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« The Truth About the Jobless Recovery | Main | Taxpayers Bill of Rights UPDATE » March 20, 2004Punks For BushToday's New York Times has a fascinating article about punk rockers supporting the re-election of President George W. Bush. Not long ago I linked to an article by Todd Anderson questioning why punk and rock musicians tend to toward the left, politically, when it is the left that promises more authoritarian Big Government nanny-statism that the rockers seem to despise. Weirder still is that rock, with its inherent anti-authoritarianism, would inspire audience and bands alike to say "The government's screwing us!" and also, "Let's make it bigger!"At least some punk rockers have realized that the Right is the right way to rock, judging from the NYT article...
With his mohawk, ratty fatigues, assorted chains and his menagerie of tattoos - swallows on each shoulder, a nautical star on his back and the logo of the Bouncing Souls, a New York City punk band, on his right leg - 22-year-old Nick Rizzuto is the very picture of counterculture alienation. But it's when he talks politics that Mr. Rizzuto sounds like a real radical, for a punk anyway. Mr. Rizzuto is adamantly in favor of lowering taxes and for school vouchers, and against campaign finance laws; his favorite Supreme Court justice is Clarence Thomas; he plans to vote for President Bush in November; and he's hard-core into capitalism.By the way, the links to the pro-GOP punk sites above were added by me because either the New York Times doesn't know how to use Google to find websites yet, or they didn't want readers to be able to easily find the pro-Bush websites. One of the sites, Punkvoter Lies, is a blog that promies to reveal "the lies, inaccuracies, and ignorance of punkvoter.com." Comments
By the way, the links to the pro-GOP punk sites above were added by me because either the New York Times doesn't know how to use Google to find websites yet, or they didn't want readers to be able to easily find the pro-Bush websites. When have you ever known the NYT to link to anything in the middle of an article? Posted by: Chris Wage at March 20, 2004 11:51 AMSweet!!! I like punk rock and hate it when I see bands I like supporting causes I don't. Posted by: Matt S at March 20, 2004 11:54 AMMatt S: You need to read the article a bit more carefully--this guy isn't in a band. He's someone claiming to be a fan. Frankly, one has to question the very idea of a punk being either conservative or liberal. It's oxymoronic. Posted by: JadeGold at March 20, 2004 12:27 PMBill, I didn't know you were a punk rocker! ;-) I ran across an interview with Johnny Ramone (guitarist for the Ramones, punk rock pioneers) and he's a full-on Republican. Posted by: mike hollihan at March 20, 2004 12:31 PMI look forward to seeing them perform at the convention in New York. Posted by: SemiPundit at March 20, 2004 01:48 PMMike, send me the link. JG: Rizzuto, the first guy quoted in the NYT article (and pictured above) is indeed a punk fan, but the second guy quoted actually was in a punk band. Posted by: Bill Hobbs at March 20, 2004 02:35 PMBill, I didn't know you were a punk rocker! ;-) Picture Bill Hobbs with a mohawk and a pierced tongue... Posted by: Dave T. at March 20, 2004 08:48 PMJG, Umm, I don't see where I said he was in a band. Frankly, one has to question the very idea of a punk being either conservative or liberal. I agree, unless the songs are overtly political. Posted by: Matt S. at March 20, 2004 09:19 PM"... the left that promises more authoritarian Big Government nanny-statism that the rockers seem to despise..." And where does the right stand on this these days? It hardly stands for small government anymore, is it? Bono getting a slap on the wrist from the FCC for saying "f-cking brilliant"... yeah, no sign of a nanny-state at all. Posted by: Gary at March 20, 2004 11:19 PMIn any case, punk-rock stands for anarchy (its pure commercial roots notwithstanding), and stands outside a simple liberal/conservative dichotomy. Posted by: Gary at March 21, 2004 12:37 AMSomehow the idea of punk-rockers uniting as some sort of traditional political party force seems paradoxical... except for the 'party' part. (But I would like to see Hobbs in a mowhawk...forget the pierced tongue *ouch*) Posted by: wes at March 21, 2004 08:18 AMThis is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. How could anyone, punk or otherwise, be pro-Bush. Have you been paying attention at all? Have you heard of the Patriot act? He should be impeached on that little piece of legislation alone. Somehow he's decided that his holy war is more important than the civil liberties given to us in the Bill of Rights. Posted by: amber at June 14, 2004 04:14 PMDearest Amber, the Bill Of Rights does not guarantee you private phone records. That's about all the Patriot Act does. Try reading up on it. Posted by: Anti-Amber at June 22, 2004 02:29 PMi think it is cool that punks are for bush. cuz dem iraqis blowed up real goods. punks and putin support bush. punks support dick. KEWL! henry rollins, cecile b demented, lena honeblower etc all love the bush. i love the dick. jack e. jett i think it is cool that punks are for bush. cuz dem iraqis blowed up real goods. punks and putin support bush. punks support dick. KEWL! henry rollins, cecile b demented, lena honeblower etc all love the bush. i love the dick. jack e. jett As a punk i can say that any bush supporter cannot be a punk. anybody who supports bush and says that they are a punk is doing it just for the image. Punk started with the idea that the government wasn't getting the job done, and that the person running the govrnment wasn't doing great either. So somewhere a fist was raised a chant started and out came the boots and plaids. Punk rock centers around anarchy, progressive thinking, and the idea to always stay true one's self. Bush is definatley not progressive nor is he an anarchist, and supporting an unecsary war in There many punx in the Brasil. The punk is not dead where the people thinks. Our country is the world! HA! Just because one dabs in fashion does not mean he is PUNK ROCK. The whole meaning of punk rock these days has been saturated with media pop B.S. There is a world of difference between emo punk trendy bands that grab youth's attention through MTV with no real discussion of polital views , awarness, or justification for those view; and a real grassroots, anti-centralized gov't band, who has politically vulger and crass opposition to the elite class. Those mearly play and follow the message, not some over produced sell out content for a label. So for you all to jump the band wagon and say "oh, Bush has the support of punk rockers" is ignorant, nieve, and worthless. Posted by: Mo at September 13, 2005 12:38 AMPost a comment
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