I played this video for a group of ninth graders today. We are studying the formation of and role of borders. The question, "What point is the songwriter making about borders?" Perfect visuals and lyrics for our content and skills goals. Thanks Serj!
I'm going to assume the formation of borders is strickly and solely created by governments of various systems. The objective of borders is partially a mentality indoctrination. The creation of a border creates "others" "outsiders" possibly a enemy figure. It also contributes in the creation of a national identity. When it comes to borders its also economical, having a invisible wall that says "this is my home", puts a barrier up on trade routes to outsiders. The media tells us it's to just keep illegals out and or drug substances. I believe that to be a overly simplified explanation; and it deserves a deeper digging of understanding and the origins by using Critical thinking skills. Also, by keeping outside people on the outside, it also keeps the ideas of that person on the outside aswell. Perhaps the power structures that be don't want diverse beliefs being included because it will change the way they want rule and order. I see this personally in my own life in a different manner. When I was in grade school living with my parents, I was raised on Fox News. I hated outsiders and the word Socialism sent me into a furious rage. After graduating I got my own place, couldn't afford TV, got a good job at a Union Shop and was introduced to a very wide range of people due to the policies of the unions hiring requirements. After being exposed to different ideas, I am now a Libertarian Socialist, retaining the individualistic liberty side of me and embracing a new collective side of me aswell. I have found things work better with diverse ideas and understandings, and diversity is beautiful.
That fear keeps us safe from dangerous outsiders, and we should never let go of that fear or else we'll lose everything: our kings, our gods, and our very way of life will be torn apart and killed in front of us in the flood of evil that wants nothing less than to bring us to our knees and make us cower in defeat. TL;DR: we need strong borders to keep us safe.
@@Theoszombie The point is that borders are made because of fear of others, to seperate them from us. We shouldnt have borders or be racist based on what side of the border someone is from
I think Serj is driven to teach us about the ugliness of what goes on around us and that we keep repeating our mistakes against humanity. I appreciate the depth of his music not just the obvious.
Serj is one of the best singers, persons and activists that I have a lucky to meet. His lyrics have meaning and transmit feelings, in this songs have messages. He want to make a better society and in this attempt he's become a better person. Definitely, I love and admire him forever
@@restinpeace1916 Depends on how it played out Imagine if we all lived like native Americans vs communism Similar in many ways, but different in many ways as well
@@EonsOfIdiocy I actualy changed my opinion on communism during this year. Funny thing is total democracy is totalitarian by liberal deffenition. But, anyways native americans lived under primitive communism, if i remember correctly? Are you referring to that?
@@restinpeace1916 I wouldn't know, I was just trying to think of 2 examples 'No one owns the land, nor does it cost anything as it is mother nature, and we will all get along, if not then that conflict will *soon* be worked out
@@restinpeace1916 Also by communism I meant like USSR and NK type where it's just all over the place vs native americans how everything was pretty much going good when they had their land
Never let you go Never let you go Never let you go Never let you go [Verse 1] Borders are the gallows Of our collective national egos Subjective lines in sand In the water, separating everything [Chorus] Fear is the cause of separation Backed with illicit conversations Procured by constant condemnations National blood-painted persuasions [Verse 2] Here's my song for the free No, it's not about praise and publicity Corprotocracy, what a hypocrisy Aristocrasy versus democracy [Chorus] Fear is the cause of separation Backed with illicit conversations Procured by constant condemnations National blood-painted persuasions [Post-Chorus] The king is dead and now we're dancing in the streets As the waters rise we're merely covering our feet [Bridge] I never let you go, I never let you go I never let you go, I never let you go I never let you go, I never let you go I never let you go, I never let you go [Chorus] Fear is the cause of separation Backed with illicit conversations Procured by constant condemnations National blood-painted persuasions Fear is the cause of separation Backed with illicit conversation Procured by constant condemnation National blood-painted persuasion [Post-Chorus] The king is dead and now we're dancing in the streets As the waters rise we're merely covering our feet Your gods are dead and now we're dancing in the streets As the waters rise we're merely cowering in defeat [Outro] I never let you go, I never let you go I never let you go, I never let you go I never let you go, I never let you go I never let you go, I never let you go Never let you go, I never let you go Never let you go, never let you go Never let you go, I never let you go Never let you go, never let you go
Serj is a very intelligent and wise person. The overall message is that national boarders are holding back humanity, but the subtle message is that we hold ourselves back with mental boarders. Seeing the comment section had opened my eyes to the fear of having open boarders, that we can't function together as some cultures clash in morals. This is the message that our own boarders as individuals are holding us back. If we were to cast aside the national boarders and the ones in our mind, we would all learn from each other. After all, we are a stupid society to believe in imaginary lines holding us away from each other.
