It is time to modernize the National Anthem, as "The Star-Spangled Banner" is turning 200 years old next year. As "The Star-Spangled Banner" reflected the national attitude of perseverance in the wake of The War of 1812, James Brown's 1985 classic "Living in America" reflects the essence of the United States of America at the peak of its foreign policy glory. Led by charismatic President Ronald Reagan, the United States of America led the charge to lift the "Iron Curtain" that hung over Eastern Europe. "Living in America," reflected the exceptionalism of the United States of America during the critical final years of the Cold War. Featured in Rocky IV, "Living in America" was part of the vital combination of entertainment and politics that fed into the national will to eliminate Communism.



