![People act like musicians standing up for what they believe in is anything new. #FreePalestine [Slyngstad]](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/229b1cbc-f82b-471f-a5b1-7aae0efb6aec.png){kind=link}
Slyngstad | Bluesky
Transcript
A three-panel political comic by Slyngstad highlighting the long history of political activism in music. In the foreground of all three panels, two audience members are seen talking in profile.
Panel 1:
On Stage: A modern musician holding a microphone calls out, “FREE PALESTINE!”
Foreground: One audience member complains, “UGH, WHEN DID MUSICIANS START TO BE SO POLITICAL?”
Panel 2:
On Stage: Freddie Mercury performing at the 1985 Live Aid benefit concert, with the “Live Aid” global logo in the background.
Foreground: The second audience member replies, “START?”
Panel 3:
On Stage: Folk singer Woody Guthrie playing an acoustic guitar with his iconic slogan written across it: “THIS MACHINE KILLS FASCISTS”.
Foreground: The second audience member continues, “MAYBE YOU JUST WEREN’T LISTENING.”
Here’s an example of a band being political for the likes, but not living it: Rise Against. I used to have more respect for them, but they’ve been painfully fucking silent on Palestine and the US oligarchy, AI, etc.
I saw someone say this about another band I like.
Do we require every band we like to make a song about every injustice in this world? Or can we celebrate that they stood up against some of them?
They have a platform to speak up with, and a politically charged brand that they chose to carry. Now when some of the biggest threats to the world arise, they’re nowhere to be found. It must be nice to be able to just checkout and put blinders on while their fans are all getting fucked by high cost of living, climate change, data centers, and surveillance hell.
LOL jesus christ. This is exactly why most people come to hate leftists.
Get some fucking perspective on reality, dude, because your position is completely fucking ridiculous. I just regret that there’s no way to know who you are so I can literally laugh directly into your face.
Feel however you want. As my profile states, I don’t give a shit about debates.
Of course not. People who can’t defend their positions usually avoid debates.
When the tanks show up at your door, they wont debate you either :) Hope you can find meaning in your life.
You demand perfection that you yourself do not have.
Why would I ever even claim perfection? I expect nothing. Like I said it’s my observation. I’m not writing some petition or calling them out. I’ve already well moved on.
You have not said that in the previous comments in the thread that I am talking to you in.
And you are upset they are quiet on the issues you deem most important. You do just come across as bitter and personally upset and wanting those you look up to to match your positions. I will actually move on. You can say whatever but it doesnt make it true.
Ehhh, I think Rise Against gets a pass in this situation. They just haven’t been quite as active lately. They released a new album which has songs generically about rebelling against flails arms but they were so so so active during the bush era and during Trump’s first term.
Besides, I think the song Nod is a “nod” to the Palestine genocide but I agree it’s a little disappointing that there is not more. I just think that saying they’re not “living it” isn’t really fair when they are known as political legends.
Thanks for understanding where I’m coming from. Like I don’t hate them or anything. Quite the opposite. Life is hard and we all get older. I don’t blame them for wanting to enjoy life.
Rise Against is fucking solid.
They also didn’t issue a statement or write a song specifically for, say, the genocide in Sudan, but that one doesn’t seem to fucking matter for some reason.
No one expects them to write a track about literally every injustice. They’d need like 500 albums worth of material. It’s just me as one single fan that means zero, expressing my observation. I’ve seen them live multiple times, I’ve listened to all of their work. It’s just funny to me that somehow Macklemore has spoken out more recently, than a band that basically built their entire image on being political.