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Jello Biafra Speaks At Loyola

Grass roots punk legend takes on corporate America and the Bush agenda. Encourages people to go "independent." (article 2)


Legendary Dead Kennedys singer and Green Party activist Jello Biafra gave a satirical and defiant anti-establishment spoken-word performance yesterday to a full house at Loyola University's Sky Auditorium. Walking onto stage wearing an overcoat and dark glasses, he began the event by reading to the audience an Orwellian list of their "rights", mimicking the civil liberties bashing notions of the Bush administration's Patriot Acts. He concluded the segment by shouting a mock demand that the audience just "Shut up," and "be happy".

Other moments included his assessment that Bush's obsessive Iraq War drive was more of a means for the US to "control other peoples oil", than to gain access to more oil for itself. He said the concept was designed by conservative policy adviser Paul Wolferitz, calling Wolferitz's contributions to humanity "the curse of the Wolfman". However, Biafra went on to express contempt for oil guzzling SUV ownership by sardonically declaring that if "you own a SUV, you're automatically in the military. You're going baby. You're going to fight for that SUV!"

Speaking on both the demise of the general social welfare and continued attacks on on abortion rights, he said "what gets me is that the life of the unborn child is protected, but once their born--it's fuck 'em."

Regarding attempts to rollback affirmative action, he derided Bush's statement that "everybody should be accepted soley on the basis of merit", adding "then why is he President?"

Biafra also offered suggestions and hope to people taking up the fight for change. He mentioned Amherst, MA, as an example of cities that have passed pro civil liberties ordinances in response to the Patriot Acts. He suggested that people should start a similar initiative in Chicago as well.

In addition, he described ways in which the power and control of runaway American corporatism could be subverted by people getting up their "bullshit detectors" and turning to decentralized and independent enterprises in music, media, and general commerce. He urged people to "patronize the independent stores that keep power in the local community" and repeated his theme "don't buy the media, become the media", specifically mentioning Indymedia.org as a means accessing and expressing progressive ideas.

Proceeds from the event went to the Green Party Candidate Fund.
 
 

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