Bruce Springsteen - I salute you!

Wow he didn't hold back did he!

Here's a report free of paywall, salute indeed as he addresses the huge crowd

"“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.

Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!”

He then delivered a longer speech ahead of the song My City of Ruins, saying:

There’s some very weird, strange and dangerous shit going on out there right now. In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.

In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now.
In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers.
They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and plural society.
They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom. They are defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideological demands.
They are removing residents off American streets and, without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centres and prisons.
This is all happening now.

A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government. They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American.

The America l’ve sung to you about for 50 years is real and regardless of its faults is a great country with a great people. So we’ll survive this moment.

Now, I have hope, because I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said. He said, ‘In this world, there isn’t as much humanity as one would like, but there’s enough.’ Let’s pray.

Brilliant speech Bruce 👍

So heartening when everything around us seems to be going to pot.

I hope he has good security around him and his family.

The Boss has spoken the truth

Me too Cossy - I thought he was brilliant.

I don’t care what celebrities think, if you pay to see a concert they should play their music.
It is not up to them to preach.

I fully agree with you Sago. People pay good money for a concert, not to hear the performer’s personal political opinions.

I think that artists are with us to think, feel, celebrate, grieve, comfort, raise difficult questions - the lot - speak their own truths, and you cannot separate the artist from their work - all their work - whether spoken or sung.

Well Sago and Spottybook I respectfully disagree.

What’s going on in the USA goes far far beyond politics, it’s about people and their very lives.

Land of liberty, Land of the free this is what people like Bruce Springsteen are speaking up for, he’s rich and old enough not to give a fig about Trump and his bully boy tactics.

I respect people such as Bruce who use their fame and fortune to speak against what is wrong, unjust and unfair.

Plenty of gigs I’ve seen over many years have had both songs and speeches doing just what Bruce has done.

Hoorah! I say and long may it last! 👊

Of course Bruce has the right to speak out.

Poem by

Pastor Martin Niemöller

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.

Bravo to Bruce I hope you speak out as long as you can.

These people couldn't care less about free speech, what they mean is it is now the other side who is trying to censor speech. They make me laugh.

Cossy

Well Sago and Spottybook I respectfully disagree.

What’s going on in the USA goes far far beyond politics, it’s about people and their very lives.

Land of liberty, Land of the free this is what people like Bruce Springsteen are speaking up for, he’s rich and old enough not to give a fig about Trump and his bully boy tactics.

I respect people such as Bruce who use their fame and fortune to speak against what is wrong, unjust and unfair.

Plenty of gigs I’ve seen over many years have had both songs and speeches doing just what Bruce has done.

Hoorah! I say and long may it last! 👊

Hear, hear WW 👏👏👏

I love Bruce Springsteen. His political views are well known by his fans - I doubt there’ll be any MAGA hats at his concerts

His fans (me included) would have been grateful to hear him speaking up for the country that he’s always loved. Indeed, I’d pay extra to hear him ‘preach’!!!

Well said BS.

Galaxy

These people couldn't care less about free speech, what they mean is it is now the other side who is trying to censor speech. They make me laugh.

I didn’t realise you knew Bruce Springsteen’s inner thought processes Galaxy.

I admire him for saying publicly what he thinks, not enough people do.

Well is seems most people supported what he said and lots of his fans will be supporting this.

I 🩷 him!

I've always been a fan of Bruce Springsteen and know he's one of the "personalities" that the Democrats wheeled out. Not particularly with him in mind, but I think too many monied well known high profile individuals were counter productive to the Democrat campaign which is one of the reasons, that and a weak candidate, they were trumped literally to be saddled with Trump. In this instance, at a concet he will have a captive audience. In political rallies the voices of the rich and famous can and do rankle with those who should have been the core base of the Democrats. To prospective voters, these singers/actors other personalities, they're just people and maybe they should reflect on the fact their money cushions them from the real world. Personally I would never have voted for Trump but neither would I have voted for either Biden or Harris.

He is a citizen of the country. He's as entitled as anyone else to voice his views.
As it happens, I agree with every word he says, but I am happy to accept other people's rights to express views contrary to mine.

I agree with you Terribull. I have seen BS 102 times it will be my 103 time at Anfield.

I agree, wheeling out “celebs” is most offputting to the older generations. Celebs really have no more brain than you and I. We should make our own decisions without these people. If the only Democrat in the whole of the US they could wheel out was Biden, in amongst all the millions of people what a sad lot they are. Mind you, Labour wheeled out Starmer & Co and 35% believed them. You get the government , you deserve.

I think its different "wheeling out any celeb" before an election just because they are well known (Hulk Hogan for Trump comes to mind) ....

....To someone who is a songwriter speaking as well as singing reflections on their lives as I said above whether it's about love or love of country or grief or so any other everyday experiences. Springsteen is talking/singing lived experience of the country he loves and cares about.

He spoke just before the song "My city of ruins" which seems apt

"There's a blood red circle on the cold dark ground
And the rain is falling down
The church door's thrown open, I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone
My city of ruins
My city of ruins
Now the sweet bells of mercy drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner, like scattered leaves
The boarded up windows, the empty streets
While my brother's down on his knees
My city of ruins
My city of ruins
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up

www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=my+city+of+ruins+lyrics&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I agree Wyllow3. Bruce has always been a political animal, who has spoken, written and sung about his beliefs. I highly doubt he was wheeled out by anybody, he’s not the type to do something just for publicity.

Wyllow3

I think its different "wheeling out any celeb" before an election just because they are well known (Hulk Hogan for Trump comes to mind) ....

....To someone who is a songwriter speaking as well as singing reflections on their lives as I said above whether it's about love or love of country or grief or so any other everyday experiences. Springsteen is talking/singing lived experience of the country he loves and cares about.

Agree