Tom Morello Rants On Paul Ryan’s Love Of Rage Against The Machine’s Music
Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello is none too thrilled that current Republican vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan is a fan of his groups material. Morello has written an op-ed piece for Rollingstone.com in which he labels Ryan as “the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades.”
An except from his piece can be found below.
“Paul Ryan‘s love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. Charles Manson loved the Beatles but didn’t understand them. Governor Chris Christie loves Bruce Springsteen but doesn’t understand him. And Paul Ryan is clueless about his favorite band, Rage Against the Machine.
Ryan claims that he likes Rage’s sound, but not the lyrics. Well, I don’t care for Paul Ryan‘s sound or his lyrics. He can like whatever bands he wants, but his guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one percent is antithetical to the message of Rage.
I wonder what Ryan‘s favorite Rage song is? Is it the one where we condemn the genocide of Native Americans? The one lambasting American imperialism? Our cover of “Fuck the Police“? Or is it the one where we call on the people to seize the means of production? So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings!
Don’t mistake me, I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta “rage” in him: A rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment. Basically the only thing he’s not raging against is the privileged elite he’s groveling in front of for campaign contributions…”
Read on at Rollingstone.com.
COMMENTS
Know Your Enemy,
There is no RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.
Unless they make a new album.
FREE PUSSY RIOT!
Vote AGAINST the Romney-Ryan ticket.
haha rage got away with shutting the doors to the new york stock exchange and pussy riot got 2 years for hooliganism for a lot less. gotta love america, right?
I thought it was 3 years?
double checked, its two.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/17/world/europe/russia-pussy-riot-trial/index.html?eref=edition
I’m voting for Obama because he’s down with the P.E. Yeeeeeahhh booooy!
Now that’s how you lambaste somebody. Classy Tom, Classy.
LOVE.IT.
Well said Tom. Divided States of America is what our country should be called now. I love everything RATM has voiced in their lyrics. it’s spot on and intellegent. I just love it when politicians use popular bands to ease their way into a higher office. Just like 2nd Bush did when Staind played for him. Politicians are nut suckers. This country is ruined because americans ruin it for us by voting at all.
thats right, I bet millions of people voted for Bush because Staind played for him, like when Rise Against played for Obama (if I remember right).
Are people missing the sarcasm? Or the point?
I think Tom pretty much covered it. I got a friend in DC and he the way he describes Republicans behind the scenes is pretty much the way Tom is calling them out for. Mind you not all of em are bad either. Just most of them lol.
Let’s put Obama, Mustaine, Morello and Ryan in a room together with finger paints, fireworks and video cameras and see what happens.
this needs to happen.
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. I can’t wait to see the racist piece of shit obama gone. I know Tom is pissed because in Nov. obama is gone along with all his czars.
I think Ryan needs to find a better taste in music because Rage sucks but that is the only thing I dislike about him.
It’s gonna be Romney and Ryan in November. Get used to it.
i fucking love rage, and im for romney and ryan. what’s up?
Really? The only thing you don’t like about Ryan is that he likes RATM? I bet his mom has the exact same opinion that you do.
just because I’m voting for romney and ryan doesn’t mean I don’t have any problems with them. ‘fuck obama’ should take note
Ryan will soon prove to be as inadequate a candidate as Sarah Palin was.
whoa, thats saying way too much. At least Ryan doesn’t come off as totally clueless from the start.
Racist against whom? You do realize the man is mixed-race, right?
If you’re for Romney and Ryan, that’s fine. Just don’t kid yourself into thinking they have a better shot than Obama. Look at the polls, ass.
Wow, a socialist musician is a fan of a socialist President?! Shocking!
You’re an idiot.
Morello has basically admitted as much. Obama pretty much proves he is. Wake Up Mr.Farts. (Haha see what I did there?!)
Morello is definitely a socialist; but, Obama has yet to “prove” that, as you admitted.
Obama is not a socialist. Not even close.
Socialism is public ownership of industry. If Obama was a socialist, he certainly wouldn’t have returned shares of GM to private ownership as their loans were being repaid. He definitely wouldn’t have extended the Bush tax cuts, resulting in the lowest effective tax rates since 1968. And explain to me why there are over 700,000 fewer federal jobs under the Obama than there were under Bush.
I’ve read Marx and I can promise you, he would not have been a fan of the Obama Administration.
Socialism is a word that is misunderstood and used by neocons to manipulate the emotions of ignorant Americans.
As always blueballs, well said.
the only people downvoting blueballs’ comment are people who want to continue calling Obama a socialist even when it has been logically proven that he is not one
I hardly agree with any of RATM’s lyrics and beliefs, movements, or whatever you want to call it… but those are some damn good jams. It’s pretty hard to deny that.
What DO you believe in? What MOVES you?
I do believe that people should get over themselves for starters. Everyone is so worried about everyone else and tend to just bitch about them. People need to learn to take care of themselves first.
As for what ‘MOVES’ me… like I said, RATM has some damn good jams.
I was really stoned when I asked that.
because their music is for the rebellious teenagers like me haha, but seriously I’m all up for sticking my middle finger up at the Government turning up the RATM, SOAD. Fuck the System!
Ryan is probably one of the millions who contributed to RATM’s success and this is how appreciative Morello is. “OMG, someone with different political beliefs than mine likes my music!” What a baby.
