Somewhat painful Bruce Johnston interview in a Dutch magazine

[Zach95]

No, I made very relaxed, in my mind neutral, observations.  You responded with more sarcasm and petty jibes.  I never said anyone is facing overwhelming waves of oppression, but you felt the need to exaggerate my words and blow my observations out of context.

Well, yes. Because all this talk of angry mobs and liberal orthodoxy is a bit exaggerated as well. Nobody is claiming that "conservatives can't be nice people" just as nobody is claiming liberal oppression.

Well, here's  the thing. Posters here have insinuated, through their remarks, that conservatives/Republicans are naive, arrogant jerks.  Very clearly.

[SMiLE Brian]

"Bonzo goes to Bitburg" is an example of a failed attempt (by a great band) to speak to history; "Eve of Destruction" is a success, thematically and artistically.
 

The truth is the exact opposite of that. Eve is a hilariously overbaked attempt by a bubblegum songwriter to emulate Dylan. Bonzo is a truly impassioned, moving, unexpected, catchy topical song that outruns the Clash on their own turf.

The Bob Dylan bio I recently read has a funny story of Bob making fun of PF Sloan with a gag involving David Crosby, topless women and Zorro.

[hypehat]

Aren't conservatives rampant liberals when it comes to gun rights??

I'd rather trust the fraction of a second it takes to stop someone breaking into my house than the ten minutes for the police to arrive. That's not liberal or conservative...that's called self-defense.

I would just like you to know that, from the perspective of a society where guns are an alien concept, talk like this sounds absolutely insane.

[Jason]

Aren't conservatives rampant liberals when it comes to gun rights??

I'd rather trust the fraction of a second it takes to stop someone breaking into my house than the ten minutes for the police to arrive. That's not liberal or conservative...that's called self-defense.

I would just like you to know that, from the perspective of a society where guns are an alien concept, talk like this sounds absolutely insane.

So...in your society you favor criminals over those who abide by the law.

[Zach95]

Let's not even get into the gun control argument 

I will say this. I completely understand where hypehat's coming from. Unless you're from the United States, I can imagine why it seems insane for so many Americans to possess weapons.  But, as a nation of 270 million guns, it goes to show for American gun culture that what happened in Aurora is really an anomaly.  Yes, violence is rampant in the United States, but with that many weapons floating around you would think more Aurora-esque incidents would occur.

[Jason]

Just FYI to all...moving this to the Sandbox.

[rab2591]

Aren't conservatives rampant liberals when it comes to gun rights??

I'd rather trust the fraction of a second it takes to stop someone breaking into my house than the ten minutes for the police to arrive. That's not liberal or conservative...that's called self-defense.

Right!?

Switzerland trains its citizens to use guns, gives them ammo, etc. Their yearly homicide rate is an average of 90 people. The city of Chicago alone (since the beginning of this year) has had 280+ killings. I think this speaks for itself.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Aren't conservatives rampant liberals when it comes to gun rights??

I'd rather trust the fraction of a second it takes to stop someone breaking into my house than the ten minutes for the police to arrive. That's not liberal or conservative...that's called self-defense.

I would just like you to know that, from the perspective of a society where guns are an alien concept, talk like this sounds absolutely insane.

So...in your society you favor criminals over those who abide by the law.

I wasn't making a judgement regarding gun rights (I am pro 2nd amendment), just the passion and ferocity behind those right wingers who scream and cry about their right to bear arms and then turn around and bash "liberals" and condemn gay marriage, unions, poor people, etc.... It's not hard to spot the irony.

[Jason]

Washington, DC banned guns in 1976. Their crime rates SKYROCKETED as a result. The Supreme Court overturned the ban over 30 years later...and crime did something unthinkable - it decreased.

[Jason]

Aren't conservatives rampant liberals when it comes to gun rights??

I'd rather trust the fraction of a second it takes to stop someone breaking into my house than the ten minutes for the police to arrive. That's not liberal or conservative...that's called self-defense.

I would just like you to know that, from the perspective of a society where guns are an alien concept, talk like this sounds absolutely insane.

