Springsteen: Silence Is Unpatriotic

Rock Star Answers Critics Who Say His Anti-War Album Is Unpatriotic

(CBS)  The music that emerged from his upbringing was a kind of blue collar ballad set to rock and roll, Elvis meets Dylan, uniquely Springsteen. Much of the new music is a protest. Some of it blunt, as in the song that asks "Who will be the last to die for a mistake," but most of it subtle, like "Long Walk Home," the story of a man who returns to his all-American small town but doesn’t recognize it anymore.

"What's on your mind? What are you writing about?" Pelley asks.

"I guess I would say that what I do is I try to chart the distance between American ideals and American reality. That's how my music is laid out. It's like we've reached a point where it seems that we're so intent on protecting ourselves that we're willing to destroy the best parts of ourselves to do so," Springsteen says.

Asked what he means, Springsteen tells Pelley, "Well, I think that we've seen things happen over the past six years that I don't think anybody ever thought they'd ever see in the United States. When people think of the American identity, they don't think of torture. They don't think of illegal wiretapping. They don't think of voter suppression. They don't think of no habeas corpus. No right to a lawyer … you know. Those are things that are anti-American."

"You know, I think this record is going to be seen as anti-war. And you know there are people watching this interview who are going to say to themselves, 'Bruce Springsteen is no patriot,'" Pelley remarks.

"Well, that's just the language of the day, you know? The modus operandi for anybody who doesn't like somebody, you know, criticizing where we've been or where we're goin'," Springsteen says. "It's unpatriotic at any given moment to sit back and let things pass that are damaging to some place that you love so dearly. And that has given me so much. And that I believe in, I still feel and see us as a beacon of hope and possibility."

Springsteen sees himself following a long American tradition reaching back through Vietnam and on to the Great Depression.

"There's a part of the singer going way back in American history that is of course the canary in the coalmine. When it gets dark, you're supposed to be singing. It's dark right now," Springsteen says. "And so I went back to Woody Guthrie and Dylan and the people who said, say take Pete Seeger, who wants to know, doesn't want to know how this song sounds, he wants to know what's it for."

"What needs to be said, in this country at this moment, in your opinion, what needs to be said?" Pelley asks.

"I think we live in a time when what is true can be made to seem a lie," Springsteen says. "And what is lie can be made to seem true. And I think that the successful manipulation of those things have characterized several of our past elections. That level of hubris and arrogance has got us in the mess that we're in right now. And we're in a mess. But if we subvert, the best things that we're about in the name of protecting our freedoms, if we remove them, then who are we becoming, you know? Who are we, you know? The American idea is a beautiful idea. It needs to be preserved, served, protected and sung out. Sung out on a nightly basis. That's what I'm going to try to do."

[jimycrakhorn]

America has been conscripted by zionist jews who could care less about America as long as they get what they want, money, land, power. Just check out the enlisted ranks and find out the ratio of enlisted servicemen who are of Jewish faith. Hardly one, kind of like Arabs.

[jimycrakhorn]

Just go to an airport and watch all the goons wearing badges and guns staring down travlelers, frisking them like criminals, and rifling through people''s belongings, America is rotting from the inside out!!!!

Anyone who would give in to this kind of authoritarian overreach in the name of safety deserves neither safety nor freedom to walk out the front door. We the people are the ones who should rise up and confront the DHS and TSA because our congressional leadership has abjegated their responsibility to defend the constitution thanks to security and defense industry grafting through political contributions

[rob91325]

Bruce Springsteen (and Democratic politicians) tells us %u201CI think that we''ve seen things happen over the past six years that I don''t think anybody ever thought they''d ever see in the United States%u201D - you would think George Bush had signed Executive Order 9066 %u2013 oh wait %u2013 that was a Democratic president that signed it and a Republican president %u2013 Ronald Reagan %u2013 that apologized for it. Google it!

[sweetlife743]

I have been a Springsteen fan, E-Street Band fan for 32 years and do not agree with (most of) his opinions regarding the war in Iraq. I know that every concert I go to will include some "agenda" that I am most likely on the other side of the argument and that is okay with me. I am grateful SOMEONE is brave enough to put it out there, I am grateful to live in a country where we have the freedom to express unpopular opinions. I find him to be an intelligent person who has every right to use his music, his songwriting talent, and his stage to express what should be food for thought for all of us. He chooses to use his millions to speak out; get a message out there that many Americans DO agree with. How many of us truly put our money where our mouths are? Our freedom of speech allows Bruce to give his opinion, via music or 60 minutes or whatever, and, for those of you who you disagree, to give your educated opinion. Using your freedom of speech to call him (or others names and drug addicts, etc.) is really pointless and just illustrates a lack of respect for others and, in my opinion, a lack of intelligence.

[greybeardvet]

What''s not to love about this fabulous spirit? He''s not only a fabulous entertainer but a fabulous story teller in the best sense of the word; a story teller on a par with Guthrie and Seeger who keeps the populist dream alive by telling the truth about the corruption and greed of Bush''s ruling class.

Take a close look at the creeps that call him unpatriotic, 99% of them have not sacrificed a thing for this country, all they do is swindle and cheat and send working-class kids to kill and be killed on foreign soil.

[aaabee-2009]

i just dont understand springsteen, mellancamp, bono and the like always popping off about topics their drug addled brains know nothing about. Posted by URSODUMB at 09:15 AM : Jul 28, 2008

I must ask about Talk Radio and the national forum those people are given to do exactly that, pop off on subjects they have no real expertice in.

