For those having problems with archive.is: if you have a quick hand, just reload the Rolling Stone page and quickly push the reader mode icon before it finishes loading. This often manages to load the entire text in reader mode without the nagware. Having a slow PC/connection probably helps. Note: I also use Ublock Origin, although I believe it's not relevant in this context.
Edit: nevermind I'll find it elsewhere. Also, the comments in this thread are unbelievable, like a box of Legos... hmmm lets see what I can make up with all these pieces! oooh look at this new angle, such a new twist with my performative culture war construct...
I was doing well until I got there too. I just...look, I was an independent my entire life until the Dobbs decision, which led me to register as a Democrat and I've been working as an attorney for the party since then.
Prior to that, I had been voting consistently for Democrats since 2012. I realized what Trump was the minute his political aspirations got serious. Fuck that dude.
But even before I became a Democrat, I understood the futility of voting 3rd party in important elections.
One could argue that Morello, being a California citizen and in a reliably Democratic state, knew well that not voting for Harris would have little-to-no impact on the overall race. Harris was getting the California EC delegates no matter what Morello did.
But he needs to be aware of his influence over those that live in states where those votes do matter. He can be as righteous as he wants to be, but he shouldn't pretend that his influence doesn't matter, or if he acknowledges it, then he should acknowledge that those votes to matter in many places.
But he needs to be aware of his influence over those that live in states where those votes do matter. He can be as righteous as he wants to be, but he shouldn't pretend that his influence doesn't matter, or if he acknowledges it, then he should acknowledge that those votes to matter in many places.
One could also argue that Morello being from California also just shows that he isn’t gonna have to deal with the consequences of his own actions when it comes to both sidesing
well, trump's admin has gutted a fuckton of aid to californians and californian institutions. he won't have to deal with those consequences, yes, but because he's rich, not because he's in california.
Also SCOTUS decisions still impact California as does witholding federal aid, FEMA, federal court appointments, getting in stupid wars and potentially killing kids from California, or cancelling US Aid, cutting PEPFAR grants for HIV/AIDs programs globally. You can't ever say you care and vote 3rd party for President under our current model imo.
I understand people don't always think like that, but you get the democracy you vote for or don't vote for. It's crazy to me that people still think for President you can always pick your favorite choice, that's simply not true. In our current system, you have 2 choices, the person you would like to work with and think can be better over the next 4 years, or the person who will make things worse.
He never said that he didn't vote. In fact, he emphasizes the importance of voting as one tool for fighting fascism several times in the interview.
He said that he didn't vote for Kamala. He lives and votes in California. Kamala easily won California. Voting should be viewed as a strategic decision, not a moral or emotional one. He was afforded the opportunity to vote his conscience because he lives in a deeply blue state. I don't think that contradicts anything he's said or advocated for.
Wild that for all those decades you didn’t even understand what Rage’s music stands for. Kinda like the chuds who were surprised he wasn’t a right winger.
Lol what? RATM played a show outside the DNC and said they couldn't get inside because they were all sold out.
How did you come to the conclusion they were Democrats?
Sounds like the decades you wasted was a skill issue. Tom and Zack have never made their politics subtle and the fact liberals still think they are on their side is as sad as MAGA morons waving thin blue line flags while singing Killing in the Name of.
Thinking that the people who made Bombtrack would be liberal democrats is indeed as ridiculous as those vids of MAGA dancing (poorly) to Killing in the Name
Shit, there's some live recordings of RATM from the 90's where they spent a good chunk of the show correctly calling out the DNC (the dixiecrats as they called them) for being corporate stooges and uninterested in the plight of the common man or in just or in equality.
The people here grandstanding about how both candidates were the same while 4.5 million children under 5 are projected to die by 2030 from the USAID cuts is just fucking infuriating.
1.3 million Americans dead because of conspiracy theories spread by one single party during a pandemic.
9,000+ dead after a terrorist attack that killed 3,000 people, and one single party lied about the air quality in the surrounding area and then refused to fund any form of healthcare for first responders, military, and any other victims who were caught in the dust.
Every mother fucker who says this “both sides are the same” bullshit are openly admitting that none of Trump’s horrendous policies will affect them, so they can’t be bothered to care.