Never let someone conflate culture and borders. Most countries have multiple cultures and even similar cultures can have drastic differences. Culture is meant to be always changing and evolving with the times, where as borders are meant to stay put and be defended to the death. A devotion to borders creates a culture of its own. A culture of fascism and division.
Yeah, remove those borders instantly, and watch hell break lose :-) Removing borders will have to take at least decades if not centuries, to avoid problems.
This is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard.It has meaning....hardly hear that in music these days. His music is so beautiful and amazing....
(Please visit schools people miss you and they don't even know you.... Thank you for everything you have done for the world. My heart feels so much warmer with your music in it, their's will too... )
This particular song change my way of seeing the world .. THANK YOU SO MUCH for what you caused on me with your music. You 're the one who opened my eyes to a painful but true reality. With Love from Argentina (by the way, thanks for the great concert with system of a down that you gave in Buenos Aires recently) . Abril
And actually he says:"globalism = peace", and he's kinda right. We got to get over with nationalism and seperatism. That's what he means with national egos.
Such a beautiful song. Moves me to tears every time. The thought of how far away we are from truth and real love is so upsetting. We die at the hateful hands of others who are just like us. Killing in the name of a cause we greet with a smile, looking past the cracks. Gunning down, torturing and dehumanizing. Refusing to entertain the forbidin thought. That thought is that we are wrong. You can't justify a cause that requires such slaughter to maintain, we are evil empty and ignorant of our sadistic seed. For what do we kill our fellow man? For who? We are taught by our governments to hate only because that's how they control us. We are all just people, equal. And the moment we accept that, they lose their power. We tell our self s we need our borders. We tell ourselfs they are great. But why? Why do we hate man, why do we spit out empty promises of freedom of equality, treatys blackened by our ignorance and worst of all, our fear. For the the heart controls the pen and language is power. Much love to all, have a wonderful day
''The king is dead and now we're dancing in the streets''Phenomenal song, i wonder why this has just like 2 milion views, and shits like justin bieber or lady gaga 200+, i guess is just what the people want, the music we listen is a reflection of ourselves.
waroderyus Because we are being brainwashed. Just look at most people in America right now. Work at any shitty job and you will see what kind of people work there. Assholes, negative and sad people.
People are just people, the internet has proven it, we are all the same just trying to live life and be happy, imaginary lines won't change that, fences or walls won't change that, depite what governments want people will remove the borders we want to be united as the human species
John Toas so instead of a 1000 corrupt people running 200 different counties you want 10 people running one world. Makes sense No way that would be corrupted.
@@OnceUponReddit That's what I'm saying. The NWO one world government system looks like a nightmare far from free expression and love. It's a power grab. We need to protect our sovereign nations and their unique cultures and values.
I hate borders. This song says a lot of what I've been thinking for a few years now. Great song. Serj's solo work definitely has some powerful results.
Alexander Klat and you think the whole "stay out of my/our territory, stay within your own part of the world and your own cultural group" thing isn't childish? Either way there are flaws but borders confine. They make it harder for other parts if the world to be understood and therefore respected as an equal in the way that we are all part of this one world and we're all the same fucking species. Prejudice, racism, and close-mindedness piss me off. Sure opening up borders straight up literally like that can have it's problems, but in a more metaphorical way that opens us up to the ability to understand and respect other cultures - this is what should happen.
Jesse Lapham If we disregard human nature we can never build a suitable world for humans. And your idea isn't new. It has been tried many times. And it failed. Human nature doesn't change. Never forget that. It's suicidal.
