Community | October 23, 2009 | 28 comments

Rage Against Guantanamo - Musicians call for closure

source: http://blogs.current.com/news/2009/10/23/rage-against-guantanamo-rage-against-the-machine-re...

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afitzgerald
FROM THE NEWS BLOG:
This week a group of musicians launched Close Gitmo Now, a movement with an eponymous objective. Why is a group of artists as diverse as Rage Against the Machine, REM, Billy Bragg, Roseanne Cash, Pearl Jam, Jackson Browne and Steve Earle getting involved in the debate over Guantanamo? Because of the use of popular music by military interrogators.

From the Guardian (UK):
"Several references to music as an interrogation tool appeared in a US senate report last year. Records were used to "stress" Mohamedou Ould Slahi during questioning in 2003, including repeated plays of a song by hard-rockers Drowning Pool. Other tracks that were reportedly played at high volume near prisoners include David Gray's Babylon, Metallica's Enter Sandman, Don McLean's American Pie, Queen's We Will Rock You, songs by REM, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Bruce Springsteen, and even theme tunes from Sesame Street, Barney the Dinosaur and the Meow Mix commercials."

While the Meow Mix cats have yet to get involved, a wide range of other musicians have. Plenty of artists are plenty pissed about their music being a torture device. Ask Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello:
“Guantanamo is known around the world as one of the places where human beings have been tortured – from water boarding, to stripping, hooding and forcing detainees into humiliating sexual acts - playing music for 72 hours in a row at volumes just below that to shatter the eardrums. Guantanamo may be Dick Cheney’s idea of America, but it’s not mine. The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me – we need to end torture and close Guantanamo now."

Vanguard's Adrian Baschuk took a trip down to Gitmo last year and even spent the night. What going on at the most controversial jail in the world? (posted below)
  1. groups:
    Community,   News_Featured,   Obama: The First Term
  2. tags:
    Obama,  Bush,  Torture,  Guantanamo Bay,  13 more
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28 comments // Rage Against Guantanamo - Musicians call for closure

  • bielski
    • 0
      bielski [removed]  

    • I'm sick and tired of these scumbags, pussies and traitors allying themselves with fascists, tyrants and enemies of freedom. The Left has itself developed into a fascist movement in disguise, pretending to care about human rights when in fact the conservatives are showing more concern for women, gays, dissidents and apostates in the Muslim world. These punks disgust me with their self-righteous crap and crass ignorance.
      Here's someone with balls who could teach these retards something .

    • 2 years ago
  • Mikeysfake1
  • courage
    • 0
      courage  

    • the prisoners at gutanamo wish you people would shut up,it is clean,it isnt crowded,there are no other gangs,you dont have to work,the guards arent slightly retarded state employees,you get special food and 5 prayer times a day and a spot on your cell so you know which way to bow to allah.If you were them would you really want to do your time at some over crowded filthy federal max?Bush is gone you can stop the insanity.

    • 2 years ago
  • WhiteNoise
    • 0
      WhiteNoise  

    • The youth vote was certainly used to put Obama in power...now what ?

      "People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster." - James Baldwin

    • 2 years ago
  • FishaHouse777
  • spacemikey
  • QuinlanT
  • bielski
    • 0
      bielski [removed]  
    • QuinlanT:

      These assholes know and care nothing about human rights. Why aren't they protesting and campaigning against the appalling human rights violations in numerous Islamic countries...or should I say cesspits...., China, North Korea, Russia and various African hellholes and so on? Thes morons are driven by only one thing...hatred of their own Judeo -Christian culture, hatred of America, hatred of democracy. They are losers and ingrates and should be shipped off to Gitmo or any Islamic dictatorship where they might learn something.
      On second thoughts, Gitmo is too cosy and homely for them.

    • 2 years ago
  • WhiteNoise
  • 2helenahandbasket
    • 0
      2helenahandbasket  

    • "The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me – "

      ROTFLMAO!!! This is TOO funny! Crimes against humanity! LOL!

      On second thought, I've heard some of this "music" and I might agree it is, indeed, a crime against humanity when it's played.

    • 2 years ago
  • bielski
  • WhiteNoise
    • 0
      WhiteNoise  
    • Image

    • RATIONALIZING TORTURE REMAINS BEYOND COMPREHENSION BY ANY MEANS...

      "The civilized have created the wretched, quite coldly and deliberately, and do not intend to change the status quo; are responsible for their slaughter and enslavement; rain down bombs on defenseless children whenever and wherever they decide that their 'vital interests' are menaced, and think nothing of torturing a man to death: these people are not to be taken seriously when they speak of the 'sanctity' of human life, or the conscience' of the civilized world." : James Baldwin - From chapter one of "The Devil Finds Work" (orig. pub. 1976)

    • 2 years ago
  • kitteneater
  • Ihatethemall
    • 0
      Ihatethemall  

    • The only thing keeping gitmo open now is obama and the democrats and their inability or unwillingness to close it. Yes bush and his cronies did unspeakable acts there and they should be tried for crimes against humanity but now there is no one to blame for it still being open other than those in charge.

    • 2 years ago
  • FishaHouse777
    • 0
      FishaHouse777  
    • Ihatethemall:

      Obama's the only president who has tried closing it since....since before you were born probably. He has much legislation to work through before one of the biggest controversies of American government is shut down for good. So stop f*cking complaining and let the man do his job

    • 2 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • WhiteNoise
  • RojoGatto
  • FishaHouse777
  • Tevis
    • 0
      Tevis  

    • If they close Guantanamo it will just be for show. They'll put them somewhere else and then continue what they were doing in cuba.

    • 2 years ago
  • slarabee
  • Ihatethemall
  • spacemikey
  • chivideoguy
    • 0
      chivideoguy  

    • If people are being fined thousands of dollars for taking music off the internet to use for their own enjoyment, shouldn't people who use the same music to torture people be thrown in jail? Whether it's a gun or audible sounds, if it's intent goes against the well being of another person it's wrong and those who committed these acts should be severely prosecuted

    • 2 years ago
  • atomiclegion
  • afitzgerald
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