Decadent Western Musicians For Jihad
Protest the use of bad music at Guantanamo to torment Islamic extremists who would ban their music and probably saw their heads off if they had a chance. Radio Free Europe seems like a good place to pluck that irony-packed news from:
Musicians are campaigning against the use of their songs by U.S. interrogators at detention centers including the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The U.S. military says it has used music as a nonviolent way to disorient and create fear in detainees, but musicians want the practice stopped.
The music used on detainees includes themes from popular U.S. children’s television series like “Barney” and “Sesame Street,” according to campaign organizer Reprieve, the British prisoners’ rights group that represents dozens of detainees at Guantanamo.
The campaign is called zero dB, or zero decibels — in other words, silence. And it says it wants to dispel the perception that “music torture,” as it calls it, is a “light” practice.
Hard not to get behind bad musicians who don’t want their annoying music played, but this is a special circumstance.
“That involved people being held in stress positions, often with their hands chained to the floor, often in pitch-black but with strobe lights, and in extreme temperatures, left for hours, days, with music on a massive speaker pumping out at them,” Reprieve’s Chloe Davies says. “Basically the prisoners we’ve spoken to say that after a time they felt they were losing their minds.”
Reprieve notes that the technique is not new.
Britain in the 1970s subjected some Irish detainees to loud continuous noise. The European Court of Human Rights ruled this — along with other techniques such as sleep deprivation — inhumane and degrading treatment, though it said the practice did not amount to torture.
The U.S. military in Iraq authorized the use of music in late 2003, the commander at the time, Ricardo Sanchez, saying it was a way to “create fear” and disorient detainees.
The FBI documented what it said were several instances where loud music was blasted at Guantanamo detainees.
Rear Admiral David Thomas, the commander of Guantanamo’s detention center, told AP that music treatment is not currently used there, though he could not rule out its use in the future.
Meet my new favorite group:
Not all musicians are unhappy their music might have been used in interrogations.
Drummer Stevie Benton, whose group Drowning Pool has been supportive of U.S. troops in Iraq, said two years ago he took it “as an honor to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that.”
Here’s Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.” Gitmo seems like an appropriate venue for this kind of music. What’s the problem?
Here’s the pro-jihad side, via UK Telegraph:
Musicians backing the initiative include Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine, who at a recent concert suggested taking revenge on President George W Bush by putting him in a cell and blasting his own band’s music at him.
That does sound like torture. Those guys suck. Very preachy.
“What we’re talking about here is people in a darkened room, physically inhibited by handcuffs, bags over their heads and music blaring at them,” singer-songwriter David Gray has said of the practice.
“That is torture. That is nothing but torture. It doesn’t matter what the music is - it could be Tchaikovsky’s finest or it could be Barney the Dinosaur. It really doesn’t matter, it’s going to drive you completely nuts.”
According to Reprieve, some of the music used by interrogators is written for children. Christopher Cerf, who wrote music for Sesame Street, told the Associated Press he was horrified to learn songs from the children’s show were used in interrogations. “I wouldn’t want my music to be a party to that.”
Binyam Mohamed, a Guantanamo inmate and former London resident, told Reprieve he suffered months of torture at the hands of CIA operatives while in a secret prison.
“There was loud music, (Eminem’s) Slim Shady and Dr. Dre for 20 days. I heard this nonstop over and over,” he said. “The CIA worked on people, including me, day and night for the months before I left. Plenty lost their minds. I could hear people knocking their heads against the walls and the doors, screaming their heads off.”
…
Reprieve Director Clive Stafford Smith said: “The Bush Administration likes to paint this as harmless, like a prisoner being given an iPod.
“But Binyam Mohamed put it best when I spoke with him in Guantanamo Bay: ‘Imagine you are given a choice,’ he said. ‘To lose your sight or lose your mind. While having your eyes gouged out would be horrendous, there is little doubt which you would choose.”‘
Does sound pretty bad. Twenty days of “Slim Shady” and I’d gouge my own eyes out for them. Maybe they’ve got a point. We’re civilized people, after all. Here’s the list:
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Bodies - Drowning Pool.
Shoot to Thrill - AC/DC.
Hell’s Bells - AC/DC.
I Love You - from the “Barney and Friends” children’s TV show.
Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen.
Babylon - David Gray.
White America - Eminem.
Sesame Street - theme song from the children’s TV show.