So...in your society you favor criminals over those who abide by the law.

I wasn't making a judgement regarding gun rights (I am pro 2nd amendment), just the passion and ferocity behind those right wingers who scream and cry about their right to bear arms and then turn around and bash "liberals" and condemn gay marriage, unions, poor people, etc.... It's not hard to spot the irony.

Oh, of course...that's not so much conservatism as it is "compassionate Christianity".

I think you'll find that many libertarians, myself included, support personal, individual liberty. This includes gay marriage, the right to organize, and so on. I don't agree with unions myself and would never join one, but I would never say they should be banned or otherwise inhibited.

[SMiLE Brian]

Aren't conservatives rampant liberals when it comes to gun rights??

I'd rather trust the fraction of a second it takes to stop someone breaking into my house than the ten minutes for the police to arrive. That's not liberal or conservative...that's called self-defense.

I would just like you to know that, from the perspective of a society where guns are an alien concept, talk like this sounds absolutely insane.

So...in your society you favor criminals over those who abide by the law.

I wasn't making a judgement regarding gun rights (I am pro 2nd amendment), just the passion and ferocity behind those right wingers who scream and cry about their right to bear arms and then turn around and bash "liberals" and condemn gay marriage, unions, poor people, etc.... It's not hard to spot the irony.

Oh, of course...that's not so much conservatism as it is "compassionate Christianity".

I think you'll find that many libertarians, myself included, support personal, individual liberty. This includes gay marriage, the right to organize, and so on. I don't agree with unions myself and would never join one, but I would never say they should be banned or otherwise inhibited.

Agreed, I had to listen to Sean Hannity in my dad's car for two hours yesterday and almost went insane.

[Jason]

Aren't conservatives rampant liberals when it comes to gun rights??

I'd rather trust the fraction of a second it takes to stop someone breaking into my house than the ten minutes for the police to arrive. That's not liberal or conservative...that's called self-defense.

I would just like you to know that, from the perspective of a society where guns are an alien concept, talk like this sounds absolutely insane.

So...in your society you favor criminals over those who abide by the law.

I wasn't making a judgement regarding gun rights (I am pro 2nd amendment), just the passion and ferocity behind those right wingers who scream and cry about their right to bear arms and then turn around and bash "liberals" and condemn gay marriage, unions, poor people, etc.... It's not hard to spot the irony.

Oh, of course...that's not so much conservatism as it is "compassionate Christianity".

I think you'll find that many libertarians, myself included, support personal, individual liberty. This includes gay marriage, the right to organize, and so on. I don't agree with unions myself and would never join one, but I would never say they should be banned or otherwise inhibited.

Agreed, I had to listen to Sean Hannity in my dad's car for two hours yesterday and almost went insane.

I've called upon so many fake "conservatives" in Christianity to explain why issues like poverty, same-sex marriage, and so on are somehow an attack upon their liberty...and they have no response for that question. I think we'd all be better off if we stopped making special interests out of people and stopped waiting for the government to take a stand on everything.

[Mikie]

It's because the general music community is left leaning and always has been.

Ah, just a few of 'em....

Bruce Springsteen
Willie Nelson
Faith Hill
Lady Gaga
Tim McGraw
Barbara Streisand
Buster Hymen
Carol King
Boyz to Men
Cher
Diana Ross
Green Day
John Bon Jovi
Melissa Etherdige
Luther Van Dross
Natalie Cole
Patti Labelle
Stevie Wonder
Neil Young
Black Eyed Peas
Eminem
Madonna
Jackson Brown
Dave Matthews Band
J.C. Fogerty
John Mellencamp
Bonnie Raiit
Perl Jam
REM
James Taylor
Sheryl Crow
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Pam Tillis
Matraca Berg
Rodney Crowell
Emmylou Harris
Nanci Griffith
Kathy Mattea
Maura O'Connell
Garth Brooks
Trisha Yearwood
Kris Kristofferson
Marcus Hummon
Carrie Underwood
Raul Malo
Allison Moorer
Steve Earle
Rosanne Cash
Todd Snider
Adrienne Young
Alison Krauss
Merle Haggard
Dolly Parton

[Mikie]

Damn, the Bruce Johnston part of this thread shoulda stayed. A LOT of good worthwhile retorts are now in the seldom-read Sandbox.....

