“What would you like to see change?”
“The current administration!”
Below you’ll find a few choice snips from Mike Appelstein’s terrific interview with The Velvet Underground’s Maureen “Moe” Tucker, who disappointed aging left-wing hipsters everywhere when she dared step off the artistic thought-plantation to take a controversial stand against socialism. Prepare to fall in love. Like all the tough, smart women on our side, Tucker is informed, outspoken, articulate, and puts the awe in awesome.
I’m going to take things a little out of order to allow Tucker to address her despondent “fans” first:
What are your feelings about the online reactions [to you being a Tea Partier]? Many people seem upset or outraged.
I’m stunned that so many people who call themselves liberal yet are completely intolerant. I thought liberals loved everyone: the poor, the immigrant, the gays, the handicapped, the minorities, dogs, cats, all eye colors, all hair colors! Peace, love, bull! Curious they have no tolerance whatsoever for anyone who doesn’t think exactly as they do. You disagree and you’re immediately called a fool, a Nazi, a racist. That’s pretty f’d up!! I would never judge someone based on their political views. Their honesty, integrity, kindness to others, generosity? Yes. Politics? No!
Musician or not, one of the first things you learn when you cross over into the light from the darkside is that conservatives were much nicer to you when you were a liberal than liberals are to you when you’re a conservative.
Anyway, before I turn you over to Moe, let’s all take a moment to wish Patrick Goldstein — the blacklisting bully of the L.A. Times — best of luck when it comes to diminishing this resume…
Mike Appelstein: In the now-infamous videotape, you indicated that you’re furious about the way we’re being led toward socialism and “incredible waste of money” being spent. Could you elaborate a bit on these sentiments?
Moe Tucker: No country can provide all things for all citizens. There comes a point where it just isn’t possible, and it’s proven to be a failure everywhere it’s been tried. I am not oblivious to the plight of the poor, but I don’t see any reason/sense to the idea that everyone has to have everything, especially when the economy is so bad. I see that philosophy as merely a ploy to control. ….
I am also against the government taking over the student loan program, car companies, bailouts and the White House taking control of the census (what the hell is that all about?); [about] any First Lady telling (I know, I know, “suggesting to”) us what to eat, the mayor of New York City declaring “no salt” (screw you, pal!), the mayor/city commissioners of Anytown, U.S.A. declaring you can’t fly a flag, can’t say the Pledge of Allegiance and can’t sing the National Anthem. …
I am against the government now thinking about bailing out unions. The unions made the contracts which include insane pensions; the U.S. government didn’t. I’m against the government closing down offshore drilling in the Gulf with one hand and with the other giving (lending?) Brazil money to help them do way deeper offshore drilling — rather curious. I’m against a government that will not defend our borders; and on and on and on.
MA: What specifically about the current administration do you disagree with?
MT: I disagree with spending / borrowing / printing — damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! I disagree with the “we won” attitude, which is the cowardly way of saying fuck you! I disagree with an administration that for twenty months blames Bush. If the President and his minions are so damn smart, why didn’t they know the severity of the situation? The president has actually said (and I saw it on video) that they didn’t know!
MA: What would you like to see change?
MT: The current administration! …
MA: What are some misconceptions that people have about Tea Parties (and their attendants) in general?
MT: That they’re all racists, they’re all religious nuts, they’re all uninformed, they’re all stupid, they want no taxes at all and no regulations whatsoever. Those “arguments” are presented by the Dems in order to keep their base of uninformed voters on their side. In my opinion, as soon as you start name-calling, your opinion is immediately deemed invalid! …
MA: And yet there is also a minority that agrees with you.
MT: There are a lot more than you think who agree with me.
There’s much, much more. You’ll definitely want to read the whole thing.
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