NEW YORK, January 28, 2010 – Watching Obama address the nation on Wednesday, January 27th inspired Emmy-award winning musician and philanthropist Peter Buffett to write a spur-of-the-moment song that conveys his candid feelings on the state of our union.
Entitled “Bought and Sold,” the politically-driven single speaks to our values as a nation, our moral bankruptcy, and our precarious moment in history. Peter explores the trend of exploitation in our corporations, banks, and government, asking “how much is enough?”
Towards the end of the song, Buffett incorporates poignant and passionate sound bites from politicians, including Rep. Barney Frank, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Alan Greenspan, Rep. Mike Capuano, Sen. Byron Dorgan and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Buffett’s longtime friend, producer Ken Melville, worked with him to produce the track. The song can be heard at: www.peterbuffett.com/boughtandsold.
Peter Buffett is available for interview upon request.
Please find below Peter’s essay entitled, “How Much is Enough?” which served as the foundation for the song:
I keep coming back to the question, “how much is enough?”
Now you may think that’s a pretty ironic question coming from the son of one of the richest people in the world. But actually, it might just make me an expert on the subject. You see, my dad is the poster boy for the question. He has all the money anyone could ever want and he doesn’t need another house, fancier food, more people around him telling him he’s important, more stuff on his shelves or the latest electronic gadget in his pocket. None of it would make him happier than he is already – doing what he loves.
So how much is enough? What are these CEO’s and hedge fund guys spending their money on… or more importantly why? Who needs that much money? Their need to line their pockets and hoard as much as possible speaks to the larger question of personal responsibility; moral bankruptcy and a need to fill a bottomless hole caused by… what?
The American dream is mostly just that… a dream. Which doesn’t mean it’s not worth believing in or working towards. But this country was built on domination and exploitation – it’s no wonder it’s in the fabric of our banks, corporations and government. It really couldn’t be any other way. You reap what you sow. You can’t start a declaration of independence with the phrase “all men are created equal” written by slaveholders and not expect a schizophrenic start to a republic…
So let’s take another comment from Jefferson:
“I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their ancestors.”
And one from Einstein:
“You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created. You must learn to see the world anew.”
Jefferson expects our laws and constitutions to change as man becomes more enlightened. Are we there yet?
And Einstein reminds us that for this current crisis – or any problem – to be solved we have to see the world anew.
It’s time for real change – difficult, messy, confusing, enthralling change.
Let’s look into the heart and soul of America… accept that it was built on a shaky foundation and start very carefully dismantling the broken pieces until we have families and communities that are built on real trust… that can support business leaders and politicians that can sit at the table, look us in the eye and say, “we are here because of you, so we will honor your needs and protect what you hold most dear – and, most importantly – we will make sure future generations are left with a better world.”
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ABOUT PETER BUFFETT
Peter Buffett is an Emmy Award-winning composer, producer and philanthropist. His tireless work with numerous non-profit organizations has made him into a well-known activist for social concerns. Previous human rights-driven music collaborations for Buffett include “Blood Into Gold” featuring Grammy-nominated recording artist Akon, which debuted at a special concert at the UN General Assembly. Buffett is the only man to have performed at Eve Ensler’s 10th Anniversary V-Day celebration, and is currently performing his “Life is What You Make It: A Concert & Conversation w/ Peter Buffett” series around the country. Buffett has launched his own social network community, peterbuffett.com/ning, to release new material to his exclusive network of fans on a monthly basis. His first book, Life Is What You Make It, is slated for release in April 2010 through Harmony Books. The book takes on themes of following passions over conventions, and how part of life’s journey can be found in the process of giving back. Life Is What You Make It is now available for pre-order at Random House.
:: www.peterbuffett.com :: www.facebook.com/peterbuffett :: www.peterbuffett.com/ning ::
:: www.peterbuffett.com/boughtandsold ::
