He was followed, apparently phone-tapped, and there's a 300 page file on him. Is it all because he was vocal about war and injustice? I mean, come on! A musical genius is hardly a danger!
2006-09-17 16:22:05 · 13 answers · asked by tiko 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
DeuceRider, stick to your Toby Keith records. No musicians are good on the right.
2006-09-17 20:29:19 · update #1
Jorluke, 'my snide little friend'?? Come on, you can do better than that.
Anyway, I was in no way inciting YOUR hatred; I simply asked a question. Obviously you are incapable of having a reasonable discussion without trying to offend someone.
Oh, and if Lennon is so insignificant today, why do his records still sell by the shipload, huh? What are you listening to? Ted Nugent?? last time I heard about him, he was on the 'Where Are They Now' tour of the midwest.
Okay, you want someone contemporary, how about Green Day, Springsteen, Radiohead, anybody with a shred of talent.
2006-09-17 20:36:07 · update #2
Anyone interested, right or left, should check out the trailer for the upcoming documentery, The U.S. vs. John Lennon.
You can see it on the Internet Movie Database. Gore Vidal's comment sums up the idiocy of what happened then, and wht is going on now.
2006-09-17 20:42:30 · update #3
Any charismatic figure can become "dangerous" to the ambitions and policies of government. While it is true that Lennon wasn't really a danger to the U.S., it is more a matter of him being a danger to the continued acceptance of prevailing policy (like the war in Vietnam). He was an outspoken liberal, and the conservative Nixon administration was very concerned about opposition to established policies. Yes, spending so much time on Lennon was stupid. But, hey, Watergate was even stupider.
2006-09-17 16:40:16 · answer #1 · answered by voltaire 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The times were a changing for some, but this change produced very high level of resistance in others. I don't know if he made this statement or not, but just Imagine the sturr caused when he made the remark that he was as popular as JC this did not help. During that period of time you where a nobody if you didn't have government file on you. Agree with you that it was an over reaction. I'd like to know who paid to have him bump off.
2006-09-17 23:41:07 · answer #2 · answered by Mister2-15-2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The FBI has investigated a ton of stupid things that make most peoples' foreheads wrinkle and have them ask, "WTF?" For instance, did you know the the Kingsmen (Louie, Louie) were investigated for quite some time becasue they feared that thier lyrics were profane, leading the American people to crime, and causing political unrest here. Pretty crazy, huh?
Now about Lennon...when this all first started, the Vietnam war and extreme civil unrest was going on and even after it had all ended, there was still incredible amounts of turmoil with the American people. In my opinion, the government didn't want there to be any more of these disturbances to the thoughts of their people (I mean, they go to extremes don't they? Shooting peaceful protesters at Kent University right a bell??). So when he and the Beatles (who were all investigated, not just John) sang of being your own person, use of psychadelic drugs, the power of love, peace, the inhumanity of war, etc it was considered dangerous because it was really the first time that we were in a war that everyone didn't agree with. And do you really think that this government of ours likes for its people to be opinionated against them? So to them, Johna and Co. were a threat because they 'fueled the fire' of growing unrest with the American people and its opinion on our government, policies, and decisions.
I don't agree whatsoever with this obviously, but if you put yourself in a close-minded, money-wielding, politician's greedy mind, can't you understand why they wouldn't want anyone to disagree with them?
2006-09-18 00:16:32 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
tiko, my snide little friend.
John Lennon?
obviously he was a strong voice with a huge following during the time the public really seperated their trust to the government. Its sad there are so many snide people like you that want to stand around waving fingers rather than jump in and get involved with anything other than shovelling dirt.
Correct me if Im wrong. Maybe you are something somehow.
Last time I was rocking out to 'Imagine' was by the DMZ in Korea with a local girl at a karaoke bar. So why don't you crawl back in bed with your boyfriend you little pillow biter?
There are not so many people that want to put themselves into the system to do what they think is right.
-of course he (John Lennon) was a danger to our military industrial complex during the cold war. crazy things happened in the 60s man. Someone as influential and powerful as John Lennon could have started a snake cult for example ala 'Conan the Barbarian' perhaps and been preaching the strenghth of flesh over steel etc. We had the whole public misinformation campaign about Area51 and the Blackbird etc programs that is still recieving an other-than-expected type of backlash to this day.
Why pot isnt legal? I dont know. Really.
But as far as building a case vs John Lennon? Is that what they were doing or were they just keeping tabs on him because he was so powerful and influential to a post-modernizing rogue culture?
-please remember this was also during the days of mass demonstration, civil rights, womens rights movement, anti-war, police assasinations for political ideaology, Charles Manson etc.
-the government is run (believe it or not) by people and even allegedly for the people. There are powerful positions and obviously not all are infallible to certain degrees of corruption. All people can do in certain positions at optimal performance is stick to thier morality and ethics. Other people get into those positions because they have friends that will see them well off once they do attain them of course, but this is a dillemma of the state of human nature and not one of any particular society.
-btw every veteran I know remembers well 'Hannoi jane' as a commy ***** to this day, because thats exactly what she was and is....what if john lennon decided to go kick back with teh ayatollah kohmeni? I spose thats cool too huh.
2006-09-17 23:53:58 · answer #4 · answered by jorluke 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He had new and different idea's about how the world should be, he was called all kinds of commie back then. He was kind of a danger because he had followers. Me included. But he was very right on many of the things that he was advocating. Civil rights, human rights poverty, free love, drugs everything the average conservative hates.
2006-09-17 23:31:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
His popularity combined with his anti-war stance made him a threat to the gov't. They had files on other peace activists and civil rights leaders too. (like MLK) Any voice that has the power to sway the masses is a threat to the Powers that Be. It's happening to this day with the Bush Admin.
2006-09-17 23:29:53 · answer #6 · answered by AmigaJoe 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
No, back in the day anyone with non-traditional ideas had a file. Now Bush is doing it again.
2006-09-17 23:30:08 · answer #7 · answered by notyou311 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, OK, and why did they crusade against rock n roll music? Oh, that's right, that was 50 years ago! Lennon DIED when over 20 years ago! Who cares why the "musical genius" had his phone-tapped?!
2006-09-18 00:14:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
He had a lot of influence with a lot of the young people in this country. He was more popular than the Pope. He was a free thinker, he was in an interracial marriage, he smoked dope. He made good ole redneck americans nervous.
2006-09-17 23:27:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 1⤋
I was a youngster when he was killed; I don't know but I'm interested. The person above me gave a great answer.
2006-09-17 23:32:54 · answer #10 · answered by nflhandicapper 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