It was probably only a matter of time before it happened.
Frank Sinatra has been catapulted into the world political arena. In fact, his formerly music-world name has been superseded by a political designation with genuine prestige value.The Frank Sinatra Doctrine. It has a nice ring to it. It immediately calls to mind other famous "doctrines," such as the Monroe Doctrine, the Truman Doctrine and the Eisenhower Doctrine.
Only thing is - those doctrines were all named after American presidents, not pop singers.
How did Frank Sinatra come to deserve such an honor?
Soviet officials recently announced that they would not object if Hungary chose to leave the Warsaw Pact or if East Germany chose to reunite with West Germany. It is part of Gorbachev's stated policy that his nation has no moral right to interfere with changes under way in the Soviet bloc nations of Eastern Europe.
Soviet Foreign Ministry spokesman Gennadi Gerasimov, appearing on the syndicated program, "One on One," called the new policy "The Frank Sinatra Doctrine." Then he said:
"Frank Sinatra has a very popular song, `I Had It My Way.' So, Hungary, Poland, every other country, has its own way. They decide which road to take. It's their business. And we watch, watch closely, but we do not interfere."
Now this is a very interesting development. As far as I know this is the first time that Sinatra has ever been quoted as the ultimate source for national self-determination.
I may be too suspicious, but my first fear was that the Soviets may not have quoted Sinatra correctly. So I picked up a copy of the sheet music "My Way," English lyrics written especially for Sinatra by Paul Anka. (I won't even DEAL with the fact that Elvis was on the cover!)
Sure enough, the words do not say "I had it my way," they say "I DID it my way." And the entire mood is macho. Toward the end, it says, "I've loved, I've laughed and cried, I've had my fill, my share of losing, And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing. To think I did all that, and may I say, `Not in a shy way.' Oh, no, oh no, not me, I did it my way."
Maybe it is because I know too much about Sinatra's personal life, but I have never thought his song was a progressive example of democratic politics. Rather it seemed brazen and cynical, as if he would barrel through life, doing exactly what he wanted. And so everybody ought to get out of the way.
Sinatra's identification with the Mafia, even if such a link isn't true, may have something to do with it. The Mafia, after all, has a history of doing it their way. They simply use force if people don't agree with them. Interestingly enough, the Mafia's way of doing things has borne a strong traditional resemblance to the Soviets'.
When Hungary said it would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact in 1956, it prompted Soviet military intervention. Weren't the Soviets doing it their way? It appears to me that Sinatra has always been one of the Soviet heroes. ("Not in a shy way.") Could this reference to Sinatra and glasnost be a Freudian slip? Or are the Soviets just not quite sophisticated enough in the English language and American popular culture?
So far, George Bush has not added the phrase to his diplomatic vocabulary, but Dan Quayle quickly devised his own version. Quayle says that the administration is encouraged by the Soviet announcement and hopes that perestroika succeeds. "But as they talk about the Frank Sinatra Doctrine - also remember the Nancy Sinatra Doctrine in song, `These Boots Are Made for Walking.' "
So. Even Frank's daughter deserves some political prestige. It makes sense. Nancy's song was as famous for her career as Frank's was for his. But it immediately calls to mind images of Soviet troops and abject military force. If I have to make a choice, I prefer Frank's doctrine to Nancy's. It is more subtle. But either one has disturbing implications for life.
I'm a little worried at the potential of the Sinatra Doctrine becoming not just an American standard, but a world hallmark. What if children, especially teenagers, were to invoke the Sinatra Doctrine in their differences with parents? Or if adults used it as a way to define the marriage relationship?
What if employees and employers invoked the Sinatra Doctrine to set standards and negotiate differences? Or if police and people stopped by the police invoked it? The possibilities are staggering.
When it was simply a popular song the thoughts expressed could only be applied by a few million Sinatra aficionados. Now that the Soviets have made it international policy, the potential damage is more insidious and extensive.
And does the doctrine prove that the Soviets will never change? That they are immensely clever with words? Or that they are hopelessly naive?
Regardless of which one - I think that we have been snookered.