Moby tells his side of the story.
September 14, 2001 8:13 AM   Subscribe

Moby tells his side of the story. Moby lives in Lower Manhattan, and he has been keeping the world updated in his own online journal. He has some rather poignant things to say. Moby feels that paying taxes to security organizations who have failed to protect the US is stupid. I'm inclined to agree.
posted by wackybrit (25 comments total)
 
Well, good for Moby! And if he does not like our policy on this or that he can also refuse to pay taxes. or go to war. Or justify anything. Of course our security forces failed. But what you do is call for their resignation. Or vote a different group into power in an election. I don't like stem cell action taken by Bush. Do I stop paying taxes? Asinine
posted by Postroad at 8:24 AM on September 14, 2001


I find his comments "Request - 9/13/2001" to be the most poignant:

"There are a lot of people on these boards, myself included, who have possibly lost friends, family, and loved ones. Please respect us for a little while by not approaching this event as an intellectual exercise. It may be an intellectual exercise for some of you, which is ok, but for many of us living near the World Trade Center it is too real right now to be dealt with analytically. When we stop crying then maybe we can discuss this from a political or analytical perspective."

Amen!
posted by heather at 8:25 AM on September 14, 2001


I sympathize. Everyone's going through the ringer.

How many lives have been saved the times they didn't fail?
posted by TeamBilly at 8:40 AM on September 14, 2001


I wish I could figure out how to refuse to pay taxes, they take my money before I get it, and the stores tack it on the bill no matter what you say.
posted by thirteen at 8:47 AM on September 14, 2001


this was poignant, too:
in talking to my friends I've realized that one of the things, if not the only thing, that's keeping people from really losing it is solidarity and friendship.
Having said that I've realized that, for what it's worth, I will stay here and read the boards and post my updates as I've been doing for the last year.
I was deeply hurt by some of the negative posts on my site, so much so that I felt the need to leave for a while and grieve and cope in private.

But I gather strength from the posts that you write, and I hope that in some small way I can offer something to the people who read my updates.

And I've realized that in the future I will avoid the negative posts from people who have chosen, for whatever reason, to hate me.
So after a very short absence I feel that I should be here. And in the interest of friendship and solidarity and for better and for worse, I'm here.
I want to be here. Your community means a lot to me. Thank you.

It's raining now in New York. And although I feel terribly for the relief workers who have to work in the rain, it still feels as if we're being cleansed.

This is a very intense rain, and it feels almost as if god is scouring Manhattan. The first step in healing a wound is cleansing it. And as I said, I feel TERRIBLY that the rescue workers have to work in the rain, but the city and the sky over Manhattan are being scrubbed. I overheard someone in a bar tonight saying 'this rain is cleaning our souls.' And it seemed right.

It's been raining on this planet for over 4 billion years. There are universals and constants that will overcome whatever horrors we can come up with. Flowers grow where concentration camps used to be. Rivers wash away the blood from battlefields. The horror of the last few days will be replaced by hope and healing.
love,
Moby
posted by pxe2000 at 8:51 AM on September 14, 2001


I agree wholeheartedly with TeamBilly--we have no idea how many tragedies have been averted by the intelligence gathered and preventative actions taken by the CIA and NSA.

I like Moby's music and respect the bulk of his political leanings, but I think it is misguided and irresponsible to blame the security organizations of our country for the events of Tuesday. We have taken it for granted that we can just show up at the airport ten minutes before our flight and whizz through security in order to get on the plane moments before the door closes. Those federal agencies were not only protecting our security as a nation but countless freedoms that we [used to] feel entitled to.

When I traveled abroad with my family, I was stunned when an airport security guard carrying an automatic weapon reprimanded us for leaving a piece of luggage briefly unattended. Now I understand why.
posted by brigita at 9:01 AM on September 14, 2001


Moby writes about the FBI, Military and other security organizations: "Very simply, they have failed us.
When we pay exorbitant taxes we expect a degree of protection and security from the people who receive those taxes. They have failed us."
I think Moby wrote this in the heat of the moment. A little bit of research will show how these organizations have thwarted many terrorists attacks. And their vigilance makes it tougher for the terrorists to carry out their attacks. One example is the stopping of the planned millennium attack in Seattle.
posted by DK-ATL at 9:26 AM on September 14, 2001


jesus man. its sickening to see how little things start. the guy (Moby) never even mentioned that he or anyone else should stop paying taxes....

but all it took was one guy to interpretet that way, for reasons of excercising his 'intellect', and all of a sudden its a "Truth"

So I think alot of the people on MetaFilter are way too conflict-happy and without even thinking about it convert things people say or do into something its not or wasnt meant to be.

and i can understand the addiction. everytime youre able to point out how stupid someone else is, makes you look and feel smarter.

but its gotten old. people are people. even Dubya is a Person.

You're (undirected) not as smart or witty as you think you are.
posted by Satapher at 9:59 AM on September 14, 2001


I think Moby wrote this in the heat of the moment.

