Or a left-wing commie pinko? Or is he just doing his job? Judge for yourself.... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/topstory/1506770
I prefer to think the definition of traitor is those who've actually used that phrase in a serious context.
Steve Earle has freedom of speech, and the rest of us have freedom to tell him to go to hell. His career is now dead- wait and see. WHAT AN IDIOT!
That's the beauty of freedom of speech...you can say whatever you want, but nobody has to listen to you if they don't want to. I seriously doubt his career is dead over this. He is too well loved in the Alt Country community for his career to ever go down the can. But I sure would like to know what posessed him to write the song.
I'm sure it is a suprise to no one, but I don't see what there is to be upset about. He has expressed some empathy for Lindh is all he's done. From the lyrics printed, it isn't even an endorsement. It's just a reflection on Lindh and his situation in life and the influences of his religious convictions on what he decides to do with his life. It is a sympathetic song, I don't doubt. It doesn't demonize the man. I'm not sure what's wrong with that. Should we feel no sympathy for those who are punished by the state -- even if that punishment is well-deserved? I haven't much interest in country music, and I don't even know what alternative country is. Never heard of Steve Earle before. But, I'm intrigued enough now to see if I can find a song of his on Grokster to see what he sounds like. I guess any press is good press.
Cool-- I feel the same way about the terms racist, sexist, and homophobe. Tex, I don't think you should make this an either/or choice, here. There oughta be more to choose from. Personally, I'd vote "idiot", were it an option.
Anything that gets high energy blues rock and guys named "Earl" off the front page of the Entertainment section of the Chronicle is fine by me. Nothing against them, just that you would think if you lived here that everybody listened to blues/country "with an edge" and prayed that the DJ on KPFT would play Robert Earl Keen right after that set of Joe Ely. As for the song, big deal. This is like Richard Thompson writing a protest song. Is anyone even listening?
Sorry....at least I didn't use radio buttons! Earle has referred to himself as a "Marxist" in the past, so that would up his idiocy points with me. The guy makes money off sales of his music CDs and by charging people admission at his concerts. Can someone be a Marxist and a Capitalist at the same time??? I AM THOROUGHLY CONFUSED. That must mean its time to go home for the first beer of the day!
Nope, don't do that, but I do pray that the DJ on KPFT would play Slim Harpo right after that set of Howlin' Wolf. But only on Sundays!
One note about this particular song... I don't view this as a pro-Taliban song or even pro-John Walker Lindh. He is singing from\ first person. In the song "Posession," Sarah McLachlan writes from the perspective of a stalker who wrote crazy letters to her. She wasn't a stalker and certainly didn't support that behavior. This is a common technique among songwriters. Not to say he isn't sympathetic to Lindh, but a song from his perspective isn't exactly an endorsement of terrorism or anti-American sentiments.