Alexander Klat you're making a bunch of claims and not backing them up. Also your statements are vague. Human nature? What aspect of human nature are you referring to? Elaborate. Maybe then I might have reason to understand and agree with you.
1:29 Goodbye our border with Ecuador, Peru and Brazil 3:26 Our border with Panama is gone 3:46 Right after Oman's border, our most extense border with Venezuela is flying and we are an oly country again :') Love from Colombia man \m/ 🇨🇴
So many people are instantly repulsed by this idea because of how radically different it is from current reality. I believe that the only thing that borders do is make us lose our common humanity and promote hatred and war. The human race is a race. We have to emphasize unity by forcing ourselves to look past differences, rather than changing the meaning of a difference.
I completely agree. It becomes a lot easier to dehumanize other people when there are borders that allows us to distances ourselves psychologically. It's much easier to say "let's kill those damn Iraqis" than "let's kill those other humans who are just like me".
Borders also promote organization and quality of life. This is the statement of an unlearned barbarian with no basic understanding of government, or human nature for that matter. With no borders, at this present point in history, every single person on earth would attempt to move into the places with the highest standard of living, which would overextend resources in those decent places, promoting a dramatic drop in quality of life, and a dramatic increase in war, poverty and famine. The "good" places to live in the world were made that way by the people who live there. Nobody else lent in a hand to make them that way. Until third world countries get their act together and begin to cooperate internally an open world, open borders policy would just be a massive immigration followed by massive famine. So to all you open borders advocates out there, feel free to move to Somalia, the Ivory Coast, or perhaps even Yemen. Create your dream there, and then maybe we can all share in it the world across. Until then, the borders should remain an obstacle to entry unless you have something to offer it beyond "cultural enrichment" (Read; The erosion of culture through mass immigration). We have enough criminals and state-dependent individuals as it is. While war and famine are indeed horrible, and indeed undesired, my ancestors went through thousands of years of that to get where we are now. They were conquered, they were trampled, they were killed, they were starved. Realizing that these things are indeed quite shitty, they all decided maybe its better to put our differences aside for the time being and work to make things better. This is what the third world has yet to grasp, and it may very well be a few centuries before they figure it out. That is on them, my people have done their duty, and built their paradise, while also fending off those who had designs on its destruction.
Imperfect harmonies is the best Tankian's album by far, it has no the SOAD's like rythm but it's so intense and beautiful that I can't stop listening it.
Thanks for your music. Greetings from Chihuahua, Mexico. Hope you can write something about what's happening in our country, all the drug violence... so sad.
"The border" is not a line. It's a difference between people on a very basic level - and it's not a bad thing indeed. We are different from each other - that makes our contacts meaningfull and valuable because of diversity, konowledge etc. We can exchange ideas and experience - but also be afraid of the Another. This relation is maniheistic... bi-polar. Choice, depends on conscience and trust. Even now we can break those artificial lines on a map but the division will remain not necessery on a national level.
What you say is absolutely true, but he is not speaking about the separation between the races, the cultures or whatever - he speaks about the borders put there for specific political or economical reason, against the will of the people. Or at least that is how I understand it.
We now live an an age where we have the technology to sustain everyone on earth with more than enough food and water that they need, if we could live in a unified world without borders, and have a resource economy where money is non existent and everyone works together to achieve greatness. Such a world would mean that there would be nothing we couldn't do, this world would have a focus on peace and the gaining of knowledge. Books instead of guns, laughter and fraternity rather than death and separation.
Not to be the fuckwad here, but I remember Serj said something along the lines that we are the only species to take notice to these borders. although this is true, our desire to create these borders derived from the fact animals tend to be territorial. Animals (including us) create groups/packs/etc. people we can put our false sense of "trust" into. Imagine a pack of natives they don't let other natives in typically due to fear and distrust. Now add in the removal of the desire of needing to travel to find more food in other locations (hunting/gathering), establishing agricultural methods, and finding other ways the natives can spend their time to replace the time they don't have to spend anymore on hunting/gathering (basically anything that allows them to stay in their location) and Voila! the ingredients to creating the issues with borders. Basically, its a mix of natural territorial instincts of animals, and our discovery of agricultural methods that allowed us to go away from our previous nomadic lifestyle.
