This article is the result of several emails between David Hillyard and Barry Myers aka DJ Scratchy in the days between November 3 and November 8 of 2024 . I, Dave, was thinking about the Henry Rollins meme on this being “Joe Strummer Time” and then all the other memes with actual Joe Strummer quotes. I was thinking about the limits and pluses and minuses of the intersections of politics and music.  I reached out to Scratchy because he had known Joe Strummer and was the DJ on tours with the Clash and the Mescaleros

For more about Scratchy check here, scratchysounds.co.uk/

Dave:

Did Joe Strummer ever publicly directly endorse a political candidate? Do you think that Joe Strummer would endorse Kamala Harris in the US election? Did Joe Strummer believe in democracy as a form of government?

Any thoughts? 100 words or so? And this will all be on the test on November 5....

Scratchy:

I've always said that I'd never speak on Joe's behalf. No one, not me, not anyone, has that right other than the man himself and he, tragically, is not here to voice his opinions today. But, as a public and outspoken figure, he has left behind a legacy for us to call on. Of course, many people can change their opinions over time. Some go so far as to completely shift their views and allegiances.

All I can say about where Joe might stand today, from my own experience of the man and the words he expressed in his lyrics and interviews, is what I would like to believe. I don't think that the Joe I was with weeks before his death, had veered from this statement he made in an interview in 1976 about the Clash: "We're anti-fascist, we're anti-violence, we're anti-racist and we're pro-creative". I know how I'd interpret that sentiment in the current climate as to where he'd most probably be standing at this critical time, as the US goes to the polls and that's enough for me. Joe was a guide. He was a progressive and a humanitarian and one of the strongest takeaways I have from knowing him is that we have to make up our own minds.

Dave:

Thanks! And

I understand your position on not speaking for him of course.

Was just curious if he ever directly endorsed anyone like Neil Kinnock or did Red Wedge for the miners or anything like that?

Scratchy:

Joe did a tour with his band Latino Rockabilly War, called Rock Against The Rich in conjunction with the anarchists’ Class War.

The Clash did the Anti-Nazi League / Rock Against Racism Carnival and turned out for other causes whilst I was with them. But they didn't ally with any particular 'party.’

Even on the last Mescaleros’ tour, Joe added the London date to support the striking firefighters.

But, as far as I know, he never turned out for Red Wedge or openly back Neil Kinnock. With him, it seems it was more about specific issues and his general core beliefs than party politics.

Scratchy shares link.

https://stimpunks.org/2024/07/0

5/this-is-punk-rock-time-this-is-what-joe- strummer-trained-you-for/

Dave:

It still has that ambiguity for me. Like was there ever a politician he liked? Was he a romantic or realist?

Was he just waiting for the perfect revolution? He liked the Sandinistas but was there a western political party he liked?

Contrast Joe to Billy Bragg who has been overtly partisan since the beginning.

Scratchy:

There is an ambiguity in all this, Dave, and therefore there is a risk in asking these questions of our heroes from the age where we proclaimed 'No More Heroes.' Are we looking for an endorsement or justification of what we already think? Should we be influenced by the actions and thoughts of our so-called heroes? First and foremost, we have to take responsibility for ourselves. To quote Joe again from the Mescaleros song, Cool'n'Out:

Oh, the stars go in and the stars go out

And punk rock what it's all about

And even when you're ch-ch-ch-ch-chillin' out

You're wondering what's it all about

Coolin'

What's it all about

Let somebody else figure it out

It's all too easy in life to blindly follow and have our minds made up for us whilst we "let somebody else figure it out."

In many ways though, Joe did lay down a template that is, in my opinion, worthy of taking on board whilst figuring it out for ourselves. Not all did or do.

Scratchy: shares a picture of Johnny Rotten

Dave:

Yes. That's the thing isn't