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  • WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18 2004 9:44 PM

Joey Ramone was a Republican

Submitted by Sean

Edited by Sean

"To me, I think punk should be right wing. That's how I see it. The left wing is trying to destroy America by giving handouts to everyone and making everyone dependent on them. They only care about the voter base. They don't really care about anything else. They don't care about anyone." - Joey Ramone



When the media talks about lefty war protesters, WTO demonstrators and Howard Dean supporters they often make reference to a subset of pierced and tattooed extremists, taking for granted that the "punks" are always lefties. But a little research shows that its not so one sided. Conservativepunk.com is a fairly new, if anemic resource, but this column, where I found the Joey Ramone quote, is an interesting, slightly hyperbolic read.

The conservativepunk column links to this great screech by Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel.

For crying out loud, I'm a PUNK, not a HIPPIE! Fuck those goddamned losers. Hey, I always got picked last for kickball too, but you don't see me running around with a sign depicting Bush with a Hitler moustache and babbling incessantly and semi-coherently about his "daddy." Yeah, y'know, Marx had some good ideas. I'm there, I'm with you. But given that his successful commie followers have thus far engaged in nothing more than Idi Amin-style brutal dictatorship, the likes of which can only be rationalized and justified by such warped, twisted, truly deranged minds as those of Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, I'm pretty comfortable with letting the whole Marx thing go. Along with all the bizarre, paranoid, and ultimately mastubatory conspiracy theories that these loons always seem to engage in. Yes, America is evil. Take care of the terrible Amerikkkan empire and the rest of the world will just fall into line, being the peaceful, loving, nurturing souls that they are. Jeebus Cripes. Grow up.


Is there more political diversity in the punk movement then previously thought? Should we somehow find a way to draft this Ben Weasel character?

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Comments
nobodaddy

nobodaddy

Burlington, VT
August 2003

FEB 18, 2004 09:56 PM

Who knew? eeek

AceTracer

acetracer

Hollywood, FL
January 2004

FEB 18, 2004 10:08 PM

I think Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" is one of the best rock riffs ever, I also think he's a fucking whack job. My taste in music has nothing to do with my taste in politics, so I couldn't care less what they believe in as long as they rock.

nobodaddy

nobodaddy

Burlington, VT
August 2003

FEB 18, 2004 10:11 PM

Let's not forget the Ramones "Bonzo goes to Bitburg", or whatever that was about Reagan visiting the Nazi cemetary.

I'm not sure what Joey was talking about there, but there's always been a right-wing element in the punk world, in the form of neo-Nazi skinhead bands and the like.

Yes, punk was a revolt against, among other things, hippies - but not hippie politics so much as an outdated dreamy wishy washy mindset (nothing against hippies - I suppose I'm a hippie).

Punk was always explicitly anti-political - it was for anarchy if anything (but tongue-in-cheek dada anarchy). The hippies too, for that matter -- Pete Townsend threw Abbie Hoffman off the stage at Woodstock for spewing politics.

But the republican party today is certainly no friend of people who embrace a punk ethos or lifestyle. That's for sure.

DeadlyEye

DeadlyEye

Memphis, TN
December 2003

FEB 18, 2004 10:12 PM

I knew Johnny was incredibly conservative. This was stolen from allmusic.com referring to the album Animal Boy.

Of note, the album does contain one of the band's most clearly political statements in first single "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg," written about President Ronald Reagan's ill-advised visit to Germany's Bitburg cemetery, the site of many Nazi graves. Interestingly, the song was later re-titled "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down" prior to the album's release after vehement protests from guitarist Johnny Ramone, a fervid conservative.


Anyhow...
RIP Joey and Dee Dee.

Pip

Pip

Framingham, MA
OLD SKOOL

FEB 18, 2004 10:13 PM

"I don't give a fuck about Nicaragua!" Totally a right leaning song. Not supporting regean and co, but definitely anti-commie.

Makes sense, and I like how punk can be both right and left, but for me, it's all aboput the left. I like Joey and Ben no less for this.

