Author Paul Rance's website

Showing posts with label human rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label human rights. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Peace & Freedom Band Co-Founder Paul Rance Hits Out At Tories, Beyonce, Jay Z And Katie Hopkins

Before the Internet arrived, booksmusicfilmstv.com's founder had been involved in the world of underground music and fanzine publishing since the early 1980's. His longest running magazine, Peace & Freedom, was first published in 1984, and began life as an environmental, animal/human rights, music and arts fanzine. The next year he formed the alternative, anarcho underground band, The Peace & Freedom Band.

When I interviewed him in the middle of May, 2015, he was still as rebellious as ever and passionate about animal/human rights and the environment. I took the opportunity to ask him about his musical influences, values, the underground music scene and his views on modern music and the recent general election. He also went on to discuss his dislike of the State and why we need a revolution.

- Andy Bruce.

Paul Rance with his beloved Sparkle
Paul Rance with his beloved Sparkle in May, 2015


Paul Rance interview extracts

"It seems like it's cool to be hard these days. The Tory elite like showing how tough they can be with poor migrants, the unemployed and the disabled. I find their attitude repulsive, and they remind me of the posh bully, Flashman, from Tom Brown's Schooldays."

"I like The Black Eyed Peas, because they've supported issues concerning animal rights, the environment and human rights, and their music's inventive. But, Jay Z, what's the point? No real talent from what I can see, and he, and the equally odious Beyonce, like wearing parts of dead animals. Unfortunately, the media fawn all over 'em and keep telling us how great they are. No, they're not."

"I fear there's more people in this country who agree with the sick views of Katie Hopkins than we'd all like to believe. Though they tend to be cowards who keep their mouths shut, and then strike when it's voting time. That'd kinda explain why the polls indicated that the election would be close - and it ended up not being close at all. People were too ashamed to admit that they'd be voting Tory. Don't get me wrong, if it was a choice between voting Tory or The Kitten Killers Party I'd vote Tory. But that wasn't the choice, and many people have basically given the thumbs up to austerity, and are saying to the weaker members of society: "F**k you.""

"Politics hasn't really worked in the UK since the 1970s. We've had the poll tax fiasco, now it's the austerity cuts. Too much corruption from people in power, too much injustice - Hillsborough, the Jimmy Savile cover-ups, crooked bankers and politicians, the expenses scandal. The list is endless. People who set standards, i.e. those who make the laws for the rest of us, should be beyond reproach. But they're often as immoral as it gets."

"The problem is that most of the individuals who carry out the state/system's dirty work aren't evil people. Most of them are scared of losing their jobs if they question specific decisions. It's all very clever and sly really, because it's always hard to get at the real bastards - the ones at the top. But, like any machine, it will not last forever and then it'll get really interesting. I want to see it all fall to bits, and then let's start again. It probably won't happen in my lifetime, but it will happen."

Read the full, explosive interview here: