news blog | August 17, 2012 | 17 comments

Rage Against the Machine rages against Paul Ryan

By Jo Piazza / current.com / @jopiazza

Paul Ryan has said that Rage Against the Machine is one of his favorite bands.

Apparently, the feeling is not mutual.

In an op-ed published Thursday night on Rolling Stone's website, the band's guitarist, Tom Morello, blasts the vice presidential candidate for being everything the band rages against.

Morello writes:

Paul Ryan's love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. Charles Manson loved the Beatles but didn't understand them. Governor Chris Christie loves Bruce Springsteen but doesn't understand him. And Paul Ryan is clueless about his favorite band, Rage Against the Machine. Ryan claims that he likes Rage's sound, but not the lyrics.
Well, I don't care for Paul Ryan's sound or his lyrics. He can like whatever bands he wants, but his guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one percent is antithetical to the message of Rage. I wonder what Ryan's favorite Rage song is? Is it the one where we condemn the genocide of Native Americans? The one lambasting American imperialism? Our cover of "Fuck the Police"? Or is it the one where we call on the people to seize the means of production? So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings!
Don't mistake me, I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta "rage" in him: A rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment. Basically the only thing he's not raging against is the privileged elite he's groveling in front of for campaign contributions. 

Watch Stephanie Miller and John Fugelsang talk about Morello's move

Morello goes on to explain that Rage lyrics have influenced the global Occupy movement, which is antithetical to everything Ryan stands for.

He concludes with the hope that Paul Ryan is actually a mole planted in the Republican Party who has been influenced by the positive left leanings of the band.

We can only hope.

Watch Jennifer Granholm talk about just
how toxic Paul Ryan really is

 


(Photo from Getty Images)

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17 comments // Rage Against the Machine rages against Paul Ryan

  • Obama_Convert
  • friskn8er
    • 0
      friskn8er  

    • This is not the first time I have heard a stupid con saying they love RATM. It's proof that they just don't listen, and they don't understand; but some primitive part of them can't help but respond to those funky beats..unfortunately that doesn't increase their cool factor one jot.

    • 9 months ago
  • William_Poston_Blair
    • 0
      William_Poston_Blair  

    • Tom Morello is a hypocritical asshole!!!I was a Rage Against the Machine fan for years.I too liked their music more than their lyrics.They write about liberal bullshit they really dont understand like Leonard Peltier and others.Im so sick of the uber rich music artists and hollywood acting as if they give 2 shits about poor or working class people who suffer daily.FUCK OBAMA FUCK ROMNEY FUCK this entire government system of assholes who have destroyed what our founding fathers envisioned for this Republic.Im a CONSTITUTIONALIST and belong to no political party or am n no way affiliated with any candidate. Hey Tom how about you write some songs about true patriotism and getting the assholes out of government so we can fix this country??????

    • 9 months ago
  • Milieu
  • William_Poston_Blair
    • 0
      William_Poston_Blair  
    • Milieu:

      Yeah im Raging against the machine.Smartass.Im the CO of 36/3rd Batle Born Patriots a "constitutional Militia unit in the Las Vegas area".I dont just type horseshit opinions like you liberal Kool aid drinkers who love to bloviate and bitch but what are you really gonna do for this country that is becoming a Marxist nanny state??But no your afraid of guns im sure and most likely have never served your country so idiots can run their pieholes under the protection of the 1st amendment.Dont come to a gunfight with a knife mental midget you leave this shithole im staying,I earned the right.

    • 9 months ago
  • Milieu
  • Obama_Convert
    • 0
      Obama_Convert  
    • Milieu:

      I dunno about you, but Mr "Nostop" Blair has got me wriggling in the crushing grip of reason with his elegant missive.

      Meaning: time to send another $10,000, maybe $30,000, to the Obama campaign.

    • 9 months ago
  • HarukoHaruhara
  • youngdebater
  • PepeLepew
  • Ricky84
    • +4
      Ricky84  

    • Closeted gay republicans made "paul ryan shirtless" one of the fastest growing search phrases on google so I'm not surprised by this other GOP contradiction.

    • 9 months ago
  • Leen61
    • +2
      Leen61  

    • I love Tom Morello! His commentary here rocks! He sure is a man for the people. He is also very intelligent and I thank him for coming to WI back in 2011. I hope that fool Ryan reads this!

    • 9 months ago
  • mrpuma2u
    • +4
      mrpuma2u  

    • How can MORE musicians not be against jerk wad Paul Ryan? I really hate it when musicians and other celebrities don't have the nards to state their beliefs, afraid to piss off a few people who might otherwise buy their record/movie etc...

      Hey even the right wing ones get my respect, if not my agreement. They at least have the guts to step up, like Tom Morello does.

    • 9 months ago
  • HarukoHaruhara
  • lazloman
  • MSII
  • Vic_Romano
    • +5
      Vic_Romano  

    • I've really been enjoying Tom's commentaries over the last few years. I think that he would make a great Presidential debate moderator.

    • 9 months ago
jopiazza
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