The Backlash Begins
You know, we're not at all surprised by the reaction we've received here at Thrasher's Wheat regarding the recent update to the sidebar.
We Neil fans are funny folks. The punches came fast and hard.
Four years ago, we did extensive coverage of the Vote For Change tour where Neil toured with Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and many others for John Kerry.
"Neil Young, wearing a T-shirt with 'Canadians for Kerry' joined the Dave Matthews Band concert at the Vote for Change Concert Tour on Sunday at the Palace in Auburn Hills, MI. The concert was one of six sold-out shows in Michigan organized to get out the vote on November 2.
Dave Matthews introduced Young by saying 'a good friend of ours,' before launching into a 15 minute electric performance of Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower.'
Young said to the audience of more than 13,000:
'Some of you may know I'm a Canadian, and I'm here representing Canadians for Kerry. The rest of the world couldn't be here, but they say hi.'"
And we continued election coverage in 2004 as the tour progressed with Bruce, REM and Neil in St. Paul, MN, and Pearl Jam and Neil Young in Toledo. All the way until the tour culminated in Washington, DC where we went and enjoyed, photographed and reviewed the final National Anthem Concert which was broadcast nationally.
And you know what? No one. Not a single person ever wrote and said Thrasher, don't comment on the election. Don't cover Neil playing concerts where he endorses Senator John Kerry for President. Don't speak out for the end of the Bush regime. No one.
So what has happened over these past years? We can only begin to wonder.
Here's a little sample. From Anonymous:
Don't even know who I'm voting for, but I know I'm done with this blog.
I read it every day, but I will not give my support (via hit count) to any partisanship shown on a completely inappropriate site.
I'll scrap together Neil news elsewhere."
We won't even begin to explain that, Hey, it's our friggin' blog and we'll do what ever we flippin' feel like.
But not all is lost. Here's Dan:
I am going to vote for McCain/Palin but in the spirit of free speech those that are livid about your comments probably don't belong on the blog anyhow. If Neil takes it upon himself to make political statements here and there why shouldn't you have that right on your excellent blog? Yes, its more fun to debate all things Neil than politics but extreme times for call for extreme measures and most of us can agree that the upcoming election is a pivotal point in our nation's history. The name calling and negativity though is disappointing ... I hope the name callers either shape up or walk on ...
Thanks Dan. We're glad to have you as a reader of TW.
The powers that be do not want average citizens involved in politics. That's why we're discouraged from discussing politics at work, school, or neutral social settings. Don't go out and be politically active. Sit at home and watch TV.
There are agent provocateurs at work with their straw man arguments of "Shut up and sing". Witness the 'Deja Vu' film scenes where "fans" are shocked that a CSNY concert has "political" songs?! Folks, these are not fans but agent provocateurs attempting to create backlash among fans. It is as if they fear that a song might actually change the world or something.
Well, it won't work here at Thrasher's Wheat. We won't back down.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/08/2008 06:03:00 PM
21 comments
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21 Comments:
Yea Thrasher! We can all agree that we have given over to the powers that be WAY to much control.......its our world they govern, and are supposed to represent. Whoever one wants to vote for, involvement is the most patriotic of all causes. Like Ben Franklin said of what they gave us: A republic.....if you can keep it! Don't back down.
"..maybe it's Obama.."
Neil is prescient, I hope.
TM
http://www.myspace.com/thezumaband
Hi Thrasher!
As I wrote before (when TW was out for a couple of days) this is the very best Neil Young information source out there and one of the best blogs altogether. And it is my opinion that Neil is very much politics as are all of us. I don't com from the US and therefore I should have no interest in American politics. Well seen as the American politics are very much world politics AND this is a Neil Young blog (and he made statements about politics before in song and in word) AND this is your blog and nobody has to read it, I see no problems with you putting politics on it. You may agree with them, you may not. The choice is yours as is the choice to be reading these words.
Thank you Thrasher for your blog and don’t let it bring you down.
Jure
of course this is your blog and you have any right to say and post whatever you feels like, but thats a pretty stupid and offensive thing to say:
"Folks, these are not fans but agent provocateurs attempting to create backlash among fans".
