Re: Let's Break This Down . . .
The so-called evidence of Morrissey's racism -
1. "Panic" - Totally absurd. Writing an anti-dance music song does not make one racist because a)dance music is not black music, and b)disliking black MUSIC does not mean that one believes black PEOPLE to be inferior.
2. "Bengali in Platforms" - A stronger case, but still bogus. What raised eyebrows was the "when you belong here" line, but the song is actually about the difficulties of assimilation and the absurdity of pretending to be something your not.
3. "Asian Rut" - After the "Bengali" controversy, Moz feels the need for a "make-up call" and he writes a song with an Asian hero and English villains. Yet he still gets ripped for the song. "Oh, English boys, it must be wrong, three against one . . . Brave Asian boy . . ." How much clearer can it be?
4. Finsbury Park - Moz is a fascist because he uses the Union Jack? If that's the case, then so are a host of left-wing artists, notably Paul Weller and Sonya from Echobelly (yum).
5. Skinhead imagery - For all the retards out there who still don't know, here's a surprise - skinheads come in all political persuasions. My experience tells me the majority are left-wing and anti-racist. Beyond that, the skinhead imagery represented a break from Moz' traditionally contemplative mode and a passage into his new, more physical style. It's not a coincidence that skinheads make their first appearance in the video for "Our Frank."
6. BNP comments - Censorship is wrong and undemocratic. Morrissey did the right thing by defending the rights of the BNP to the same freedoms as any other group. There is a big difference between defending someone's rights and agreeing with that person. Anyone who doubts this would have to declare the ACLU a Nazi organization (Skokie, Illinois) or Noam Chomsky an anti-Semite (the Faurisson affair).