Try telling a Hispanic person living in fear of getting hunted by ICE in their own neighborhood that Trump and Kamala were the same. See how they react. Bet Tom would change his tune real quick if he wasn’t worth $40 million and his Medicaid was on the “Big Beautiful Bill” chopping block.
Both sides are the same to right wing pipeline shows up again and again. I’ve been hearing this diatribe since before I was old enough to vote. I saw the damage this shit led to in 2000.
We know the choices presented. We know the outcome is generally one of two options under the current systems. Failure to act accordingly shows me how unserious that person is.
Both sides are just not the same. It doesn't mean the Democrats are perfect or anything, but they are like base level "good". Voters should demand what Democrats stand for as the minimum, and then have a competing party that is more progressive. But the Republicans are just outright pure evil. And they've been like this for the last 50 years. There's a reason that idiots out there pull out gotcha bs about Democrats and Republicans from 100 years ago or more how the GOP freed the slaves and whatnot. Well where's your examples of good decent policy and values from 30 years ago then? Or 20? Or 10? Or now? And to top it off, Republicans are the ones waving the Confederate flag all the time. You know the faction that the GOP fought bitterly to defeat? A bunch of traitors they are, utterly twisted people. Why don't the "party of Abraham Lincoln" then fucking act like it? Lincoln would be ashamed to be in the same party as Republicans now.
The current rogue's gallery of scum is of course what they're like when they are full mask off. People point to Nixon or Reagan or Bush 1 or 2 as "better" than Trump, when these were the guys who continuously pushed the country into ruin. The reason why they come off better is because they made it worse over time. GWB also made Bush and Reagan look more moderate.
Can you say the same about Democrat presidents? Is Obama worse than Clinton? Is Biden worse than Obama? In some respects yes and some not at all. It's not as steady a regression like with Republicans. I remember when Sarah Palin was openly mocked on TV, now her stupidity is downright quaint in comparison, if not outright the norm everywhere now.
Also ignoring the fact, that even if both candidates were the same (and they were not,) only one side has at least some people on it legitimately trying to make the country a better place for everyone.
And ignoring the fact that if that party consistently won, they could eventually splinter into separate groups where people could vote for the group containing those said politicians.
Those who abstained from the vote failed to look even two steps ahead.
One candidate refused to say the word "genocide". The other candidate said he's cool with it, and by the way he will literally bulldoze Gaza and use it for hotels he will profit from.
Not using your vote for one or other is insanity. Your protest vote enables your greater hated opponent.
People keep saying "you didn't listen that he wanted to destroy the machine", OK well, if you know you have a way to hurt the machine vs. doing NOTHING, why would you choose nothing? Well, because he thinks hubris solves problems. Support nothing, bring no solutions, and just say "man this sucks, fuck you", OK. Fuck everyone then I guess.
Also, who did he vote for? What policies did he support? No one is discussing it. No one cares. Great job changing people's opinions I guess.
fucking seriously dude. every single last motherfucker who tries to use gaza as a prop to morally condescend others while supporting macklemore and his protest "i'm not voting for you biden" bullshit is rotten beyond hope. fuck every last one.
Absolutely. And I’d like them to say to a trans persons face that performative grandstanding and (sorry) propaganda about the Middle East was more important than actual living breathing neighbors who were definitely going to be harmed by Trump and definitely going to be protected by Harris. Only Gaza matters? Tell that to immigrants deported to fucking Africa when they are from Central America. Tell that to women who died bc of regressive policies. Tell that to trans people erased. Or babies who got measles bc they were too young to be vaccinated. Or all the fucking people who died of AIDS in Africa bc of the funding pulled. Or a million other minorities harmed directly by MAGA. But no sit on your idiotic high horse with your dumbass watermelon palestine emoji and crow about how much more moral you are then the “sheep” who voted for Harris.
When I worked in elections and had to answer questions from a shockingly wide range of people about how they should decide to vote, I liked to use an analogy: candidates are like buses. You don’t not get on the bus because it doesn’t take you exactly where you want to go, you get on the bus that stops close to where you want to go.
I also liked to direct people, particularly in the context of judicial candidates that aren’t identified by party on the ballot in my state, to pull their campaign finance reports to see who they’re taking money from. In fact, any candidate you’re unsure about, look at their reports. And if they aren’t filing the reports? Reject them entirely, if they can’t adhere to the laws regarding their candidacy (that they voluntarily entered into), what are they going to do when they’re in power?
