Friday, August 17, 2012

Morello: Paul Ryan is the target of our Rage

The Teamsters' good friend Tom Morello is furious that premium-wine enthusiast Paul Ryan claims Rage Against the Machine is one of his favorite bands. Morello, Rage's guitarist, wrote an op-ed that appeared in Rolling Stone today saying Ryan is everything they rage about.
...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.
Read the whole thing here.