Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
1982 | Punk
“A giant game of chess they play with you and I as the disposable pieces. -- Drunk with power, obsessed with death Death and destruction, drunk with power.”
Trivia
- Discharge was formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-Trent with Terence "Tez" Roberts on vocals and Royston "Rainy" Wainwright on guitar.
- 1982's Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, which was the number one punk album of all time in a poll by Terrorizer magazine.
- Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, hit #2 on the UK Indie Charts and #40 on the UK Album Chart.
THE HOT TAKES
Luke Tatum
I'm right in line with Nick on this one. Reading Bastiat's "The Law" was a big game changer for me. Men and women are the no different just because they are elected to political office. Furthermore, there's no reason to suspect that just because they have won a popularity contest that this somehow means they are fit for the job either. As Bastiat would say: Are these men cut from a different cloth than the rest of mankind? The question answers itself. Or, as J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in a letter to his son: "The most improper job of any man, even saints (who are at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity." So again, is someone who won a popularity contest somehow proving competence? No. They are only proving their skill in being political, which is the very last thing on the list of traits you would seek in a leader.
Sherry Voluntary
Is it just me, or does anyone else think this band wants to be Motorhead? An image came into my mind as I listened to this song inspired by these lyrics, “A giant game of chess they play With you and I As the disposable pieces.” It reminded me of that kid in Toy Story that all of the toys were afraid of because he was so destructive. He had no cares about cost, or ruining the toy, or even who it belonged to, he only cared about doing what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it. Sounds just like politicians, they will argue for how sovereign the borders of the US are, all while invading other nations without a care for their sovereignty, all because they have the power to. Who is gonna stop the mighty American military. My god I hope Karma is not a collectivist, because if so, we’re all gonna suffer for this mess.
Nicky P
The big issue that always comes with talking about liberty to hardcore statists is getting them to understand it’s not utopian impulses that bring anarchists to their position. Quite the contrary, it’s my own knowledge of mans failings that drives my political position. I don’t live in a place where people who work for the government are a special class of benevolent beings who can strip themselves of earthly desires to make decisions with the greater good as a prime motivator. That idea sounds like utter fantasy to me. The government is made up of real people like you and I, susceptible to the same impulses and motivations. When you concede that the government isn’t a benevolent referee in the room, it’s just a collection of real people with instincts to protect their jobs and incomes to protect their families we start seeing a different incentive structure emerge. We all become drunk with power when our families survival depends on the income derived from that power. It’s a natural reaction to use our power to make life better for those around us. The best way to ensure power is not abused is to simply remove the carrot. A common misconception is that anarchists are against organization. This is not so, we’re against force and special classes of people. I’m not against police, I’m against police with a monopoly on violence acting above the law. A path of recourse is the imperative and political power undermines that.