • Social media activism: Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram now serve as protest tools, reducing reliance on music as the primary vehicle for dissent.
  • Individualized expression: Protest today often emphasizes personal identity and micro-activism rather than collective anthems.
  • Cultural fatigue: In turbulent times, audiences may feel overwhelmed, turning to escapism rather than politicized art.

Today, activism often happens through digital platforms, fragmented music genres, and individualized expression rather than mass sing-alongs. Changes have made protest songs less central to political movements.

So, while video killed the radio star in the 1980s, changes in the music industry, commercialization, and the rise of social media may have killed the political protest song today — and that’s a fucking shame, because if there was ever a time for unifying the power of music against political corruption and maleficence, it’s today.

Here are some political protest songs’ that I’ve been working on (my lyrics, Suno’s music). Feel free to share or comment on them!

SongAbout the Lyrics
Barbarians at the Gate (Version 1)   Barbarians at the Gate (Version 2)Donald Trump won’t be around forever (thank God) – but his impact will linger like a fart in a closet. Trump provides a blueprint for other candidates who might possess similar autocratic tendencies. This song is a “heads-up” about the barbarians who will gather at the gates of our democracy once Trump is dead and gone.
Hey Fascist, Catch  These lyrics are from a poem I wrote after the Charlie Kirk assassination. It’s about how dangerously divided America is and the potential for spiraling political violence that seems increasingly likely in the second Trump term.
Get a Load of ElonI wrote the poem “Get a Load of Elon” after seeing the sickening footage of that smiling dirtbag laughing it up and swinging a chainsaw around like some fake-ass efficiency hero. Fuck that guy and everything he represents. I think Suno captured the tone I was looking for on this one.
The Orange KingDonald Trump is my fat, ugly muse. There, I said it. Shame on everyone who voted for this criminal, and fuck all the cowards in Congress who are failing to stand up to this two-bit thug. And that’s all I have to say about this song.  
The Orange MorassI came up with these lyrics based on a poem I wrote in 2017 called “Resist”, which was about pushing back against Donald Trump and his policies, which I saw as an existential threat to America’s democracy. I added several new verses for the song and reworked the verse that would become the chorus. I can see the Dixie Chicks or Dolly Parton belting this out. I’m not a big fan of country or rockabilly music, but I think that musical style works well with the words here.
Oligarchic KingsSuno and I, channeling our best Pat Benatar impression. I wrote the poem “Oligarchic Kings” recently and published it on my blog. I changed it quite a bit for the song version.  
Neo-Fascist-Oligarchic-ExpialidociousWhen I wrote this poem originally, I wrote it to the cadence of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from “Mary Poppins” and included it in my book “Imagine There’s No Donald” (available on Amazon😉 ). I asked Suno to create a power-pop song from the poem. It’s the only poem I used as is (not changing any of the words). It’s a campy/poppy version of a Disney classic.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

My AI Music Project

For the last several weeks, I’ve been pushing my poems through the Suno AI music generator to see how they work as song lyrics.

I’m no Suno expert. In fact, I’m sure that I’m barely scratching the surface of its capabilities.

My process is simple (bordering on rudimentary).

  • I copy and paste a poem from my blog into the “Lyrics” window in the Suno song generator.
  • I enter a free-form description of the music style to use for the poem. For example: “Rap, Hip Hop, with Grunge Guitar licks, Female Vocals“.
  • I add a title for the song and click Create.

Suno generates two songs based on the criteria I entered. Next, I listen to the songs. I can tell right away whether I like what I hear, and often, I delete the song only after the first few bars. Other times, I find that some of my lyrics “work” nicely, while others don’t flow with the music and need tweaking.

I usually have the lyrics open in a text document as I listen to the song, pausing to rework my phrasing to better match the song’s cadence and rhythm. I add or delete verses, move chunks of text around, then have Suno create a new version of the song (with the same criteria). When I have the new songs with my lyrical updates, I go through the same listening and editing exercise.

It’s a very iterative process—and probably not the best way to use the tool. I haven’t managed to fiddle with the remixing and song editing features.

Poems don’t always have a verse-chorus structure commonly found in songs, so reworking these poems into lyrics often involves coming up with a memorable/catchy chorus. That has been the most fun and challenging part of this project.

Some poems that I envisioned as rap or hip-hop songs end up sounding better as rockabilly/country western songs. Switching the vocals from male to female can give a song an entirely new feel.

With Suno, I’ve repurposed my poems into thoughtful, memorable, and singable songs, even though I have no musical skills (I’m not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s definitely a thing). The following table summarizes my “collaborations” with Suno that are publicly available for listening.

I’d love to hear what folks think of these songs or of AI music in general. Post your comments here or on Suno. And please follow me on either platform.

SongAbout the Lyrics
Baby Teeth and BulletsThese lyrics are from a poem I wrote years ago after a spate of school shootings. I really like how Suno split the lyrics between male and female vocalists without me specifically directing it. I always heard this poem musically in my head, even when I was writing it. And, I always envisioned a female vocalist singing the “I see angels” part – it was like Suno was reading my mind on how to turn this poem into a song. Favorite Verse: I’m the isolated Incel The bullet in the gun The angry white American Who’s blaming everyone I’m the cryptic manifesto The video online The AR-15 lover-boy Who grew-up Columbine
Pierced Hearts and SorrowI wrote the poem “Pierced Hearts and Sorrow” after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. I also wrote a short story titled “That Final Hug” inspired by that horrible day. I’d gladly give up this type of inspiration if it meant fewer mass shootings where children are murdered in their classrooms. I hate that I feel compelled to write these types of poems. I think Suno captured the mood and tone of what I was trying to convey with my words. Favorite Lyric: We live in a land of pierced hearts and sorrow no shooting today? just wait till tomorrow In a fog of futility explicably numb we reach for our heartstrings but there’s nothing to strum
Hey Fascist, Catch  These lyrics are from a poem I wrote after the Charlie Kirk assassination. It’s about how dangerously divided America is and the potential for spiraling political violence that seems increasingly likely in the second Trump term.   Favorite Verse: We ought to run from martyrdom not pin it to our chest not canonize the hateful guys who scream that they know best
Ashes to AshesI wrote a poem called “Ashes to Ashes” ten or more years ago. I fiddled with it and published it on my blog about 5 years ago. With some significant edits and a revamped chorus, here it is with Suno’s light touch. Favorite Verse: We stretch our souls tight on a drum We beat it bare till it goes numb We feel the eyes of everyone
Fury and FlowBored one afternoon, I challenged myself to write a poem about Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. With Suno’s assistance, here is the musical version of that poem.   Favorite Verse: Tracing the stitch on her pillow she imagines the blood in her veins she chases the witch up a willow till the beat of her heart starts to wane  
The GlenI wrote the poem this song is based on about a month or so ago. It takes a familiar place for Portsmouth, RI, residents (The Glen) and builds a song about the realities of relationships around that place. I trimmed the poem quite a bit for the song and changed some wording. In fact, the verse about chasing fireflies does not appear in the poem at all. That verse came to me as I was listening to the rhythm of the music, and it turned out to be my favorite lyric in the song. I chose a country-western style, which I think works nicely. Favorite Verse: The fireflies we used to chase went dark forever without a trace and we chose to leave love’s warm embrace
Get a Load of ElonI wrote the poem “Get a Load of Elon” after seeing the sickening footage of that smiling dirtbag laughing it up and swinging a chainsaw around like some fake-ass efficiency hero. Fuck that guy and everything he represents. I think Suno captured the tone I was looking for on this one. Favorite Verse: He pulled into Washington Black MAGA cap on his head He spent a ton of cash put a felon in our bed
The Orange KingDonald Trump is my fat, ugly muse. There, I said it. Shame on everyone who voted for this criminal, and fuck all the cowards in Congress who are failing to stand up to this two-bit thug. And that’s all I have to say about this song. Favorite Lyric: My heart is full of pennies there’s no light inside my eyes there’s only room for Donny and all that I despise My mind is fully tainted I can’t connect the dots I’m more and more acquainted with Russian drones and bots  
Pandora’s Vox   Pandora’s Vox (Blues Version)I wrote a poem in May of 2024 titled “Bonjour, Borg”, which was about the headlong way we are embracing AI, without fully understanding the consequences. I reworked that poem, added a chorus, and handed it to Suno. I include two versions (a power pop version and a blues version). Favorite Lyric:   We’re messing with knowledge we don’t understand playing our cards without knowing our hand A sprint to the finish But where are we going? Dimmed and diminished We’ve no way of knowing  
New Boy ParanormalI wrote a poem in May of 2024 called “Boys in Distress”. I took bits and pieces from that poem and wrote the lyrics “New Boy Paranormal”. It’s about young adult men in America not being able to find their footing socially to the point where they retreat into a digital world of grievance, anger, and misogyny. This is an example of a previously written poem serving as a concept for new lyrics for a song. I wrote this specifically for Suno. The chorus:   Fiber-optic geldings alone inside their heads they bathe in Incel chatrooms masturbate beside their beds they’re the new-boy paranormal walking ghosts and talking shit the no-screw-boy semi-formal stalking post sand keeping fit is new and does not appear in “Boys in Distress” – I came up with it on the fly and added it after listening to Suno’s first attempt at creating the song from my poem. This song went through several renditions before I settled on a “Surf rock-influenced” beat. I smiled broadly when I heard the finished product for the first time. Favorite Verse: Fiber-optic geldings alone inside their heads they bathe in Incel chatrooms masturbate beside their beds
The Danger’s in PittsburghI wrote this poem about the climate crisis about 4 years ago. I kept the words pretty much the same for the musical version – just adding a second verse to the chorus. I can see Greta Thunberg belting this out on the bow of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior, with a hard-rocking band of Norwegian’s backing her. Greta, if you’re interested, text me. 😊 Favorite Verse: The dangers in Pittsburg the dangers in Norway wherever we live it’s outside our doorway The science is speaking the numbers aren’t lying The danger is global With temperatures rising  
The Orange MorassI came up with these lyrics based on a poem I wrote in 2017 called “Resist”, which was about pushing back against Donald Trump and his policies, which I saw as an existential threat to America’s democracy. I added several new verses for the song and reworked the verse that would become the chorus. I can see the Dixie Chicks or Dolly Parton belting this out. I’m not a big fan of country or rockabilly music, but I think that musical style works well with the words here. Favorite Verse: He belittles and threatens those who oppose him He stomps up and down screams America chose him!
Love GrenadeThe phrase “love grenade” came into my head when I was noodling around a text file. I created this song entirely around that one phrase. No previous poem for this rocker – it just came to me very quickly, all of it from that one phrase “love grenade” – I like the vibe of the music that Suno generated – it’s got a female punk energy that’s fun to listen to (at least to me it is). Favorite Verse: You’re the drunken saint of unrestraint the banger at the ball a bourbon shot without a plot a fist inside the brawl
Oligarchic KingsSuno and I, channeling our best Pat Benatar impression. I wrote the poem “Oligarchic Kings” recently and published it on my blog. I changed it quite a bit for the song version. Favorite Verse: Oligarchic Kings are here to clip your wings to wrap a rope around your throat to cast dark shadows over hope to crush your dreams of better days to dress your colors in shades of greys  
Neo-Fascist-Oligarchic-ExpialidociousWhen I wrote this poem originally, I wrote it to the cadence of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from “Mary Poppins” and included it in my book “Imagine There’s No Donald” (available on Amazon😉 ). I asked Suno to create a power-pop song from the poem. It’s the only poem I used as is (not changing any of the words). It’s a campy/poppy version of a Disney classic. Favorite Verse: Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious Elon-Bezos-Zuckerberg are really quite atrocious We need to fight them in the streets and call them on their grossness Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious
Seeped in the 70sWhen I was a youngster (I’m talking elementary school age), I remember “feeling” the news of the times – Watergate and Vietnam were in the news all the time. And though I was just a child and could not comprehend the realities swirling around me, I could sense a tension in the air – parents and other adults in heated conversations, the constant coverage of Watergate and Vietnam seeping into our subconscious among all the wonderful distractions of childhood at that time. That’s what inspired me to write the poem that this song’s about.   Favorite Verse: Watergate was all around in our sight and in our sound on the news and in the paper the Viet Cong and foiled caper It lurked and hovered overhead Pages written and words were said it wormed its way into our head that innocence was finally dead  
Too Small to See Too Small to See (Surf-Rock) versionI wrote a poem titled “Too Small to See” some 20 years ago after reading Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice,” which is about “the destructive power of human emotions, suggesting the world could end through either fiery desire or icy hate, with both leading to the same annihilation, equating intense passion (fire) with destructive greed/lust and cold indifference (ice)” – I remember taking more literal slant on the subject of human mortality against the backdrop of an e-bola outbreak, which made me think that the way humanity ends is less likely to be from nuclear annihilation or climate-related disaster and more likely to be something “too small to see” – like a virus – When COVID came along it only reinforced my belief that our angel of death will be too small to see, killing us all, infectiously. I used to Suno to create two versions of this song with different styles (I’m not sure which one I like better). Favorite Verse: We’ll end with a whimper viral, tiny, and small from something we caught on our trip to the mall  
Time Misspent in WonderlandThis song combines verses from two separate poems I wrote a few years back – one about regret and the other about a post-apocalyptic world. The result here is both bleak and sweet.   Favorite Verse: Some people start to gather shake their fists and curse the sun while others mumble silently quoting Nietzsche and Carl Jung
Mangled by the Madness     This song is based on a poem I wrote, which was published in Beyond Words Literary Magazine a few years back. I did not change any words in the poem. I just added a chorus, and Suno did the rest.   Favorite Verse: With a never-ending stipend of more than you can bear an abundant over-ripened softened fruit of deep despair