Neil Young fans thank you for this
"We Neil fans are funny folks. The punches came fast and hard."
Thanks for the post and the previous one and the beautiful sidebar. As a regular visitor of TW I could feel the punches T is talking about.
I love the man who is the main subject of this blog.
I love they way he thinks, I love the way he plays his old guitar. I love him because he always does what he wants to do. I never ever in my life had the feeling my love for him was only based on some dirty guitar riffs. It's all about respect for the way he observes life and developes his creatvity through his observations. An open mind I sometimes disagree with.
When he said that "Music can't change the world" I refused to believe that. But does that mean my love for him is over? No way. After reading all the punches that were posted on this site I did feel for the first time that music can't change the world.
What can I say? Thanks Thrasher and thanks Neil.
I hope Neil is recording a new album right now.
Delay the Archives, forget Sugar Mountain Live.
Bring on the best ever NY album ever. An album that prooves that music can change the world.
The world sure needs some change. And NY fans need to read and understand NY. Because Sound Matters
I wish I could vote for Obama. I mean USA politics is pretty much of influence for the whole world, me too in the end but me being European means I can't cast a vote...
Thanks Thrasher for all you do for us!
I just made a contribution to support Neil news.
stay-c
I read Thrasher's Wheat every day and I fully support your decision to include a voice of political support. After all, this is YOUR site and you're providing FREE information for us Rusties. Whether I agree or disagree with your political affiliation does not bother me since I respect your right to support which ever candidate you wish.
As a side note; Obama is the right man for U.S. presidency and will change the country for the better if he gets the chance. Please continue providing the daily greatness this blog has to offer, and continue promoting Obama's website.
Regards, Chris.
Just thought I'd share this tidbit with my fellow Neil Young fans:
I got arrested at the 4th day of the Republican National Convention while being a journalist wearing the RNC's own media credentials just for observing a protest. I had flash bombs fired at me and saw people forced down on the ground while they were sprayed with pepper spray.
Fortunately no one was critically injured from what I saw the reports that have come out since then.
I was charged with "Presence at an Unlawful Assembly."
I just wanted to share the irony that the last song that the last song I listened to on my itunes before I left to observe the protest was 'Ohio.'
Now Neil is playing the same place where the RNC was in St. Paul. Strange times.
Don't Be Denied.
These posts saying a Neil Young site shouldn't mention politics are perplexing. Neil Young is a political artist, currently in fact releasing the most political material of his career since the early seventies. His views are relevant, and it's relevant for Thrasher to evoke and discuss them. Likewise, this is Thrasher's blog, and if he wants to use it to push for support for Obama, then that's his right. And it IS relevant on a Neil site, as he has ALSO come out in support of Obama!
This election is possibly one of the most important in the USA's recent history, as the outcome could be the difference between an open-minded, forward-thinking America and one that's insular, aggressive, nationalistic, bigoted and religiously-dominated. If Thrasher can have a say in how it all pans out, it would in fact be wrong of him to keep silent just to please some of the people on here.
Thanks for the links to the Huffington Post and other sites on Palin, Thrasher. She's one frightening lady, and I have already commented on the importance of keeping her and McCain out of office on my site.
Keep it up, Thrasher, the world needs you and other online warriors to keep fighting the good fight for America's soul, so don't be denied!
PS - thanks for your kind comment on my site. I did reply to it, but wasn't sure you were notified!
http://jphimister.blogspot.com
It's a lonely world out there for all the right wing kooks when it comes to rock and roll. By it's very essence, rock and roll is progressive, liberal, open minded and mind-altering. None of these characteristics mesh in any way, shape or form with the conservative mindset ... but fear not, you still have Ted Nugent, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Gene Simmons to fall back on.
If it were not for the fact that Neil has made is political voice crystal clear over the years, perhaps politics on a N.Y. fan site would be a bit out of touch. However, Neil is politically active and clearly behind Obama and the liberals in Canada. Hopefully at best, some common sense and compassion will wear off on some of the right wingnuts who claim to be his fans. And, some of your money, through the purchase of his albums and concert tickets will end up supporting progressive, liberal causes, much to the chagrin of the right wing kooks whose goal is to censore, criticize and otherwise beat down the left.
