Was John Lennon from the Beatles really a libertarian?

[BarryDonegan]

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/j...n-lennon-closet-republican-ronald-reagan-fan/

Ronald Reagan fan probably meant libertarian in the case of John Lennon. I think this calls for a little investigation.

 

[acptulsa]

Uh, no. He really never progressed much beyond 'progressive'. From what I remember of his last interview, he could have gotten there by now had he lived, but...

 

[YumYum]

Uh, no. He really never progressed much beyond 'progressive'. From what I remember of his last interview, he could have gotten there by now had he lived, but...

He was against government. How was he a "progressive"? He seems to be more of an anarchist.

 

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

Many of his lyrics left me thinking he was a globalist.

 

[Guitarzan]

Many of his lyrics left me thinking he was a globalist.

Yes! Lennon was a proud anti-war hippie who believed in a liberal utopia. But...he was a brilliant musician/writer.

 

[Sola_Fide]

He was communist who sang about a utopia in which there would be "no possessions". Private property is the cornerstone of freedom.

 

[pcosmar]

Like many he was all for liberty for himself.

 

[YumYum]

He was communist who sang about a utopia in which there would be "no possessions". Private property is the cornerstone of freedom.

No, when he sang about "no possessions" in imagine, it was all about voluntarism, in the same way the apostles practiced "communism" in the first century. He never said anything about sharing "possessions" by use of force.

 

[Sola_Fide]

No, when he sang about "no possessions" in imagine, it was all about voluntarism, in the same way the apostles practiced "communism" in the first century. He never said anything about sharing "possessions" by use of force.

Okayyyyyy. W/E

 

[Lucille]

I'm sorry but, John Lennon is the most over-rated "artist" in the history of the world. Team Paul (even though he's a collectivist tool)!

(I was surprised to see Neil Young defend Reagan and GWB in the WSJ.)

 

[gls]

I don't know if he would've considered himself a "libertarian", but if you read the lyrics to "Revolution" (which Lennon wrote) he comes across as much less radical than many of his contemporaries.

This last verse is unmistakably pro-constitution and anti-fascist. It speaks to the power of the individual (you better free your mind instead).

You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free your mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

 

[Sola_Fide]

I don't know if he would've considered himself a "libertarian", but if you read the lyrics to "Revolution" (which Lennon wrote) he comes across as much less radical than many of his contemporaries.

This last verse is unmistakably pro-constitution and anti-fascist. It speaks to the power of the individual (you better free your mind instead).

LoL. You think THAT verse is pro-constitution and anti-Mao? No way man

 

[gls]

LoL. You think THAT verse is pro-constitution and anti-Mao? No way man

How else could it be read? Back then many people were proposing radical changes to the Constitution (instead of just ignoring it like they do now) and Lennon was basically saying that it is better to change the way one personally thinks and acts than to try and impose a new order on everyone using the government. And of course it was anti-Mao: another line from the song is "And if you want money for people with minds that hate...All I can tell you is brother you have to wait." That's clearly calling out the left for supporting tyrants under the auspices of progress.

 

[Valli6]

Supposedly he moved to the US because of England's high taxes. George Harrison is the one who wrote "Taxman", but Lennon said he helped him with a couple of lines. I don't recall Lennon ever suggesting that the government is the answer to any problem.

The Beatles were making more money than most at the time, but when George Harrison discovered that 96 pence of each pound the group earned went to the taxman, he was not amused.

"'Taxman' was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes. It was and still is typical," Harrison later said.

http://www.thebeatlesonline.com/pages/beatles_taxman.htm

 

[givemeliberty]

I don't know if he would've considered himself a "libertarian", but if you read the lyrics to "Revolution" (which Lennon wrote) he comes across as much less radical than many of his contemporaries.

This last verse is unmistakably pro-constitution and anti-fascist. It speaks to the power of the individual (you better free your mind instead).

When he wrote this there was a very real fear w/ tptb that there WOULD be a revolution. There were songs out like Street Fighting Man that were fomenting violence against the establishment. Lennon was decidedly pacifist when Revolution came out. There is a school of thought that tptb actually asked him to water down the fire at the time so to speak.

 

[YumYum]

How else could it be read? Back then many people were proposing radical changes to the Constitution (instead of just ignoring it like they do now) and Lennon was basically saying that it is better to change the way one personally thinks and acts than to try and impose a new order on everyone using the government. And of course it was anti-Mao: another line from the song is "And if you want money for people with minds that hate...All I can tell you is brother you have to wait." That's clearly calling out the left for supporting tyrants under the auspices of progress.

Excellent reply!

 

[Guitarzan]

He is the Walrus...hence, he fancied himself as a dictator.

Just take the first line of that song....

"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together"


That's spooky collectivist.

 

[gls]

When he wrote this there was a very real fear w/ tptb that there WOULD be a revolution. There were songs out like Street Fighting Man that were fomenting violence against the establishment. Lennon was decidedly pacifist when Revolution came out. There is a school of thought that tptb actually asked him to water down the fire at the time so to speak.

Interesting but my guess is that it had more to do with what was in his heart than some sort of acquiescence to establishment orders. After all they tried for many years to kick him out of the country; if he was a useful tool for them they would've just let him be.

 

[jmdrake]

He was communist who sang about a utopia in which there would be "no possessions". Private property is the cornerstone of freedom.

No, when he sang about "no possessions" in imagine, it was all about voluntarism, in the same way the apostles practiced "communism" in the first century. He never said anything about sharing "possessions" by use of force.

Okayyyyyy. W/E

I was about to post the lyrics from "Imagine" but you beat me to it. However YumYum has a point. There are those who don't believe in possessions per say, but don't believe in enforcing that through government force. Think of the early Christian church where people sold all of their possessions and shared everything. But that was voluntarily done. Of course Imagine also says "imagine no religion" so that leaves the early church model out.

 

[Vessol]

I was about to post the lyrics from "Imagine" but you beat me to it. However YumYum has a point. There are those who don't believe in possessions per say, but don't believe in enforcing that through government force. Think of the early Christian church where people sold all of their possessions and shared everything. But that was voluntarily done. Of course Imagine also says "imagine no religion" so that leaves the early church model out.

I'm not really agreeing or disagreeing. But what's to stop someone without religion from getting rid of all their possessions and sharing everything voluntarily?