I'd like to think that, but the liner notes of "Everything is Wrong" and other Moby albums I've seen since contain similar self-assured ramblings. It's great that you're a vegan, and it's great that you're not overpopulating the world, and it's great that you don't wear leather, and it's great that you're so much smarter than us, but could you please make music and shut up?
posted by yerfatma at 10:02 AM on September 14, 2001


what a stupid comment.

hes an individual.

he can say whatever he wants.

who the hell are you?
posted by Satapher at 10:19 AM on September 14, 2001


Moby, for my political advisor? I might as well ask Britney Spears for her thoughts. Why people believe that just because someone sells a bunch of POP that they therefore know anymore than anyone else is beyond me.
posted by HTuttle at 10:23 AM on September 14, 2001


and it's great that you're not overpopulating the world

What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I repeat what Satapher said: Who the hell are you?
posted by jpoulos at 10:27 AM on September 14, 2001


i think im going to resign from coming here. none of you ever have ANYTHING constructive to say. Id say about 90% of posts on MetaFilter contain about 30 seconds of thought.

its always negative and always structured to make yourself look intellegent, witty, and more on top of things then others might think.

When did Moby say he knew more than other people?

When did he say he was trying to be a political advisor to you or anyone else?

Ah, got to add in the witty comment, Spears eh?

what about the other people in the world who dont sell albums? are they all political advisors too?

oh you mean they're just opinions? what a concept?

and Moby is a human being? what a concept!

In you future attempts to prove yourself an intellect, dont forget to mix in some actual thought and maybe a little bit of heart.
posted by Satapher at 10:31 AM on September 14, 2001


This is sick. In the last day I've read people saying that the CIA and NSA don't do any good, if they couldn't stop this. I've read people actually accusing the passengers of the doomed jets of cowardice, that they didn't stand up and retake the plane.

These are both some of the stupidest comments I've ever read. I'll leave the reasoning as an exercise to the reader.

One thing I will add though is that in several books I've read recently, Stephen Levy's 'Crypto' being just one example, countless people who have been staunchly in favor of personal privacy and against gov't crypto regulations have been briefed by the CIA and NSA, only to come out with their positions reversed, saying that they had no idea of the terror that has been stopped in our country through SIGINT agencies.

The CIA, NSA, FBI, and others would drastically undermine their own efforts if they paraded their victories around. For example, if they *had* stopped this attack, you can be damn sure that they wouldn't publicize it, as it would simply act as a roadmap for other extremist groups on how to try it again, but better.

I shudder to think of the terror we've been dodging through recent decades thanks to their help, and suddenly face-scanners at the Superbowl doesn't sound like such an invasion of privacy.
posted by kfury at 10:40 AM on September 14, 2001


Satapher: show yourself the door. As you can see, everyone is tired of your inane, repetitive poorly written commentary. Bye! [I hope]
posted by Karl at 10:41 AM on September 14, 2001


If moby doesn't like it he can leave. There's nobody keeping him here.
It's a free country and he can complain about taxes but he had better keep paying them.
I, for one, am happy to pay my taxes and enjoy nice roads, sewers, and other luxuries that most of the people of the world don't have.
posted by Dillenger69 at 10:51 AM on September 14, 2001


The only way they might have been stopped is through aggressively monitoring the general public. This erodes the freedoms that makes America what it is. And that's probably just what these arseholes want.

The government will call on you guys to make concessions to prevent this happening again. Your independance and privacy will be shredded in a bid to gain more safety. Is it worth the trade?

And even with increased internal security, do any of you believe that such a thing could never happen again? What would have to happen to give you that certainty?

I'm curious as to how far you'd let them go -- what you'd sanction and what you would not.

What a horrible choice to have to make eh?
posted by oddity at 11:06 AM on September 14, 2001


If moby doesn't like it he can leave.

Spoken like someone who truly has no concept of freedom of thought.
posted by jpoulos at 11:42 AM on September 14, 2001


thank you jpoulos.
posted by Satapher at 12:24 PM on September 14, 2001


Moby who?
posted by bondcliff at 12:37 PM on September 14, 2001


"and it's great that you're not overpopulating the world

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"


Just what it said, that it's great Moby thinks having kids is bad, so he doesn't. As for who I am, I'm me. Who the hell are you?

I’m nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there’s a pair of us — don’t tell!
They’d banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!

posted by yerfatma at 8:38 PM on September 14, 2001


If you expect to get moral and spiritual guidance from a music star, I've got two words for you, buddy:

"Britney Spears"
posted by Whistlepig at 9:30 PM on September 14, 2001


its always negative and always structured to make yourself look intellegent, witty, and more on top of things then others might think.
And your comments somehow aren't? Pot, kettle, woe to long-suffering Satapher, blah blah blah blah blah.
At least Moby can tell people to stop overintellectualizing without lecturing everyone on how stupid and closed-minded they really are. I agree with him on that point, no matter what his other beliefs may be. I don't think anyone is really capable of thinking objectively on this issue right now, unless they have some kind of sociopathic detachment—and those people have their own problems.
posted by darukaru at 10:14 PM on September 14, 2001


considering any sentence i or anyone says can be read as text with any number of tones and any number of intonations on certain words...

im not too worried about anything i say being misunderstood

because, the greatest limitation of internet conversational relationships, is the lack of facial expression, tone, and general intent.

if youre reading my posts as an angry attack, thats not their intention.

and i assure you i include myself in every one of my generalizations.

where else would the disgust come from.

all in all, its all more lighthearted than you'd expect.
posted by Satapher at 10:36 PM on September 14, 2001


I think this can all be ended with the wise words of a great man:

"Rock stars: is there anything they don't know?"
posted by yerfatma at 10:50 PM on September 14, 2001


« Older Rebuild It, Bigger!   |   American Icons - 2 Pictures of Patriotism Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments