cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/9710405
a couple snippets from the interview. the first snippet is about Tom Morelloa doing some concert to promote voting in the midterms. the second snippet is him saying that he didn’t vote for Kamala because of her complicity in Gaza genocide, he doesn’t use the word genocide.
bold is interviewer, non-bold in tom
Is there an argument that people’s focus on Ed Sheeran is indeed a distraction from what they should be focusing on?
Yeah, 100 percent. It’s all right to shame him in this moment because he deserves the shame, but not the focus. The focus is your and my tax dollars are going to commit horrific war crimes in the Middle East, and that, I believe, should be the focus and what we should be doing our best to stop in its tracks.
It’s a clickbait, it’s salacious, it’s, “Oh my gosh, poor Ed Sheeran.” First of all, has Ed Sheeran never seen a Macklemore performance before in the last three years? He certainly should’ve known what he was getting into.
The one thing that’s sort of adjacent is, this is a time where speech is being vilified and is a crime, where the truth is a crime, where skin color is a crime, where immigrant status is a crime, where gender is a crime, where sexual orientation is a crime. And it’s my belief that the true crime is the rise of authoritarianism, and the true crime is the erosion of freedoms, and the true crime is an impending environmental disaster. And so my hope at each one of my shows, I deputize the audience as anti-fascist crime fighters, and that’s really the way that I think you have to look at the world right now. Like, what are the real crimes that are happening, and what is it that you and I can do to stop it?
Now that I’ve gotten you fired up — your Power to the People Festival. What is its most essential purpose?
It is not PR or hyperbole to say it is a festival of peace, love, justice, and music. In a time where war is celebrated, this is a festival of peace. In a time where hatred and division are rife, this is a festival of love. In a time where injustice is the norm, this is a festival celebrating fighting for justice. In a time where there’s a lot of shitty music, there’s gonna be a lot of great music on this stage, so we’re going for four for four.
How much were the midterms on your mind when you scheduled this?
As my dear departed mom, Mary Morello, who passed away at 102 years old, was a very political person, said, “You’ve got to fight the fascists every which way you can.” One of those ways is at the ballot box. It’s not the only way, and you should not just think that because you’ve done that. Voting is a piece on the chessboard, and that you try to create an environment where in between the voting you can fight for a more just, a more peaceful, a more equal world.
And so, is the festival three weeks before the midterms? Yeah. Does the money from the festival go to voting rights organizations? Yeah, it does, but the festival is about something much bigger than that. It’s about what kind of world do you really wanna live in, and should we fight for that world, or should we settle for the one that’s being spoon-fed for us by the oligarchs?
Returning as promised to the electoralism issue — there are some on the left who tend to argue it doesn’t matter, don’t bother voting, both sides are the same. So what would you say to someone on the left who says, “Listen, man, I listen to Rage Against the Machine, and I know everyone’s the same. It’s about tearing down the power structure. Doesn’t matter who you vote for. I’m not voting”?
On the one hand, I think that rebellion is self-care, in a way, but I answered that already. Mary Morello was 100 percent right. You have to stop the fascists every which way you can. First of all, a lot of people who I greatly respect and admire the sacrifice they’ve made to try to get people with my color skin to be able to vote in this country, and have died, been lynched for it, they’ve been shot in the back for it, and it’s very disrespectful to their memory to do that.
But that in and of itself is not going to change the levers of power in a significant way. It’s not. It’s not. You should do it. But it would be like, okay, great, you vote, and on the next day you start working. You start working harder for the world you really want without compromise and without apology. And not just putting in the hands of whatever corporate Democrat you choke down your vote for in that particular election, that it’s your job to make the world the way that you think it could be to help those that are the most in need and to hold those accountable who are most guilty.
Do you feel that people on the left should have voted for Kamala Harris?
I’m crystal clear that people’s conscience cannot allow them to do something that they fundamentally believe is wrong. I was the scheduling secretary for United States Senator Alan Cranston. I saw how the corporate Democrat sausage is made. It is worse than you think. And there is a reason, there is a righteous fury at the corporate controlled, money controlled electoral system we have that is absolutely legitimate, and people cannot choke down — I understand it — voting for a candidate that’s responsible for what happened in Gaza, and they just can’t do it, and I’m not gonna blame them for that.
