Added: 2 months ago
From: bigthink
Views: 22,935
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:

All Comments (239)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • I wouldn't vote for him. He's a LIAR

  • Henry Rollins = douchebag

  • Who cares about Rollins opinion ?

  • what about proper universal healthcare, prohibition and transaction taxes. and no I'm not a hippy univeral healthcare could slash the cost of healthcare from 16% of GDP to 8% with increase in results which can be shown time and time again in other countries. prohibition costs america $1 Trillion every year also you could have it legally sold taxed and regulated. transaction taxes could raise a ton of money. which all that money should go into education, efficiently. don't just poor the money in.

  • @Etheoma oh yeah and paying that big massive debt of 102% of GDP

  • @Etheoma OH YEAH HOW THE F*** COULD I FORGET. I WOULD GET THE FUCKING HELL RIDE OF LOBBING.

  • I would vote for him. At least he was in a good band, more than most of those other empty suits running for president.

  • Henry Rollins seems to substitute confidence for intellect.

  • A president is merely an elected face to whom you feel comfortable with to be the bearer of bad news

  • He isn't saying he IS going to president or that he should be you idiots. This is just Big Think asking him hypothetical questions and pondering on an artist's view of politics and the world. The point is it is interesting to see how much the free thinkers differ from the power hungry and corrupt politicians in the world.

    I'm not even American (I'm English) so as far as the politics are concerned, I don't/can't claim to fully understand. But I do however, understand the intention of this video.

  • @pumpkill I love you for this post... people took this way too seriously. As I've mentioned in other replies, He's not actually running, merely sharing his views to what he would do. Basically he's continuing the same topics he always has in his music and rants... The comment before you even thinks he knows nothing about politics and is a has been. First off if they followed his career after BF they'd know he's not washed up at all. 2nd, they'd also know he speaks very often about these things.

  • @bigc6391 Precisely, this is Rollins as he has always been, and still every bit as awesome! Thank you for replying.

  • Henry Rollins doenst know a fuck about politics...why does anyone give a fuck what this has been nobody thinks....BigThink...more like MINDFUCK

  • @Ellisd326 You clearly "don't know a fuck" about Henry Rollins outside of Black Flag. Most of what he does these days, is speak on politics or political/social issues.

  • Henry Rollins as president would be funny as fuck

  • atleast henry understands being president doesnt really change anything.

  • I'll never forget seeing him on stage ina punk band!

  • Kudos .. :)

  • Henry Rollins contempt for the middle class...

    Lost all respect for him.

    The middle class is the proverbial canary in the coal mine economically speaking.

  • I'M NOT A MACHINE!!!

  • Sounds a lot like Ron Paul.

  • @ReefThinker SHUT THE FUCK UP! It sound NOTHING like Ron Paul.

  • and when you brought them home, what would they do "at home", henry?

    most of the mad men, religious fanatics and power hungry dictators in the world, are on the us payroll.

  • I like it at the end - "WOAH he's talking about secret military bases...bring up the music on him...."

  • Rollins for President.

  • What a waste! Why isn't he talking about his expertise or about himself or his experiences? In this he's just another guy with political opinions. Who cares?

  • @BTM37 The subject of the video is politics you fucking idiot.

  • @bobokk lol. Yes, and the point was that the subject should have concerned his expertise, where he has exceptional knowledge or insight. He has no special knowledge or experience in politics; just opinions, like everybody else. It would be like asking Ray Kurzweil about his interior decorating preferences.

  • @BTM37 If the real politicians actually did the job they are supposed to do (like, you know, representing the people) then we wouldn't have to ask people in other professions.

  • @BTM37 No one expects him to seriously win, and you seem to only watch this with the expectation that he thinks of seriously running rather than answering this hypothetical question... If you were paying attention at all you'd have realized he was speaking opinions of "what if..." just as he always has, not declaring his literal intent to run or anything like that.

  • We're fucked, so who wants to join me In outer heaven?

  • So, basically he'd "make friends" with the world. It's a shame the world's inhabited with mad men, religious fanatics and power hungry dictators. Maybe he should re-do this video when he develops a more mature perspective on the world?

  • I thought the sons of anarchy shot him, guess he survived

  • That sounded more realistic than anything I've heard spewed out of the mouths of any of the current candidates or those of the last half dozen presidential campaigns.

  • Hell yea i would vote for Henry Rollins.

  • People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

  • @12DeathKnight Thanks dude. We haven't heard that quoted by every naive, pseudo-political teenager with a Youtube account already.

  • I just don't get it. In what way is real change prevented? Who is deterring progress, and why?

  • @rossplendent cause we have a congress and senate not a dictatorship

  • THAT is the way to do it.....STOP allowing your puppeteers the business.

  • IThe first thing you would do is get sat down in front of a previously un-seen video of the Kennedy assasination ..Then some guys from the military industrilal complex and Goldman Sachs would give you their 'want' list which you would begin to sell to the American public with all the zeal of a crack-whore without a fix, all the time praying that your entire family dont have a bunch of mysterious and fatal accidents over the next 30 years or get shot in the back of the head whilst campaigning

  • @dodgeball441 Typical homophobe conservative!

  • I like henry a lot and his music and attitude. But the bases around the world are vital in our role in aiding our allies and our people. Plus its not like we are imperialists, we pay exorbitant amounts of money to lease those base.

  • @Zangdoodle aiding your allies? are you fucking kidding me? :DD

    some have asked that you leave, some not because a:) those bases bring in money or b;) the base is in a nation that is in fact a dictatorship and you're there to enforce it...

