#cultofpersonality — Public Fediverse posts

Barb McQuade: "Putting the current leader’s name and image on everything is an authoritarian move, designed to make him seem more present, more powerful, more invincible than he really is. It is a betrayal of American democracy, where power belongs to the people." #CultOfPersonality

WATCH: CM Punk Recreates Iconic Chicago Bulls Intro at WWE Elimination Chamber https://www.rawchili.com/nba/631928/ #AlanParsonsProject #Basketball #Bulls #Chicago #ChicagoBulls #ChicagoBulls #CMPunk #CultOfPersonality #EliminationChamber #FinnBalor #MichaelJordan #NBA #RayClay

RE: https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/@strypey/116094163457539913

#GenerationJones represented (and updated for the times)!

#LivingColor #CultOfPersonality

"A large banner featuring the face of Pres. Donald Trump was hung over an entrance to the Justice Department building in Washington, DC. Barbara McQuade wrote: "We are a nation of laws, not of men. This banner symbolizes a disgusting betrayal of our values."
#CultOfPersonality #Trump #politics

"A large banner featuring the face of Pres. Donald Trump was hung over an entrance to the Justice Department building in Washington, D.C. ...

David Frum said: “The Trump Department of Justice is a pure creature of presidential whim, retribution, and cover-up ― so this banner has the virtue of candor at least”:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-banner-department-of-justice_n_69980a7ce4b069f4556a9ff7?origin=home-latest-news-unit
#CultOfPersonality #Trump #NoJustice #NoPeace
#politics copy: @renewedresistance

Ken Dilanian wrote about this banner: "This is a stunning confirmation of the grim reality, which is that Donald Trump has seized control of the once independent Justice Department and is using it to pursue his political objectives—including trying to punish his perceived enemies. Exactly what his supporters baselessly accused the previous administration of doing.
#CultOfPersonality #politics #insanity

This obscene new banner appeared at the Department of Justice today. Trump's photo makes it arguably obscene.

Bill Kristol wrote: "No one should any longer pretend we have a Department of Justice. We have a Department of Trump."
#politics #CultOfPersonality #politics

#Listening to the 2023 remaster of Cult of Personality by Living Color;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mssfWohiig

Originally released on Vivid in 1998, I can't think of a song more apt for the times;

"I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your TV
Oh, I'm the cult of personality
I exploit you, still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
Oh, I'm the cult of personality
Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi
Oh, I'm the cult of personality"

#music #FunkMetal #LivingColor #CultOfPersonality

In the wake of Prime Minister Mark Carney's well-received speech in Davos, Switzerland recently, I thought it prudent to highlight one of the greatest rock songs ever written about political speeches and the politicians who utter them..."Cult of Personality" by Living Colour. This banger of a song won the 1989 Grammy for Best Rock Recording and the MTV award for Video of the Year. Click for the history or for the song, I'm just pleased to have you stop by. Enjoy. have a great rest of your day.

Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #78/250: Cult of Personality by Living Colour https://tommacinneswriter.com/2026/02/09/readers-choice-toms-top-tunessong-78-250-cult-of-personality-by-living-colour/ ##CultOfPersonality, ##DavosSpeech, ##LivingColour, ##MarkCarney, ##Music, ##NikitaKhrushchev, ##ReadersChoice/TomsTopTunes

In the wake of Prime Minister Mark Carney's well-received speech in Davos, Switzerland recently, I thought it prudent to highlight one of the greatest rock songs ever written about political speeches and the politicians who utter them..."Cult of Personality" by Living Colour. This banger of a song won the 1989 Grammy for Best Rock Recording and the MTV award for Video of the Year. Click for the history or for the song, I'm just pleased to have you stop by. Enjoy. have a great rest of your day.

Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #78/250: Cult of Personality by Living Colour https://tommacinneswriter.com/2026/02/09/readers-choice-toms-top-tunessong-78-250-cult-of-personality-by-living-colour/ ##CultOfPersonality, ##DavosSpeech, ##LivingColour, ##MarkCarney, ##Music, ##NikitaKhrushchev, ##ReadersChoice/TomsTopTunes

In the wake of Prime Minister Mark Carney's well-received speech in Davos, Switzerland recently, I thought it prudent to highlight one of the greatest rock songs ever written about political speeches and the politicians who utter them..."Cult of Personality" by Living Colour. This banger of a song won the 1989 Grammy for Best Rock Recording and the MTV award for Video of the Year. Click for the history or for the song, I'm just pleased to have you stop by. Enjoy. have a great rest of your day.

Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #78/250: Cult of Personality by Living Colour https://tommacinneswriter.com/2026/02/09/readers-choice-toms-top-tunessong-78-250-cult-of-personality-by-living-colour/ ##CultOfPersonality, ##DavosSpeech, ##LivingColour, ##MarkCarney, ##Music, ##NikitaKhrushchev, ##ReadersChoice/TomsTopTunes

In the wake of Prime Minister Mark Carney's well-received speech in Davos, Switzerland recently, I thought it prudent to highlight one of the greatest rock songs ever written about political speeches and the politicians who utter them..."Cult of Personality" by Living Colour. This banger of a song won the 1989 Grammy for Best Rock Recording and the MTV award for Video of the Year. Click for the history or for the song, I'm just pleased to have you stop by. Enjoy. have a great rest of your day.

Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #78/250: Cult of Personality by Living Colour https://tommacinneswriter.com/2026/02/09/readers-choice-toms-top-tunessong-78-250-cult-of-personality-by-living-colour/ ##CultOfPersonality, ##DavosSpeech, ##LivingColour, ##MarkCarney, ##Music, ##NikitaKhrushchev, ##ReadersChoice/TomsTopTunes

Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #78/250: Cult of Personality by Living Colour

When was the last time you heard a really good speech? I’m talking about a speech so good that it has gone down in the annals of history? A speech like Winston Churchill’s “Never Surrender” or JFK’s “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You…” or MLK’s “I Have a Dream” or even way back in time for Abraham Lincoln’s “Four Score and Seven Years Ago…” speeches. A truly historic speech is one in which the speaker helps their listeners to feel seen and understood by demonstrating a thorough grasp of whatever crisis happens to be unfolding at the time and then, most importantly, by providing a road map for everyone to follow so that they will feel safe and protected and, if luxury provides, even victorious in the end. A great political speech causes us to strive to be better versions of ourselves in a time of need. It steels our resolve and stiffens our backbone. It provides hope when things are at their bleakest. Regardless of what is going on, a truly great speech meets the moment.

In my lifetime, I haven’t heard a truly great and historic political speech authored in real time.. The closest I have come to hearing a great speech may have been Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau talking about the notion of a “just society” when I was still young or N.D.P. leader Jack Layton’s final opus before his tragic death where he intoned “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” But, generally speaking, the great mass of politicians in power during my lifetime have been mostly forgettable when it comes to the speeches they have delivered. They all blather on and on, making promises they have no power and/or intention of keeping. They speak to taking points and internal polling numbers rather than from the heart to our hearts. As such, as citizens we have become disinterested spectators in our own democratic process. Nowadays, when forced to listen to a political speech, we do so with expectations so low as to be almost non-existent.

That’s why Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum Conference in Davos, Switzerland is so noteworthy. P.M. Carney is more a financial expert than he is a regular politician so when he approached the podium in Davos, he brought a lot of credibility with him before uttering a single word. As the former head of the Bank of Canada during the stock market crash of the early 2000s and as head of the Bank of England during Brexit, Carney has developed a sterling reputation as being someone who can keep a cool head in a crisis and, most importantly for those financiers in attendance in Davos, he is someone who can shelter assets during turbulent financial times. In his speech, Carney managed to meet the moment by talking about the “rupture” of the old, rules-based world order led by the United States and of the importance, as middle powers like Canada, of charting our own course in the world. Carney spoke about the fears and uncertainty that had been paralyzing financial markets around the world in light of the unpredictable and increasingly predatory behaviour coming out of Washington. By acknowledging the fears of those in that conference room and by providing a roadmap for the future, Carney took on the appearance of a leader that the world needed at that exact moment in time. His Davos speech was met with near universal acclaim, earning a standing ovation from those who were present. The Carney-Davos speech has been deemed as an important speech, one that will be remembered when the history of this era is written. Time will tell if that, in fact, turns out to be true but, for now anyway, it ranks as one of the best speeches I have ever heard from a politician in my lifetime. *(You can listen to it in its entirety here. You can read the full text, if you prefer, here and judge for yourself).

However, I am not the only person who enjoys a good speech. Did you know that there is a Grammy-winning song that stands as a repository of some of the greatest political speeches of all time? It is true. In 1988, a band called Living Colour released their debut album Vivid. Living Colour was a very unique rock band because it was made up entirely of musicians who were black. Now there are plenty of all-black R&B, Soul or Hip Hop bands but Living Colour are one of the very few to have broken the colour barrier as a complete band in the genre of rock. The lead track on Vivid was a song called “Cult of Personality”. That song has become one of the most popular rock songs in the past forty years. It was awarded the Grammy for Best Rock Recording, as well as the MTV Video of the Year award, too. What makes that accomplishment ever more unusual is that “Cult of Personality” is a song that uses many snippets from famous political speeches, spoken by the politicians who initially uttered them. In fact, if you listen to this song in the links below, I challenge you to try and identify the speeches and the speakers as the song goes along. According to lead guitarist Vernon Reid, the idea behind the song was to examine what it was that drew ordinary people to political leaders of all stripes, regardless as to whether the leader was popular or feared. In the end, the band decided that the ultimate factor was the charisma that the leader exuded. Some leaders are just a perfect match for their moment in history whether that results in someone like Adolf Hitler coming to power or someone like Martin Luther King. Regardless of how unusual the subject matter of this song may seem, the end result is a song that is an absolute banger! While Living Colour still perform today and have plenty of strong songs, “Cult of Personality” is, by far and away, their signature song and, like I said, it is easily one of the most recognizable and popular songs of its generation.

Ironically enough, the title of the song “Cult of Personality” comes from a famous speech itself. In the 1950s, Russian dictator Joseph Stalin died. A few years later, in the political vacuum that followed, a man named Nikita Khrushchev made a play for power by giving a speech entitled On The Cult of Personality and Its Consequences. In that speech, Khrushchev publicly criticized Stalin’s reign. He did so by, among other things, pointing out that Stalin ruled by fiat or, by what pleased him, rather than what was necessarily good for the country of Russia. According to Khrushchev, Stalin eliminated political enemies and surrounded himself with sycophants who all learned to only tell Stalin what he wanted to hear and to always enthusiastically endorse his policies, no matter what the impact was on ordinary Russian citizens. He called this slavish devotion to one man, rather to the needs of the country above all to be something called a “cult of personality”. That speech became famous within Communist circles and helped to inspire an earnest group of rock n’ rollers a half century later to create their biggest hit. 

I think it goes without saying that we are seeing a terrific example of the cult of personality in real time right now in our world. Prime Minister Mark Carney certainly has come to that conclusion and alluded to it in his famous Davos speech. In some ways, when a leader of a country that for many decades has been regarded as a leader of the free world begins a transformation into the realm of a cult of personality, he may end up being easier to deal with from an outsider’s perspective. In Stalin’s time, he demanded political acquiescence and public fawning or else. In Carney’s speech, he mentioned the folly of trying to appease someone like that. In his words, “there is a strong tendency for countries to go along, to get along, to accommodate, to avoid trouble, to hope that compliance will buy safety. Well, it won’t.”  Carney also authored memorable and important lines such as “If we’re (as a middle powers) are not at the table, we’re on the menu”, as well as the kicker, “Nostalgia is not a strategy”. No, it certainly is not. We will see in time if Mark Carney’s words provide a template for other leaders to navigate their way through a world in which several of the most influential leaders are in full-blown “cult of personality” mode. For now, I trust our Prime Minister to know best how to chart the proper course for Canada during these turbulent times. In the meantime, I will crank “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour and will play it on repeat. Not every hit song needs to be about finding true love or breaking up with the one you thought was the love of your life. Sometimes a song needs to shake us out of our dazed and charmed state so we can accurately and knowledgably reassess the merits of those leaders that we entrust with our future. Personally, I’m not sure what the red hats see in the orange one but, then again, I am Canadian. I have a smart Prime Minister who is able to give a good speech when he needs to.

