The cultural resource I have chosen that represents an imagined alternative to the conditions in which it was created is John Lennon’s song “Imagine.“
“Imagine” was released in 1971, following the aftermath of the Vietnam War, growing civil rights concerns, and the erosion of public trust in the government due to the Watergate scandal.
In this song, Lennon encourages the audience to imagine an alternative world to the one they lived in in the 70’s. He encourages us to imagine a world without borders, war, violence, greed, or hunger.
“Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too”
These lyrics reflect his criticism of war and senseless deaths, along with his disdain for the division and prejudice caused by differing religious views or nationalities.
“Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man”
In the early 1970s, capitalist industrialized countries experienced an economic boom after enacting the Agricultural Act of 1970, all while two million people around the world were starving to death due to these new policies.
Lennon encourages the audience to turn away from materialism and greed, yearning for a global society that takes care of each other as a family would.
“You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one”
John Lennon is expressing his hope that one day the world will be like the one he imagined; one that is free of hatred, senseless death, violence, and suffering. In these lyrics, he also encourages the audience to join those who share this dream of a united and peaceful world.
This imagined alternative to life in the 70s would require a lot of technological and systemic change. The world that Lennon imagines is one without borders separating nations, without division caused by nationality or religion.
This alternative world would not have a single occupant go hungry, as greed and materialism would not exist to encourage the unequal distribution of wealth and resources around the globe.
Over 50 years have passed and these are still issues that remain at the center of heated debates and policy issues. Border control and national security are still pressing issues, with President Donald Trump declaring building a physical wall to separate the U.S. from Mexico is one of his top priorities, rather than encouraging open borders.
We currently have the highest number of countries in conflict since World War II, with 56 conflicts around the world. This starkly differs from Lennon’s reimagined views on war, where the world would be at peace with no one dying to defend their country.
The operating system of our society is now based solely on economic growth, an ever-increasing rate of production and consumption that we will not be able to keep up with. This is the complete opposite of the possession-less, greedless society in Lennon’s imagined world.
Some elements are reflected in current conditions around the world, as many still advocate and protest for the social and political issues John Lennon touched upon in his song.
However, feelings of division have been rapidly increasing since the coronavirus outbreak and continue to divide those of differing political or social views.
While these issues are still around and impacting much of the world today, there are still dreamers who imagine and believe that society will one day evolve to allow for peace and equality for all.
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