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No, Roger Waters is blatantly a Jew Hater. He does it without music and crates ton's of propaganda. He attacks other musicians publicly for not following his stance.
An open letter from Roger Waters
August 1, 2013 at 10:35am
There has been some comment on the Internet about the Wall Show in Belgium to which I feel I should respond.
One Alon Onfus Asif, an Israeli living in Belgium, came to The Wall show in Belgium last week and being an observant sort of chap Alon noticed a Star of David on the Pig that is destroyed by the audience at the end of the show. Then Alon dutifully videoed our Pig on his phone, posted this video, and alerted Israeli Daily, Yediot Ahronot. This story was duly picked up by the ever watchful Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the entirely predictable resulting rant is attached here:
Often I can ignore these attacks but Rabbi Cooper’s accusations, are so wild and bigoted they demand a response.
Dear Rabbi Cooper,
I hold your outburst to be inflammatory and un-helpful and would suggest it can only impede progress towards peace and understanding between people. It is also extremely insulting to me personally in that you accuse me of being ‘Anti Semitic’, ‘A Jew Hater’ and ‘Nazi Sympathizer’
I have three specific points to make:
1). Your use of the adjective “ANTI-SEMITIC”.
First I direct you to an announcement by ‘The Anti Defamation League’ an American organization, who’s declared aim is to defend Jewish people and Judaism from attack. They recently said.
“While we wish that Mr. Waters would have avoided using the Star of David, we believe there is no anti-Semitic intent here.”
I should point out that in the show, I also use the Crucifix, the Crescent and Star, the Hammer and Sickle, the Shell Oil Logo and The McDonald’s Sign, a Dollar Sign and a Mercedes sign.
2). JEW-HATING? I have many very close Jewish friends, one of whom, interestingly enough, is the nephew of the late Simon Wiesenthal. I am proud of that association; Simon Wiesenthal was a great man. Also I have two grandsons who, I love more than life itself, their Mother, my daughter in law, is Jewish and so, in consequence, I’m told, are they.
3). NAZI? Not only did my father, 2nd Lieutenant Eric Fletcher Waters, die in Italy on February 18th 1944 fighting the Nazis, but I was brought up in post war England where I received the most thorough education on the subject of Nazism and where I was spared no horrific detail of the heinous crimes committed in the name of that most foul ideology. I remember my mother’s friends Claudette and Maria, I remember their tattoos, they where survivors, two of the lucky ones.
My Mother spent the whole of the rest of her life, involved politically to make sure the future for her children and grandchildren, in fact for everyone’s children and grandchildren, black, white, Gentile, Jew, Latino, Asian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, et al, had no Sword of Damocles in the form of the despised Nazi Creed hanging over their heads.
I for my part, as best I can, have continued along my parent’s path. At the age of nearly 70, in the spirit of my Father and Mother and all they did, I have stood my ground, as best I can, in defense of Mistress Liberty.
The Wall Show, so lamely attacked by you, is many things. It is thoughtful, life affirming, ecumenical, humane, loving, anti war, anti colonial, pro universal access to the law, pro liberty, pro collaboration, pro dialogue, pro peace, anti authoritarian, anti fascist, anti apartheid, anti dogma, international in spirit, musical and satirical.
It is not.
ANTI-SEMITIC or PRO NAZI
I have often come under attack by the pro Israel lobby because of my support for BDS, (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) which I won't go into here, anyone interested can access a speech I made at The United Nations on the 29th November last year.
However I will say this, in a functioning theocracy it is almost inevitable that the symbol of the religion becomes confused with the symbol of the state, in this case the State of Israel, a state that operates Apartheid both within its own borders and also in the territories it has occupied and colonized since 1967.
Like it or not, the Star of David represents Israel and its policies and is legitimately subject to any and all forms of non violent protest. To peacefully protest against Israel’s racist domestic and foreign policies is NOT ANTI-SEMITIC. Your contention that because I criticize the Policies of the Israeli government I should be lumped in with the Muslim Brotherhood is risible, and again a personal affront. I have spent my whole adult life advocating separation of church and state.
