As he's graphically displayed on a "where you've been" map, Matt Yglesias is not embarrassed to admit he's led a sheltered life when it comes to exploring the geography of America beyond narrow strips of the blue coasts. He's mightily well-read and certainly keeps up with the national media cultures of music, entertainment, sports and the internets. But sometimes a limited exposure to the highways and byways of American culture reaches out to bite him. There's more continuity in both high politics and l'Amerique profonde than perhaps Matt realizes.

In a post commending the bracing honesty of the old-fashioned, god-fearing, anti-papists of Northern Ireland's Ian Paisley troops, Matt seems to suggest that either anti-Catholicism is waning among US Protestants or that their leaders have recently allowed political ambitions to overcome moral and theological clarity. Yes, it's easy to see why the Paisley-types would find the well-trained telegenic smiles of America's fundamentalist leaders more than a little off-putting. But no one should think that the combination of sectarian hatred and political correctness is a recent invention of the American religious right. It has a long tradition, as I am often reminded when I catch myself humming one of my favorite Tom Lehr tunes. From "That Was the Year That Was" (release 1965) comes "National Brotherhood Week." It's put to a catchy, upbeat, clap-along sort of jingle. Here's how it closes -- tap your feet in time to get the sense of how it goes:

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics,
And the Catholics hate the Protestants,
And the Hindus hate the Moslems,
And everybody hates the Jews.

But during National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week,
It's National Everyone-smile-at-one-another-hood Week.
Be nice to people who
Are inferior to you.
It's only for a week, so have no fear.
Be grateful that it doesn't last all year!

Now I was pretty sure of the lyrics, but I Goggled to be on the safe side. While I was searching, I naturally skimmed over the other titles on the album. I was not only reminded of the number of "greats" on that particular Lehr performance but also of the timelessness of his topical oeuvre.

Lehr gives us "The Vatican Rag" to commemorate the brouhaha over the liberal Vatican II and the decision to introduce the vernacular into the liturgy. Then there's "Smut," still fresh as a daisy in its current incarnation as porn. You want raging curriculum debates -- he's got "New Math." Or there's "Pollution," one of my all-time favorites, set to a catchy Latin beat a la "America" from West Side Story, that gives a mild flavor of suspicion of things and people urban.

If you visit American city,
You will find it very pretty.
Just two things of which you must beware:
Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air.
[snip]
Just go out for a breath of air,
And you'll be ready for Medicare.
The city streets are really quite a thrill.
If the hoods don't get you, the monoxide will.
[snip]
So go to the city, see the crazy people there.
Like lambs to the slaughter,
They're drinking the water
And breathing the air.

We were already promoting democracy in "Send the Marines." The Dominican Republic had another crisis that year, and we had a bit of an attitude where the UN-must-be-reformed-to-be-effective was concerned -- but hey, the French Soviets had a veto remember.

When someone makes a move
Of which we don't approve,
Who is it that always intervenes?
U.N. and O.A.S.,
They have their place, I guess,
But first send the Marines!

There was a sense that liberal intellectuals might be slightly, shall we say, out of touch -- captured in "The Folk Song Army."

And forty years ago, we had a few concerns about nuclear proliferation. How time flies, plus ca change, and all of that. But at least today we've got a pretty good idea "Who's Next."

First we got the bomb, and that was good,
'Cause we love peace and motherhood.
Then Russia got the bomb, but that's okay,
'Cause the balance of power's maintained that way.
Who's next?

France got the bomb, but don't you grieve,
'Cause they're on our side (I believe).
China got the bomb, but have no fears,
They can't wipe us out for at least five years.
Who's next?

Then Indonesia claimed that they
Were gonna get one any day.
South Africa wants two, that's right:
One for the black and one for the white.
Who's next?

Egypt's gonna get one too,
Just to use on you know who.
So Israel's getting tense.
Wants one in self defense.
"The Lord's our shepherd," says the psalm,
But just in case, we better get a bomb.
Who's next?

Luxembourg is next to go,
And (who knows?) maybe Monaco.
We'll try to stay serene and calm
When Alabama gets the bomb.
Who's next?
Who's next?
Who's next?
Who's next?