Steve Earle: "I've got sons who are 17 & 22. I've got a dog in this fight"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Another passage from the "Voices for Change" article in the current Rolling Stone, this time from Alt-Country Rocker Steve Earle:

"We are engaged in a war with fundamentalist Islam that we can't win. But we have a president who has become a fundamentalist himself, and he thinks he can win it. The administration is fond of saying that the terrorists hate us because we are free. That's not true - they hate us because we support the House of Saud and Israel. Until we're willing to talk about those two things, we're going to be in big trouble.

You can't cut taxes and conquer the world at the same time. Nobody's ever tried to do that, and the reason is because it's stupid. What part of world history did Bush miss? The way you build an empire is you tax the fuck out of your citizens and draft the fuck out of them, 'cause you have to have an army and you have to feed them. The thing that scares me more than anything else is that if Bush is re-elected, he's gonna have to institute a draft next year. They're gonna need some fresh bodies out there, and they can't do that without a draft. I've got a son who's 22 and a son who's 17, so I've got a dog in this fight. That's why I support John Kerry."

[wildeyed]

1. Steve Earle knows how to cut to the chase.

"You can't cut taxes and conquer the world at the same time. Nobody's ever tried to do that, and the reason is because it's stupid."

[Aviation Pro]

2. So do....

...George and Laura but you can bet your hiney that their two lovelies will never see the inside of a uniform.

[cheshire]

7. Do those two do anything? Will they go NG? Then AWOL?

[marlakay]

3. I'm worried that my girls will get drafted n/t

[Cha]

4. People like Steve Earle who make so much sense

are what's going to turn this Country back from the brink of disaster!

"You can't cut taxes and conquer the world at the same time. Nobody's ever tried to do that, and the reason is because it's stupid. What part of world history did Bush miss? The way you build an empire is you tax the fuck out of your citizens and draft the fuck out of them, 'cause you have to have an army and you have to feed them. The thing that scares me more than anything else is that if Bush is re-elected, he's gonna have to institute a draft next year. They're gonna need some fresh bodies out there, and they can't do that without a draft. I've got a son who's 22 and a son who's 17, so I've got a dog in this fight. That's why I support John Kerry."

[VOX]

5. Man, does Earle ever speak the truth.

My hat's off to him for having the courage to speak his mind, especially when so many are so silent.

[Lex]

6. His new CD "The Revolution Starts Now" is really, really good too!

.
"The Revolution Starts Now" songs:

* The Revolution Starts (Steve Earle)
* Home To Houston (Steve Earle)
* Rich Mans War (Steve Earle)
* Warrior (Steve Earle)
* The Gringo's Tale (Steve Earle)
* Condi,Condi (Steve Earle)
* F The CC (Steve Earle)
* Comin' Around (Steve Earlee)
* I Thought You Should Know (Steve Earle)
* The Seeker (Steve Earle)
* The Revolution Starts Now (Steve Earle)

http://www.steveearle.net/discography/revolution.php

I highly recommend this CD!!!

[Nevernose]

12. I'm personally a big fan of "Transcendental Blues"

And I didn't even discover Steve Earle until someone posted a link to a free listen on cmt.com last August.

In the last month, I've bought every album he's ever released, and his biography, "Hardcore Troubadour: The Life and Near Death of Steve Earle." Steve is contagious.

[Lex]

15. I only discovered him about a year or so ago

when I went with a friend to hear him sing at a gig he had here in NC.

I was immediately taken by his music and him and the things he said at his concert (very liberal, very anti-bush, anti-war).

And his music kicked ass---just plain excellent.

I did exactly like you did--I went out and bought all his CDs. I didn't know about the biography, but now I'll definitely get it.

By the way, he has a 10pm show on Sunday nights on AirAmerica Radio--it can be streamed at www.airamericaradio.com.

:toast:

[K8-EEE]

14. You Just Sold One Lex

Thanks!! He was at Ameoba records here in L.A. a couple of weeks ago and I meant to go buy it & have him sign it, damn if I didn't have a conflict that day, am buying this NOW.

[skygazer]

8. Very well stated

And very compelling.

I don't know why people can't see the difference between a well reasoned statement like this and the sound bites and talking points they are fed by BushCo. It's so depressing that people can be so stupid.

[zulchzulu]

9. Steve is a sweet dude who has a lots of integrity

I'm really proud of him for making a stand. And I sure hope we win this thing or else the Revolution WILL start now. Really.

[John_H]

10. Holy shit. He's dropped at least 60 lbs. Good for him.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

11. Yep, the "prison weight" is gone. He's looking more like himself.

I've followed Earle since the first album. Hated to see what happened to him, but life is supposed to be about second chances, and he certainly seems to be making the most of his.

:toast:

[K8-EEE]

13. Buying His CD RIGHT THIS SECOND!

God bless him. My friend says this CD ROCKS! I've been meaning to buy it but am gonna do it right now before I forget again. Thanks for the post!

[Lex]

17. You'll really like it, I can almost guarantee.

Especially "F*** the FCC."

The man knows how to make a point with his lyrics and music.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

16. Oh man, I LOVE that guy!

Really. He's amazing.

I'll be seeing him at a concert next weekend, can't wait.

[tmooses]

18. Steve Earle's Great

I've followed him since his comeback album (can't remember the title now but it was all acoustic). His lyrics always seem to remind me off real people I've run across in my life-not the ones you see on TV. He's seen the highs on lows and come to understand some of the realities of our society at all levels and brilliant enough to put it down in lyrics, poetry and novels with amazing clarity and humanity. He's my definition of what a patriot is.