...SO MY COUNTRY CAN BE FREE

Earlier I put up the Springsteen post at Daily Kos and a discussion started about the happened to the Dixie Chicks for speaking out. One commenter claimed that they had alienated their audience by speaking out against Bush's policies. I reminded them that the Dixie Chicks are doing far better now then ever and that their career has taken off when Bush's presidency is almost universally condemned.

The Dixie Chicks alienated a part of their audience and they inspired a part of their audience. The vast majority of their audience is into their music. At the height of the Bush-hysteria, fueld by right-wing radio propagandists, the Dixie Chicks sold out their entire tour.  Corporately-owned radio stations tightly allied to the Bush political machine refused to play the Dixie Chick's music and allowed pea-brained bigots to use the airwaves to denounce them for months. But their albums kept going gold and platinum and they gained far more than they lost by every conceivable measurement short of radio airplay. Their new album debuted at #1 and as Bush's popularity has plummeted and he has become one of the most loathed public figures throughout the world, the Dixie Chicks have become American heroines who are respected and admired everywhere-- including in the areas of the U.S. where country music dominates.

Down With Tyranny's Ali G correspondant, Daze, points out a very clear way to look at the problem the Dixie Chicks encountered with some country music fans. You wanna see which country music fans support the Dixie Chicks boycott and the Bush Regime mentality? Watch this video and look at the expressions on these peoples' faces after the first verse of the song. Some people look uncomfortable-- closet Democrats maybe?-- but most are clappin' along and singin' the song.