What can the Beatles documentary teach us about how people think? This edition will focus on some background of the Beatles and examine the stories around them with references to global politics. Thank you for subscribing, and if you enjoy reading this, please forward the newsletter to your friends. ~ Kevin
The Beatles are the greatest band in music. No other group has a song collection comparable to Yesterday, Hide Your Love Away, Day Tripper, Help!, and In My Life. They also had a uniform and yet dynamic sound. There are also endless rumors around the band. These rumors all predate communication mediums (such as social media) that are often associated with causing contemporary events. These range from the ludicrous speculation that McCartney was dead (and the message was “proven” by listening to the album backward) to the more innocuous curiosity around the opening chord in Hard Day’s Night.
However, no narrative has persisted as consistently and dramatically, without grounding, then the causes of the Beatles’ break up. It is almost as if for the devoted fan a direct answer would be unsatisfactory. Many people’s brains want a grand story to explain a great end to the greatest band. This is where narratives fit into the process. We may seek a story that satisfies us more than one that fits reality.
The primary argument was that John Lennon’s close girlfriend, Yoko Ono, was the cause of the demise of the band. Part of this is scapegoating an outsider. It is also because people assume a change in one area (a girlfriend) is the source of other changes (the end of the Beatles) when in fact the dynamics within the band were the main issue. In fact, the main change was the continuous development of George Harrison as a writer who didn’t fit into the arrangement of the early Beatles.
There are plenty of rumors about the role Ono played in the demise. However, as we know, rumors don’t have to be bound to facts. Now we have hours of documentary footage that show the creative process from the Beatles in the recording studio. It shows the brilliance of how they developed the ideas and continuous humor in the studio. There was little drama although signs of creative differences were apparent. (see the discussion about Harrison). The constantly argued idea that Ono dominated the recording process is shown clearly to be a fallacy. She is present and listening but is not involved in the creation or recording process.
What is your favorite Beatles song? Please let me know in your comments.
International Affairs
We see a much more insidious dynamic around Russia’s President Putin and his narratives. For decades he has focused a domestic grievance around Russia’s decline in power and shifted it on to Ukraine. Putin not only sees the demise of the Soviet Union as a catastrophe he judges all Russian leaders based on whether they expanded or contracted Russian territory. This hyper sense of nationalism generally transcends Russia’s two most recent economic systems in favor of planning. His brand of planning involves the coexistence of a powerful country and a powerful leader. He even wrote about planning in his dissertation which we will explore in an upcoming briefing.
You can learn more, at a briefing of the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the Bowling Green, KY Knicely Center on March 24th at 3PM. All folks interested are welcome.
Note:
Thank you for subscribing and reading this newsletter. After taking a break from writing I am ready to restart after learning some new recipes, starting a new job, and getting a new home. I finally have a home in my hometown! The writing plan is to post about every few weeks to a month. I would really value any feedback you have or questions on global affairs, economics, or politics.
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