Monday Music: Ukrainian Now

When I was growing up, Russia was acting as an atheistic totalitarian state, a threat to the free world, and a terror to Eastern Europe. Today, they act as an authoritarian state with the blessing of the Orthodox Church yet they are using the same old bag of tricks. Evil will co-opt any system. How are we to respond in the face of such oppression?

We can refuse to get comfortable with authoritarian ideas whether they are under a Russian banner or the product of our own home-grown fascism. We can declare our solidarity with the oppressed as Tom Paxton and John McCrutheon have done with their new song, "Ukrainian Now."

 

From the YouTube site:

Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon have written a heartfelt, stirring song, "Ukrainian Now," that touches us all. Noel Paul Stookey edited this beautiful video that includes the voices of Peter Yarrow, Bill Miller, Tret Fure, Holly Near, Emma's Revolution, Rebel Voices, Crys Matthews, Carrie Newcomer, Christine Lavin and Joe Jencks - whose playing of the electric bouzouki adds a haunting complement to the piano of McCutcheon. The lyrics scroll across the screen and the sheet music is at the end. Please share far and wide. As Holly says at the video's conclusion, "We are all Ukrainian, now..."

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