[Credit where it’s due: the above phrase is Bill Maher’s.]
Because writeups of the band Propagandhi appear in this week’s Time Out and Philadelphia Weekly, right alongside my own work, I feel obliged to comment.
I don’t know Propagandhi’s music. I do know their politics, however. The links to ZNet and to the likes of John Pilger tell you all you need to know.
Pilger has referred to Barack Obama as a “glossy Uncle Tom,” written warmly of Hezbollah (“humanity at its noblest”) and faulted Israel for “driving [Palestinians] to the despair of having to commit their own atrocities.” This is Propagandhi’s idea of someone with moral authority.
Not sure if the “gandhi” in the band name is just cute or an actual homage to the great theorist of nonviolence. If the latter, they may want to examine Pilger’s clear record of support for violence.
Propagandhi also links to this piece of tripe by Justin Podur, who describes 9/11 conspiracy theorist Richard Falk as “an acclaimed scholar and a highly credible source.”
I’m all for musicians speaking out on behalf of progressive causes. Most of the time, however, you get poseurs like this.
Comments are closed.