But I think that putting it on them is the most cowardly thing. Put it on the fucking Democratic Party. First of all, I don’t believe it’s their responsibility and they’re never gonna necessarily never do the right thing, but I think it’s all of our responsibility to co-create the world that we want and not point fingers at people that were just like, “Well, you know, my conscience didn’t allow me to do that, so it’s your fault.” I will not co-sign that.
Did you vote for Kamala?
I certainly did not.
You did not?
Did not. I couldn’t do it.
I didn’t realize that.
V for Vendetta — that one inch of who you are belongs to you, and they can’t have it. Now, I live in a state where it may not have moved the meter, but I just couldn’t do it. Couldn’t do it.
When’s the last time that you didn’t vote for the Democratic candidate?
Can’t remember the last time I did.
Wow, okay. I thought you were softening a little bit.
Can’t remember the last time I did.
Now is always the right time. The democrats themselves hold no such qualms as you do, when it comes to crushing anyone deemed remotely too leftist
I get you but that’s the equivalent of complaining about the faulty smoke detector that didn’t go off instead of putting out the fire. They deserve to hang but we don’t deserve another 2 years of Maga bullshit.
The smoke detector? More like the person holding the matches and a can of gasoline.
Stop doing this bullshit of down playing the democrats, they’re not some uwu smol bean in relation to republicans, they’re practically the same. They’re godawful. They do the same shit
Bro, the choice is the fire or the pan, and you are explicitly told that if you don’t choose, you get the fire.
They are similar and the same on way too many things things (Gaza, oligarchy, etc) but you are acting like a child. And I say this through gritted teeth, just like I voted through gritted teeth because I’m not a fucking moron.
Keep living in a fairytale. You have no cards to play except the ones you are dealt. Deal with it or pull a Luigi, but you aren’t helping anyone with the constant extremes and basically pessimistic no way out attitude while sitting at home ego jerking. Instead of trying to pull this country into an even deeper hole, pull out a dictionary and look up what pragmatism means. It blows that the only valid choice is godawful, legit story of my life. Cry harder about it and watch how much worse things can get if that buffoon keeps his circus going.
This close to the election, people like you are Trumps biggest friend. Look at you mascotting for that fucking disgusting piece of filth. Well done, you won your medal.
If you aren’t telling people to go vote, then stfu and don’t comment until it’s over. jfc
Weird. I don’t see it mention anything about bombing kids, supporting rapists, defending genoicdists, torturing innocent people, or mass deportations.
But the fact that you find those “pragmatic” is more telling than a dictionary will ever be.
Sister, the choice is fire or fire. You keep making the democrats out to be better than they are.
The only one who ought to shut up is you when you say silly shit like this
In relation to voting for democrats. There is so much more one can do. And not voting for genociders is a pretty good start. Actually making demands of Democrats is the very very least one can do, and one does not make demands when they vote blue no matter who.
And this is such a far deroute from the original question which was: Do you think everyone else has to play nice, just because you do?
This idea that pointing out the flaws of a candidate or a party is somehow something one cant do at a given time because… Then people will hear it? People will hear it either way, if you shut your mouth, then theres nothing to be done until its too late - If you buy into this whole spiel of you owing Democrats something, that is.
As I wrote - and you skipped over - in reality the “now is not the time” line is not something Democrats themselves believe. They frequently fuck over left-wing candidates and movements, no matter what time it is. So since the people saying “now is not the time” dont believe it, why should I trust that it has any validity?
I did answer it, basically that the feeling of apathy you are fostering is just helping Trump stay in power. It’s doing literally nothing else this close to midterms.
The whole premise that they are exactly the same just makes you look disconnected and politically ignorant. It’s very hard to take you seriously. It’s why people won’t listen to what you have to say and why you aren’t helping anything other than your ego.
I hate the Dems and realistically, I’m fairly certain the only long term solution is homegrown terrorism, revolution and mass hangings. I would cheer if Tel Aviv got nuked, I’m literally a commie and I still think you are too much. I don’t know what you are expecting here if even I see you as one of the crazies.
You have black and white vision and anyone living in the real world is scratching their head.
As opposed to supporting the Democrats who are openly helping Trump stay in power?
I feel like “genocide is bad” is indeed a pretty black and white topic. I’m not sure how this is supposed to be some kind of gotcha.
Oh look, another two month old account who’s whole comment history is them trying to dissuade people from voting.
“Everyone Who Disagrees With Me Is A Subhuman Machine” and other insane conspiracies for the right wing mind
Can you point out where I’m trying to disuade anyone from voting? I’m pretty confident that I’ve never suggested that.