What inside-the-beltway experience does Limbaugh, Hannity, or Savage have? What political education do they have, or political experience, yet they have the national ear for their personal points of view.

Is it because Springsteen''s point of view is a more liberal one that people here are complaining?

Political statements and art have never been strangers. Art, such as music, sculpture, or the written word, is exactly the right forum for the expression of all human feelings and points of view. Art imitates life, after all.

Bruce Springsteen is an artist. He must be allowed to project life through his art, his music. He must be allowed to speak on the same exact premise as Talk Radio hosts are allowed and for the same reasons.

Where do you feel censorship starts?

Censorship is dangerous. It is a knife that cuts both ways. It silences the speaker and it denys the listener new information. Censorship silences diversity, it silences communication and it silences freedom of expression. Without those things, how much less humane would we all be?

[oneamerican_]

Liberals are just plain idiots - and Bruce Springsteen is no exception.

His son is right - Springsteen is a self-centered egomaniac, and his music reflects that.

[xyno-2009]

The troops are helping corporations execute a land and oil grab

Posted by brianbwb at 12:55 AM : Jul 28, 2008

====================

Well that would explain why gas prices are so cheap here in the U.S. right now.

[mythoughtsr]

Yeah yeah we know all the warmongers and haters will come here to comment, but despite all the logistics of this war, the greed, the lies and what have you, it does boil down to the fact that there are HUGE numbers of people over there who are working full time to kill you and your family. No doubt about it. I do not subscribe to either party (Dem or Rep); they are all nut cases and I believe the government is full of greedy liars but I understand why they are over there and I don''t much care if you agree or disagree with me.

There are plenty of lunatics on this board. Just read their yawn-inducing comments about kool aid and seig heil and other assorted nonsense. They don''t make any points other than cementing their lunacy but they will never understand how speaking like that makes them look. Bruce Springsteen can speak out because he''s famous. I for one don''t give a da.m.n about what he has to say. Just because he''s rich doesn''t make him right and nothing he sings will bring those men and women home.

[brianbwb-2009]

"...Whether you approve of the Iraq war or not, there arelots of american young men sacrificing their life to protect that of Mr. Springteen of his chidldren..." Posted by apiallat

BS, pure and simple.

The troops are helping corporations execute a land and oil grab, nothing more, the invasion and occupation of Iraq has nothing whatsoever to do with protecting the US, in fact, they are creating more resentment, which makes it even more difficult for non-oil American businesses to do international business.

[brianbwb-2009]

Mr. Springsteen got one over on the Republicans, who chose his song "Born in the USA" for one of their campaigns a while back, thinking it to be just more silly fake patriotism, but when they actually read the lyrics, they realized too late that it was actually a protest against the kind of American injustice they advocate.

Not a fan of his music, I lean more towards instrumental mastery. But I do enjoy how the neocons squirmed, because they could not disparage such a popular artist, but also would not admit their mistake, so without announcement, they dropped the song, tails tucked firmly between their legs.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Democracy in Iraq is just horrible. Bring back the tortures and free rapes by Saddams sons, the gas used on the Kurds...." Posted by john97068

So I take it that you think it is OK for the US to kill, torture and rape Iraqis, and allow the Turks to bomb the Kurds, as is happening now?

[apiallat]

I am disapointed by Mr. Springsteen. He should stick to songs and stay out of politics. I guess his ego has taken over. Whether you approve of the Iraq war or not, there arelots of american young men sacrificing their life to protect that of Mr. Springteen of his chidldren. I wonder how he woul feel if his family was harmed by terrorits.
Scott pelley , in his reporting, was disapointing too, as he was star struck and unable or unwilling to ask hard questions of Mr. Springsteen.
This was a sad piece of journalism!

Alain Piallat

[nodnylx]

Even life-long devotees of the artistic talents of this doubtful artist must finally realize he has now past from art to socialistic politics and is using his millions to push his political agenda that will, if successfull, ironically, kill his own voice and the freedom of his/our nation.

[jasarack]

"To remain silent when they should protest makes cowards of men." Abraham Lincoln

Bruce Springsteen should not be silent about the disasterous decision by the Bush Administration to go to war against a country that had nothing to do with 911 and presented no immediate threat to us.

The devastation and bloodshed visited on the Iraqi people by an impetuous and wreckless President needs to be spoken to directly. If it isn''t, the blood is on YOUR hands.

[red164]

Hopefully some of the people who were in this discussion early on will post again. Things are just getting silly now.


Posted by otrem72 at 04:37 PM : Oct 10, 2007


You sure aren''t the solution to getting this board back on track.

[leonoel1]

Such a high level of discourse on this message board...reafffirms my contention that America''s collective mentality is at about a fifth-grade level...

Hooray for The Great Dumbing Down!!!!

[otrem72-2009]

Hopefully some of the people who were in this discussion early on will post again. Things are just getting silly now.

[terrorislam1]

THEY ARE LOSING

Last letter from doomed Al Qaida chief: "We are so desperate for your help"
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2007/ss_iraq_09_30.asp

Iraq insurgency: People rise against al-Qa''eda
Damien McElroy spent a week in the heart of the insurgency in Anbar province in Iraq. In the second of seven exclusive reports he describes how peace and prosperity have returned to a town formerly riven by sectarian killings.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/08/wanbar308.xml

[menofoz]

Posted by terrorislam1 at 01:55 PM : Oct 10, 2007

It''s called a civil war why can''t you get just one story correct?