Keep on rockin' Neil ... and supporting worthy causes with the proceeds! His is a voice of inspiration and motivation to stand up to the kook right.
"If it were not for the fact that Neil has made is political voice crystal clear over the years,"
yeah sure like when he was supporting Ronald Reagan
and progressive rock is shite
You have a very nice blog. I like the style. It's deliberate journalism.
Keep on going.
Thrasher--
I think much of the anti-politics Neil fans--mostly Republicans, are upset that the myth they held turned out to be an urban legend: Neil was a supporter of Reagan. Total b.s., totally taken out of context, and Neil, in the last 8 years has proved over and over again, that he is a liberterian/moderate if not a lefty.
It's your blog; you do as your conscious dictates.
peace.
Chicago
Huh? That anyone would call themselves a Neil Young fan and consider voting for McCain and Palin is a very strange and inconsistent thing. You'd have to completely ignore everything Neil Young stands for, like love and nonviolence and rejection of organized religion.
OBAMA '08
With all due respect to the posters who have chose to bash conservative fans and assert that their views conflict with Neils -- Neil Young is not easy to classify into a political camp ... yes he does lean more left than right, yes he's very much against the current administration and has spoken postively about the hope that Obama will get the chance and deliver on his promise of 'change' but what most characterizes Neil is that he is an independant thinker, willing to express his own views rather than a party line. Whether he backed Reagen completely can be debated from here till tmrw but the important thing is that Neil had enough coverage to express admiration for some of the things Reagan did or stood for. Neil was open minded enough and confident enough in his views to not be stuck in one camp. The self described "liberals" hurling accusations and insults against Republicans and conservatives are espousing a very different, very closed minded ideology which in my humble opinion goes against Neil's philosophy ... the whole premise in Dejavu was that people have differing opinions and the idea is to have a conversation and respect people's right to disagree ... I always find it perplexing when people who are self described "liberals" chant about their commitment to "free speech" and "freedom" but with strings attached -- the fine print is that the speech and the views must be consistant with their own narrow views. If not, they resort to name calling and smearing... take some inspiration from Neil and try to understand someone else's ideology .... that's what it means to be authentically liberal ... take it from a self described conservative you can't be both authentically liberal and close minded its a contradiction
Thrasher - May the force be with you!
Luke S.
My two cents
1. great site, best Neil content on the web
2. you can put up whatever you want - it's your house
3. however, my advice is to reconsider the Obama posting. This modification to your present approach will cause the discussions to gradually lose focus and become more and more un-Neil in content (see the trend line in the content of the above posts).
Can you post stuff like this ? Absolutely.
Should you post stuff like this on a very focused, very useful, Neil information resource? That's another question that maybe needs more pondering
Friendly advice, not screaming or dictating...
Thanks for this site, I wanted to learn more about Neil Young as I was considering going to an upcoming concert. I'm voting for McCain, and most likely will be shutting down our small construction business when this U.S.of A converts to Canadian and U.K. style government. I will then thank Neil and Hollywood for supporting me, my education, and my healthcare as I most likely will be applying for welfare services. Spread the Wealth! Tax small business (4 or more employees) take away my guns, place restrictions on my property rights and do away with the constitution... Is that really what Neil stands for? I guess I didn't hear that in his music before, yet I'm very thankful for this blog for now I am informed. I'll skip the concert of Obamination. Thanks Bloggers
( Ted Nugent for President ) TW, Seattle Washington.
that guy above is an idiot...I mean really! All this left and right baloney has really gotten to me over this election. If you ask me what I feel and what I believe Neil feels its that we (as in me and many others I know and most likey Neil) agree with aspects of both the left and the right and therefore all the finger pointing is not only useless but a waste of time when real change could be getting done. I can not speak for Neil or anyone else (just going by everything I know about the guy from over the years) We are not going to suddenly become socialists or communists so just take a chill-pill homeboy Word to your mutha!
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