Morello writes: "Paul Ryan's love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. Charles Manson loved the Beatles but didn't understand them. Governor Chris Christie loves Bruce Springsteen but doesn't understand him. And Paul Ryan is clueless about his favorite band, Rage Against the Machine."
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello blasted alleged super fan, Paul Ryan. (photo: Billboard)
Rage Against Paul Ryan
17 August 12
Rage Against the Machine's guitarist blasts Romney's VP pick and unlikely Rage fan.
ast week, Mitt Romney picked Paul Ryan, the Republican architect of Congress's radical right-wing budget plan, as his running mate. Ryan has previously cited Rage Against the Machine as one of his favorite bands. Rage guitarist Tom Morello responds in this exclusive op-ed.
Paul Ryan's love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. Charles Manson loved the Beatles but didn't understand them. Governor Chris Christie loves Bruce Springsteen but doesn't understand him. And Paul Ryan is clueless about his favorite band, Rage Against the Machine.
Ryan claims that he likes Rage's sound, but not the lyrics. Well, I don't care for Paul Ryan's sound or his lyrics. He can like whatever bands he wants, but his guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one percent is antithetical to the message of Rage.
I wonder what Ryan's favorite Rage song is? Is it the one where we condemn the genocide of Native Americans? The one lambasting American imperialism? Our cover of "Fuck the Police"? Or is it the one where we call on the people to seize the means of production? So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings!
Don't mistake me, I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta "rage" in him: A rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment. Basically the only thing he's not raging against is the privileged elite he's groveling in front of for campaign contributions.
You see, the super rich must rationalize having more than they could ever spend while millions of children in the U.S. go to bed hungry every night. So, when they look themselves in the mirror, they convince themselves that "Those people are undeserving. They're . . . lesser." Some of these guys on the extreme right are more cynical than Paul Ryan, but he seems to really believe in this stuff. This unbridled rage against those who have the least is a cornerstone of the Romney-Ryan ticket.
But Rage's music affects people in different ways. Some tune out what the band stands for and concentrate on the moshing and throwing elbows in the pit. For others, Rage has changed their minds and their lives. Many activists around the world, including organizers of the global occupy movement, were radicalized by Rage Against the Machine and work tirelessly for a more humane and just planet. Perhaps Paul Ryan was moshing when he should have been listening.
My hope is that maybe Paul Ryan is a mole. Maybe Rage did plant some sensible ideas in this extreme fringe right wing nut job. Maybe if elected, he'll pardon Leonard Peltier. Maybe he'll throw U.S. military support behind the Zapatistas. Maybe he'll fill Guantanamo Bay with the corporate criminals that are funding his campaign - and then torture them with Rage music 24/7. That's one possibility. But I'm not betting on it.
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He signs letters he doesn't read (asking for stimulus funds).
He promulgates a "philosophy" (having read a couple of Ayn Rand novels in high school, for God's sake) that he doesn't understand deeply enough to know it's atheistic.
Don't vote Republican at any level, we have several states that need cleaning up too.
DO VOTE as if your livelihood is at stake, as it certainly is.
They, the tea party dipshits, and the Palin-type republicants make Jon Stewarts job easy and he's laughing all the way to the bank. Go, dumb asses.
Believe me, I have nothing but contempt for her but I cannot bring myself to call her stupid.
Dems take longer to make up their minds, the do more thinking about stuff and tend to be kinder and actually think people should take care of the poor. Not to make them rich, just help them past their suffering. Rightwing tends to love to jump on the bandwagon without much thought either before or after.
The rightwing are a bit happier because they don't feel obliged to help anyone but themselves , they don't worry much about how other people feel.
Must be nice, but I wish they would think things thru, like more of the working poor would be able to pay more tax if they got raises and decent wages. Sort of every boat rises is good.
The mental image of a repug mosh pit is beyond revolting.
No doubt he remains delighted with objectivism, as it tends toward objectifying everything (including people) for one's private use and delectation.
Ironically, though Ryan would never grock this, Jesus was more understanding of atheism ("Why do you abandon me?") than objectivism ("Love thy neighbor as thyself").
I apologize for the historical inaccuracy. I hope no one is equating Ryan with FDR!
@Tom: You have my utmost respect man. Keep on rocking and keep on raging. It is going to be up to you and others in the industry of like mind to put into music the struggles of today. The 60's had its soundtrack. The corporate and Plutocratic greed and the mass impoverishment it has spawned today needs its soundtrack too. I keep hoping that there will be a huge mass concert for this income/wealth disparity issue that Occupy tried to fight in Washington on the scale of the Million Man March, and aware musicians like yourself and Rage, and The Boss, would all play it. I would be there in a heartbeat, just as I was in the Occupy marches here in Los Angeles before they were crushed.
My gurss is that Ryan and other righties of his age bracket enjoy heavy metal rifts based only on pure machismo. A "let's go kick some ass" frat house philosophy.
"Rage" may exemplify some ass kicking-but the ass they want to kick is everything Ryan represents. And it would not even surprise me if he (and many of his ilk)have ever taken the time to listen to lyrics of the rock music they enjoy. That would actually take some thought and actual critical thinking skills-somethin g they so dramatically lack.
Thank you,Tom.
Paul (Piss-on-all-pe asants) Ryan.
He was brought on to get the youth vote and the Teabaggers.
Good luck, Robme. Elites like you always think you can fool the masses with a mascot. You'll get a few but not many.
Nobody will keep campaign promises
Nobody will end the wars
Nobody will listen to your concerns
Nobody will help the poor and unemployed
Nobody cares
Nobody tells the truth
Nobody will stop the lobbyists
Nobody will stand up to the Israelis
Nobody will abolish NDAA, CIA, GWOT
If Nobody is elected, things will be better for everyone in the world.
!. Ryan
2. GOP et al
4. Ryan/GOP Wisconsin
5. Mitt
For Quayle was not....and was He was not nearly as lethal as the Clones today. I do not believe Q was Nazi, bought-yes, made an ass of-yes ( I mean his own party, W was next) but I do not believe he had turned that corner.
there will be a rock band
mr. tom has forgotten that
the soundtrack for the imperial machine
is a rock sound track
rock is the pentagons best sales tool
its all gone, tom, that beat leads
to afghanistan
While I don't disagree with your sentiment, the quote is from The Boxer, by Simon and Garfunkle. It is a great tune but give credit where it is due.
"Fear not. After Ryan loses the election and his House chairmanship he will fade into oblivion. No losing VP candidate has ever been elected president."
Oops. "How many how many losing vice presidential candidates eventually became president?"
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_how_many_losing_vice_presidential_candidates_eventually_became_president
We can only hope...
Righties can't seem to be original. Why don't they express their "creativity" and start their own "band"? They could call it Rage for the Reactionies.
Zippy
It is sickening to see how far down we have come since the 1990's and before. Never would have dreamed things would get this bad. R and R are just EVIL. The possibility of them being elected sends shivers down my spine. What century are these GOPers from?
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