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Folk singer, activist Pete Seeger dies in U.S.

19 Comments
By MICHAEL HILL

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19 Comments
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A good man, Thank you Pete - rest well.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Had plenty to say and was never afraid to say it or sing it - they are the folk musicians I love. My dad's a pretty handy folk guitar player and taught me Seeger's music. I still can't get anywhere near his 12-string technique. One of the greats of folk music.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Just six months ago, Pete Seeger lost his wife Toshi Aline Ota whose father was Japanese. She died less than two weeks before what would have been their 70th wedding anniversary.

Here is a link to an interview with Pete from five months ago where he remembers his late wife. Heart wrenching: http://www.democracynow.org/2013/8/9/pete_seeger_remembers_his_late_wife

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@Sensato

Thanks for the link ! Very touching.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

In the Obama concert he sang the "banned" lyrics to Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land, which no doubt even Obama and his neo liberal friends would be aghast at hearing:"Was a great high wall there that tried to stop me. Was a great big sign there said private Property but on the back side it didn't say nothing. That side was made for you and me."

Pete and Woody stood for a democracy of and by the people..one hardly recognizable today. Some of us sing their songs today, such as This Land is your Land or Guantanamera, hardly aware that they were rooted in a deep respect for people and a deep disdain for greed and discrimination. One of Pete's songs, adapted from the Civil Rights struggle went: "If you miss me at the back of the bus, you can't find me no where, come on over to the front of the bus, I'll be riding up there." Pete's songs were a celebration of life and civil disobedience in the face of unjust authority.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Can't be too sad at a 94 year innings. The sadness comes from his words still falling on deaf ears after all the struggles.

One of the greatest crusaders for human rights and dignity. Said it as it was. His music has left an indelible mark on all who believe the life of the underdog is worth valuing and fighting for.

Where have all the flowers gone?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Liberalism and socialism are not dirty words. Love for all of humankind, a better and fairer society -- these will never be passé. RIP Pete.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Hear, hear, all. A fitting tribute. Thanks!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@plasticmonkey

Exactly. I long for the day when "socialist" is respectable again. Those days are coming my friend!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I am deeply sad to learn my idol has passed away. I was a liberal college kid and lived with him who was an America's conscience.

He, We, the Civil Rights Movement, birth control pills freeing women, Vietnam War, Roe vs Wade, we live through them all calling a social conscience for America.. He and we are proud that, together, we made many positive changes for America. Rest in Peace, Pete.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Great Man!! True blooded AMERICAN, what all Americans should strive to be, the true meaning of not separate but equal. RIP PETE and yes WE Shall over come Someday!!! Can we all just get along?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Knew it was coming but saddened anyway. A great voice and humanitarian is gone, along with his wife Toshi.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

" I long for the day when "socialist" is respectable again. Those days are coming my friend!"

Until thievery and parasitism cease to be evils of humanity, socialism(as well as communism, fascism, and marxism) will continue to be "dirty words" as they are the plagues which brought Nazism, Stalinism, Maoism, and Obamaoism.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Socialism is still respectable in most of the word. It's only in brainwashed America where they think that taking care of their people is a bad thing.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/pete_seeger_1919_2014_he_changed_the_world_one_song_at_a_time

Socialism will always be a dirty word because it is oppression like its siblings communism and fascism. To deny that is to deny that the Earth is a globe.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Again, socialism is not a dirty word in the rest of the world. It's only brainwashed America where people think that there is something wrong with it. You do realize that you are posting on Japan Today - and Japan is a very socialist country. There are all sorts of government hand-outs and safety nets. It does fail in some areas, or get low scores, but the truth of the matter is that we have affordable socialized health care, subsidized kindergartens, subsidized daycares, subsidized schooling, welfare, pension, and many other safety nets.

Much of Europe is also socialist, as is your Northern neighbour, Canada.

You people have somehow been brainwashed to think the word is something bad. The rest of the world gets a big "???" when they hear Americans speak with such vehemence about it.

Fortunately, those of you that think that way are not the type to ever leave your country (because god forbid, you may end up in a socialist country), so the contamination is contained as it were.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@strangerland, I'm not sure which country you are from nor in, and frankly it makes no difference. But, you are deeply mistaken to think that the view that socialism is a bad thing is uniquely American and restricted to America. Memories, however, are very poor. You might want to read what Max Eastman, W H Chamberlin(American author ), F A Voight(English journalist), Peter Drucker(Austrian born American), Eduard Heimann, and countless others have written on socialism.

I'll quote Heimann, "But one fact stands out with perfect clarity in all the fog: Hitler has never claimed to represent true liberalism. Liberalism then has the distinction of being the doctrine most hated by Hitler." It should be added that this hatred had little occasion to show itself in practice merely because, by the time Hitler came to power, liberalism was to all intents and purposes dead in Germany. And it was socialism that had killed it."

From Hayek's Road to Serfdom, The Great Utopia pg81, definitive edition

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Back on topic please. Posts that do not focus on Pete Seeger will be removed.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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