As far as I know, the government has completely ignored the Dixie Chicks, not even commenting on their behavior. If they have suffered, it's because they have offended their fans.
If there is any censorship in the arts today, it all comes from the left. People can wreck their careers by coming out in favor of President Bush, but nobody in Hollywood is going to wreck their careers by supporting the Two Johns, unless they happen to have a conservative fan base.
As for the charge of McCarthyism, maybe Sir Elton hasn't heard that Anne Coulter has pretty cut the ground out from under that creaking leftist canard in "Treason."
It never ceases to amaze me how these morons twist the facts and lie.
HEY ELTON & THE BBC:
IT WAS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT SHOT DOWN THE DIXIE CHICKS.
"If there is any censorship in the arts today, it all comes from the left. People can wreck their careers by coming out in favor of President Bush, but nobody in Hollywood is going to wreck their careers by supporting the Two Johns, unless they happen to have a conservative fan base."
For example, an entertainment industry commentator (I don't remember his name) said yesterday on FNC that there is a concerted, behind-the-scenes effort to derail Dennis Miller's career for his pro-Bush stance.
The music/showbiz lefties seem to have a tough time reasoning through the whole censorship thing. They always take a wrong turn at the intersection of censorship-through-law and people-have-right-to-reject-your-crap and get lost. Always. It's like a mouse in a maze that takes the dead end path every time. They're almost 100% predictable.
And given how relatively clear-cut the censorship issue is, it's no wonder they get the more complex issues wrong.