Definitely research net neutrality, if you haven’t already, and keep digital open for the people.

As for the question posed to Tom Morello about whether celebrities delegitimise grassroots movements, well… It’s a good question.

Margot Paez: “My question is in regard to the legitimacy of bringing celebrities out to these types of demonstrations. There’s been some criticism in the media that it delegitimises the movement because then they don’t actually belong to the working-class. What is your opinion on this?”

Tom Morello: “First. first of all, I mean, you say ce-, celebrities like, like plague-carriers or something like that… Um, you say celebrities as if you were saying plague-carriers. Uh, first of all, I think, I mean, that’s a, it’s a, it’s an odd, it’s an odd ghettoisation of an, like, because I play guitar, because I’m in a rock band that has sold records. Does that mean that I don’t have a First Amendment right? I mean, that seems, that’s an argument that’s often brought up by the Right to silence dissent of people who have access to the media who disagree with their policies. I’m not someone who is here today to speak for celebrities. I don’t consider myself a celebrity. I’m from a small town in Illinois. I play guitar. I’m a, I live in Los Angeles. So, I came to Occupy Los Angeles. If someone else lives in Los Angeles, whether they’re a baker, whether they’re a homeless person, or whether they’re on Entertainment Tonight, I think they have a right to be here.”

OK, Tom Morello. Sure you have a right to be there.

But Morello seemed to duck the bit about not belonging to the working-class. I find it hard to accept the notion of a millionaire belonging to the working-class. It’s good Tom Morello doesn’t consider himself a celebrity and that fame, money, and power hasn’t corrupted his ethics. (We hope.)

But I agree that celebrities have a First Amendment right.

I like what US Day of Rage tweeted last month, early on in the OWS movement: Celebrities are not going to save us.

But as I wrote on Facebook after seeing Mark Ruffalo’s YouTube interview with RT’s Lucy Kafanov from about a week ago, celebrities may not always have a perfect, empirical analysis. Who does? But celebrities have freedom of speech, like the rest of us, and must not be afraid to show some intelligence for fear of smearing their lovely careers, to paraphrase Morrissey from “The World Is Full of Crashing Bores.”

=

“The World Is Full of Crashing Bores” by Morrissey (Morrissey/Boorer, 2004)

You must be wondering how
The boy next door turned out
Have a care, But don’t stare
Because he’s still there
Lamenting policewomen policemen silly women taxmen
Uniformed whores, They who wish to hurt you, Work within the law
This world is full, So full of crashing bores
And I must be one, ‘Cos no one ever turns to me to say
Take me in your arms, Take me in your arms, And love me

You must be wondering how
The boy next door turned out
Have a care, And say a prayer
Because he’s still there

Lamenting policewomen policemen silly women taxmen
Uniformed whores, Educated criminals, Work within the law
This world is full, Oh oh, So full of crashing bores
And I must be one, cos no one ever turns to me to say
Take me in your arms, Take me in your arms
And love me, And love me

What really lies, Beyond the constraints of my mind
Could it be the sea, With fate mooning back at me
No it’s just more lock jawed pop stars
Thicker than pig shit, Nothing to convey
They’re so scared to show intelligence
It might smear their lovely career

This world, I am afraid, Is designed for crashing bores
I am not one, I am not one
You don’t understand, You don’t understand, And yet you can
Take me in your arms and love me, Love me, And love me

Take me in your arms and love me, Love me, love me
Take me in your arms and love me, Take me in your arms and love me

http://youtu.be/kxytHNZ35O?w (listen on YouTube, mate. cheers.)