Billy Bragg on Morrissey and things

Gotta give it to Billy.
A pretty consistent artist who I admire for some sterling work to get guitars in to prisons (with J.Marr).
His work with Wilco to bring back lost Woodie Guthrie songs was great too.
Thanks for highlighting this clip.
Regards,
FWD
 


I used to love Billy Bragg but then I grew up, he is politically very naive and he refuses steadfastly to admit his grave and costly errors. Morrissey has always been so much more astute with his social and political observations. Bill spent his energy encouraging people to vote Labour and then subsequently Liberal and in doing so he let himself down and he continues to do that when he goes on like this, in fact he has become part of the problem. He is part of a greying pink/green generation of guardian reading air punchers who are now simply in the way. Cynicism isn't the enemy, the cynics had it right all along, the system IS corrupt, no matter how you vote the government always get in. Those in power serve the elite and their sole aim is to maintain the status quo. Time has proved all this to be true. At every election there is always a massive and slightly frantic campaign to encourage people to vote and that is because the one thing that really frightens those in power is the possibility that one day they will be unable to claim a mandate and when that happen the system and all the illusions that surround it will collapse and fade. The interesting thing is that in order to make this happen you don't have to march or write protest songs or sign petitions or even riot JUST DON'T VOTE.

Also I'm not sure about that whole guitars into prisons thing. Yes I love Johnny Cash for San Quentin and Folsom but those inmates were doing hard time often with no way out and they needed redemption. Personally I'd feel aggrieved if those swines that burgled my house had there six months bird made easier because bleeding Johnny Marr turned up one day and gave them a free guitar? Surely there are other disadvantaged people that are more deserving?
 
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The basic principle of English law is that you go to prison as your punishment, not to be further punished when your liberty is lost.
The amount of research to support the rehabilitative properties of music for prisoners, patients, children et al is overwhelming and if any work by Mr. Bragg or Marr has aided in helping someone they deserve a bit of credit even if their other actions or beliefs cause so much chagrin to critics. http://www.jailguitardoors.org.uk
FWD
 
The basic principle of English law is that you go to prison as your punishment, not to be further punished when your liberty is lost.
The amount of research to support the rehabilitative properties of music for prisoners, patients, children et al is overwhelming and if any work by Mr. Bragg or Marr has aided in helping someone they deserve a bit of credit even if their other actions or beliefs cause so much chagrin to critics. http://www.jailguitardoors.org.uk
FWD

I quite agree, However I don't think that prisoners should be subject to privileges that others aren't afforded. I've never mugged anyone yet where is my free guitar Mr Marr?

Perhaps their sympathies should lie with the victims of crime, by all means give them a free guitar. However that campaign isn't as eye catching.
 
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Morrissey [compared to Billy Bragg] has always been so much more astute with his social and political observations.

This has to be the strangest opinion I have read all week. And, let it be said, I browsed the David Icke forums yesterday.
 
I suppose it's best you folks don't vote. Might injure yourselves with the pen.


Even if I was a voting fanatic and believed it would make a damn bit of difference it's safe to say that unless I move house then my MP will be Conservative.

If we had a different electoral system then my vote wouldn't be wasted. If we had a different electoral system there's a chance that you could vote for people that represented your views rather than voting for people who you thought were less bad than the others.

Smiler in my view is correct though, although obviously you dismissed them as an idiot. We're still waiting to see where your voting has got you.
 
Even if I was a voting fanatic and believed it would make a damn bit of difference it's safe to say that unless I move house then my MP will be Conservative.

If we had a different electoral system then my vote wouldn't be wasted. If we had a different electoral system there's a chance that you could vote for people that represented your views rather than voting for people who you thought were less bad than the others.

Smiler in my view is correct though, although obviously you dismissed them as an idiot. We're still waiting to see where your voting has got you.

I agree with the 'don't vote' camp. To me, it means don't vote main parties. Which as we all know, voting anything else is a throwaway. But I'm still for it in principle.

2-party system is a scam. All about the $ and maintaining the status quo. Speaking as an American, I hated Bush. But when we elected Obama, what changed? Still more bombs and more fed control. More bail-outs and massive military industrial complex spending.

I was enticed at first, when I heard health care reform. But slapping a mandate on it and maintaining the rest of the over-priced structure did nothing but make it worse for the people.

2-party system is a two-headed dragon chasing it's tail. Everybody loses except special interests.
 
I agree with the 'don't vote' camp. To me, it means don't vote main parties. Which as we all know, voting anything else is a throwaway. But I'm still for it in principle.

2-party system is a scam. All about the $ and maintaining the status quo. Speaking as an American, I hated Bush. But when we elected Obama, what changed? Still more bombs and more fed control. More bail-outs and massive military industrial complex spending.

I was enticed at first, when I heard health care reform. But slapping a mandate on it and maintaining the rest of the over-priced structure did nothing but make it worse for the people.

2-party system is a two-headed dragon chasing it's tail. Everybody loses except special interests.


To me it means don't vote at all, for anyone, don't even engage with the process. Don't follow leaders. I don't believe in parliamentary democracy or any system that supports capitalism.
 

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