ChiComs Ban New Guns N' Roses Disc

Guns N' Roses is a metal band that always failed to live up to the hype even in the 1980s when they had some relevance. After 19 years, they have finally put out a new album “Chinese Democracy.” The Chinese Communists in Beijing have banned the record because the album “turns its spear point on China," or so says the official government rag Global Times. This action shows the ChiComs true colors. If a regime can feel threatened by has-been musicians, there's something fundamentally wrong with it.

China isn't the only country that does this kind of thing. Even the British banned radio play of the Sex Pistols' “God Save the Queen,” which slammed the monarchy and was issued the very week of Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Indeed, the single hit #1 in the charts. Because of the controversy, the official records showed there was no #1 record in the UK that week. Then again, the Labour government of the day probably should have been violently removed for its gross incompetence.

Nevertheless, this doesn't excuse the Chinese censorship of anything. Insulting the government, questioning authority and demanding accountability from officials is the only way mistakes can be corrected. Silencing even the most inarticulate and uninformed (and Guns N' Roses have been more the latter than the former during their career) is not actually in the best interests of the Chinese people – although it might be in the best interests of the ChiCom government.

Moreover, the Beijing regime has proved itself grossly inept at imposing its ban. True, the official website of the album, Chinesedemocracy.com, was inaccessible in China, and the very popular Baidu.com search engine blocked searches for the music. Yet, people on the Chinese mainland could get all 14 tracks through Myspace.com.

And what is so offensive? The lyrics mention Falun Gong, a banned and persecuted “spiritual” group. The cover art includes Beijing artist Shi Lifeng's 2008 oil painting “Red Star,” which shows that the people of China are not powerful in any way. The title track includes the line “If your great wall rocks, blame yourself.” None of it is particularly effective.

A better approach would have been to ignore the release of the album for what it is, a minor artistic event occurring far away. Foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told the BBC's James Reynolds, “According to my knowledge, a lot of people don't like this kind of music because it's too noisy and too loud.” By and large, he's right. Letting things die a quiet (or in this case too noisy and too loud) death usually works best. Better still, play the whole thing on Chinese radio and let everyone get sick to death of it, which is what will happen in the US and Europe. Heavy rotation neuters any political controversy

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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