Over the years I've found Morrissey's political pronouncements less annd less credible. They aren't thoughtful or considered or insightful, or offering solutions or an alternative way. They just proclaim 'this is bad' or 'that is bad' in the reactionary way that shares more in common with the views of a fifteen year old boy rather than an adult in his fifties. Yes, all the things he points out are bad but the easiest political position in the world to adopt is one of opposition.
On the racism thing, back in 1992 I would have defended him to the hilt over those accusations. Yes, I cringed at the 'it's hard enough when you belong here' line in Bengali in Platforms and still do, but I put it down to clumsy language rather than any underlying racist world view. Years later I have to say I'm not so sure. His comments over the years on the nature of Englishness have left a bad taste and his recent adulation of Farage is repugnant. Why he would admire crude nationalism that promotes intolerance and division is baffling.
I suspect that at his heart Morrissey is not racist. I just think like most white northern males who grew up on in that era in a fairly comfortable upper working class area and a nice house, that his core beliefs are founded on that relatively homogenous, white world. Also having watched him flirt with imagery of working class, hard men, gangsters, boxers over the course of his career, I suspect that draping himself in the union flag at Madstock was simply an attempt to ingratiate himself with a fairly right wing, macho, working class crowd. But ultimately only Morrissey himself knows his true intention that day and his true views now.
Regardless, he's no great political thinker and I think we should all look elsewhere for insight and inspiration.
You landed KetchupBum.
