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Rise Against, Billy Bragg, Trent Reznor, R.E.M. join Campaign to Close Guantanamo

Posted by aubin on Friday, October 23, 2009 at 12:00 PM (EDT)

Billy Bragg, Billy Bragg, Pearl Jam, Rise Against, REM, Nine Inch Nails and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine are among the musicians who have today announced their participation in the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo-a campaign led by retired Generals Robert Gard, John Johns, former member of Congress, Tom Andrews, and Vote Vets Chairman and Iraq War veteran, Jon Soltz. The musicians also launched a formal protest of the use of music used in conjunction with torture that took place at the prison and other facilities and announced they were supporting an effort seeking the declassification of all secret government records pertaining to how music was utilized as an interrogation device.

You can find more details here.

Politics (23 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Seriously.

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655321 (October 23, 2009)

You make someone listen to REM long enough on repeat they'll tell you anything

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ExtraCheesePizza (October 23, 2009)

Was about to post the same about Pearl Jam.

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sweetser (October 23, 2009)

Although this is a nice effort it seems like a moot point. Obama has already signed a declaration ordering the facility closed by the end of January, and they've already begun moving prisoners to other countries or else freeing them.

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ashtraymonument (October 23, 2009)

gotta keep a fire under the belly. we have to make sure he knows that we're still watching his ass, and expecting it closed when he said it would be. his admin has already been dancing around it, saying they might have to extend it.

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bill_stickers (October 23, 2009)

Ah yes, the famous Billy Bragg and his equally famous contemporary Billy Bragg.

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benwhite (October 23, 2009)

It's good to know Billy Bragg AND Billy Bragg are both down.

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plaidical (October 23, 2009)

wow clueless. Bush and Cheney are out of office, so why are these people lamenting about the "right wing". The current administration will not close Guantanamo in January because it is a very, very difficult problem without a solution. the president's first priority is protecting american lives, not non-american civil liberties

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eran_zombis (October 23, 2009)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/18/ AR2009021803137.html

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plaidical (October 24, 2009)

well yeah I agree with that position. if there's no evidence at all that these people are violent, enough.

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nick_s (October 23, 2009)

Something needs to be done, this can't be another issue that is walked away from when the shit hits the fan. If that final line was anything but sarcastic it's fairly scary.

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plaidical (October 24, 2009)

it's politics

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AndrewG (October 24, 2009)

and here i thought the president's first priority was to uphold the constitution.

also the "right wing" includes more than bush and cheney, in the entirety of the political spectrum (see: outside US) even the democrats fall under "right wing"

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plaidical (October 24, 2009)

in our political climate, where the president continues to play politics even after he has been elected, it's hard to imagine that the president would care about the constitution. "faithfully execute the office of the POTUS and will, to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution OTUS." section II article II begins immediately with commander in chief - protect the people.

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Jay_Reatard (October 23, 2009)

Fired! All of you!

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friokir (October 23, 2009)

where's anti-flag and tom morello?

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Punk_For_Peace (October 23, 2009)

If you read the article, you would see that Tom Morello is part of this. He is also quoted in the Washington Post saying, "The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me," and "We need to end torture and close Guantanamo now." ;)

Personally, I am glad these musicians are pushing the issue. Obama did promise to close Guantanamo within a year, but more recently members of his administration have made statements suggesting that they may not reach the goal. I am happy for the progress that has been made with some of the prisoners being put on trial, but it is important to keep the pressure on until Guantanamo is closed.

Peace always.
~Ken

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friokir (October 23, 2009)

damn, gotta stop reading diagonally, only saw the names that were in blue.

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Brett-NOLA (October 23, 2009)

Good. Now let's get to work on closing all of the other, secret torture prisons and then we can call it "progress."

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bill_stickers (October 24, 2009)

I also noticed there's some two bob cunt named John Johns. In fact, no, he's not a two bob cunt. His parents are one bob cunts.

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plaidical (October 24, 2009)

hey they got on Foreign Policy mag's blog. good for them.
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/10/23/rage_agains t_gitmo

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RedElephant (October 24, 2009)

using good music on terrorists i really do agree with being wrong.

but i mean shit.. if they were to use say........ Ricky Martin, N'Sync, Britney Spears, Fall Out Boy, Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, whatever the fuck crunk bands.. i really would not care. i'd probably probably laugh.

and yes i do like me some Pearl Jam, Rage, NIN.. i'll admit it.

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barrydonegan (October 25, 2009)

if someone played REM "Radio Free Europe" while i was getting tortured it might soften the blow a bit. AGREED that britney spears would be much better torture music :p

jk

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barrydonegan (October 25, 2009)

why does this organization spend all this time talking about "right wingers" while not placing proper blame on the guy who is currently bombing pakistan with unmanned drones... not pulling out of iraq and promising to keep 50,000 ppl there in "advisory roles" past 2012(vietnam anyone?) and boosting troop levels for a little civics lesson at gunpoint in afghanistan and using tough talk, possibly deadly sanctions in Iran, maybe leading to a war, while bending over backwards printing money to give to wall street bankers whose businesses are tanking.

I bush bashed right along next to everyone over the last 8 years, but he is gone. the renditions continue. now they are torturing at bagram airforce base instead. gitmo is a symbol, only. everything continues. spying on americans continues. patriot act continues. military commissions continue.

change didn't happen.

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