MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has shared his thoughts on celebrities using their platforms to influence political opinions, saying he doesn’t believe public figures should be telling fans how to vote.
The Dave Mustaine comments came during a new interview with Chile’s Teletrece, where he was asked about the inspiration behind “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” and whether the song’s themes connect to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Responding to the question, Mustaine said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “I’m a songwriter, and I don’t think people should listen to celebrities about stuff, what they should do or how they should vote. And in fact, in America, that used to be private. Nobody would go around and tell people who they voted for. It was important. It was your right. And I even worked with the government in America to get a law passed called the Motor Voter bill, and it made it so that Americans can go to get their driver’s license and also register to vote at the same time, and I did that with MTV and the ‘Rock The Vote’ campaign. But that was a nonpartisan effort.”
Mustaine went on to explain why he believes political endorsements from celebrities can create division among fans: “Like I said, I don’t think celebrities should be telling their fans how to vote, because if I say I’m a Democrat, all the people who are Republicans are gonna be affected by that statement. They may say, ‘You know what? I like his music. I don’t care if he’s a Democrat.’ Or they may say, ‘You know what? F**k him. He’s a Democrat, and I don’t wanna listen to his music anymore.'”
The Dave Mustaine also clarified that he does not identify with either of America’s two major political parties, adding: “In fact, I’m not a Democrat or a Republican. I have my viewpoints, which are pretty strict. But I’m what you would call an independent in America. So I don’t think that I should be telling anybody about what’s going on in the Middle East, ’cause I don’t really know. But I do know that the Bible talks about it, and if you really wanna get an idea on what’s going on in the world, maybe do some reading. Do some reading.”
In a 2012 interview with Artisan News, Mustaine pushed back on assumptions about his political affiliation, stating: “I’m an independent, not a Republican — I’ve never been a Republican. I’ve always said that. I don’t belong to any party — I’m non-partisan. And for me, the sad thing is, instead of voting for the best man, I have to vote for the lesser of two evils.”
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