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From "Peace Train" to clamouring for Rushdie to be burned alive is a pretty big fall. I've never seen any evidence that he's changed his mind about his support

From "Peace Train" to clamouring for Rushdie to be burned alive is a pretty big fall. I've never seen any evidence that he's changed his mind about his support for the fatwah of death against Rushdie. But then I occasionally enjoy some Rage Against The Machine, too, so I think it's fair to say I don't filter my music based on the ideology of the performer. Maybe I should, though? Still thinking this one through. Edited: fixed autocorrecto.

grzm 9y ago
I'd say in general you're better off not looking for ideological purity or perfection, here or in many places. We're human. We have foibles. We can, and sometimes do, change. Sometimes we don't. Sure, there are some things that we really can't — and shouldn't — tolerate. Yet if we only surround ourselves with people and things that we completely agree with, that doesn't leave much room for change, in ourselves or others. And no room to grow. And I have both Cat Stevens and Rage in my collection. Some Rush, too.
- duncan_bayne 9y ago
  Yeah.... the question is if you agree that there is a line to be drawn, where do you draw it? Also there's a matter of money. Orthogonal to the question of whether it's possible to separate some art from the particularly awful philosophies of their authors, there's the issue that paying them for that art is almost certainly supporting the philosophy I find so abhorrent.
  - grzm 9y ago
    I don't think it's an easy question to answer, and one that I think will be answered differently for each person. I do think right now there seems to be a tendency to draw black and white lines too quickly and without really understanding where other people are coming from. And I don't need to agree with them to understand them. I do know that I don't hold the same opinions and beliefs of a lot of people. It's unrealistic — and inhuman —that I would dissociate myself from all of them. People have many beliefs and weigh them differently. Trying to figure out a single line or lines to separate myself from others is clearly not going to be an easy task. I'd rather find things I have in common with people and build on those. Then hopefully we'll be able to come to terms on those that we don't. It seems hard to imagine that we could do the latter without at least some of the former.
sparkzilla 9y ago
Roger Waters

grzm 9y ago

I'd say in general you're better off not looking for ideological purity or perfection, here or in many places. We're human. We have foibles. We can, and sometimes do, change. Sometimes we don't. Sure, there are some things that we really can't — and shouldn't — tolerate. Yet if we only surround ourselves with people and things that we completely agree with, that doesn't leave much room for change, in ourselves or others. And no room to grow. And I have both Cat Stevens and Rage in my collection. Some Rush, too.

duncan_bayne 9y ago
Yeah.... the question is if you agree that there is a line to be drawn, where do you draw it? Also there's a matter of money. Orthogonal to the question of whether it's possible to separate some art from the particularly awful philosophies of their authors, there's the issue that paying them for that art is almost certainly supporting the philosophy I find so abhorrent.
- grzm 9y ago
  I don't think it's an easy question to answer, and one that I think will be answered differently for each person. I do think right now there seems to be a tendency to draw black and white lines too quickly and without really understanding where other people are coming from. And I don't need to agree with them to understand them. I do know that I don't hold the same opinions and beliefs of a lot of people. It's unrealistic — and inhuman —that I would dissociate myself from all of them. People have many beliefs and weigh them differently. Trying to figure out a single line or lines to separate myself from others is clearly not going to be an easy task. I'd rather find things I have in common with people and build on those. Then hopefully we'll be able to come to terms on those that we don't. It seems hard to imagine that we could do the latter without at least some of the former.

sparkzilla 9y ago

Roger Waters