The link to the video for the song “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour can be found here. The lyrics version is here.

The link to the official website for Living Colour can be found here.

The link to the official website for The World Economic Forum can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2026 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #78/250: Cult of Personality by Living Colour

When was the last time you heard a really good speech? I’m talking about a speech so good that it has gone down in the annals of history? A speech like Winston Churchill’s “Never Surrender” or JFK’s “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You…” or MLK’s “I Have a Dream” or even way back in time for Abraham Lincoln’s “Four Score and Seven Years Ago…” speeches. A truly historic speech is one in which the speaker helps their listeners to feel seen and understood by demonstrating a thorough grasp of whatever crisis happens to be unfolding at the time and then, most importantly, by providing a road map for everyone to follow so that they will feel safe and protected and, if luxury provides, even victorious in the end. A great political speech causes us to strive to be better versions of ourselves in a time of need. It steels our resolve and stiffens our backbone. It provides hope when things are at their bleakest. Regardless of what is going on, a truly great speech meets the moment.

In my lifetime, I haven’t heard a truly great and historic political speech authored in real time.. The closest I have come to hearing a great speech may have been Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau talking about the notion of a “just society” when I was still young or N.D.P. leader Jack Layton’s final opus before his tragic death where he intoned “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” But, generally speaking, the great mass of politicians in power during my lifetime have been mostly forgettable when it comes to the speeches they have delivered. They all blather on and on, making promises they have no power and/or intention of keeping. They speak to taking points and internal polling numbers rather than from the heart to our hearts. As such, as citizens we have become disinterested spectators in our own democratic process. Nowadays, when forced to listen to a political speech, we do so with expectations so low as to be almost non-existent.

That’s why Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum Conference in Davos, Switzerland is so noteworthy. P.M. Carney is more a financial expert than he is a regular politician so when he approached the podium in Davos, he brought a lot of credibility with him before uttering a single word. As the former head of the Bank of Canada during the stock market crash of the early 2000s and as head of the Bank of England during Brexit, Carney has developed a sterling reputation as being someone who can keep a cool head in a crisis and, most importantly for those financiers in attendance in Davos, he is someone who can shelter assets during turbulent financial times. In his speech, Carney managed to meet the moment by talking about the “rupture” of the old, rules-based world order led by the United States and of the importance, as middle powers like Canada, of charting our own course in the world. Carney spoke about the fears and uncertainty that had been paralyzing financial markets around the world in light of the unpredictable and increasingly predatory behaviour coming out of Washington. By acknowledging the fears of those in that conference room and by providing a roadmap for the future, Carney took on the appearance of a leader that the world needed at that exact moment in time. His Davos speech was met with near universal acclaim, earning a standing ovation from those who were present. The Carney-Davos speech has been deemed as an important speech, one that will be remembered when the history of this era is written. Time will tell if that, in fact, turns out to be true but, for now anyway, it ranks as one of the best speeches I have ever heard from a politician in my lifetime. *(You can listen to it in its entirety here. You can read the full text, if you prefer, here and judge for yourself).

However, I am not the only person who enjoys a good speech. Did you know that there is a Grammy-winning song that stands as a repository of some of the greatest political speeches of all time? It is true. In 1988, a band called Living Colour released their debut album Vivid. Living Colour was a very unique rock band because it was made up entirely of musicians who were black. Now there are plenty of all-black R&B, Soul or Hip Hop bands but Living Colour are one of the very few to have broken the colour barrier as a complete band in the genre of rock. The lead track on Vivid was a song called “Cult of Personality”. That song has become one of the most popular rock songs in the past forty years. It was awarded the Grammy for Best Rock Recording, as well as the MTV Video of the Year award, too. What makes that accomplishment ever more unusual is that “Cult of Personality” is a song that uses many snippets from famous political speeches, spoken by the politicians who initially uttered them. In fact, if you listen to this song in the links below, I challenge you to try and identify the speeches and the speakers as the song goes along. According to lead guitarist Vernon Reid, the idea behind the song was to examine what it was that drew ordinary people to political leaders of all stripes, regardless as to whether the leader was popular or feared. In the end, the band decided that the ultimate factor was the charisma that the leader exuded. Some leaders are just a perfect match for their moment in history whether that results in someone like Adolf Hitler coming to power or someone like Martin Luther King. Regardless of how unusual the subject matter of this song may seem, the end result is a song that is an absolute banger! While Living Colour still perform today and have plenty of strong songs, “Cult of Personality” is, by far and away, their signature song and, like I said, it is easily one of the most recognizable and popular songs of its generation.

Ironically enough, the title of the song “Cult of Personality” comes from a famous speech itself. In the 1950s, Russian dictator Joseph Stalin died. A few years later, in the political vacuum that followed, a man named Nikita Khrushchev made a play for power by giving a speech entitled On The Cult of Personality and Its Consequences. In that speech, Khrushchev publicly criticized Stalin’s reign. He did so by, among other things, pointing out that Stalin ruled by fiat or, by what pleased him, rather than what was necessarily good for the country of Russia. According to Khrushchev, Stalin eliminated political enemies and surrounded himself with sycophants who all learned to only tell Stalin what he wanted to hear and to always enthusiastically endorse his policies, no matter what the impact was on ordinary Russian citizens. He called this slavish devotion to one man, rather to the needs of the country above all to be something called a “cult of personality”. That speech became famous within Communist circles and helped to inspire an earnest group of rock n’ rollers a half century later to create their biggest hit. 

