Watched the last scene of Bohemian Rhapsody a movie about Freddie Mercury and the band Queen.  Originally I saw the 2018 movie at a theater.  The last few minutes were just as inspiring in the living room on a smaller screen.

I was thrilled by Rami Malek’s depiction of Mercury belting out his now globally loved anthem at the Wembley stadium Live Aid concert in 1985.  I also felt dismay, an inward shudder of dread at the knowledge that we Americans are certainly not the champions.  The despair of our condition:  our ignorance, our willful obliviousness to our deficit.  Our society has not worked well for increasing numbers of our people for quite some time.  We continue to repeat the old mantras in various forms: America the indispensable nation, America first, MAGA, USA number one!  We’ve elected a basket-full of sycophants to represent us in Washington because we believe the absurd proposition that violent, “strong” men can by dint of force, bring order to this disorder which we’ve fostered.  We’ve nurtured this dysfunctional state by our insistence on thorough going individualism, otherwise known as selfishness.  Finally in a propaganda stoked tantrum, in a nihilistic snit — a good number of us elected a life-long con man to the White House.

So here we are.  Is it not normal to feel anger, and to feel alarmed?

Anyway, as a palpable reminder of what is possible here is Freddie Mercury and Queen at Wembley Stadium in 1985.  Freddie Mercury yet speaks!

We Are The Champions

By Freddie Mercury

I’ve paid my dues
Time after time.
I’ve done my sentence
But committed no crime.

And bad mistakes‒
I’ve made a few.
I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I’ve come through.

And I need to go on and on, and on, and on.

We are the champions, my friends.
And we’ll keep on fighting ’til the end.
We are the champions.
We are the champions.
No time for losers
‘Cause we are the champions of the world.

I’ve taken my bows,
And my curtain calls.
You brought me fame and fortune, and everything that goes with it.
I thank you all.

But it’s been no bed of roses,
No pleasure cruise.
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race,
And I ain’t gonna lose.

And I need just go on and on, and on, and on.

We are the champions, my friends.
And we’ll keep on fighting ’til the end.
We are the champions.
We are the champions.
No time for losers
‘Cause we are the champions of the world.

We are the champions, my friends,
And we’ll keep on fighting ’til the end.
We are the champions.
We are the champions.
No time for losers
‘Cause we are the champions.