The Voice – "Train to Disaster" (1965)

The world is on its way

Every passenger will pay

If he stays on the train to disaster

On May 1, Marc Elrich – the County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland (where I’ve lived for many years) – issued the following statement about a demonstration by students at a local high school:

Today is International Labor Day – a day celebrated around the world to honor workers and their struggles.  

Here in the U.S., it’s generally not recognized because past leaders worried it would connect American workers to radicals and the international workers’ movement.  That history matters, and it’s all the more reason to remember and uplift this day.

This year, Americans are using May Day to call out the damage being done to workers under the Trump administration – from federal workers to farmworkers and beyond.

I was thrilled to talk to a group of Richard Montgomery High School students who walked out this morning to declare that they will not accept the destructive policies of this administration.  Their energy and resolve are a powerful reminder that the fight for workers’ rights is still very much alive.

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A statement issued by the students said that they walked out of school to defend democracy and protest the rising threat of fascism and “broligarchy” (whatever that is) in the United States.

“Our freedom doesn’t come for free – every couple of generations has to fight for democracy and civil rights, and now it’s our turn,” said the organizer of the protest.  “Students have always punched above our weight in history – and we are just getting started.  Fascism grows when people are silent.  It’s up to us to be as loud as possible.” 

Not to be a nitpicker, but I don’t see anything in the students’ statement about workers’ rights.  It looks to me like County Executive Elrich badly wanted to make a statement about that issue, and didn’t let the fact that the student protest was actually about something else entirely get in the way.

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I doubt that any of the students will complain about the county executive hijacking their protest.  After all, they not only got away with skipping school – they won praise from Elrich for doing so.

I would have issued a somewhat different statement if I had been in the county executive’s shoes – i.e., “ALL YOU PROTESTERS BETTER GET YOUR ASSES BACK IN CLASS TOOT SWEET!”

Here’s another thing.  Those students could have scheduled their protest for a Saturday instead of missing class – right?  

Before County Executive Elrich got into politics, he was a teacher, so you’d think he would be wise to student tricks.  But he taught 5th grade, and 5th graders aren’t as clever as high schoolers.  (Based on the Elrich statement quoted above, being a 5th-grade teacher doesn’t require you to know much about American history.)

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I’m not sure that the title of today’s featured record – “Train to Disaster” – is a fair description of Marc Elrich’s reign as Montgomery County Executive.

But I’m not sure that it isn’t.

I featured “Train to Disaster” – a very obscure single by a very obscure band – about six weeks ago.

When 2 or 3 lines features a record for a second time, it’s usually because 2 or 3 lines doesn’t remember featuring it the first time.  

I don’t think I’ve ever forgotten featuring a record quite so quickly – six weeks isn’t a very long time.  But this might be a sign of things to come, so don’t be surprised if you see another 2 or 3 lines post featuring “Train to Disaster” sometime soon.

Having said that, I will say that “Train to Disaster” is a stick of dynamite.  Those of you who missed the first “Train to Disaster” post should consider yourselves fortunate that you’re getting a second bite at the apple.

Click here to listen to “Train to Disaster.”

Click here to buy the recording from Amazon.