I think it goes without saying that we are seeing a terrific example of the cult of personality in real time right now in our world. Prime Minister Mark Carney certainly has come to that conclusion and alluded to it in his famous Davos speech. In some ways, when a leader of a country that for many decades has been regarded as a leader of the free world begins a transformation into the realm of a cult of personality, he may end up being easier to deal with from an outsider’s perspective. In Stalin’s time, he demanded political acquiescence and public fawning or else. In Carney’s speech, he mentioned the folly of trying to appease someone like that. In his words, “there is a strong tendency for countries to go along, to get along, to accommodate, to avoid trouble, to hope that compliance will buy safety. Well, it won’t.”  Carney also authored memorable and important lines such as “If we’re (as a middle powers) are not at the table, we’re on the menu”, as well as the kicker, “Nostalgia is not a strategy”. No, it certainly is not. We will see in time if Mark Carney’s words provide a template for other leaders to navigate their way through a world in which several of the most influential leaders are in full-blown “cult of personality” mode. For now, I trust our Prime Minister to know best how to chart the proper course for Canada during these turbulent times. In the meantime, I will crank “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour and will play it on repeat. Not every hit song needs to be about finding true love or breaking up with the one you thought was the love of your life. Sometimes a song needs to shake us out of our dazed and charmed state so we can accurately and knowledgably reassess the merits of those leaders that we entrust with our future. Personally, I’m not sure what the red hats see in the orange one but, then again, I am Canadian. I have a smart Prime Minister who is able to give a good speech when he needs to.

The link to the video for the song “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour can be found here. The lyrics version is here.

The link to the official website for Living Colour can be found here.

The link to the official website for The World Economic Forum can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2026 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #78/250: Cult of Personality by Living Colour

When was the last time you heard a really good speech? I’m talking about a speech so good that it has gone down in the annals of history? A speech like Winston Churchill’s “Never Surrender” or JFK’s “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You…” or MLK’s “I Have a Dream” or even way back in time for Abraham Lincoln’s “Four Score and Seven Years Ago…” speeches. A truly historic speech is one in which the speaker helps their listeners to feel seen and understood by demonstrating a thorough grasp of whatever crisis happens to be unfolding at the time and then, most importantly, by providing a road map for everyone to follow so that they will feel safe and protected and, if luxury provides, even victorious in the end. A great political speech causes us to strive to be better versions of ourselves in a time of need. It steels our resolve and stiffens our backbone. It provides hope when things are at their bleakest. Regardless of what is going on, a truly great speech meets the moment.

In my lifetime, I haven’t heard a truly great and historic political speech authored in real time.. The closest I have come to hearing a great speech may have been Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau talking about the notion of a “just society” when I was still young or N.D.P. leader Jack Layton’s final opus before his tragic death where he intoned “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” But, generally speaking, the great mass of politicians in power during my lifetime have been mostly forgettable when it comes to the speeches they have delivered. They all blather on and on, making promises they have no power and/or intention of keeping. They speak to taking points and internal polling numbers rather than from the heart to our hearts. As such, as citizens we have become disinterested spectators in our own democratic process. Nowadays, when forced to listen to a political speech, we do so with expectations so low as to be almost non-existent.

That’s why Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum Conference in Davos, Switzerland is so noteworthy. P.M. Carney is more a financial expert than he is a regular politician so when he approached the podium in Davos, he brought a lot of credibility with him before uttering a single word. As the former head of the Bank of Canada during the stock market crash of the early 2000s and as head of the Bank of England during Brexit, Carney has developed a sterling reputation as being someone who can keep a cool head in a crisis and, most importantly for those financiers in attendance in Davos, he is someone who can shelter assets during turbulent financial times. In his speech, Carney managed to meet the moment by talking about the “rupture” of the old, rules-based world order led by the United States and of the importance, as middle powers like Canada, of charting our own course in the world. Carney spoke about the fears and uncertainty that had been paralyzing financial markets around the world in light of the unpredictable and increasingly predatory behaviour coming out of Washington. By acknowledging the fears of those in that conference room and by providing a roadmap for the future, Carney took on the appearance of a leader that the world needed at that exact moment in time. His Davos speech was met with near universal acclaim, earning a standing ovation from those who were present. The Carney-Davos speech has been deemed as an important speech, one that will be remembered when the history of this era is written. Time will tell if that, in fact, turns out to be true but, for now anyway, it ranks as one of the best speeches I have ever heard from a politician in my lifetime. *(You can listen to it in its entirety here. You can read the full text, if you prefer, here and judge for yourself).

However, I am not the only person who enjoys a good speech. Did you know that there is a Grammy-winning song that stands as a repository of some of the greatest political speeches of all time? It is true. In 1988, a band called Living Colour released their debut album Vivid. Living Colour was a very unique rock band because it was made up entirely of musicians who were black. Now there are plenty of all-black R&B, Soul or Hip Hop bands but Living Colour are one of the very few to have broken the colour barrier as a complete band in the genre of rock. The lead track on Vivid was a song called “Cult of Personality”. That song has become one of the most popular rock songs in the past forty years. It was awarded the Grammy for Best Rock Recording, as well as the MTV Video of the Year award, too. What makes that accomplishment ever more unusual is that “Cult of Personality” is a song that uses many snippets from famous political speeches, spoken by the politicians who initially uttered them. In fact, if you listen to this song in the links below, I challenge you to try and identify the speeches and the speakers as the song goes along. According to lead guitarist Vernon Reid, the idea behind the song was to examine what it was that drew ordinary people to political leaders of all stripes, regardless as to whether the leader was popular or feared. In the end, the band decided that the ultimate factor was the charisma that the leader exuded. Some leaders are just a perfect match for their moment in history whether that results in someone like Adolf Hitler coming to power or someone like Martin Luther King. Regardless of how unusual the subject matter of this song may seem, the end result is a song that is an absolute banger! While Living Colour still perform today and have plenty of strong songs, “Cult of Personality” is, by far and away, their signature song and, like I said, it is easily one of the most recognizable and popular songs of its generation.

