Iteration

This is the best songever written. I don't know where boynigga got his retarded idea.

I see a few comments I agree with and a few I disagree with, even if we all agree that this song kicks ass. I would like to synthesize this discussion and add my own perspective about the back story of the song and about the ending.

Punkpirate is correct that this song is about Donald Rumsfeld being tried for war crimes for his participation in the Afghan and Iraq wars (see his/her post - it is good!). But what I would like to point out is that he is included with a whole other group of people as war profiteers: "He’s nothing more than a number on a docket thick with shareholders, engineers, PR firms, politicians: war-profiteers." If we focus too much on the biopic of Rumsfeld, we miss the larger statement about the systemic causes of war and imperialism, which include technocrats, capitalists, and perhaps just the average worker who is either unreflective about, and so unaware of, their complicity in this type of system, or aware of it but feels compelled to keep "doing the job" because one must eat, pay the bills, feed the kids, etc. For example, an engineer sent to Iraq to rebuild the nation stands to make a lot of money. Is he or she a war profiteer? I mean, they did materially benefit from a war; one might say they got paid because the lives of others were destroyed. Such an engineer either doesn't understand or doesn't care that this is the context in which they are making money. Ultimately, it is about more than Rumsfeld - it is about the complex relations between financial institutions, the state, the military, and business interests (the military-industrial complex), which all drive international conflict and imperialism.

As far as Rumsfeld and understanding his complicity in the system, Chris implies that he understands and doesn't care, defending himself with a laughable response of "I didn't know": "the laughter from the gallery drowns out these vestiges of a profession’s oldest defense. The court will direct the record to reflect compliments from the bench; you sir, are central casting’s crowning achievement." He is thus sentence to clean up the desert of the landmines he sent there.

As for the ending, as some have pointed out, the lyrics read, "Time and tide, no one can anticipate the inevitable waves of change", but the Chris only sings, "Time and tide, no one can anticipate the inevitable waves of..." He never says change; the guitar solo just comes in and replaces the vocals. Some have said this is an optimistic ending, but I disagree. The lyrics read "inevitable waves" of change but change never comes in the song. When you hear it, you wonder what comes after "of" and you look up the lyrics. You see "change" on paper, you expect change to come, but it doesn't. Instead of saying "change", the lead guitar comes in and replaces the vocals; for the rest of the song, the only change is the lead guitar, while the rhythm guitar, drums and bass stay the same, unchanged. The guitar solo is shouting for change but the underlying structures of the song (and of society) are unimpeded. Metaphorically, it doesn't matter how much or how loud you shout, because just as a lead guitar doesn't alter the accompaniment, talking changes nothing. It is more difficult to change things than it seems. And the song just fades out with no change at all. Whereas Propagandhi's previous album, Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes ends with a relatively optimistic lyric/solo combo, Potemkin City Limits ends more disheartened, possibly signaling the onset of pessimism that is depicted by the photo of "Greg Lambert" in a robe, on a mattress, with a shotgun in the liner notes of the album.

As with everyone else, I get chills when I listen to his song because it lays out a great vision of the future; however, I think that great vision is undermined by a pessimistic turn in the last moments of the track, reminding us that "Iteration" is also just a speculative fiction.

The Donald on trial in this song is Donald Rumsfeld, on trial for crimes against humanity, He is astonished to be in that situation, as he is a millionaire and has always been given special treatment. The judge realizes that too many lives have been taken as a result of Rumsfeld for any punishment to truly be fitting, so he sentences him to a lifetime of removing un-detonated landmines under the supervision of a survivor of a past war.

Brilliant. This song gives me chills every time, especially the end. A great end to a great album.

I agree with punkpirate. The end of this song always gives me chills, especially when he says, "His dead daughter's picture."

I like the positive note that the song ends on. No matter how bad our situation seems now, (with the current U.S. administration starting wars, and with anything else that needs changing) "no one can anticipate the inevitable waves of change."

it's also cool cuz he doesn't say "change". i dunno why but i think its cool that he doesnt even bother to finish the last sentence of the last song on the record.

its what puinkpirate said

this is the most awsome song ever written seriously such a brilliant way to package that topic

especially the end gives me chills with that guitar solo and the synthesizers

This is an absolutely awe-inspiring song. I won't say best on the album, since I probably couldn't pick a single song to be best from Potemkin City Limits, but there certainly are none better.

Inevitable waves of....

fuckin right on..

To compare my interpretations of "Iteration" and "Purina Hall of Fame", see songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858565166/

this song means that gays, blacks, and jews are superior to whites and hispanics