Geddy Lee has responded to the allegations leveled against Rush.
Rush’s 1978 interview concerning fascist statements was addressed in a new interview with Mojo. The musician seemed tired of the allegations and reacted with the following while rejecting them.
He said, “It’s incredible how long that mud stayed. We used Rand’s inspiration to be passionately anti-totalitarian, as shown in the sci-fi narrative of ‘2112.’ And we were never fascists. Thatcherism was on the rise in the United Kingdom. The left was rightly alarmed, and I didn’t blame [Miles] for his ideological system. But to say that ‘2112’ was luring children into a right-wing chant with fascistic implications was misguided and irresponsible.”
What Happened in the 1978 Interview?
Rush was involved in an infamous interview with the English music newspaper New Musical Express in 1978. The interview was featured in the magazine’s March 4 edition. During this interview, journalist Barry Miles accused the band of advocating ‘proto-fascism.’
This charge originated during a debate regarding political ideology and economics. The late drummer Neil Peart recognized ‘the genius of Ayn Rand’ in the liner notes of their 1976 album ‘2112,’ drawing inspiration from the novelist’s 1937 classic, ‘Anthem.’ This sparked the debate.
At one point during the discussion, Miles used the slogan ‘Work makes us free’ to remark on Peart’s comments about capitalism. He remarked even though it was displayed at the gate of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Furthermore, Miles said in his essay that Rush was ‘advocating’ it both on stage and record and that ‘no one was disputing it.’
Neil Peart Felt ‘Totally Betrayed’
Geddy Lee was not the only member to address the allegations. Neil Peart, too, expressed his views on politics and this issue in a 2017 interview. The two parties had such a nice time before the interview that they felt deceived during the interview when they heard Miles’ statements.
Even though they were simply ‘having a discussion,’ the drummer described the situation as a textbook instance of misunderstanding.
