THE SCORGING OF ROGER WATERS
December 21, 2013 – 4:41 am
All it takes is for one man to say “I’ve had enough”. Only then can the truth be told. By Gilad Atzmon.
In the Palestinian Solidarity Movement we really love celebrities - those famous, rather special people who write great books, play musical instruments (drums included) or even just think great thoughts. We like those people to stand up for Palestine and denounce ‘Zionism’, ‘Israeli Colonialism’ and ‘Apartheid.’ We love them - as long as they don’t say what they really think.
Here’s the problem. Celebrities are often famous and successful because they’re clever and independent. Unlike our progressive, dysfunctional activists, who in most cases live on income support and repeat our ‘party line’, the celebrity is a confident, career-oriented, self-sufficient subject and, because of their capacity to make autonomous decisions, he or she is assertive and thriving. In short, the activist and the celebrity are made of very different stuff - so a collision is inevitable.
Time after time it happens to us in the Palestinian Solidarity Movement. We manage to pull in a great human being, we tell them what to say and they comply. For a while, they call to boycott Israel and, like parrots, they repeat our slogans. But then, against all odds, these damn, self-centred stars start to speak their minds.
Roger Waters is obviously such a celebrity. For the last two years we were so proud of our Pink Floyd comrade rallying for Palestine. For a while, he repeated our slogans, denouncing colonialism and Israeli Apartheid. But then, the inevitable happened. For no obvious reason he told the truth. In an interview on CounterPunch he equated Israel with Nazi Germany and, speaking about Jewish power, he even mentioned the ‘J word’.
Within hours, all hell broke loose. Every Jewish media outlet, including The Guardian unleashed its venom in order to bring Roger to his knees. Rabbis, Holocaust memory merchants and even artists were recruited to join the choir. But guess what? Not one single Palestinian activist stood up for Waters. Neither Electronic Intifada nor Jewish progressive Mondoweiss supported the legendary bassist. Their silence was deafening. The progressive, Max Blumenthal also didn’t show any support for the truth teller. Is this a coincidence?
Our sycophantic Solidarity Movement dropped Roger Waters like a stone as we’ve done so many times before because, in our little progressive ghetto, we love celebrities - but not when speak their minds or tell the truth.
Note: Jazz musician Gilad Atzmon’s latest book is: The Wandering Who? A Study of Jewish Identity Politics. Visit Gilad Atzmon’s website here. The above article was also posted at CounterPunch.
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8 Responses to “THE SCORGING OF ROGER WATERS”
Gilad is making some good points here. Even Pink Floyd fans attacked Roger Waters, one invoking poor Syd Barrett’s ghost (as if anyone has the right to speak for him.
Roger Waters is rare ‘rock star’– we need more like him.
By Jonathan on Dec 21, 2013
Equating Jews with Nazis? I guess I missed the part where Israel was gassing millions of Arabs and burning their bodies in ovens. Or performing medical experiments on captured Palestinians, or making lampshades out of their skin.
btw, check out the recent video “Palestinian Leader Farouq Qaddoumi: We Supported The Nazis In WWII.” Don’t hold your breath waiting for Roger to issue a statement of condemnation anytime soon…
By none more black on Dec 23, 2013
You J-motherfuckers just share and the world will be a better place. Kudos to Roger Waters for having the balls to say it in the most simplest of terms.
By Louis Torro on Dec 29, 2013
Nope. Roger Waters has it all wrong.If thye arabs (small letters intentional) would simply leave Israel for the Jews the world would be a better place. Case closed.
By dwight on Dec 30, 2013
Right, Dwight. And the Aboriginals need to vacate Australia, the Yanomami the Amazon rainforest and the Inuit northern Canada. The Zulus should split from South Africa too. Actually, the Israelis need to not only get out of Palestine, but also out of US government pockets.
By Motorvilleboy on Dec 31, 2013
Sorry, I should have typed “dwight” (small letters intentional).
By Motorvilleboy on Dec 31, 2013
What makes Rodger Waters’ opinion any more valid than that of any other person, such as a taxi driver?
Ok, he is famous for making music, but does that make him an expert on international affairs?
Ok, a single indiviudal with simplistic world views, Rodger Waters, hates Jews, so what? Time to move on to something more important to spend our time and energy on.
By Jack on Jan 4, 2014
What…a bunch of haters! Can NOT be a ‘true’ Christian in the bunch, as TRUE Christians who UNDERSTAND THEIR FAITH DO NOT HATE.
Nothing is all right…or all wrong. Israel is neither good…or bad…same for the Palestineans caught up in this shitmess of a ‘Holy War’ in direct violations of ALL holy books.
‘Holocaust Memory Peddlers’? OK, so now I know the type I’m dealing with. I cannot argue a point with a fucking moron.
By Gra8tful_Al on Jan 6, 2014