Posted on 09/12/2012 11:28:13 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Folk rock legend Bob Dylan has some strong words about America that many of his compatriots may not want to hear: He says the stigma of slavery ruined America and he doubts whether the country can get rid of the shame because it was “founded on the backs of slaves.”
Dylan spoke to Rolling Stone for a cover story that coincides with the release of his 35th studio album, “Tempest.” Dylan has long been an outspoken critic of American culture and its inherent inequalities, particularly during the 1960s when his songs “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” voiced his generation’s support for civil rights and anger at the Vietnam War.
In his interview with Rolling Stone, Dylan, who has won just about every music and songwriting award on the planet, seems intent not so much on attacking America for its racist history but observing that racism has long been holding the country back.
“People (are) at each other’s throats just because they are of a different color,” he said. “It will hold any nation back.”
A 71-year-old man born in Minnesota at a time when blacks in many parts of the country couldn’t eat in white restaurants or use white water fountains, Dylan has seen a great deal of America’s progress and evolution during the past century—all the way to the election of the first black president. But clearly he has not seen enough progress. And he thinks it all goes back to the country’s founding.
He tells Rolling Stone that blacks know that some whites “didn’t want to give up slavery.” Only after a civil war cleaved the nation in two did slavery come to a reluctant end—after more than 600,000 Americans (including 260,000 Southerners) died in a war that started because the South wanted to preserve the institution.
“If slavery had been given up in a more peaceful way, America would be far ahead today,” Dylan observes.
When the magazine asked if the election of President Obama was helping to bring about a change, Dylan says: “I don’t have any opinion on that. You have to change your heart if you want to change.”
The magazine’s new issue hits newsstands Friday.
Your mileage may vary.
Susan Sarandon and Whippie Goldberg would never say it about themselves, but having heard and read him I’m sure Bob Dylan would say that too much attention has been paid to his opinions.
Just ping the freeper that you are dissing behind their back, and let them decide how they interpret your attacks.
Why do you feel the need to just make stuff up?
It was in 1542, not 1492, that Spain enacted a law abolishing colonial slavery, but was forced to weaken these laws by 1545. In 1811 Spain finally abolished slavery at home and in all colonies except Cuba,[15] Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolition_of_slavery_timeline
Slavery was not abolished in those colonies until 1866-
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_did_Spain_abolish_slavery
Funny, we are both anonymous posters on a web forum. I didn't know there was a hierarchy.
So, what was your point?
Shut up and sing Bobby.
You are absolutely right—and if we had, we probably would hsve invented a machine to do it for us.
Bob who>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Never could stand his voice so I don’t listen to anything he has to say. Who cares what a strung out druggy has to say! PS several ex-slaves have my last name but I don’t care about that either.
To his credit, he wrote probably the most staunchly pro-Israel song ever, “Neighborhood Bully”.
It is considered proper form on freerepublic to ping the freeper that you are attacking, or posting about.
If you are too cowardly to post directly to people that you disagree with, then maybe you can continue to slink around.
Bob Dylan: Yesterday’s Tomatoes
Gee thanks. It’s such a load off my mind to be judged not a liberal. By you.
Anyone who wants a different perspective on Dylan might consider perusing www.rightwingbob.com
Ah, you are the Self-Appointed Thread Cop. You tell people what to do and they ignore you. It must be endlessly frustrating for you.
Dylan needs to blow away in the wind....what a motard!
At the time of the nation's founding slavery was accepted by both the Bible and Aristotle.The concept of natural rights was new and not accepted by many yet.
Thanks for the heads up, FRiend. And, well done on trying to share some truth about who Bob Dylan is. It’s a never ending amusement to see Freepers regurgitating the libspin.
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