MindlessSelfGuitar It kind of makes sense to me. America likes to enforce that border with a militant mindset that is only one level below that of North and South Korea.
Corey Bloxham So let me get this... you think that humans hunting wolves to extinction, because wolves would kill humans who ventured into their territory is somehow not animals setting borders?
Hmm. This was once my favorite vocalist. This song and video came out and I began examining my world around me objectively. Then, I looked at history. I remembered all of the blood that was spilled to make the U.S. what it is today, and then I thought. No borders? Does Serj Tankian leave the front door of his house open? His garage door? At one time, I agreed with the bleeding hearts for peace and prosperity for all of mankind. Common sense and human history shows that true peace can only be achieved by common goals, which is recently achieved via trade and mutually beneficial agreements. What I was missing before is that globalism is actually the thing we should be running from, yet many of the rock stars “bucking the system” were sharing this dream of NO government or no corrupt government, yet only offered the solution of lawless anarchy. Tidbit: If you have no government and no military in the U.S., who will protect us from foreign armies? Who would be the people to communicate with foreign nations regarding threats that affect us globally? You canNOT end war. It’s in our nature. How it is waged and how we react as a nation can be changed. First, we must acknowledge a few things: > BIG government is not the answer. > Gun control is not an answer for a Liberated people. > It is not the job of government to provide healthcare. > We need a _strict_ adherence to the U.S. Constitution *as it is written.* The real threat to our nation is already here: *Useful Idiots* banging the drums of hate and pushing us toward a Socialism that inevitably leads to Communism. Division is the game and you’re playing right into the snare.
It's not about how physically dangerous borders are, but as the song is trying to tell, it's how about how they are just made up in our heads. In the mind of a lot of Americans, mexicans are very different people, even though we're all just humans and want most of the same stuff..
***** I was literally just about to write about that!!! Funny how us Americans have such a desire to enforce the border that lies between us and Mexico. Selfish Americans feel said American Dream is only for Americans. People from the other side of the border would work much harder for it and are that much more deserving of it. I love how this borderless idea resembles "Imagine" by John Lennon
Bill Hamilton Mailnly because were one of the few countries in the world who don't kill people for beng spys if they cross our borders. Try this plan in Cuba, any South American country, Any African county, China, Russia, any Middle Eastern country. The list goes on and on, Austarila will just put you in prison for life, but most will just shoot you. We evolved better with people of our own culture. America is a multikulti system that is doomed to fail.
So different an TRUE lyrics. Can´t believe to hear them in this song. thanks so much for that. a more or less small step for humans, to start a new kind of unitary thinking and acting.
Cody calling someone narrow minded is exactly going to win someone over. And on your point, yes people fear the unknown, but most of the time people people fear the known.
support this idea 100%,, we are one species,, we should work together and forget the stupid national disputes and hate,, we could achieve more this way,, instead we have stupid and close minded ppl fucking everything up
What can I say. even though i think religion should be abolished it can stay,, same as the way of life,, the main thing that we worked together,, not thinking only for today's understanding of "race" but for the future of the whole mankind,, one economy,, one government,, one race,, the way people live wont hurt the unity and yes,, someone will have to give,, or submit,, but the bigger picture is better then what we have today
there are virtually no borders, or there were not for few years in Europe....Now take a look what is going on. I like Serj, he is the musician I like the most. But he is talking about some kind of unreachable Utopia. We, the humans of the world can not live as one... I can see that better and better every day.
