From the makers of Johnny Not-So Rotten comes the latest in celebrity common sense and decency.
Hi,
Some questions:
If you go to america does that mean you support american foreign and domestic policy? Does a visit to america mean that you support guantanamo?
If you visit italy does that mean you support berlusconi?
If you visit the uk does that mean you’re a happy supporter of david cameron?I’m guessing the answer is: no.
A visit to a country isn’t a condemnation or an endorsement of the domestic or foreign policies of that nations current government.
When I tour I visit countries that are universally loved (canada), as well as countries for which people have more complicated feelings (israel).
But when I tour I’m going to countries to play music for people.
My presence in a country is not an endorsement or a condemnation of that countries policies.
My presence in a country is an effort to connect with people through playing music.Almost every country on the planet has some aspect of their foreign or domestic policy that is questionable(I mean, I live in the united states, and many aspects of our foreign and domestic policy are SERIOUSLY questionable…but yet I continue to live there and do what I can to effect positive change).
I have opinions about the policies of the countries I visit, of course, but I think its incredibly dangerous to form opinions of a place without actually spending time there.
The situation within a country is oftentimes considerably more complicated when experienced from within rather than when seen from thousands of miles away or through the sensationalistic and often simplifying and reductionist lens of the media.
I’m sorry if my decisions to visit certain countries are troubling to some people.
But, as I’ve said, my decision to play music in a country is purely based on a desire to connect with people through music, regardless of the government they’re currently living with or under.
Thanks
Moby
Mind you, I previously posted something else Moby said, which showed his decency.
Moby is outraged at the continuing loss of innocent people over politics and land. Over the weekend there were three terror attacks by Palestinian suicide bombers on Israeli citizens. A total of 25 people were killed in three different violent acts.
Moby wrote in his online journal, “Damn f–k. Three Palestinian suicide bombings in 24 hours? F–k them. They are killing innocent people. I don’t care about the politics involved. I don’t care about issues of autonomy and statism. I don’t care about avenging historical wrongs. Lots of innocent people are dead, and I don’t see how anyone can defend or justify that. What sane Muslim in the world really thinks that Allah is pleased by the deaths of innocent people? Religious fanaticism is getting more and more offensive every day. If you want to be a fanatic, fine, just keep your fanaticism to yourself and stop killing innocent people.”
Good on’ya, Moby.
Update: Moby being interviewed by Israeli radio station 88FM.