But it's OK. Deep Pockets Conservative Bruce Johnston will shoot himself in the foot again one of these days and another thread will start.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Guys like Bruce always confuse me......

Wouldn't it seem more logical to become MORE liberal once you're 70+ and with more money than you will ever spend in the time you have left. Wouldn't this make you more sympathetic to the plight of others because you are well off and safe and will die with piles of money?

[Austin]

Washington, DC banned guns in 1976. Their crime rates SKYROCKETED as a result. The Supreme Court overturned the ban over 30 years later...and crime did something unthinkable - it decreased.

DC's high crime rate was far and away the product of the crack epidemic, not because of a change in gun laws. Further, the crime rate has been falling steadily since the mid-90's. Not arguing either way about gun control -- just saying that your particular example doesn't hold up.

[Jason]

The crack epidemic could have been easily solved by legalizing crack. No use trying to legislate when people are going to do it anyway. Just allow folks the tools to defend themselves.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I wonder is Bruce is well armed. Or if he's ever done crack.

[SMiLE Brian]

I wonder is Bruce is well armed. Or if he's ever done crack.

good interview questions...

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Aren't conservatives rampant liberals when it comes to gun rights??

I'd rather trust the fraction of a second it takes to stop someone breaking into my house than the ten minutes for the police to arrive. That's not liberal or conservative...that's called self-defense.

Right!?

Switzerland trains its citizens to use guns, gives them ammo, etc. Their yearly homicide rate is an average of 90 people. The city of Chicago alone (since the beginning of this year) has had 280+ killings. I think this speaks for itself.

Well, but in fact, Switzerland has a fairly high firearm-related death rate in comparison to other European countries. Finland is another exception but they too have a larger access to guns than most countries in Europe. The fact is there is a pretty strong correlation between access to guns and deaths related to firearms.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Well, here's  the thing. Posters here have insinuated, through their remarks, that conservatives/Republicans are naive, arrogant jerks.  Very clearly.

Republicans aren't conservatives.

[Jason]

Well, here's  the thing. Posters here have insinuated, through their remarks, that conservatives/Republicans are naive, arrogant jerks.  Very clearly.

Republicans aren't conservatives.

True that.

[runnersdialzero]

But, as a nation of 270 million guns, it goes to show for American gun culture that what happened in Aurora is really an anomaly.  Yes, violence is rampant in the United States, but with that many weapons floating around you would think more Aurora-esque incidents would occur.

Uh... they do. They're just not on this scale and you don't hear about them unless they happen to specific people and/or you live in a specific area. People are killed with guns every single day, and that's not even including gun violence not including fatalities - accidents that don't result in fatalities, threats made with guns (such as a relative's friend being threatened with a gun, raped, and then carjacked) and injuries without death, sometimes ones that disable people.

[runnersdialzero]

We talked England, surfing, Kona, his kids.

His kids: "I don't know why I ever had kids! Headaches and money."

And he'd be absolutely right, there.

How many kids do you have?

I was halfway joking, but why does it matter? Are you saying that even the most devoted, loving parent doesn't suffer headaches and money loss from having children?

[Chocolate Shake Man]

We talked England, surfing, Kona, his kids.

His kids: "I don't know why I ever had kids! Headaches and money."

And he'd be absolutely right, there.

How many kids do you have?

I was halfway joking, but why does it matter? Are you saying that even the most devoted, loving parent doesn't suffer headaches and money loss from having children?

Not to the extent where they would be questioning their decision to have children, no, which is what that quotation (yes, a humorous one) was saying. I mean, that might be true in some cases, but probably not the majority. And also I might question "money loss" to an extent - I mean, really one experiences money loss for the sheer reason of being a living human being.