Wow, how did I miss this thread. I, like northfolk, am a left of center labor organizer. I went through the period where I called myself "progressive" or anything else so that the other side couldn't peg me with a negative label. Until I realized the value in a label, and in your opposition spewing it out with venom. That is when I quit BSing myself and went back to being what I am, a left wing liberal trade unionist.

With regard to music that today's activists will listen to, when we write music that is relevant, they will listen. The various lists, beginning with Art's, gave us plenty of artists with relevant messages in the songs. The media has never given much time to songs with a political or social message unless it was cleaned and pretty for John and Jane Q. Public. Even Woody's music usually had two versions. And by the way, the song "This Land Is Your Land" was originally titled "God Blessed America". There were two verses in it that Woody was afraid would not be kept in in the future, and he was right, because you almost never hear them.

"One bright Sunday morning, in the shadow of the steeple, over by the relief office, I saw my people. And they were hungry, and they were wonderin', If this land was made for you and me".

The other verse is escaping me just now because it is after 1 a.m. and here I sit, but I will post it tomorrow.