Tom Morello Talks About His Political Intent
Band Photo: Audioslave (?)
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE/ex-AUDIOSLAVE guitarist Tom Morello recently answered a couple of questions for Salon.com:
Salon.com: Why did you make the decision to step away from AUDIOSLAVE and scale down to just voice and guitar?
Morello: With AUDIOSLAVE, if we sold a million records, we might be able to buy new sports cars. With THE NIGHTWATCHMAN [Morello's solo project], if we sell a thousand records, we might be able to overthrow the government. I say that kind of facetiously, but the message on this album is distilled in a way that I believe is more potent than it was with my other work. This is not music made for a mosh pit. It's music that's looking for zealots and trying to rattle the cages and bang the bushes and find martyrs and true believers and people that are not afraid to ring the White House with pitchforks and torches.
Salon.com: Four years ago we saw a lot of anti-Bush sentiment coming from musicians, but the end result was still disappointing. What can be done differently this time around to ensure the right people get elected?
Morello: I'm not interested in kicking voters in the ass. That's not been my great passion. I do not believe that progressive change comes from having the right person in the White House — though certainly a great deal of harm can come from having the wrong person in the White House. All progressive change, whether it was women getting the vote, desegregating the lunch counters, getting the eight-hour workday or the end of the apartheid, happened not as a result of having the right person in the White House, but because people whose names you did not read about stood up for their rights. That's how change happens. That's the kind of organizing that I hope for. If we keep heading down the path set by this administration, it's not going to be about getting voted out of office, it's not going to be about getting impeached — it's going to be about the White House going up in flames.
Source: Metal Hammer
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23 Comments on "Tom Morello Talks About His Political Intent"
6. writes:
Pure communism is pretty much a more fair version of democracy, the only shame is that it has always turned into a dictatorship... what a minute, sounds a lot like American democracy under Bush. I hate the American political system and government... I wont get started with details and instead will say I agree with Tom Morello wholeheartedly. With RAtM getting back together, all we need to do is bring Bill Hicks back to life and maybe people will start to see the truth and move to make some changes.
Writer, Reviewer
8. writes:
Just Another Number has it right - communism didn't work not because theirs a flaw in the concept, but because there's a flaw in people. Particularly those in 'higher' seats of state within a communist country. They got greedy, and figured that they deserved more than any other individual was entitled to. People always want more. That's why communism was such a threat to capitalism - communism says "as much as others, and no more", whereas capitalism says "whatever you can get legally, and more"...
In a way, I have to agree with mimic25, too - anti-bush sentiments far from make the commy.
Hell yeah, if anyone deserves to be resurrected, it's Bill Hicks, hahah. The man's a legend.
9. writes:
Sorry but no, Bill Hicks was a clever man but a crap comedian. Granted he was the first comedian to use that style but unfortunately inspired loads of comedians to copycat his style of trying to be a smart arse and going "f*** the government" just so that everyone in the crowd will go "Woo!"
With regards to the communist thing, anti- Bush sentiments far from make a commie I agree but I'm sick to death of hearing it. Go to any festival over here I guarantee you you'll see five year olds wearing a "f*** Bush" shirt. A) They're too young to understand who Bush is and B) Being that I live in Britain, it's got nothing to do with us! Didn't RATM use Che Guevera on one of their albums covers? Members are often seen sporting clothing with the Red Star on it. He has extreme left wing views and wants to overthrow the government. All signs point to a Red. I stand by what I said about his guitar skills though.
10. writes:
hey ...Just another number... are you american because you are the only american that understands pure communism, most of the people have been brainwashed by this B******* school system pure communism was supposed to come through various stages(socialism) russia and china skipped a beat but communism is essentially making everyone equal or a "a more fair version of democracy" I might not as extreme as Tom Morello torching the white house, but the rest of the stuff hes a genius he knows what hes talking about and Diamond Oz, yeah they did, check out the amplifier on the video for guerilla radio. Its f***in sweet
11. writes:
I messed up some typing but yeah pretty that Tom morello is a genius and if he is a "commie" then he is ten times cooler. But torching the white house? I respect that idea though, Bush is a MOFO (and cant f***ing speak) but maybe tom morello should run for president and instead of torching it he could make it the RED HOUSE. And he might wanna think about changing this capitolist bullsh** school system that focuses on getting kids to think with the conservatives!!! BULLsh**!
And as president he should wipeout the KKK and all hate groups,because hate groups have been rotting the world for quite some time now. FIGHT RACISM
Former Contributor
14. writes:
I don't think the anti-Bush movement can end until Bush hands the keys over to whomever fills his shoes.
Like any widely held view, there are those who follow for the sake of being part of a crowd or because their parents say vote this way or that.
That said,
Bush is the worst president most now living have witnessed. Nixon is a distant second...Certainly more adept at keeping our country and other countries happy....He was "just" paranoid and power mad.
In terms of raw corruption I think the leader is Coolidge, but Bush's administration is being found guilty of something new and colorful EVERY DAY!.....d*** Cheney is about 3 blinks from cross examination.
Andrew Johnson was pretty scummy too....Polk made it cool for Bush to invade another country without warning when he turned Mexico into Texas.
I'm not a fanatical raving leftist. Far from it, I thought Reagan and HW Bush were decent as well as Clinton.
Bush Jr fell pretty far from the tree, striking every branch on the way down. Our country would be better off in the hands of a toddler.
Now Playing: Dark Tranquility - "Focus Shift"
Former Contributor
19. writes:
Clinton had his strong points, thats for sure.
His administration was actually stronger than he was, the world liked our country better, and so did we.
What sold him for me was his gift for public speaking. Something Bush is so poor at I'd feel more comfortable getting a lecture from a 6th grader about the state of the nation. As long as it's not that twisted Huckabee f*** or the waffley (more than Kerry or Bush) Mccain, I'll be happy with anyone elected....ONLY 633 more days to go folks.
Now Playing: Katatonia - "In the White"
21. writes:
All you guys still working at Taco Bell and record stores...keep bashing Bush. You think who is president affects you that personally? Clinton was a scandal machine himself. Morello is an Ivy-League educated rich boy who finds it fashionable to be a leftist. He has never had a "real job" like most of us. Straight from college to playing in bands. It's easy for him to tell me I should pay nearly half of what I make in taxes while the lazy ones sit on their butts. Stop drinking the kool-aid people.
22. writes:
Hey I like Bush! Very few politicians actually piss me off. The only ones I despise are David Cameron and Gordon Brown. If you guys ain't heard of them yet then you soon will do coz one of them's replacing Tony Blair soon. I like Blair for that matter I think he's genuinly a funny guy.
23. writes:
“tom sucks” let me guess what you do for a living since you seem to think we all work for Taco Bell and record stores. You must be an executive in a big company who sits in an office all day getting paid ridiculous amounts of money to talk on the phone and make meaningless decisions. If you ask me people like that SHOULD be taxed half their incomes. What about the guy who breaks his a$$ in the mines of West Virginia so he can gross 12k a year? Who are the REAL “lazy ones”? You tell me. The only Bush supporters in this country are the people who stand to line their pockets along with all the other fat cat’s and executives doing jobs that have no real factor on the well being of this country. Blue collar gets sh** on everyday of the week while the overpaid execs whine about how they have to pay an extra $1000 in taxes while they gross $700k a year. That argument might work with the politically inept but not here buddy.
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1. FuckTheMan writes:
Tom Morello is a f uckin gangsta. fight the power!!!