This is starting up a couple weeks later than I expected. It's election season, so here come all the "but actually Democrats are bad too because of Gaza" accounts, stumping for Trump.
Yeah, I love Rage, but Morrello lost most of my respect flyer the “don”t you know who I am” incident at the Seattle restaurant. It’s clear Zach was actually the moral core of the band.
For many many months on this site, you had people blaming "Millions didn't vote for Harris and abstained, and now we got stuck with Trump." And that they should also have blame into the mess the US is in.
Now there's info of Tom supposedly not voting......and people are busting out excuses for him of "What was he suppose to do?!"
He lives in California, and in the United States there’s this thing called “the electoral college.” California voted for the democratic candidate. Seems like his vote didn’t matter all that much and you’re mad at nothing two years later
No, but he would do more. But you see, he was destined to be a guitar player. Gosh darn it, if Tom wasn't so good at guitar he would've been a rebel scalping fascists and leading a rebellion from the hills. But destiny forced him to be a famous guitar player and live a life of comfort so he could grandstand about not voting while others bear the consequences. Funny how destiny works...
Honestly, if you didn't get out and vote for Kamala fuck you. You're just a piece of shit like the rest of them. You've destroyed any credibility you ever had.
I'd take the VP of the guy who prevented the ground invasion of Rafah over the guy who said they should forcefully relocate everyone in Gaza.
But even ignoring that, I'm sure the projected 4.5 million children who are projected to die in the next 5 years because of USAID cuts will be dying with pride knowing their sacrifice was worth putting Kamala in her place.
100%. any fuck who protest voted in the general is pro-trump, don't give a shit about their philosophies, neither do all the kids who suffer from trump's deregulations and aid withdrawals.
The Trump voters take most of the blame, but the people who abstained from voting (such as Tom Morello) also play into this. The 2024 election came down to a number of swing states. Every vote counts. Look at how far the party stance has shifted in two years on Gaza and Israel. Now imagine what we could be doing if we had voted for Harris but kept that pressure up the same way we've been doing. We would have someone in office who could possibly act counter to the genocide. Instead, we're stuck with a dangerous, senile imbecile who is in Netanyahu's pocket. Strictly blaming Trump voters for this mess is inadequate. It can't be helped now, but the people who couldn't be arsed to vote damn well better be moving forward. Staying home didn't help in 2016 nor did it help in 2024. And it won't help moving forward.
I mean realistically they did not swing the election. What swung the election was generic non voters being apathetic and ignorant selfish fucks as well as a bunch of first time moron voters the Trump propaganda got voting in 2024 for Trump.
As dumb as the 'let's let even more people die because this candidate might not do the maximum to prevent some people dying' and childish 'I refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils1!' is it didn't cause Trump to win.
Largely covid inflation being blamed on dems (because people dumb dumb) and the fact people thought Trump was somehow responsible for low gas prices and the economy in 2017 (cause dumb dumb) is why Harris lost. Its not an interesting story but its the truth. Voters kicked out incumbents the world over for similar reasons.
Its also why Dems are about to have the largest midterm blue wave in around 30 years.
I mean realistically they did not swing the election.
it's a lot closer than anyone realizes. in michigan and wisconsin alone, trump's margin in the general was smaller than the DNC calculated protest vote figure in the primaries.
Actually true, the study I believe you are referencing is very clear in its wording. Once elected democratically, a fascist regime has never been voted out of power.
So by being one of the abstaining voters, they actually contributed to this mess
Germany didn't vote for the communist candidate in the 1932 elections, stating he was Moscow inspired. The liberals denied forming a coalition and voted for the conservative incumbent, which then brought Hitler into power. Then they came for the communists.
Doesn't look like anyone in America has tried to start fascism. You guys have just let Trump turn himself into a dictator with pretty no resistance. The left in the US are pathetic, there were be riots in the streets if this happened in any other country.
V for Vendetta — that one inch of who you are belongs to you, and they can’t have it. Now, I live in a state where it may not have moved the meter, but I just couldn’t do it. Couldn’t do it.
When’s the last time that you didn’t vote for the Democratic candidate?
