Had Lennon Lived

John Lennon was born during the bombing of Liverpool in WWII. He came into this world in the middle of some of the worst violence of the last century and he left through violence.

The CW—conspiratorial wisdom—is that John Lennon was murdered by agents of the Reagan Administration who knew what their plans were for Central America in the early 80s when Lennon emerged from reclusion and did not want Lennon interfering with their anti-communist crusade as he had with Nixon’s in Vietnam.

Jon Weiner wrote “Gimme Some Truth: The John Lennon FBI Files” to explore the FBI’s surveillance of the ex-Beatle during his era of radical politics in the early 70s. The documentary “The US vs. John Lennon” explores the same.

It does not matter why Lennon was killed because nothing will change that fact. However, had he lived, we may well be living in a different world now. The same could be imagined if Bob Marley, who died in May 1981, had lived.

A couple of months ago I wrote a post espousing my theory that we would not have a president Barack Obama today had Michael Jackson’s influence not been felt in America especially for the last three decades.

The same is true with Lennon. Had Lennon lived he would most likely have focused first on his music and being a father. He had a young son to raise and an older son to get to know.

If memory serves, Lennon said in the Playboy interview that he had plans to do new versions of “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. “Milk and Honey” would have had some new songs and he would surely have worked with a wide variety of musicians. He would have appeared on the 1981 Grammy’s to universal adulation.

The Beatles would have certainly re-united for the Anthology albums and, chances are, they may have re-united for new Lennon and McCartney collaborations and Harrison compositions from their matured perspective to help us look back at the 60s and project those values of peace and love throughout the 80s, 90s and now on an album or two or more and perhaps even a handful of performances—especially in Liverpool and maybe Hamburg—almost always for a worthy cause.

Perhaps Lennon would have teamed with his son Julian. Perhaps Julian would not have even pursued a career had his father lived.

He may have worked with Oliver Stone on a film project or two. He almost certainly would have performed at the big anti-nuclear rally in Central Park in June 1982 that Dennis and I attended.


Had Lennon lived, he and McCartney would have been able to snatch their songs away from Michael Jackson and we’d be spared the abuse of Beatles’ songs by Target and whatever credit card/bank that commercial is for.

But Lennon’s greatest effect may have been politically. If Lennon had avoided politics, America’s involvement with the Contras would have ignited his awakening. A benefit concert for CISPES seems appropriate, where Lennon may have sung and recorded a new version of “Give Peace a Chance”. Maybe a solo album titled “The Savior”, the English translation of El Salvador, or “The Agency”.

As Iran Contra developed, that scandal’s political embarrassment for Reagan, North, et al would have whetted Lennon’s appetite for political blood and revenge against conservative American presidents and their self-serving egos.

He may have made some critical remarks in interviews or at rallies about Reagan, North et al which would have caused a stir. He may have re-united with Abbie Hoffman who had re-emerged by 1980 as well, and may have inspired Jerry Rubin to put aside his success in business long enough to get radical about Central America.

Having survived the Strom Thurmond-inspired plot to have the INS deny his Green Card and deport him, Lennon may have felt inspired and emboldened to take on Reagan and the CIA. He would certainly have inspired many to take on Reagan, North et al, which is the reason for his death that the conspiracy theory mentioned at the top of this post is based on.

Had Lennon lived perhaps Reagan, North et al would have imploded harder and Bush would have lost to Dukakis, who, if he won, would have lost to Bush in ’92—or Clinton—primarily because of the economy.

Had Lennon lived it may have been harder for the Christian Right to become as powerful as they had because Lennon would have skewered the right-wing Christian hypocrisy in Central America—and right here in the U.S.

“Imagine” may have been followed by another anthem, “Realize”. He would have performed in Berlin right after the fall of the wall since they performed several times in Hamburg before and after its construction. The wall’s fall was certainly in keeping with the world vision he expressed in “Imagine”.

He and Yoko may have introduced America to some form of self-help psychology on Oprah. And just for the hell of it, for a week, he and Yoko may have taken the center square on the New Hollywood Squares, hosted by John Davidson from 1986 to 1989.

The Internet would have been the perfect tool for Lennon’s peace movement. But the big question is: How would Lennon have reacted to September 11th?

I think he would have reacted by reaching out to Muslim activists and musicians, which means he would most definitely have worked with Salman Ahmad and Junoon. After all, Lennon was a major inspiration to Junoon founder Ahmad.

Through Ahmad, Lennon would have reached out his message of peace and “Imagine” throughout the Muslim world to any of those who would listen. And he would have succeeded.