Ironically enough, the title of the song “Cult of Personality” comes from a famous speech itself. In the 1950s, Russian dictator Joseph Stalin died. A few years later, in the political vacuum that followed, a man named Nikita Khrushchev made a play for power by giving a speech entitled On The Cult of Personality and Its Consequences. In that speech, Khrushchev publicly criticized Stalin’s reign. He did so by, among other things, pointing out that Stalin ruled by fiat or, by what pleased him, rather than what was necessarily good for the country of Russia. According to Khrushchev, Stalin eliminated political enemies and surrounded himself with sycophants who all learned to only tell Stalin what he wanted to hear and to always enthusiastically endorse his policies, no matter what the impact was on ordinary Russian citizens. He called this slavish devotion to one man, rather to the needs of the country above all to be something called a “cult of personality”. That speech became famous within Communist circles and helped to inspire an earnest group of rock n’ rollers a half century later to create their biggest hit. 

I think it goes without saying that we are seeing a terrific example of the cult of personality in real time right now in our world. Prime Minister Mark Carney certainly has come to that conclusion and alluded to it in his famous Davos speech. In some ways, when a leader of a country that for many decades has been regarded as a leader of the free world begins a transformation into the realm of a cult of personality, he may end up being easier to deal with from an outsider’s perspective. In Stalin’s time, he demanded political acquiescence and public fawning or else. In Carney’s speech, he mentioned the folly of trying to appease someone like that. In his words, “there is a strong tendency for countries to go along, to get along, to accommodate, to avoid trouble, to hope that compliance will buy safety. Well, it won’t.”  Carney also authored memorable and important lines such as “If we’re (as a middle powers) are not at the table, we’re on the menu”, as well as the kicker, “Nostalgia is not a strategy”. No, it certainly is not. We will see in time if Mark Carney’s words provide a template for other leaders to navigate their way through a world in which several of the most influential leaders are in full-blown “cult of personality” mode. For now, I trust our Prime Minister to know best how to chart the proper course for Canada during these turbulent times. In the meantime, I will crank “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour and will play it on repeat. Not every hit song needs to be about finding true love or breaking up with the one you thought was the love of your life. Sometimes a song needs to shake us out of our dazed and charmed state so we can accurately and knowledgably reassess the merits of those leaders that we entrust with our future. Personally, I’m not sure what the red hats see in the orange one but, then again, I am Canadian. I have a smart Prime Minister who is able to give a good speech when he needs to.

The link to the video for the song “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour can be found here. The lyrics version is here.

The link to the official website for Living Colour can be found here.

The link to the official website for The World Economic Forum can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2026 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #78/250: Cult of Personality by Living Colour

When was the last time you heard a really good speech? I’m talking about a speech so good that it has gone down in the annals of history? A speech like Winston Churchill’s “Never Surrender” or JFK’s “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You…” or MLK’s “I Have a Dream” or even way back in time for Abraham Lincoln’s “Four Score and Seven Years Ago…” speeches. A truly historic speech is one in which the speaker helps their listeners to feel seen and understood by demonstrating a thorough grasp of whatever crisis happens to be unfolding at the time and then, most importantly, by providing a road map for everyone to follow so that they will feel safe and protected and, if luxury provides, even victorious in the end. A great political speech causes us to strive to be better versions of ourselves in a time of need. It steels our resolve and stiffens our backbone. It provides hope when things are at their bleakest. Regardless of what is going on, a truly great speech meets the moment.

In my lifetime, I haven’t heard a truly great and historic political speech authored in real time.. The closest I have come to hearing a great speech may have been Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau talking about the notion of a “just society” when I was still young or N.D.P. leader Jack Layton’s final opus before his tragic death where he intoned “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” But, generally speaking, the great mass of politicians in power during my lifetime have been mostly forgettable when it comes to the speeches they have delivered. They all blather on and on, making promises they have no power and/or intention of keeping. They speak to taking points and internal polling numbers rather than from the heart to our hearts. As such, as citizens we have become disinterested spectators in our own democratic process. Nowadays, when forced to listen to a political speech, we do so with expectations so low as to be almost non-existent.

That’s why Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum Conference in Davos, Switzerland is so noteworthy. P.M. Carney is more a financial expert than he is a regular politician so when he approached the podium in Davos, he brought a lot of credibility with him before uttering a single word. As the former head of the Bank of Canada during the stock market crash of the early 2000s and as head of the Bank of England during Brexit, Carney has developed a sterling reputation as being someone who can keep a cool head in a crisis and, most importantly for those financiers in attendance in Davos, he is someone who can shelter assets during turbulent financial times. In his speech, Carney managed to meet the moment by talking about the “rupture” of the old, rules-based world order led by the United States and of the importance, as middle powers like Canada, of charting our own course in the world. Carney spoke about the fears and uncertainty that had been paralyzing financial markets around the world in light of the unpredictable and increasingly predatory behaviour coming out of Washington. By acknowledging the fears of those in that conference room and by providing a roadmap for the future, Carney took on the appearance of a leader that the world needed at that exact moment in time. His Davos speech was met with near universal acclaim, earning a standing ovation from those who were present. The Carney-Davos speech has been deemed as an important speech, one that will be remembered when the history of this era is written. Time will tell if that, in fact, turns out to be true but, for now anyway, it ranks as one of the best speeches I have ever heard from a politician in my lifetime. *(You can listen to it in its entirety here. You can read the full text, if you prefer, here and judge for yourself).