Can’t remember the last time I did.
Wow, okay. I thought you were softening a little bit.
A nice reminder that these “fighters” are nothing more than entertainers playing to their audience. When push comes to shove, and they have the actual chance to fight fascism, they protect themselves and their cash. Wimper Against the Machine
He enjoyed the privilege of knowing enough people will pick up the slack. Even still, he enjoys the privilege of knowing those he cares about will be okay no matter how things shake out and fuck everyone else.
He can think his stance is a moral one, and I do sympathize with it, but I can guarantee that Kamala’s administration would not have bombed a school in Iran because AI said so.
I'm fucking 40 and god damn ratm hasn't done shit. Where is Zach? Where is the tour? Where is the rebellion?
I love Tom and I'm glad he went to Harvard but I'm a little tired of the obvious commentary. Bro....you and your network have millions. Do something! Buy some fucking congressmen already. They're cheap.
anarchism isn't resistance to fascism, in fact rock, punk, "fuck the system" counter-culture is a state approved version of anti-fascism, because its precicesly NOT a counter, its a release valve. Worker strikes, organizing, labor unions, effective protests, etc. real politics. Don't look for celebs with a strong message to bail you out of an oppressive state. The oppressive state loves that you blair "fuck you I won't do what you tell me" while doing what they tell you to do.
For better or worse some of us are in "real politics" as you describe it. My off the cuff message was in no way and cry of despair, but rather something I'm genuinely perplexed by. Tom holds a place, where I do look to him for help. He imo is not the typical rebal musician, or maybe he is.
But perhaps you're right...maybe I / we should see this layer of our culture as nothing more than a factory floor of release valves, serving a narrow and limited purpose.
What we are witnessing is an example of authoritarianism. The tactics are all the same for any developing dictatorship. If it were a commie, it would look exactly like this. All the reasons people apply for why this is fascism they pick aspects of authoritarianism or nationalism.
Jesus Christ this entire thread is a monument to the most insufferable traits of redditors. Just pompous know-it-alls who think everything is black and white. But they are all certain they have the answers to the worlds problems. Well since you all know everything, feel free to get off your fucking mom's couch and fix the world for us.
Everyone here is performative. They don't actually care, in fact it is the best thing that has ever happened for them because it is so easy for them to pick a side and be pat on the back for it. Anything for self elevation.
As someone from the country that literally definitionally invented fascism: yep. But let’s also not pretend the USA didn’t march into all of this for decades, ignoring all warnings from historians, victims and observers both abroad and within. Again, because I’m from the country that invented fascism: this has been a long time coming and we saw it coming a long time ago. The commenters here blaming this guy for not wanting to vote for the bad guy just because the other guy was worse is exactly the issue: why did the DNC rig the Democratic primaries to make sure any progressive candidate would be unable to run even if they are incredibly popular across the political spectrum? Shouldn’t whoever’s popular be supported to make the whole structure of the progressive platform, in opposition to the conservative platform, win?
Oh hold on—
why did the DNC rig the Democratic primaries to make sure any progressive candidate would be unable to run even if they are incredibly popular across the political spectrum?
The uncomfortable answer is that there was no rigging. Progressives have a death grip on the fiction that they're infinitely popular and everyone already agrees with them, so when progressive candidates underperform against moderates time and time again they have to invent copes and alternative explanations that leave themselves blameless and assured that they don't need to change on any issue.
DNC attorneys have argued in court that the party's internal promise of impartiality don't really mean anything. They say the DNC has the legal right to ignore its charter and pick candidates in "back rooms like they used to and smoke cigars."
They rig EVERY presidential to some degree, but in 2016 they were particularly egregious and they were hit with major backlash when the evidence was discovered. This is well documented.
As a result, the DNC chairperson and some other prominent members stepped down, the DNC toned down its wildly unpopular Superdelegate policies, and the DNC implemented new rules about financial transparency.
In 2016 the DNC absolutely rigged the primaries. I will always go back to Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigning as head of the DNC to join Hillary's campaign immediately after Hillary won the primary. A massive conflict of interests. Just one of many pieces of evidence that the DNC was working against the progressive candidate.
Elizabeth Warren said the 2016 primary was rigged.
