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October 3, 2012 10:51

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Glenn Beck writes bizarre open letter to Muse Muse Tickets

US republican commentator responds to Matt Bellamy's 'right-wing libertarian' comment

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US republican commentator Glenn Beck has written an open letter to Muse's Matt Bellamy.

On Sunday, Bellamy told The Observer that he felt uncomfortable with right-leaning US conservatives, like Beck, hijacking the band's music to "try to take down people like Obama and put forward right-wing libertarianism".

Responding to the comment, Beck has written a lengthy open letter to Bellamy explaining why he loves the band – in the past, he's described the lyrics to 'Uprising' as being "just dead on about what's coming our way" – and insists he'll continue to play their music.

Beck wrote: "As uncomfortable as it might be for you, I will still play your songs loudly. To me your songs are anthems that beg for choruses of unity and pose the fundamental question facing the world today – can man rule himself?"

"In the Venn Diagram of American politics, where the circles of crimson and blue overlap, there's a place where you and I meet. It's a place where guys who cling to their religion, rights, and guns, connect with godless, clinched-fist-tattoo, guys."

He continued:

You seem to have a pretty good grasp of comparative US and European politics, but maybe there's a pattern that you're underestimating. Throughout history, leaders have used music to lull young people into a sense of security and euphoria. They've used artists to create the illusion that they can run a country that keeps all the good and wipes out all the bad. Think Zurich 1916. Think artists getting behind guys like Lenin and Trotsky. Think of pop culture's role in the Arab Spring. The youth rises up, power structures crumble, and worse leaders are inserted.


Beck closed his written statement by saying: "Matthew, I realise that converts are pretty hard to come by when the stakes are so high and the spotlight so bright, but I thank you for singing words that resonate with man in his struggle to be free. Good luck on the new record."

Muse released their sixth studio album 'The 2nd Law' this week. It includes new singles 'Madness' and 'Survival' as well as dubstep-influenced track 'The 2nd Law: Unsustainable'. The 13-track album is the follow-up to 2009's 'The Resistance' and has been recorded in London.

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