However, I am not the only person who enjoys a good speech. Did you know that there is a Grammy-winning song that stands as a repository of some of the greatest political speeches of all time? It is true. In 1988, a band called Living Colour released their debut album Vivid. Living Colour was a very unique rock band because it was made up entirely of musicians who were black. Now there are plenty of all-black R&B, Soul or Hip Hop bands but Living Colour are one of the very few to have broken the colour barrier as a complete band in the genre of rock. The lead track on Vivid was a song called “Cult of Personality”. That song has become one of the most popular rock songs in the past forty years. It was awarded the Grammy for Best Rock Recording, as well as the MTV Video of the Year award, too. What makes that accomplishment ever more unusual is that “Cult of Personality” is a song that uses many snippets from famous political speeches, spoken by the politicians who initially uttered them. In fact, if you listen to this song in the links below, I challenge you to try and identify the speeches and the speakers as the song goes along. According to lead guitarist Vernon Reid, the idea behind the song was to examine what it was that drew ordinary people to political leaders of all stripes, regardless as to whether the leader was popular or feared. In the end, the band decided that the ultimate factor was the charisma that the leader exuded. Some leaders are just a perfect match for their moment in history whether that results in someone like Adolf Hitler coming to power or someone like Martin Luther King. Regardless of how unusual the subject matter of this song may seem, the end result is a song that is an absolute banger! While Living Colour still perform today and have plenty of strong songs, “Cult of Personality” is, by far and away, their signature song and, like I said, it is easily one of the most recognizable and popular songs of its generation.

Ironically enough, the title of the song “Cult of Personality” comes from a famous speech itself. In the 1950s, Russian dictator Joseph Stalin died. A few years later, in the political vacuum that followed, a man named Nikita Khrushchev made a play for power by giving a speech entitled On The Cult of Personality and Its Consequences. In that speech, Khrushchev publicly criticized Stalin’s reign. He did so by, among other things, pointing out that Stalin ruled by fiat or, by what pleased him, rather than what was necessarily good for the country of Russia. According to Khrushchev, Stalin eliminated political enemies and surrounded himself with sycophants who all learned to only tell Stalin what he wanted to hear and to always enthusiastically endorse his policies, no matter what the impact was on ordinary Russian citizens. He called this slavish devotion to one man, rather to the needs of the country above all to be something called a “cult of personality”. That speech became famous within Communist circles and helped to inspire an earnest group of rock n’ rollers a half century later to create their biggest hit. 

I think it goes without saying that we are seeing a terrific example of the cult of personality in real time right now in our world. Prime Minister Mark Carney certainly has come to that conclusion and alluded to it in his famous Davos speech. In some ways, when a leader of a country that for many decades has been regarded as a leader of the free world begins a transformation into the realm of a cult of personality, he may end up being easier to deal with from an outsider’s perspective. In Stalin’s time, he demanded political acquiescence and public fawning or else. In Carney’s speech, he mentioned the folly of trying to appease someone like that. In his words, “there is a strong tendency for countries to go along, to get along, to accommodate, to avoid trouble, to hope that compliance will buy safety. Well, it won’t.”  Carney also authored memorable and important lines such as “If we’re (as a middle powers) are not at the table, we’re on the menu”, as well as the kicker, “Nostalgia is not a strategy”. No, it certainly is not. We will see in time if Mark Carney’s words provide a template for other leaders to navigate their way through a world in which several of the most influential leaders are in full-blown “cult of personality” mode. For now, I trust our Prime Minister to know best how to chart the proper course for Canada during these turbulent times. In the meantime, I will crank “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour and will play it on repeat. Not every hit song needs to be about finding true love or breaking up with the one you thought was the love of your life. Sometimes a song needs to shake us out of our dazed and charmed state so we can accurately and knowledgably reassess the merits of those leaders that we entrust with our future. Personally, I’m not sure what the red hats see in the orange one but, then again, I am Canadian. I have a smart Prime Minister who is able to give a good speech when he needs to.

The link to the video for the song “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour can be found here. The lyrics version is here.

The link to the official website for Living Colour can be found here.

The link to the official website for The World Economic Forum can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2026 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

This bullshit about Trump losing his hold on congress is BS. They will do a rand Paul - Talk about 'being concerned' and then fall in line. We need to start calling it the "Trump party." They are not Republicans. Just as he plasters his name on everything, we need to put that to the former republican party.
#cultofpersonality

Administration: ASL Interpreters At Briefings Would Prevent Trump From ‘Controlling His Image’

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2025/12/23/administration-asl-interpreters-at-briefings-would-prevent-trump-from-controlling-his-image/

During the 2024 campaign, #Trump, when asked, pledged to release documents related to the investigation, commonly referred to as the “#EpsteinFiles.” A key tenet of the #CultOfPersonality around Trump was the belief that his second presidency would result in the #Epstein documents revealing a secret #cabal of #Democratic #pedophiles [#QAnon #ConspiracyTheories which Trump leaned into].

#law #criminal #BestFriendsForever #rape #SexualAssault #SexTrafficking #RapistInChief #felon47 #CoverUp

A quotation from Teddy Roosevelt

We hold that our loyalty is due solely to the American Republic, and to all our public servants exactly in proportion as they efficiently and faithfully serve the Republic. Our opponents, in flat contradiction of Lincoln’s position, hold that our loyalty is due to the President, not the country; to one man, the servant of the people, instead of to the people themselves. In practice they adopt the fetishism of all believers in absolutism; for every man who parrots the cry of “stand by the President,” without adding the proviso “so far as he serves the Republic” takes an attitude as essentially unmanly as that of any Stuart Royalist who championed the doctrine that the King could do no wrong. No self-respecting and intelligent freeman can take such an attitude.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer, US President (1901-1909)
Essay (1918-05), “Lincoln and Free Speech,” Metropolitan Magazine, Vol. 47, No. 6

More info about this quote: wist.info/roosevelt-theodore/7…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #teddyroosevelt #theodoreroosevelt #absolutepower #cultofpersonality #divineright #freedom #infallibility #loyalty #patriotism #presidency #president #publicservant #publicservice

Anyone want to guess whose portrait he’ll demand goes on the other side of the bill once the tacky golden ballroom is complete? #TrumpDictatorship #GOPFascism  #CultOfPersonality #AuthoritarianClownShow #DemocracyUnderThreat #GrifterInChief #Resist #NoKings

“The difference is that he’s the first #president to live in an #autocratic bubble, surrounded by a #cultofpersonality within which nobody dares to criticize him, tell him uncomfortable truths or refuse to engage in blatantly illegal acts.” paulkrugman.substack.com/p/donald-tru...