Whether it’s a fiction invented to split the vote in 2016 or a real move by the DNC to pick the centrist candidate. The lack of unity still changed the world for the worse for a generation or more. The supreme court alone guarantees school shootings for decades.
I simply find it sad that the democratic voters can’t come out and vote for a woman.
We (the country currently reinvigorating fascism) saw it coming, too. But just as in chapter 1 Germany, clearly there are greater, more powerful forces at work. Democracy hasn't existed in a century, if that. 'What the people want' hasn't mattered... ever. Maybe the magna carta
It's money and suffering, those are the greater forces. Money begets suffering begets more money.
I’m not sure about what you’re saying. So just because things have almost always been that way then there’s no point in trying to improve them anyway? And how about trying to make them better for everyone? Which, by the way, includes US citizens too. Because if our countries weren’t paying billions of taxpayers’ money to support Israel’s pointless genocides, you would be doing better too. Your infrastructures would be doing better. And like, you do know your money is going towards giving Israelis free healthcare while you probably can’t even afford to have emergency care without going bankrupt, right? Kamala being elected wouldn’t have solved any of that. It would’ve just been more of the same and you probably wouldn’t have even realized the rot was there at all. Now that the turds are evidently floating to the surface, you have all the chances in the world to get rid of them and rebuild. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s inevitable because fascism never lasts, and your country will only be better for it.
Anyway, back on topic, people who don’t like RATM being overwhelmingly progressive and radically punk got another thing coming.
There's plenty of democracy in the world and you need to look no farther than modern day England or Netherlands or Belgium or Sweden. I can't speak to all countries and All countries have some kind of outside political influence like Russia but In general Europe is in great shape
Look at the resurgence of the far right in all of the countries you mentioned. Europe is on fact not in great shape. Of course relatively speaking much better than the USA but the trend seems to be going towards the same.
Kamala Harris could've very very easily denounced Israel's genocide and promised an end to endless aid an arms and she didn't, because to her it wasn't worth it. She decided she would rather lose with netanyahu than win without him.
She lost by a blow out because she was the also ran who didn't inspire anyone to vote for her in the primary she actually ran in, losing her own state, and then doubled down on every unpopular thing Joe Biden did! She decided the best thing to do was to appeal to the right as hard as possible, and she lost! It's infuriating! She probably would've invaded Iran just like Trump!
A lot of people are pragmatists and care about their own immediate wellbeing. If you believe not voting was the most direct path to your own wellbeing, I have beachfront property in Oklahoma to sell you
A lot of people are pragmatists and care about their own immediate wellbeing.
I'm a pragmatist who cares about more than my own immediate wellbeing. I care about all the people who died because of USAID cuts. I care about all the people who have died and will die because of the damage Trump is doing to the environment. I care about Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School. I care about trans people in the US who just want to survive. I care about women in red states who might need medical care.
Tom Morello apparently doesn't give a shit about any of that.
I am sorry were Dems not helping lock up protesters? I dont know who is more dangerous the off mask fascists or the ones that have convinced themselves that they are not.
Tom Morello, who sells $2000 guitars and NFTs and belittles waiters because they won't seat him fast enough, talking about being anticapitalist and being for the people.
And more importantly: stability. He had the good fortune of being born in a country not torn apart by civil war, enormously wealthy and with a dynamic economy. His band blew up during a brief utopian period where America was the sole superpower and it seemed liberalism had won.
Having money from a life time worth of work does not deny the reality of material contradictions within our socioeconomic situations. There is a reason fascism is described as capitalism in decay.
And money is not capitalism. Ancient societies had money. Capitalism is investment capital and global imperialism. This famously lends itself to numerous internal and external conflicts. People have written about this for like 200 years at this point.
There's a reason malcolm x said nothing is more dangerous than a white liberal...... in present day they'll tell you to vote for genocide and be upset that you didn't because they're blue.
A political opinion from Tom Morello is no better than the opinion of Kid Rock...or some random guy you went to school with sharing his opinions on Facebook. 100% irrelevant.