Have you listened to Rage? Have you ever heard Morello talk politics? If so, why the hell are you surprised?
if I am in a band putting out records and someone who is a Holocaust-denier or a mass murderer or something awful like that tells the media that my band is his favorite band, I’m not going to say “Thanks for the support!” I’m going to say “Fuck you, don’t listen to my band you piece of shit.”
To Tom Morello, Paul Ryan is the exact type of person that his band has been trying to take the power back from since the band started. I think he’d gladly refund Ryan for the CD’s he bought if it would mean Ryan fucks off and goes to listen to Ted Nugent instead.
Tom cracks me up. I only wish other rock-stars were half as intelligent and articulate as he is. You know, guys like Mustaine could really take a cue from him and ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT!
Based on the amount of thumbs down on this page, there’s gonna be some Romney votes come November. I’m Canadian and I fear for you poor bastards.
Let the downward thumbs attack!
I’m not worried. Over the past year, the Repugs have alienated women, minorities, students, the poor and homosexuals. Now that Paul “Kill Medicare” Ryan is on the ticket, add senior citizens to the list.
Obama will get his second term and the right will use the next four years to come up with even more elaborate lies about him.
I’m an Obama fan. He is no socialist, I am. We can smell our own
He is however the much better choice in November. You Romney fan are sad and lost.
@ My farts linger. you fought the good fight anyway. fuck’em! you have a friend in NC.
Thanks, Mariachi.
Waynesville, NC here. Where in NC are you?
Toast NC
this is why i cant stand bands like rage, and system… stfu up about politics… waaaa waaa waaaaaaaa! fucking pissing and moaning about one side, thats the biggest problem… how about both sides work together to ACTUALLY FUCKING IMPROVE THIS COUNTRY instead of face off against each other and see who can make up the most radical bs about the other side… hey tom, go fuck your self. what have you done to better this country politically? not a fucking thing but make a little bit of retarded noise on a guitar, that a bunk of misguided teenagers think sounds cool… fuck you, fuck system of a down, fuck political bull shit, im so over it. choke on a god damn razor you stuck up twit pos.
Morello is an educated and caring man and with a small amount of research, you would learn that he has always been very active in politics outside of Rage. Why would an educated person who cares about social and economic issues not use their fame to spread a message?
Fuck SOAD too? SOAD’s ancestors had an act of genocide committed against them and much of the world has denied this fact for many decades. SOAD’s music has probably brought more attention to this issue than any other person or group.
Do you wish artists like MC5, CCR, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Beatles, The Who, The Stones and Sabbath had “stfu about politics” too? Political motivation has led to some of the best music ever made.
Kris Draper would spit in your face if he could.
That’s Franzen, not Draper. Easy to get all the gingers on the Wings confused though.
You need cannabis.
Unless you are a member of the tiny filthy stinking rich elite, a vote for the Republican Party is a vote against your interests. People like Romney and Ryan have ZERO IDENTIFICATION with the common working man. They are looking to help themselves and their rich buddies stay wealthy. Simple as that. All the other stuff they talk about is pandering to the uneducated rubes that populate much of the South and Midwest of this country. This is not a “pro Democratic Party” message either; it’s just a statement of reality of Republican politics since Regan. Go Tommy boy! You tell him!
Obviously Morello is too stupid to realize he himself is now part of the “Machine” RATM used to “Rage” against. I suppose private jets, limos, and millions of dollars a year in record sales, royalties, and product endorsements make him part of the “99%”?? Keep dreaming buddy. You’ve lost touch with reality.
http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/rock-stars/tom-morello-net-worth/
And? That doesn’t mean shit – if you’re going to say he’s a socialist blah blah blah let’s just post how much churches and non-profits make. He does practice what he preaches with his causes, but it’s not his “fault” RATM have sold >9 million records and Audioslave >4 million records in the US alone – in addition to his solo work and the fact that he writes a comic book. He plays at numerous rallies and writes about their causes, and I can’t say I’ve ever seen an appearance fee discussed.
Get over yourself.
Dude, he is a socialist. He admits this, it’s not even a debate. I should get over MYSELF?! Morello is straight up calling the kettle black. Something tells me this is why Zack is not in the RATM picture much anymore, I think he realizes it’s hard to be bitching about the “Machine” when he’s cashing million dollar checks. I’m not a Ryan fan but what has he done exactly (other than to admit he’s a fan of Morello’s) to deserve this Rolling Stone article? How exactly has he put an end to women’s rights, fucked up healthcare and blah blah blah? Seems to me just being a Republican is enough for Morello to despise you. IAnd that comes off sorta like elitism. Paul Ryan hasn’t a chance to screw up anything too major. This administration hasn’t done shit to fix anything and the last didn’t either. SOAD were/are far more credible and honorable at this game. They usually went for what is just and right regardless of political parties and told it like it was. Daron especially with his we all deserve to die rants. This ignorant, common senseless world needs a restart button.
95% of what you just said I agree with.
Just because Ryan hasn’t succeeded at doing any of those things yet doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been actively trying – and that alone deserves such an article.
Right now I think all rich people need to stop being so selfish and vote to help the poor. And if I get rich, I am still going to vote to help the poor. Tom Morello got rich but hasn’t forgotten where he came from. Neither would I if I found that level of success.
You don’t have to be rich or vote to do that. I mean, I’m sure you know that, but just saying.
What’s hilarious about Tom’s statement is he implies that the Democrats aren’t every bit as hypocritical two faced scum that the Republicans are. It would make me laugh if it weren’t so sad that everyone in America thinks their guy is the honest one. I like Rage, but every time Tom speaks, I like them less.
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