I wrote about Junoon in two posts, one of the 52nd anniversary of Lennon meeting McCartney and another post three days later about Junoon.

The American government feared Lennon in the 70s because of his influence over America’s youth. As Lennon got older and there were new generations of youth, Lennon’s influence would have naturally grown much bigger.

The changes he could have helped bring about are left to all of our imaginations. And isn’t that what he said. I think what is most important to be remembered about Lennon is he used his imagination as a tool.

We must all do the same.

Lennon was a Libra—the most powerful star sign in the whole zodiac. Librans understand what I mean.

Sorry, just a little astrological elitism.

Here’s one of my favorite Lennon songs:

Zelaya Coup

I usually don’t take requests. I’m not a lounge singer or a disc jockey or a dish washer (“More sauté pans, please!”). I’m in a more noble profession. I am a blogist—the artistically correct term for one who writes blogs. One who creates art is an artist. Therefore one who creates blogs is a blogist.

However, I also usually don’t get any emails either. So when my first email asked for my thoughts on the coup in Honduras, I was a bit frightened. Since Michael Jackson did not die in Honduras, I must admit I have not paid any attention to news reports about the Zelaya coup.

However, much of what I have read believes the coup was CIA orchestrated like the one attempted against Bolivian president Evo Morales last September. I do not doubt it one bit.

So the guy who used words like “hope” and “change” to get elected, is president of a coup and CIA-instigated destabilization throughout Latin America. Is this something he inherited like Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs or did he know before hand? Reportedly, the groundwork for this coup was laid by John Negroponte last year.

Also reportedly, soldiers going to Iraq are trained in Honduras for exterminating the populations of towns and villages. Hard to believe? George Washington, the father of our country, was called the “town destroyer” and “town burner” by the Iroquois because he burned Indian villages during the Revolution. Apparently America has a long history of this.

Some see this coup and the tensions between the militaries and civilian governments of other countries throughout Latin America as a return to the military dictatorships of the 70s. That should concern us all. Given the fact that the U.S. established military bases in Honduras during the Contra war and that drug trafficking is entrenched in Honduras says the United States never intended to let Honduras be truly free from our domination.

Clinton called Zelaya “reckless” when he stepped one foot inside Honduras from the Nicaraguan border to declare he will return to power. What the hell was that supposed to mean? I can only imagine what Jesse Helms would say and do in the face of this coup—he would rejoice and call Zelaya a communist. Far from the ferocity of Clinton’s comment.

What I find curious in all this is the reaction of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. He is against the coup, but he himself attempted a coup in 1992 against former Venezuelan president Carlos Andrés Pérez. Chavez and Bolivian president Evo Morales think it may have even been a CIA job like the attempt to overthrow him last September.

With the news that Dick Cheney wanted to send troops to Lackawanna, New York to arrest Yemeni-Americans rather than the FBI makes me wonder if there is a momentum of burgeoning right-wing militarism right here that may become more apparent especially in the next Republican president cheerleaded on by Cheney.

After all, Cheney and Helms (who was perhaps America’s biggest champion of right-wing South American military dictatorships) were good friends, both believed in doing what they wanted and in letting Congress or the courts deal with their illegalities which went uninvestigated and unpunished.

For me, the litmus test in any leadership question in the Western Hemisphere (including the U.S.) is how they treat their indigenous peoples. Apparently, Chavez’s socialism doesn’t extend to them.

However, Honduran indigenous leaders are calling for Zelaya’s return to the presidency, saying the referendum was meant to rewrite the Constitution and give them greater political power. That seems to me to be a gold embossed invitation for the Honduran military to overthrow Zelaya, I don’t know.

Further, a press release by the Indigenous Coordinating Body of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean (CIMCA) says that the coup is a throwback to a darker time:

“The military during the ’80s lead abominable operations against the civil populations, as is being done now by coup President Micheletti who is calling on these same men to be his advisors. This means that there is a latent and serious danger to the lives of all indigenous leaders and those of others in the social movements.”

South and Central America will obviously never become stable until America truly changes. But how can America change when those of us who elected our current president for the purpose of change don’t really trust him now?

This is intriguing. More about Obama’s CIA adventures in the coming weeks. .

I have come to the conclusion that returning Zelaya to power is something for the Impossible Missions Force.

Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to weaken the Honduran military and return Zelaya to office.

For those who need to hear it, here it is: the Mission Impossible opening, an extended version.

Pay close attention at 00:18. It looks like someone is about to be water boarded. Someone is holding a nose and shoving a cloth into an open mouth.