Listening to Joe Jackson's track "Everything gives you cancer" on the weekend from around 1980.
Sufficient to say, almost 40 years later, the papers are still full of stories about things causing cancer.
Nothing has changed!
 
"Sunday Papers" another of his tracks also provided insight into England's failings but still here we are.
Thought you might have other tracks from the past that told a relevant story but didn't change the world's opinion or direction one iota?

Elvis Costello's 'Oliver's Army' springs to mind. It's an interesting question, and it made me wonder where all the political/protest singers are these days. In the early '80s there were plenty on the radio; Joe Jackson (as you mentioned), Costello, Paul Weller, The Specials, Billy Bragg, Midnight Oil, Peter Gabriel, The Clash etc etc.

Born In The USA.
I think it was too subtle.  Fantastic demo version, much better (IMHO) to the single:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UBei3n4FOY.  I think if he'd released this version as the single, the message may not have been overlooked.
 

Slugbaby
Born In The USA.
I think it was too subtle.  Fantastic demo version, much better (IMHO) to the single:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UBei3n4FOY.  I think if he'd released this version as the single, the message may not have been overlooked.

I don't think the message could make it past all that reverb, myself.
 
For me, "Rockin' in the Free World" fulfills that role.  When the people being criticized adopt that as a campaign song, the song has utterly failed in its purpose.
 
 

Eve Of Destruction
 

Sadly, "Southern Man" has regained quite a bit of relevance in the last year.

As has "Ohio".  When a politician says "We need another Kent State"...
 
 

Joe Jackson's "I'm The Man." 
 
Unfortunately I'm not yet The Man 

 

I would also add Sting's "Fragile" to the list.  For all his cachet as an activist the world is still not listening it seems.