Whatever you think of Rogers Waters’ music, his anti-Israeli propaganda is offensive

National Post ^ | August 27, 2014 | Avi Benlolo

[Squawk 8888]

In May, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Nick Mason published an open letter to the Rolling Stones encouraging the band not to perform in Israel. The Stones summarily disregarded Waters and Mason, and played to 50,000 adoring Israeli fans in June.

Even the Stones realize that Waters and Mason’s denunciation of Israel as the new “Sun City” is off base. Israel is not apartheid-era South Africa; its security barrier is not the Berlin Wall.

Waters and Mason are simply old-school hipsters who have latched on to the Palestinian cause to stay relevant. Their new film — The Wall — which launches at Toronto’s International Film Festival this Fall, undoubtedly will bring renewed attention to their music. But they see themselves as more than musicians. Like all artists, they seek to take down walls; deconstruct social systems; create revolutions that transform societies; and connect with a cause that seems just. Their decision to partner with extremists who seek to boycott Israel is part of that misguided project.

[Squawk 8888]

I try to avoid politics on the MM list but this article is interesting.

This is the Modern Music Ping List. Our topic is music from the 20th and 21st century, from Ravel and Shostokovich through to the Synth Pioneers and beyond.

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[dangus]

Someone whose most famous work features extended fantasies of being a Nazi leader should just stay quiet on the subject of Israel. “The Wall” is a great work of art, but its context needs to be tended like a garden.

[mylife]

Rogers sucks.

I forgive David Gilmour

[mylife]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2H65mHd9Vk

[dangus]

I never did understand why Pink* seems to blame the UK for taking his Daddy, instead of Germany for killing his Daddy. Or why he would fantacize about becoming a fascist instead of revenge on the fascists. But in looking up photos to explain what I was talking about, I'm struck that Waters lately seems to be using Pink to finally live out that nazi fantasy. Bad form, Pink, bad form.

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* Pink is the fictional character from Pink Floyd's the Wall, a mere play on the frequent confusion that "Pink Floyd" was a person, not a band.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Roger is a complete buttwart. Never liked the music either.

[Mustangman]

Why are all my favorite entertainers liberal weenies? It drives me crazy...but, Shine on you Crazy Diamond is absolute greatness...so, I let it go......

[crazydad]

I am a die hard Floyd fan and I am sick to my stomach when Roger speaks.. He is such a jerk.

[Bullish]

Yawn.... Floyd never was relevant to anything.... Now more so.

[crazydad]

Ha I got ya beat my two favorite artist Pink Floyd and Richard Wagner are total anti-semites. I forgive Richard Wagner because it was rampant in Europe at the time to be like that. But Roger Waters is a jerk.

[crazydad]

Well they are one of the best selling bands of all time. Roger Waters tour from 2010-2013 was 400 million dollars successful. I think that is pretty good. He is still a douchebag though.

[mylife]

Dave is OK IMHO

Nick Mason was always a bit off, Wright was never right and Syd Barrett.... well...

[crazydad]

Richard Wright was a great keyboardist and a mediocre singer. Nick in some of the old work was pretty amazing. But I am just shocked he opened his mouth with Roger about Israel. David Gilmour is still a god to me. And Syd is just a sad story all together..

[Cold Heat]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhc-r-a-p.........

I had read about rumors of this some time ago...

With this, I don’t think there is a favorite group left on my list that I don’t personally and politically despise. Going all the way back to Buffalo Springfield.

Probably a good thing I switched to old and long dead classical music. Just like any social group today, if you stay too long and get to know them personally, it leads to “Too Much Information”.

You can’t really get to know the dead personally and that at least is a saving grace for me..

[dangus]

Is that Crosby, Stills, Nash and Floyd?

Waters wrote most of Pink Floyd’s great melodies. But whenever he was the chief songwriter, Mason and Wright went to waste. In contrast, many of Gilmour’s melodies from the Division Bell and A Momentary Lapse of Reason just repeat limp musical lines over and over again. But the sound is always a beautiful collaboration between Gilmour, Mason and Wright, and the music of the instrumental parts soars.

[mylife]

You Know? I saw them once in Cleveland, made my way to the front of the stage, it was the Animals tour.

Amazing, Astounding.

Waters is still a butthead.

[reefdiver]

He is offensive, but he has no power, Obama is offensive an he has power

Rogers is a has been bass player

[mylife]

Gilmour, Stills, Nash and Phil Manzenara

[Squawk 8888]

I actually found that most of Waters' early lyrical work expressed profound insights into how one can descend into the living hell of mental illness, no doubt inspired not only by his own personal demons but also by witnessing Syd Barrett's slow-motion suicide of schizophrenia and drug abuse. The Wall was his most powerful work in this regard because it explores how a talented, creative individual can be transformed into a charismatic hatemonger. It also ends on an optimistic note; he is freed from the chains of madness by the judge who sentences him to being exposed for what he really is. That judge is his own conscience, and he is free to be himself at last. Outside the Wall is an anthem expressing the joy at discovering the key to both liberty from self and personal salvation. As someone with intimate knowledge of mental illness, both personally and among friends and family, Pink Floyd's music provided a great deal of comfort during the most painful period of my life.

Unfortunately, The Wall was the pinnacle of his success and things went downhill from there. The Final Cut had some merit, but he introduced politics into his lyrics that tainted the message. Worse still was The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, which was 40 minutes of self-absorbed burnt-out hippie whining. Had he chosen to retire before that release he could've taken a bow and commanded respect for the rest of his life. Instead, all of his utterances now boil down to, "Look at me! I used to be famous!"