Stars and Stripes of Corruption
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cause them to turn against others and begin a process of increasing
destructiveness” (26).
An important component of Dead Kennedys’ critique of fascistic
America involves the group’s unwavering antiwar stance. For example, in the
1986 song, “Potshot Heard Round the World,” the band chastises not only the
American armed forces for turning people into killing machines, but also
lannbastes a human species that historically has been hell-bent on destroying
itself. Biafra wails:
Hey! Yo! We’re the United States Marines
we know you’ve all been killing each other
for at least two thousand years . . .
We want people boiling for revenge in their living rooms
so we can play shoot-em-up anywhere we choose
and our backers can cash in
without the public asking questions.
Meanwhile, the 1986 antiwar song, “Rambozo the Clown,” argues that America
teaches its children to glorify war through mass-mediated messages, toys, and
video games. The song states:
War is sexy
war is fun
iron