Originally published at: "Rich Men North of Richmond" singer says his song was misappropriated by MAGA fanatics | Boing Boing
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Maybe he should read his own lyrics…
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So it turns out throwing your lot in with rightwingers because they record and fund you makes people think you’re one of them, especially when (if) they see your video history. And that interferes with your hopes of mainstream success.
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I was under the impression he was riding the Qanon’s coat tails to get noticed. Seems kind of weird to disassociate himself from it now.
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Sure, “Well, God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds / Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds” could be interpreted as a swipe at Chris Christie, but how is it any different from what every single GOP politician has said about welfare recipients since Reagan?
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Sounds like liberal citified talk to me!
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The title of this song refers to the people who run Washington DC in general. So a big part of his message as I understand it is “Washington politicians suck.” The GOP leadership heard the song and seems to be taking away the message “Ha, yep, those Democrats sure do suck!” without realizing he was including them in that message.
That said, this song is definitely problematic.
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Or it perhaps it directly refers the capital city of a different country than the US… A confederacy of states, if you will…
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As the apparently conspiracy-prone Mr. Anthony would say…
His song complains about people on welfare
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Yes, and it also complains that politicians aren’t doing enough to help poor miners.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that he doesn’t have an especially coherent and internally consistent worldview about what kind of government he’d actually support. It’s more of a country boy screaming “YOU ALL SUCK!” into the wind.
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I watched the video above and must admit that I initially misunderstood him. He sounds like a guy who is frustrated with life in general. He previously mentioned his mental health issues and problem with alcohol. I hope he’s able to navigate the winding road ahead of him and do okay for himself.
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I am not actually saying that he is a plant or anything like that.
I agree that he is likely a sincere, low information dude that has apparently been getting a lot of his info from Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, and conspiracy-youtube*. He sings (and talks) about people being in trouble, but he sure seems to have some bad ideas about who is deserving of help and how and a lot of it echos Q, welfare queen tropes and other toxic stuff.
So, I guess we will see over time.
Maybe he has a revelation about the real causes of our problems are (and what those problems really are - does he think they include trans people? Grooming?) and does better than this
Maybe he decides to warp himself to fit into the Oliver Anthony shaped hole the GOP has made for him because that is easy and profitable.
Maybe he didn’t mean to reference the confederate capital in the title of his song
We are just speculating and time will tell. And, honestly I am pulling for the revelation option, that would be the best outcome from this whole thing. I am just not super hopeful
*(or he is an extremely faithful Oh No! Ross and Carrie! listener looking for things he could suggest to them for topics)
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where i’m from, that’s pronounced “ar-ta-nar-ta”. one word.
“y’all artanarta done that thang”
sersly. ameenit.
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Nihilism and apathy are the biggest factors rotting our democracy these days in my opinion. Between the ‘nothing I do matters’ crowd and the ‘elect a hippo to run the country because it’d be funny and nothing matters anyway’ crowd we teeter on the edge way too damn close.
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So would you say he is expressing the view that government is not the solution to the problem, but instead is the problem? I feel like I’ve heard that before…
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… that strategy has been working for Russell Brand
‘It Feels True!’ Russell Brand Embraces Maui Conspiracy Theories Even He Knows Are Not True
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That was my immediate take on reading about the song in The Guardian. I thought it was a reference to Richmond in the American Civil War, and therefore tied into all the modern southern grievance which manifests itself in flying confederate flags, railing against the overthrow of statues of generals and so on.
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Perhaps?
But he wants a government that won’t help poor ex-miners who are 300lbs. Seems a bit, umm… contradictory.
One of the next few presidents will probably be called President McPresidentyface
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Oh, they know, but that’s sort of the whole point- Their “dismantle government” agenda is largely based on selling the idea that it’s Washington politicians that are inherently corrupt, see, but they’re not like them, you know, they’re just posing as them to fight the system and give the country back to the oppressed masses. They really want to portray themselves as Robin Hood.
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