REM's Michael Stipe slams US government

REM, SXSW Music Festival, March 12, 2008. Pic: Andy Willsher

Singer describes American administration as 'despicable'

REM frontman Michael Stipe has slammed the current US government, describing the American administration as "despicable".

Stipe referred to the US government's reaction to the September 11 bombings in New York in 2001 to back up his comments, suggesting that they used the incident to further their own means.

"This American administration is despicable," he told The Sun's Something For The Weekend. "In 1973 I didn't realise it would be a big deal that a black man and a woman are running for President.

"I didn't get the future I wanted and was promised. It didn't happen because globally we have these people who are pulling us backwards for their own reasons.

"I want something more progressive. What will this decade represent when historians look back at the first decade of the 21st century? They're going to look at my government's over-reaction to 9/11 and how they used that to their own greedy end. How sad is that?"

REM tickets:

Aug 24, 2008 at Lancashire County Cricket Club, Manchester - Check availability
Aug 25, 2008 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff - Check availability
Aug 27, 2008 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton - Check availability

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Comments (5)

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steve6f8eh

Mar 29, 2008

Michael has hit the nail on the head. Self-serving policies instead of helping the country. The last 4 presidents have run the country with private interests in mind. I am so glad that a medium such as NME will give the forum to express these ideas; mainstream media has been bought and paid for....

minipollard

Mar 29, 2008

Thanks Michael for saying what we were all thinking

smiths75

Mar 29, 2008

I've been a fan of R.E.M. for twenty years and I respect them greatly for actually standing for something. Unfortunately I am not going to vote for Obama and I don't think most people are paying to attention to his voting record and what will actually happen if he is President. I'm an ordinary, hardworking Firefighter and someone like Obama is all for taxing the hell out of people like myself. Do the research! He's not everything people think he is.

angcre

Mar 30, 2008

I too agree that the media has been bought, when i watch the news anymore everything seems to fall into place as if it were pre written. who knows what will happen if Obama becomes the next president, yea he might raise taxes or he might even get us back on track. what harm could that cause! God forbid we do somthing for the poor the helpless the elderly, middle class and the american people in general,

Number Johnny Five

Apr 3, 2008

"I think the puppet on the left shares my beliefs"When will everyone realise that our so called 'democracy' is a carefully stage managed illusion?It makes no difference who is finally elected. The 'Ruling Class' will still pull the strings.Money talks, and when it talks too much it is silenced by a bullet.Remember Huey Long.