This Sunday, Matt Bellamy said he felt that “in the US the conspiracy theory subculture has been hijacked by the right to try to take down people like Obama and put forward right-wing libertarianism”, and that he see’s himself as a more “left-leaning libertarian”.
In response, Glenn Beck, who also is a likes to pretend he’s a libertarian, wrote a misguided, meandering and downright insane open letter to the band you can read in full here. However, be advised that if you click that link, you will in fact be giving Glenn Beck’s site traffic.
Beck began the letter by saying that “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?” I’ll give Beck that, because Objectivist self-governing is a clear theme in Muse songs that really comes across in lyrics like “It’s a race, I’m ganna win, I’ll light the fuse and I’ll never lose!”
He continues “You seem to have a pretty good grasp of comparative U.S. 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”. It’s funny that Beck is warning the band about this, considering that’s exactly what he and his organization are trying to do. Seriously, that last sentence there could be read as the Fox News manifesto.
Beck ends the letter by quoting the band’s ‘Hoodoo’:
“Matthew, I realize 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.
I wish I could leave well enough alone and just be quiet…
…but I’ve had recurring nightmares that I was loved for who I am and missed the opportunity to be a better man.
Good luck on the new record.
Glenn”
Now, I poke fun at Muse for theirs lyrics from time to time (read: every chance I get), but I’ve always really liked the final line of that song. The fact that it resonates with Glenn Beck though is ridiculous. Surely a line about abandoning personal fulfillment for personal betterment is a utilitarian idea. Again demonstrates Beck’s ability to take a subject as expansive and diverse as centrist politics and make it totally about his feelings. We’ll stay up-to-date on whether Matt responds.
We're looking for writers and editors to join the team. Interested? Apply today!
Let’s Be Friends!