Ctiticizes Trump
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Waters criticizes Trump.
I have [laughed] except it’s not funny that he’s as popular as he is. His ideas [are] not outlandish at all. It’s American exceptionalism gone crazy and delivered under the umbrella of absolute ignorance. He is pig-ignorant and he always was and he always will be. He lives in the illusion that he’s admirable in some way. And obviously for somebody like me, he stands for everything that is not admirable in American society. “Let’s Make America Great Again” [is] the worst possible slogan anybody could ever come up with. It’s silly and disgusting as well, unless they wanted to hark back to the potential. If the Founding Fathers hadn’t been so up their own asses, they might have come up with a system that fell somewhere between republican democracy that was going to work and that had proper checks and balances to prevent it disintegrating into what it has become, which is a country for sale to the highest bidder with the Supreme Court at the top of it, who’s appointed by the highest bidder eventually.
Calls Warwick ‘profoundly ignorant’
Waters responds to Warwick’s comments about not succumbing to his pressure.
First, in my view, Dionne Warwick is a truly great singer. Secondly, I doubt not that she is deeply committed to her family and her fans. But, ultimately, this whole conversation is not about her, her gig in Tel Aviv, or even her conception of boundaries and art, though I will touch on that conception later. This is about human rights and, more specifically, this is about the dystopia that can develop, as it has in Israel, when society lacks basic belief in equal human value, when it strays from the ability to feel empathy for our brothers and sisters of different faiths, nationalities, creeds or colors.
I believe you mean well, Ms. Warwick, but you are showing yourself to be profoundly ignorant of what has happened in Palestine since 1947, and I am sorry but you are wrong, art does know boundaries. In fact, it is an absolute responsibility of artists to stand up for human rights – social, political and religious – on behalf of all our brothers and sisters who are being oppressed, whoever and wherever they may be on the surface of this small planet.
Will not be pressured into canceling Tel Aviv concert
Warwick says she will not submit to pressure from Waters, who has called on entertainers to not perform in Israel.
[Ms. Warwick] would never fall victim to the hard pressures of Roger Waters, from Pink Floyd, or other political people who have their views on politics in Israel. Waters’ political views are of no concern to Ms. Warwick, as she holds her own unique views on world matters. Art has no boundaries. Ms. Warwick will always honor her contracts. If Ms. Warwick had an objection to performing in Israel, no offer would have been entertained and no contract would have been signed.