Your illustrious if not humble author first caught the public eye as a participant in 1980’s Reagan for Shah campaign. I offer pride of place here to reflections from colleagues in that campaign, followed by comments from some of those who were prevailed upon to host my performances, as well as some of the victims of those events. —GS
Mr. Shrub’s uncommonly authoritative briefings bring back memories of when, as the shallowest member of the Deep State, he frequently spoke with members of the Men’s Auxiliary of Ladies Against Women, ultimately keeping all our brains squeaky clean. How astonishing that his words are on your screen.
—Mrs. Virginia Cholesterol, Part-time Volunteer Assistant Secretary, Ladies Against Women
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WHO is George Shrub? No one knows. He sprang into existence like the Big Bang spawning galaxies of outrageous postings, writings, songs …
WHERE is George Shrub? Everywhere. Also, in this book, which should come with a plain cover. Don’t let anyone see you reading. It’s dangerous.
—Peggy Seeger
For decades, I watched in shame at the murderous ploys of CIA agents who subverted democracies and progressive social movements. But then I stumbled across the deliberately bumbling CIA agent George Shrub, who sang the quiet part out loud. A whistleblower with a guitar. I don’t know whether to nominate him for a Grammy Award or the Nobel Peace Prize.
—Jeff Cohen, Woodstock NY
From the Halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli, George Shrub has gone where no folksinger has gone before – and he brought us right along with him to laugh out loud at the things others were too afraid, or too culpable, to say for themselves. To paraphrase Voltaire, if George Shrub did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. But no worries, the inveterate Dave Lippman has done it for us.”
—Norman Stockwell, publisher of The Progressive
As “truthful politicians” become more oxymoronic every day, the art of satire and sarcasm is sadly scarce. The collected works of the anti-folk CIA singer George Shrub remind us that Bush and Reagan were merely opening acts. We need more laughter, more music, and more social change activism which understands the vitality of both. Dave Lippman and his alter-egos provide it all!
—Matt Meyer, Secretary General, International Peace Research Association
Agent Shrub’s deep and prescient anal-isis of the world we intervene (in) has always guided my zest for sticking a sharp garlic pickle into the belly of the American beast. Long may he sing!
—Van Gosse, NJ CISPES
Shrub’s contribution to subversive thought cannot be overstated. Under his sagacious inspiration and guidance, mendacity and duplicity have reached new heights.
—David Barsamian, Director, Alternative Radio
It has been my pleasure and near duty to repeatedly present the musings of the infamous, renegade CIA agent George Shrub to my community down here in Gainesville, FL. His was and is a corrective lens with which to view the foreign policy of this country, because absurdity can only be fully grasped with insightful (inciteful?) humor.
—Joe Courter, Publisher, Gainesville Iguana
Of all the exciting events at the peace studies conferences I attended in the 80s and 90s, George Shrub’s performances were the most exciting of all. Believe me, we academic-peacenik types need to laugh a lot more, and George helped us do that. ‘
—Neil Wollman, Manchester, Indiana
When political events become so bizarre as to be downright unbelievable, the best we can do sometimes is laugh about it. George Shrub has helped thousands do just that, and he’s VERY good at it.
—Ingrid Noyes, Marshall, CA
George Shrub is a national treasure! Now for the first time, his prophetic and poetic words of wisdom collected all in one place! You’ll love the video clips, the great music as much as the brilliant lyrics, and the between-songs banter and jokes are even better. This material is not at all dated, as the current era is eerily similar, and everything Shrub has to say (and sing) is more relevant than ever in today’s world.
— Kathy Labriola, Berkeley hippie, anarchist, and fangirl
At the Reagan For Shah Rally In New York City In 1980, George Shrub, Ned Shrapnel, Virginia Cholesterol and the others were parading down Fasc…Fashion Avenue and ran into a somewhat skeptic passerby. Shrub tried to explain the Reagan for Shah Platform: “We believe foreign policy should be replaced by domestic policy through the annexation of international trouble spots. We plan to annex Saudi Arabia and Iran so that we will no longer be dependent on foreign oil.” The passerby was startled, but not convinced, and he exclaimed, “You people are fuckin’ serious!!!” Virginia responded, “We are very serious. Politics is no laughing matter!”
— Mike Levinson, Boston
Here we have the definitive history of a USO show that always raised morale among the anti-war troops. News Speak: A twisted history that manages to make more sense than the events themselves.
—Jenny Brown, Gainesville, FL
Shrub always knocked me into the bushes laughing and crying all at once!
—Tom Gogan, New York
When I first heard George Shrub in the 1980’s it was a revelation. I was just learning about the history of CIA interventions and their anti-democratic activities in Central America at the time. I was angry and horrified. Then I saw George Shrub perform his Iran Contra rap. I laughed so hard I cried and I learned even more about what was going on from his show. I saw the value of satire as a political tool and I was hooked.
—Anne Schupack, San Diego