Other bands and artists whose music has been frequently played at U.S. detention sites: Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Don McLean, Lil’ Kim, Limp Bizkit, Meat Loaf, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tupac Shakur.
I’ve always thought the U.S. military’s Psyops playlist as reported was a little tame. Let me make a couple of hellish, insanity-inducing recommendations.
Helmet, “Unsung“ and anything else off the Meantime album … blocks of noise and shouting that to nihilistic aficionados such as myself sounds like Beethoven does metal, but could be highly disturbing to the untrained jihadi ear.
Ministry, “NWO“ … Repetitive industrial thrash metal with the added benfit of George Bush the elder sampled yapping on about a New World Order.
Rob Zombie, “Dragula“ … a more melodic kind of repetitive industrial thrash metal with heavy Satanic overtones.
Anything by the Sex Pistols … raw, badly played primeval punk with nasal shouting and sneering. Here’s “God Save The Queen.” Play loud.
Joy Division … what program of torment is complete without it? Here’s “She’s Lost Control.”
Led Zeppelin, “Immigrants Song” … it’s all about the onslaught of the Northern barbarians most Americans are descended from. Kicks off with relentless, unstoppable axemanship, some good screaming and great lines highly evocative of our current situation, like ”Come from the Land of the Ice and Snow, Hammer of the Gods … Valhalla, I am coming.” You know how everyone’s concerned that we don’t understand the jihadis enough? Maybe they need to understand us better.
Outkast, “Bombs Over Baghdad” … goes without saying. Satisfaction enhanced by the fact that the highly talented Outkast are anti-Bushites. “Bob your head, ragtop” refrain at the end is hurtful and un-P.C., though.
Beastie Boys, “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)” … that’s more for indoctrination purposes. Maybe “No Sleep Til Brooklyn“ to rub it in a little during those all night/all weekers.
This one’s just fun. The Clash, “I’m So Bored With The USA.”
Barry Manilow … is there a reason why he isn’t on this list? Here’s a couple of particularly hellish ones. “Mandy” and “Copacabana.”
And Christmas music, of course. Lots of it. Starting with the Chipmunks.
Your musical suggestions in comments. If you’ve enjoyed any of this music, and would like to torture your own special someone with any of it, you can order these tunes here:
Speaking of torture, apparently the Euros are on board with it now. Again, I mean. On their own civilian citizenry. WSJ.
Welcome Jawa, bloodthirsty Libs, etal. When you’re done listening to Sounds of the GWOT, here’s a battle of the books and some light war reading. Retribution vs. Danger’s Hour, and A Combat Vet’s Reading List.
Topics: Guantanamo, song
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:58 am on Thursday, December 11, 2008
9 Responses to “Decadent Western Musicians For Jihad”
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:34 am
How about “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” or “Howdy Doody Time”. Also anything played on an old 78RPM record.
December 11th, 2008 at 11:19 am
[...] Crittenden has the story that might aptly be called Metal Against Mutilation: Protest the use of bad music at Guantanamo to torment Islamic extremists who would ban their music [...]
December 11th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Have you ever had that earworm “Barney” song stuck in your head? It’s hell, I tell you, absolute hell! But:
The U.S. military says it has used music as a nonviolent way to disorient and create fear in detainees, but musicians want the practice stopped.
Okey-dokey, why don’t we try something violent then?
December 11th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
It’s a Small World. It will induce self-immolation and other nasty things. Even brief exposure to it causes it to burrow into your brain for days-weeks-months to come. After a day at Disneyworld with my nephews and hearing that song over and over, I was ready to put a bullet in my head.
December 11th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
“Other bands and artists whose music has been frequently played at U.S. detention sites: …Rage Against the Machine”
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to know that our military is using the music of these scumbags to drive Jihadists (more) insane.
For the first time in their lives the members of RATM are doing something useful, and the fact that they object to it, makes it all the sweeter.
December 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I forgot “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” by Tiny Tim
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=skU-jBFzXl0
December 13th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
No Rickrolling upfront?
Cheers
December 14th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Anything sung by William Shatner……
December 14th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Sabaton - In The Name Of God or Panzer Battalion
“Chosen by God or a coward insane? Stand up and show me your face!”
“Insect of terror now face your fate like a man!”
Good music, but the lyrics are something special. One song is dedicated to mocking Osama - another celebrating the US Invasion of Iraq. The band might well approve.