Act I



PRELUDE



Desperate nerds in high offices all over the world have been known to

enact the most disgusting pieces of legislation in order to win votes

(or, in places where they don't get to vote, to control unwanted forms of

mass behavior).

Environmental laws were not passed to protect our air and water...

they were passed to get votes. Seasonal anti-smut campaigns are not

conducted to rid our communities of moral rot...they are conducted to give

an aura of saintliness to the office-seekers who demand them. If a few

key phrases are thrown into any speech (as the expert advisors explain to

these various heads of state) votes will roll in, bucks will roll in, and, most

importantly, power will be maintained by the groovy guy (or gal) who gets

the most media coverage for his sleaze. Naturally, his friends in various

businesses will do okay too.

All governments perpetuate themselves through the daily commission of act

which a rational person might find to be stupid or dangerous (or both). Naturally,

our government is no exception... for instance, if the President (any one of them)

went on TV and sat there with the flag in the background (or maybe a rustic

scene on a little backdrop, plus the flag) and stared sincerely into the camera

and told everybody that all energy problems and all inflationary problems had been

traced to and could be solved by the abolition of MUSIC, chances are that most

people would believe him and think that the illegalization of this obnoxious form of

noise pollution would be a small price to pay for the chance to buy gas like the good

ol' days. No way? Never happen? Records are made out of oil. All those big rock

shows go from town to town in fuel-gobbling 45 foot trucks...and when they get there,

they