Run, run, run the bastards over!
1966 US President Lyndon Johnson visited Australia for talks on Vietnam, cheered on by right-wing Prime Minister Harold Holt who famously said "All the way with LBJ".
While riding with corrupt New South Wales Premier Robin Askin through the streets of Sydney, surrounded by Vietnam protesters, Johnson was probably either horrified or amused as Askin (also famously) told their driver, “Run the bastards over”.
The comment led to much derision, and a protest song (to the tune of American peace activist Julia Ward Howe’s famous ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’), often sung at rallies thereafter:
In 1966, our friend and ally LBJTagged: australia, usa, peace, war, military, activism, politics
came out to Sydney town from his great land of USA.
Some students chose to demonstrate by lying in his way
but my comment lingers on.
Run, run, run the bastards over!
Run, run, run the bastards over!
Pip Wilson posted item above at 3:55 PM | Permalink
1 Comments:
hey there - heheh gotta love that song!!! The event itself was incredible with protesters lining the streets, then a heap deciding that they HAD to stop thess blokes! They all lay down on the road, in front of the car to make their view known.
The driver, after asking them to get up and the protesters refusing asked what the two wanted to do. The reply is now famous. It was wonderful, but sad and frustrating at the same time. It still is today. I wish this generation had the guts to DO something about whats happening in this crazy crazy world today.
Anyway, thanks for the post, it brought back some good memories and lots of thoughts. Peace
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