UPDATE 1/7/25: One needn’t be a Lefty to admire and enjoy the songs that came out of the heavily politicized, Left-leaning Folk Music Revival of the 50s & 60s. Good music is good music. Tellingly, the Bob Dylan film just released cites his use of electric instruments bringing on accusations of heresy from the Folk Establishment, ruled over by political activists/ideological scolds Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. This allows the filmmakers to ignore the cult-like pressure and criticism brought on Dylan for his wish to side-step politics in personal, creative activity. THAT was the heresy they condemned, not Fender guitars, especially to that kindly old Stalinist Pete, a staunch apologist for Uncle Joe right up until nearly the end of his life.
ORIGINAL POST 11/1/12: Revered & slobbered over like a Marxist Lincoln in virtually all leftwing circles, still sporting his Lenin cap, Pete has only recently stopped apologizing for Stalin, no doubt begrudgingly. But even in old age, he is still singing for every leftwing, subversive, socialist cause including Barack Obama’s presidency and Occupy Wall Street.
Originally declaring in his folksy (fauxsy) manner that “this machine[his banjo] surrounds fascism and forces it to surrender,” Mr. Seeger’s selectively critical “anti-fascism” has never extended to anything Left of the political center. When Marxists violate human rights, it’s just unfortunate collateral damage in pursuit of the otherwise glorious Proletariat Struggle. Gotta break eggs to make that heavenly omelette, y’know.