Johny it is reachable if it was the main focus,, it has never been the goal, i think that you can do almost anything if you put your mind into it and time,, and why we cannot live as one? i would like to hear your answer but i will give my opinion,, it is because the politicians focus on their own country's wealth,, nothing wrong with that of course,, you should look out for your own,, but imagine if the focus was the wealth of whole human race,, if "your own" meant "human".... second is religion and customs,, as to what can be done here is kinda simple,, bring the cultures together,, merge them,, USA is pretty multicultural,, since it has many immigrants from different countries,, plus it was founded by immigrants also,, so culture merging is possible,, if the unity of whole human race was on the minds of billions of people we wouldnt have such a mess on Earth,, there is a lot of propaganda to be done on tv,, billboards etc. but in my opinion as i said before this goal can be accomplished,, given there will be enough research on that
he has been a revolution for me! from system of a down, to his solo compositions he has been full of natural coherency, spirit, and courage since he first was making records. many times I have looked up to him when my own father was disappointing me as a coward and a theocratic fascist pawn. serj showed me a man with depth, spirit, and creativity who was too strong to let his will and natural being be crushed by the fascists or the theocrats.
+Mkd Mafijas The only way the world can function with no borders if the human species suddenly die out. There's no other way that can "work", it's defined by our nature.
HristoskoBG Unless technology, economics, and all governments are eliminated, and we return to the original tribal state. In other words, probably won't happen.
+Justin Bennett Well, the oy reason you wouldn't have borders in that case is because we wouldn't be able to build them but tribes would still have their own territories, just like the entire animal kingdom has.
HristoskoBG Correct, but I believe the discussion is on man-made borders, not natural borders.Animals don't draw a line in the ground. There is no politics in natural borders.
I meant in comparison tp his first solo album. I saw it live in Paris, was nice. But at least he still keeps a good message and for me that is really important.
I do not like spamming just as much as you do, however make yourself a favor give it a shot *watch?v=fKTYND_4x2U* Just isn't it great? Be sure you check out the video URL
Imagine How much we could accomplish with a United Earth (Federation Government). No wars would be fought, except civil wars, we are still human :(. But Combining the Earth resources Would be beneficial overall!
I think if every country could keep their ressources everyone could live better... But America and Europe started this "robbery" and it won't stop so easily :/
Sam Poss No government anywhere could resist temptation. Small communities with direct democracies and judges to protect minorities. That way no people are on top but there is still authority. In that way, there would be wars but they would be on a smaller scale. Towns would fight to defend themselves. The enviroment would only take small damage here and there because people who hurt it do not gain as much as those who don't and can't keep it.
Ιωαννης Λουκας Δημοπουλος Απ'οτι φαινεται ειναι φιλος της καλης και ποιοτικης μουσικης και οχι αυτη που του "πλασαρουν"... Φυσικα και αυτο δε μου κανει καμια εκπληξη.
na pw thn alh8eia, den perimena kati diaforetiko apo ton argurh, ena atomo pou ntaks, den ton kserw proswpika alla mesa apo ta sobara tou binteo exw katalabei oti 8refei mia klish pros autou tou eidous mousikh. Pragmatika uperoxh mousikh.
There's supposed to be a border between England and Wales. We LIKE the border between England and Wales. It reminds the English that they are going the wrong way.
This is really ironic such a man made such clip who wrote the enterence of his concert hall 'Turks and dogs cannot enter'.:))) idea is good but Serj please be honest and just declare that you have changed and you really want peace:))
There are a large amount of new bands in the world today, but those folks have something exclusive! *watch?v=kEe260z453k* Like her voice! RU-vid this URL and enjoy!!
Lets talk about why he says Turks cannot enter...hmm..maybe its because of the constant denial of the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide? Where 1.5 million Armenian civilians were brutally murdered en masse in addition to Greeks and Assyrians in the thousands...maybe its because Armenian lands were stolen, renamed, Armenian bank accounts were drained...children orphaned..and its still being denied today by the fascist government of Turkey. MAYBE THATS THE REASON
Tarik arslan In comparison to what your government has told you? LOL dont make me laugh. Ofcourse your government feeds you lies that propagate genocide denal. they are the ones who did it and benefited from it! your sly comments only show how guilty you truly are. the whole world knows what happened. you turks just dont have the balls to admit to it :)
mr irenic if you knew the truth you would be mad the armenians:)anyway i dont be mad on armenians, it was long long time ago, and hate feeds hate, so need to have nirmal relations now:)
Serj for Presidency! He says he doesn't want to get into politics despite how much he hates the injustice. But we need him, there's no other way to put it.