Looking at these comments seems a lot of people are forgetting about the Electoral College and the fact he resides in California which always goes blue. In his mind he risks nothing by not voting. I live in CA and I still voted for Harris because that's the statement I want to make and I would have done the same thing if I had lived in Texas. Maybe Tom would have voted if he lived in a red state. We all knew Trump's MO and how shitty he is so yeah I'm tired of hearing how people who didn't vote for Harris because of just one policy (ie. purity tests) but it just shows you the GOP is united in hatred while the Dems are divided by just about everything. For me it starts with the class war and the Dems should be rallying around the working class because it's comprised of everyone BUT the rich elite.
Tom has influence over fans. He is a celebrity. Him not voting in California wouldn't have impacted the election. But what about his influence over fans in swing states?
And before anyone says the Democrats should've met him on Gaza... what has been gained by abstaining? How has life been improved in Gaza by electing Trump? How about vulnerable U.S. citizens?
Top Democrats still live a life of comfort either way. Morello still lives a life of comfort either way. It is not this big statement to withhold your vote that people think it is. It is a blunder that has cost many lives.
He's got a much more influential voice that reaches people in places where votes matter a lot more.
You make it sound like you voted Kamala in CA even though you didn't want to. So if you had a good reason why, some standard you're living up to or trying to show others, why wouldn't you hold him to it as well? If it ultimately doesn't matter then why bother voting in CA?
Ok well u didn’t help Gaza and now I have fewer rights in the US and everything is more expensive directly due to choices the President made so way to go. Appreciate the rich famous male perspective.
Estimates of those killed in Gaza: 80k. Let’s say reporting is bad and double it. Hell, triple it.
Estimates of those who died due to DOGE cuts: 700,000 and climbing.
Both horrific. I’m not even talking about the ICE raids. But we can’t let Gaza single issue voters rat fuck the midterms or 2028 again. Sorry Tom, I’m sure you’ll try.
In July 2026, Morello launched this initiative in honor of his late mother. The foundation collects tax-deductible donations that directly benefit a handpicked list of organizations, which explicitly includes the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF
In April 2021, Morello partnered with musicians like Roger Waters and Brian Eno to headline “Live for Gaza,” an online global livestream fundraiser. All proceeds from ticket sales directly funded the Delia Arts Center, an organization providing rehearsal spaces, training, and resources for localized Palestinian musicians inside the Gaza Strip
Aside from financial fundraising, he has used his platform to actively sign open letters with Musicians for Palestine demanding immediate ceasefires, performed pop-up concerts at university student encampments, and consistently spoken out against civilian harm in the region.
What more do you want? Do you want him to physically go to Gaza?
What I want is someone to shut their fucking privileged ass mouths when they directly enabled the current administration to do what it’s doing now by sitting back with their self-righteous, stubborn thumbs up their asses. Any all charity falls on deaf ears when you are throwing your hands up and enabling an administration that will most definitely make the lives of everyone you know or don’t know more miserable. Voting is literally the easiest and most effective way as citizens to enact the change we want. It’s the bare fucking minimum. So he can write his music, play his charity shows and do some fundraising. I can respect that all day, but when he actively allows fascism to take hold of our system while sitting back and failing to do the most effective thing in a democracy he could possibly do to stop a fascistic administrations rise to power, I say he can go fuck himself.
Besides the antisemitism claims that go back to the 70s from the producer of The Wall:
Ezrin — who produced Pink Floyd’s The Wall — recalled Waters making up a song about the band’s former agent, Bryan Morrison: “I can’t remember the exact circumstance,” Ezrin said, “but something like, you know … the last line of the couplet was, ‘Cause Morry is a fucking Jew.’ It was my first inclination that there may be some antisemitism under the surface.”
The controversy was triggered by an open letter Waters wrote to Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska.
In it, he said, "extreme nationalists" in Ukraine "have set your country on the path to this disastrous war".
He accused her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, of failing to fulfil his election campaign promises to bring peace to the Donbas region and and made no mention of Russia's responsibility for the war.
But don't worry, he has a valid reason for his support for russia, because according to him, Nazis are in control in the Ukraine:
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he went much further. The idea that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “unprovoked” is, in Waters’s view, “f-----g insane”. “Nazis,” he tells me, echoing Russian propaganda, are “in control of the government” in the war-torn country.
Don't worry, he does not stop there, he actually called the invasion illegal, but russia was provoked into the attack, he says at the UN where russia invited him to speak on their behest.
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u/haloarh 13d ago
WITHOUT PAYWALL