Donald Trump Has Lost Touch Wi...

How to tell your political beliefs might be a cult:
If leaving the group means losing your friends, your merch, and your entire sense of moral superiority—congrats, you’ve unlocked the deluxe membership plan.
#PoliticsAsUsual #CultOfPersonality #Democracy #SatireTicket2028

The #CultOfPersonality!!! - YouTube

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/8T2BmeKp2fY

THIS IS SCARY SHIT!!!!!

AYFKM?

#Republicans propose naming #KennedyCenter #Opera House after #MelaniaTrump

The #House #Appropriations committee passed an amendment that would rename the theater, months after #Trump took over the performing arts center.

#Autocracy #tyranny #CultOfPersonality
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/07/22/melania-trump-kennedy-center-opera-house-appropriations-bill/

Living Colour - Cult Of Personality (1988)

#45vinyl #livingcolour #cultofpersonality #1988 #1980s #80smusic #alternativemetal #hardrock #funkmetal #alternativerock #7inch #gxml

Wordpress - https://genxmusiclover.wordpress.com/2025/07/16/living-colour-cult-of-personality/
Blogspot - https://genxmusiclover.blogspot.com/2025/07/living-colour-cult-of-personality.html

#CultOfPersonality #Monarchy #Trump

The Tsar addressed the officers also: “I thank you all, gentlemen, I thank you with my whole heart.” To Rostóv every word sounded like a voice from heaven. How gladly would he have died at once for his Tsar!

— Tolstoy, War and Peace

Look in my eyes. What do you see?

#livingcolour #cultofpersonality #classicrock #music

“6/27/25 They’re not following Trump because of what he does. They’re following him because of how he makes them feel. Understanding it is the first step in breaking the spell.”

#cultpsychology #Authoritarianism #PoliticalPsychology #TrumpSupporters #fyp #CultOfPersonality

https://www.tiktok.com/@jayneconverse3/video/7520454365123972365
🔗

A quotation from Adlai Stevenson

What counts now is not just what we are against, but what we are for. Who leads us is less important than what leads us — what convictions, what courage, what faith — win or lose. A man doesn’t save a century, or a civilization, but a militant party wedded to a principle can.

Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965) American diplomat, statesman
Speech (1952-07-21), Democratic National Convention, Chicago

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/stevenson-adlai-ewin…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #adlaistevenson #association #belief #convictions #courage #cultofpersonality #faith #group #inspiration #leader #leadership #party #principle

"Navy vice admiral fired for insubordination, after refusing to display portrait of president and secretary of defense at NATO headquarters"

Also read the comments if you have the stomach

#trump #hegseth #purge #cultofpersonality #dictatorship #fascism #admiral

https://mustreadalaska.com/navy-vice-admiral-fired-for-insubordination-after-refusing-to-display-portrait-of-president-and-secretary-of-defense-at-nato-headquarters/

@va3db @wb2ifs agree, I'm not talking about #cultofpersonality I'm talking about saving our #playground, the #electromagnetic #spectrum. "Only you can set you free." https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0

#fascism #cult #trump #cultofpersonality #deathofdemocracy #deathofamerica

“while Bobby has gone on to misrepresent, #lie, & #cheat his way through life,” #Kennedy said of #RFKJr.

#CarolineKennedy has been reticent to publicly comment on her cousin’s politics, & told senators Tuesday that she only reluctantly is speaking up now.

“I have never wanted to speak publicly about my family members & their challenges,” she wrote.

#USpol #plutocracy #CultOfPersonality #PublicHealth #NationalSecurity #Trump #law #healthcare #vaccines #medicine #science #ConspiracyTheories

“I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together,” wrote #Kennedy. “It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a #predator.”

#CarolineKennedy goes on to say in her letter that through “the strength of his personality,” other family members followed #RFKJr “down the path of drug #addiction.”

#USpol #plutocracy #CultOfPersonality #PublicHealth #NationalSecurity #Trump #law #healthcare #vaccines #food #drugs #medicine #science #ConspiracyTheories

#WMPG has some great DJs. Just heard this classic on the show "Fugue State" with DJ Evan!

"I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your TV
Oh, I'm the cult of personality
I exploit you, still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
Oh, I'm the cult of personality

Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi
Oh, I'm the cult of personality
The cult of personality
The cult of personality"
- #CultOfPersonality, #LivingColour, 1988

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0

#CommunityRadio #CollegeRadio #Fascism #Authoritarianism #Resistance #ActivismThroughMusic #80sMusic #FridayNightMusic #FridayNightMusicVideos

Sam Altman's #CultOfPersonality clashes clear field of challengers as billions in investments keep flowing into #OpenAI and #CTO Mira Murati announces she is another high profile name leaving dominant #MSFT backed #ArtificialIntelligence #StartUp .

https://on.ft.com/4etrnMC #GiftLink #LinkShare #HighTech #PersonalityClash #FinancialTimes

“As went individual #Republican politicians, so went the party. #ReincePriebus, the chair of the #RNC in 2016, would become frustrated w/ #Trump over his obvious scorn for his organization. Still, Priebus would gamely try to assure me that the #GOP was shaped not by one man but rather by a set of traditions, principles, & conservative ideals. 'The party defines the party,' Priebus kept telling me.

