> Also, there is a suspicion of success among the left,
> and that has sometimes-unfortunate counterparts in the
> punk community. When a band becomes too popular, folks
> start jumping ship. The band MUST have done something
> to sell out to get as popular as they did. There's a
> similar dynamic with Noam Chomsky. He's "too popular,"
> which is a bizarre problem in the left. Better-knowing
> folks have "moved beyond" him. Someone gets too
> popular, fuck'em, they have sold out somehow. A ohase
> to go through before getting to the *real* stuff. Yes,
> there are things maybe Chomsky, et. al., could do
> better in their personal lives. Yes, he owns a
> vacation home and isn't vegetarian, which some folks
> dislike. Etc. But focusing on that sort of stuff is
> really weak, unless it's something glaring, like he
> invests 10% of his portfolio in Lockheed. There are
> always things everyone, including you and me, could
> probably be doing better.
B. is really spot on here. What Chomsky does with money earned from his salary and book sales is his choice. It's not our business. If he can write books critical of those in power and support his family, more power to him. It's not like he's writing books about voluntary simplicity and surrounding himself with Porsches and bling bling.
The right can't counter him, so they resort to attacks based on hypocrisy. Weak.
I also think that this animosity towards "sell outs" is an attitude that really fucks over much of the radical left. If any project or person gets popular or successful, people gotta start dissing and hating them. This one of the things I fucking hate about punk, even though I love many things about punk. Fugazi can do $5 shows because it is a popular band that sells records, not just theirs. Any other band can't tour on $5 shows. Then punks complain because their are fewer tours. Jesus Christ, punks have more disposable income than I've ever had. They spend money on 7 inches, magazines, clothes, shows, and booze. You'd think these people would be able to pay some struggling band $10-15 for a decent show.
And I really hate how this attitude is brought to the rest of the left. Like how you get people who bitch about some Indymedia newspaper running ads. Jesus Christ people, how do you expect people to pay the printing bill? Your fucking punk magazines are filled with ads, Maximum Rock and Roll being one of the worst offenders.
Chuck