Added: Pennywise is a great example of a punk bridge between left and right. They are all about liberal politics. They are proud to be bleeding heart liberals and social welfare is always in their lyrics. At the same time they are also pushing the personal responsibility line that is a hallmark of the right. They constantly preach that it's up to you to take action to change your life.

[Edited on Feb 18, 2004 by Pip]

Scopitone

Scopitone

Irvine, CA
OLD SKOOL

FEB 18, 2004 10:13 PM

Joey Ramone was rich, so I can't blame him for being Republican. Hell I was one years ago...when I was loaded.

Jeff_Fries

Jeff_Fries

Humptulips, WA
September 2003

FEB 18, 2004 10:14 PM

Wow.

Gives me hope that we're not all shut-brained.

DeadlyEye

DeadlyEye

Memphis, TN
December 2003

FEB 18, 2004 10:15 PM

"I don't like communists"

I remember reading something where Joey was praising Rancid's self titled album they released in 2000. It said something along the lines of:

My favorite song is Radio Havana. Even though I hate Commies.

clara

clara

MODERATOR

Baltimore, MD

FEB 18, 2004 10:22 PM

nobodaddy said:
Punk was always explicitly anti-political...


Punk has been around for far too long to have "always" been about anything. The early New York based punk musicians were just that, musicians. I'm sure some of them were and/or are politically active, but at that time it was about rock music, not politics. Not so in England.

Since then there have been so many revivals, splinters, and spin-offs punk really does mean something different to just about everyone as you can see by every thread that has the word "punk" in the title here at SG.

That said, I'm not at all surprised to see that some rockers are into right wing politics. Rock is generally associated with rebellion and freedom to make your own choices, standing up and proclaiming "Fuck you! I'm doing it my way." The Republican party historically promotes the idea of less government and individuals living their lives without assistance. I don't really agree, but I can see how some people would support that idea in terms of reducing programs designed to help the poor, elderly, etc.

reprobate

reprobate

New Orleans, LA
December 2002

FEB 18, 2004 10:23 PM

Ummmm, Joey didn't say that. Johnny said that. Johnny is, in fact, a Republican and always was, and used to fight with Joey and Dee Dee about it all the time.

Joey in fact said things like "I wanna steal from the rich and give to the poor."

nobodaddy

nobodaddy

Burlington, VT
August 2003

FEB 18, 2004 10:25 PM

reprobate said:
Ummmm, Joey didn't say that. Johnny said that. Johnny is, in fact, a Republican and always was, and used to fight with Joey and Dee Dee about it all the time.

Joey in fact said things like "I wanna steal from the rich and give to the poor."



Oh. So there you go...

DeadlyEye

DeadlyEye

Memphis, TN
December 2003

FEB 18, 2004 10:26 PM

reprobate said:
Ummmm, Joey didn't say that. Johnny said that. Johnny is, in fact, a Republican and always was, and used to fight with Joey and Dee Dee about it all the time.

Joey in fact said things like "I wanna steal from the rich and give to the poor."



Yeah, in a song about being a modern Robin Hood. Besides, not all Republican are rich. Not all Democrats are poor.

Scuderiaferrari

Scuderiaferrari

Saint Petersburg, FL
January 2004

FEB 18, 2004 10:31 PM

maybe this is the natural evolution of a society. maybe one day, decades down the road, the right wing school of thought will be the new youth vanguard.

hell

hell

Austin, TX
February 2003

FEB 18, 2004 10:32 PM

Ok, I can't resist. But I must say it:
Joey Ramone passed away
ahey ahey

nobodaddy

nobodaddy

Burlington, VT
August 2003

FEB 18, 2004 10:34 PM

koenigsegg said:
maybe this is the natural evolution of a society. maybe one day, decades down the road, the right wing school of thought will be the new youth vanguard.



Yeah. Or maybe not.

wink

(they've got to lose the social control business. and they've got to drop the idea that unlimited corporate power is benign)

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