[Not anymore. #CultOfPersonality]

#GiftArticle link:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/10/trump-gop-support-jd-vance-2024/679564/?gift=guxsrl_dAdXUP9zqbQPWxYJnBthoeKnPRywE75FVwBk&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

#Trump's #cultofpersonality #threatens to #hasten the #demise of the #GOP.

#Establishment #Republicans' #DNC #epiphany may have come too late.

Today’s #RepublicanParty and the “#conservative” #movement belong to #DonaldTrump. They are an extension of his #mind, #character, #emotions, #personality, #desires, and #impulses. This means that Trump’s #characterfailings, apparent #emotional and #psychological #unwellness and #challenged #intellect are theirs as well.

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/22/of-personality-threatens-to-hasten-the-demise-of-the/

#Trump's #cultofpersonality #threatens to #hasten the #demise of the #GOP.

#Establishment #Republicans' #DNC #epiphany may have come too late.

Today’s #RepublicanParty and the “#conservative” #movement belong to #DonaldTrump. They are an extension of his #mind, #character, #emotions, #personality, #desires, and #impulses. This means that Trump’s #characterfailings, apparent #emotional and #psychological #unwellness and #challenged #intellect are theirs as well.

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/22/of-personality-threatens-to-hasten-the-demise-of-the/

#Trump's #cultofpersonality #threatens to #hasten the #demise of the #GOP.

#Establishment #Republicans' #DNC #epiphany may have come too late.

Today’s #RepublicanParty and the “#conservative” #movement belong to #DonaldTrump. They are an extension of his #mind, #character, #emotions, #personality, #desires, and #impulses. This means that Trump’s #characterfailings, apparent #emotional and #psychological #unwellness and #challenged #intellect are theirs as well.

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/22/of-personality-threatens-to-hasten-the-demise-of-the/

#Trump's #cultofpersonality #threatens to #hasten the #demise of the #GOP.

#Establishment #Republicans' #DNC #epiphany may have come too late.

Today’s #RepublicanParty and the “#conservative” #movement belong to #DonaldTrump. They are an extension of his #mind, #character, #emotions, #personality, #desires, and #impulses. This means that Trump’s #characterfailings, apparent #emotional and #psychological #unwellness and #challenged #intellect are theirs as well.

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/22/of-personality-threatens-to-hasten-the-demise-of-the/

#Trump's #cultofpersonality #threatens to #hasten the #demise of the #GOP.

#Establishment #Republicans' #DNC #epiphany may have come too late.

Today’s #RepublicanParty and the “#conservative” #movement belong to #DonaldTrump. They are an extension of his #mind, #character, #emotions, #personality, #desires, and #impulses. This means that Trump’s #characterfailings, apparent #emotional and #psychological #unwellness and #challenged #intellect are theirs as well.

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/22/of-personality-threatens-to-hasten-the-demise-of-the/

"Elon Musk says he doesn't believe in Donald Trump's MAGA or his 'cult of personality'"

True that. Elon Musk only believes in the cult of personality that reveres him as the cult figure.

He sure won't bow down for anyone, including Trump.

:holdthepain:

#USPol #USNews #EtronMuskrat #ElonMusk #DonaldTrump #CultOfPersonality #MAGA #satire

https://qz.com/elon-musk-trump-donations-cult-personality-leader-tesla-1851603248

@threecoloured
@threecoloured
Does anyone know the Russian proverb “Вешать лапшу на уши” – “to hang noodles on your ears” (literally)
The equivalent in German is the phrase “to sell someone for a fool

#Trump #maga #Trump2024 #CultOfPersonality #America #DeProgram #Zombies

“You had 12 #jurors come to a #unanimous conclusion, & the former president was #guilty of 34 #felonies, & that, that somehow is indication of weaponization when that was a #state prosecution that had nothing to do w/President #Biden or the Dept of #Justice,” Jeffries said. “The American people understand that we need more common sense & less chaos in Washington, DC.”

#ChaosCaucus #law #justice #obstruction #Congress #HouseRepublicans #Republicans #MAGA #Trump #CultOfPersonality

#MikeJohnson vowed to use House oversight powers while cutting funds in the #government appropriations process & taking other unspecified #legislative measures.

“We’re going to do everything we can, everything within our scope of our responsibility in the Congress, to address it appropriately,” Johnson said at his weekly news conference afterward.

#law #justice #obstruction #Congress #HouseRepublicans #Republicans #MAGA #Trump #CultOfPersonality #Autocracy #TheRealWeaponizationOfGovernment

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BLABBERMOUTH
LIVING COLOUR's COREY GLOVER: 'If It Weren't For' Success Of 'Cult Of Personality', 'I'd Be Working For UPS'

https://blabbermouth.net/news/living-colours-corey-glover-if-it-werent-for-success-of-cult-of-personality-id-be-working-for-ups

#LivingColour #CoreyGlover #CultOfPersonality #VividAlbum #GrammyAward

“…what neither Mr. #Grassley nor any of the other #Republicans who amplified the claims said in their breathless statements was that #FBI officials had warned them repeatedly to be cautious about the accusation, because it was #uncorroborated & its credibility unknown.”

#Biden #Impeachment #HouseRepublicans #RussianAsset #TrollCaucus #ChaosCaucus #PublicDisservice #Dysfunction #CultOfPersonality #Gaslighting #Propaganda

“…what neither Mr. #Grassley nor any of the other #Republicans who amplified the claims said in their breathless statements was that #FBI officials had warned them repeatedly to be cautious about the accusation, because it was #uncorroborated & its credibility unknown.”

#Biden #Impeachment #HouseRepublicans #RussianAsset #TrollCaucus #ChaosCaucus #PublicDisservice #Dysfunction #CultOfPersonality #Gaslighting #Propaganda