Roger Waters, the co-founder of Pink Floyd, discussed politics during an appearance on the most recent episode of the System Update podcast. The rock star revealed if he feels bad about making such divisive remarks. The host questioned him about if he had ever considered that engaging in contentious and political debates with others would jeopardize his employment during the political discussion. The rock star said, referencing some remarks he had received during one of his contentious performances, When I was 79 years old this year, they almost got to me, making me wonder, “Oh my God, can I wear the leather coat or not? Are they going to chop off my balls and give them to the wolves? And me, an old homeless man, shivering on the roadside with a f*cking blanket. Because they are so nasty, they are frightening. And they have no intention of stopping at all. In response to the question of whether he regretted saying anything controversial in the past, he expressed his decision in these words: No. No, I’m not sure if they understood what I actually stated to the group this morning in the meeting.
I have been making the same annual resolutions for the past decade or so years. I’ve now realized what it is, and it is this: I swear that I will continue to do my absolute best in the upcoming year. [..] It is said to you, “You have to do your best!” It’s not the case. You must exert all of your effort. The rocker has been performing solo for many years now, one of which almost caused him to get canceled. For his show in Berlin in May this year, the rocker wore a leather jacket that was referred to as a ‘Nazi-style costume’ by many. The outfit included a swastika-like emblem made of two crossed hammers – iconography that also appeared on costumes in a film based on Pink Floyd’s hit 1979 album ‘The Wall.’ While his fans and followers on social media defended him, Berlin police started an investigation after Waters appeared in the costume.
Following the investigation, Waters shared a statement that wrote: “People who seek to silence me and discredit me because they disagree with my political beliefs and moral principles have launched bad faith assaults in response to my recent performance in Berlin.” The rock star has a lengthy history of controversy; antisemitism is one of the more recent ones. The documentary “The Dark Side of Roger Waters,” which was just released, provided evidence for the charges. He called his agent a “f*cking Jew” while making up a song. Furthermore, according to saxophonist Norbert Stachel, Waters once violently tossed back a dish that was brought to him in a Lebanese restaurant. Following the allegations, he was prohibited from participating in a panel discussion that he was scheduled to speak at the Palestine Writes Literature Festival. Therefore, it doesn’t appear like Waters will keep quiet and will continue to express his genuine ideas, even if he is suffering penalties for his actions and opinions.
