Above: Video footage of a powerful performance by Eddie Vedder and
Ben Harper singing ” No More War” at Lollapalooza in Chicago this
weekend. In addition to Vedder and Harper, an Iraq Veteran against the
War was present, along with 30,000 fans singing ” No More War”. 
Fans Fury Over Censorship of Pearl Jam!
From a World Can’t Wait organizer in Seattle:
August 5, 2008, Pearl Jam played Lollopalooza. Performing the song “Daughter”, the band wove
in the famous Pink Floyd song “Another Brick in the Wall”. Righteously, Eddie
Vedder, changed the lines “teachers leave these kids alone”, to “George Bush
leave this world alone”, and “George Bush find yourself another home”.
AT&T broadcast the concert on their online Blue Room
portal. However, after the broadcast, fans informed Pearl Jam that this part of
the performance opposing bush were censored.( see www.pearljam.com)
When AT&T was confronted by Lollapalooza, they claimed that
their “content monitor” had made a
mistake! The real question is why does AT&T even HAVE a “content monitor”?
Out of fear that Eddie was going to reveal a breast?
Even after hearing all this, I still found it a little hard
to believe that AT&T could pull something that would so obviously point to
censorship against one of the most loved bands in history.
Pearl Jam has had multiple albums going both Plantinum and
Gold for their high record sales.
Their following is of diehard fans from ages 16-50
I decided on my own to find out exactly why AT&T would
want to take this type of risky action. It turns out AT&T is not just naïve
or stupid, but they actually have a history of enforcing this type of suppression
Back in 2006, AT&T was one of the several leading
telecom providers that allowed the National Security Agency’s warrant-less
illegal spying that allowed them unlimited access to voice and data networks as
part of the Bush Regime’s war on terror.
On Pearl jam’s website they stated,” What happened this
weekend was a wake-up call and its something much bigger that the censorship of
a rock band.”
Pearl Jam is correct. This is not purely about the issue of
censorship or the increasingly right winged media. Nor is it only about
AT&T and other corporations that are actively carrying out the tyrannical
program of the Bush Regime.
The heart of this matter is the things in this country are
escalating very readily in a dangerous, unprecedented direction. The heart of
this matter is that Bush and people like Bill O” Reilly who are grouped around
him are not only carrying out war crimes and responsible for the defiance of
international law, but they are systematically hiding the truth from people and
quickly silencing any opposition.
When the Nazi Regime came to power, one of the first things
that occurred was all music and literature were censored to “fit” the standard of Good
German ideals. Professors and Students speaking out against Hitler were
fired or silence. In this history of all totalitarian regimes, from Nazis to
Islamic Fundamentalists to Christian fascists, dissent and opposition is the
first thing to be black out from the masses.
There is also a question of why the mainstream media and
ruling class feels compelled to be enforcing these policies in the first place.
The point is that we are at a very rare moment like no other
in American history. The United States is in a situation where Bush has an
historically low approval rating of 28%, while the ruling class is facing
significant contradictions in their leaders and with all this they still must
go forward with a way to stabilize the Middle East which could involved
possible nuclear attack on Iran. Not to mention, Congress has an even lower
approval rating of 18%.
But what is even more important than that, is how the masses
from below respond to these outrages and how those responses can completely remake
the political landscape.
Broadly, Fans of Pearl Jam and other prominent musicians are
pouring out in outrage.
From online blogs to MTV News and Rolling Stone, the common
thread is that people are deeply pissed and are onwardly opposing the policies
of Bush head-on.
The tone that Pearl Jam has set is an important one. The
moment they found out they were censored, they openly starting slamming Bush’s
policies even more and demanding accountability from AT&T. The statement
they have made has been reverberating all throughout society. We need much more
of this opposition from musicians and other prominent people. And when it comes
unleashed, we should all be a part of fanning the fury against this tyrannical
direction.
As a young person, you can feel incredibly isolated. Admidst
the myspace and ipods, you still get a sense that this world is empty , gray
and hopeless.
You can feel that the world is completely fucked up and that
your peers are forever apathetic. Then something like this incident with Pearl
Jam ignites a spark.
Not only do you see your favorite band stepping up to fight
besides you but people at work and school are now angered and discussing this
as well.
You see that you are not alone and your sights are lifted.
As Dennis Loo wrote in his book “Impeach the President”,” It
is up to the rest of us to rouse ourselves and rouse others, to bring forth
from the grassroots, new social movement leaders to constitute an
alternative and powerful counter-force that fundamentally alters the overall
political atmosphere, providing a competing legitimate authority to the
illegitimate bankrupt authority now leading this country. The existing
establishment has left us no other choice.”
This is one of the reasons why we must fight for others to
take up the Declare It Now campaign.
The Declare it now-Wear Orange campaign, is a new campaign
launched by World Cant Wait Drive Out The Bush Regime aimed at making the
opposing forces in this country visible by encouraging people to wear Orange if
they feel they are opposed to George W. Bush.
Imagine what could have happened if Pearl Jam would not have
only been adorned in the Guatanomo Bay orange but if what their audience was a
groundswell of Orange as well?
What would have been the reaction of millions watching, all
though Pearl Jam still censored, would still be making a statement that will
not back down and could not go away?
What is this what was happening at concerts all over the
country this summer? How could that
change people’s thoughts and raise people’s sights on what’s possible?
Often times it can be difficult to envision a situation
where there is so much mass political upheaval that will force Bush to be
driven from office.
The example of Pearl Jam’s stance shows that when people act
in resistance and massive outpouring, the ruling class of this country
including the mainstream media become FORCED to respond to it.
We see this in the way AT&T has responded to the
situation, immediately apologizing and promising to play the entire broadcast
unedited in response to all the upheaval.
Those who are opposed to The Bush Regime must NOT stop
speaking until the war criminals in the white house read the writing on the
wall:
That NONE of us are waiting, we are driving out the Bush
Regime now!