At every Wall Show I invite 20 vets from whatever country we are in backstage at half time to meet, exchange handshakes and good wishes and mementos. At one show, a year or so ago, an older vet, Vietnam era, at a guess, blocked my exit, he put out his hand which I took, he did not let go, he looked me in the eyes and he said " Your Father would be proud of you."
Tears burn my eyes.
The Wall is reaching out to you and all the other Rabbi Cooper’s out there.
Come to the show!
Love
Roger
P.S.
For the sake of some perspective. The inflatable pig that so offended young Alon has appeared at every Wall Show since September 2010, some 193 shows, yours is the first complaint. Also the pig in question represents evil, and more specifically the evil of errant government. We make a gift of this symbol of repression to the audience at the end of every show and the people always do the right thing. They destroy it.
Roll your eyes as much as you'd like. There are those of us who believe in making money but also believe in social safety nets, regulations on businesses, etc.
Social safety nets are part of all Capitalist countries. America, Canada, Norway- we all have them.
Capitalism has been good to Roger Waters. He would not have been able to take advantage of his great talent and make millions of Dollars, Pounds, and Euros in some socialistic craphole like the USSR, Cuba, or Venezuela.
If I go to a concert or a play, I do not want to hear political lectures. Sometime ago we were asked to go see Kathy Griffin by some friends (pre her disgraceful holding up of Trump's bleeding head) and refused because we knew what material she would be obsessed with, the same way Saturday Nught live is obsessed with anti-Trump material. Comics and shows have been doing this for years and using presidents as their material, however, it is now obsessive. Not everyone is on their bandwagons and it being constantly shoved down your throat is tiring. They are unable to move on......
Social safety nets are part of all Capitalist countries. America, Canada, Norway- we all have them.
Capitalism has been good to Roger Waters. He would not have been able to take advantage of his great talent and make millions of Dollars, Pounds, and Euros in some socialistic craphole like the USSR, Cuba, or Venezuela.
So yes, the eyes they be a rollin...
But social safety nets are not capitalist in nature. That's the point.
Social safety trampoline to assist with corrective action for temporary and unfortunate financial situations that emerged through little to no fault of the person in question? Yes.
Perpetual social quagmire leading to a generational cycle of dependence that does everything for people who should/could/would otherwise do it for themselves creating an enduring reliance on the state, a loss of upward mobility, and a permanent lower class? No thank you.
Social safety trampoline to assist with corrective action for temporary and unfortunate financial situations that emerged through little to no fault of the person in question? Yes.
Perpetual social quagmire leading to a generational cycle of dependence that does everything for people who should/could/would otherwise do it for themselves creating an enduring reliance on the state, a loss of upward mobility, and a permanent lower class? No thank you.
I know Springsteen is talented but I just don't get the attraction to his music. I have heard his shows are full of energy and last all night.
Same here. I like most rock (and also listen to everything from bluegrass to classical), but every time I'm stuck with radio and Springsteen comes on, I change it. Don't understand the appeal. (Add songs like that stupid Meatloaf 'Dashboard Lights' garbage, too. Shudder.)
In 2013, the Anti-Defamation League, having previously defended Waters against charges of anti-Semitism, acknowledged that “anti-Semitic conspiracy theories” have “seeped into the totality” of the former Pink Floyd frontman’s views.
It's good to see that most of the "A listers" are ignoring Roger.
Quote:
A cultural boycott campaign against Israel has had limited success. Stevie Wonder pulled out of a Friends of the IDF benefit in Los Angeles and Lauryn Hill scrapped an Israel show but numerous major names including Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Santana, Lady Gaga, and Bon Jovi have performed in recent years. Rod Stewart and Britney Spears played in Tel Aviv recently and Guns N’ Roses are due to perform there on Saturday night.
Social safety trampoline to assist with corrective action for temporary and unfortunate financial situations that emerged through little to no fault of the person in question? Yes.
Perpetual social quagmire leading to a generational cycle of dependence that does everything for people who should/could/would otherwise do it for themselves creating an enduring reliance on the state, a loss of upward mobility, and a permanent lower class? No thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moth
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There it is Magritte25.
Focus, Read, Learn.
Nepenthe, unfortunately countries who have social safety nets that actually WORK and create a class of people who are able to be productive without being dragged down by health insurance and daycare costs along with other life costs prove you wrong.
Moth: Just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean I don't focus, read or learn.
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