  • @Darusdei Strategy is all about placement of your units. We want to be within firing distance we pay the host country money for that. Meantime the Americans living in those host countries buy goods and services from the host country. We don't instill curfew we don't enslave the populace. We wouldn't be their if the host country's government didn't want us their. Where do you think the relief came for during the Japan earthquake?

  • @Zangdoodle instill curfew? i'm sorry but u.s. doesn't hold that kind of power in any of the western countries and that's not even the point.

    like said previously, some have already said "pack your things and leave" and others have asked that you stay, mainly because those bases bring the country revenue or the host country is a dictatorship that needs your presence in order to keep their power.

    japan earthquake? pretty much from everyone? lol...

  • If you like these ideas vote for Ron Paul.

  • oh yeah bring back all the military

    then what do they do?

    think about unemployment % currently

    hello vet hobo.

  • @8Zeitgeist lol, you don't even know how the military works, do you?

  • @Valholm not really no.

    kinda talking out my ass =)

    but if they're(military) are not deployed

    do they still collect a sallary?

    i dont know.. just something worth thinking about..

  • Non politicians don't know very much about politics

  • Henry Rollins is a performer of song and poetry and will never serve in politics because of it. There is one lesson that should come from watching this video to any viewer. DO NOT ask political advice from a singer / performer.  Do you go and ask a chef how to build a car? The answer is NO. Mr. Rollins, you have made some good contributions to music and poetry. Stay out of politics and keep singing.

  • @dramosutube So performing artists should stay out of politics? Like, say, Ronald Reagan or Arnold Schwarzenegger, to name just the two most popular actors gone politician? There are plenty more if you look into smaller-scale politics like city councils. The problem with modern politics is that it's run by people who have rarely had real-life experience in real jobs, never seen the problems for the average worker in everyday economy. They're career polititians, not representing any of us.

  • i hate this guy, he's a white supremacist scumbag. die you piece of shit!! down with the nords.

  • @halflifeproductionz Sons of Anarchy=/=Real Life

  • It seems like our physical science today is evolving ever faster, but our social and political inventions have remained stationary since the days of Aristotle. Practically, no problems get solved today with our traditional methods of decision making. Could it be that all we need is applied scientific method to social concern? Is any politician qualified to solve our problems? They have such narrow perspectives unable to solve any of our worst problems today.

  • If I was American this guy would get my vote

  • Afghanistan was a useless war? Do you remember 9/11? Or are you not American? It may not have been carried out the greatest of ways, but the objective was necessary.

  • @MattM2011 What objective? The US knew bin Laden ran into Pakistan during the initial bombings, and Al-Qaeda wasn't working exclusively out of Afghanistan.

  • He's seems sincere, but he's ignorant.

  • @PaulRubino How do you feel comfortable making that judgement based on a 2min video?

  • @Fangtorn 2 minutes of ignorance is 2 minutes of ignorance. Why would i think he was brilliant before and after he made this video?

  • @Isaac8cow that would make sense.

  • yes.. bush was evil.. obama is a hero.. coz obama has done so much more for america.. like imprisonment for anyone without trial.. yes.. lets all thank god for obama.. or should i say bush 2.0..

  • Democracy is an interesting system. In a sense, there is TOO MUCH freedom. In a democracy everyone has the same rights as their neighbor [at least,officially], therefore everyone can vote, from the local genius, to the village idiot, and the majority always comes out on top, for better or for worse. We all have freedom of thought, so we have the freedom to make stupid, half-assed, decisions. Is democracy flawed? Absolutely, but I'd like to see you come up with an non-discriminatory alternative.

  • @MrTrty5 In the end every political system has flaws, but I feel that Democracy is the best option, because, in the end, Anarchy wouldn't actually work, and I feel that EVERYONE has to have the same rights, even if that means they're completely fucking brain-dead.

  • @MrTrty5 Let's be honest, things would be better in a pure democracy from the local genius to the village idiot. Humans have the power to evolve at a constant pace and it happens naturally. In Steven Pinker's book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature", he talks about how violence has decreased over the years and that we live in the greatest age for peace. Another example is that atheism is on the rise and there are cases of Christians conforming against homophobia as strange as that may seem

  • @CrossCreed4800 I agree, for all of our stupidity as a species, there is still the chance to do good.

  • Henry Rollins is a bad ass!( i mean that in a positive way)

  • what would you do after this meeting?

  • That's actually the whole point of the U.S constitution. Separate the powers so far that they are constantly antagonizing one another. So no one ever gets what they want and therefore can never become a dictator. That's the whole point! lol.

  • too reactionary and pop culture oriented ... he didn't bring up the federal reserve, the balance between the 3 branches of government, while focusing on Iraq and Afghanistan he didn't mention libya, the arab spring, what his thoughts are on these ...he didn't mention the US relations with dictatorships ... just shallow thinking like its still 2008.

  • @LeGioNoFZioN yes of curse he forgot to mention years of work in a 2 minute video, thats right. pfffffft

  • @heavytransit thats the difference between someone who sincerely thinks deeply about issues, and hollyweird losers who spout things because others say them, not because they have thought about it and found it to be true. I prefer real thinking to the shallow variety

  • @LeGioNoFZioN i do understand your point but he was just asked what he would do and did it in a 2 minute video of course hes not the best candidate to be a president and he wont be, hes an entertainer, dont expect him to be the best candidate and give all the points that you want him to speak about and be very deep about them, and of course he wont give them in that little amount of time.

  • @heavytransit to me its a lot like Jesse Ventura, he says a good deal you agree with, but it lacks the underpinning of someone who concretely understands a subject and goes on about it ...the amount of time didn't affect my opinion cause I've listened to Rollins before.

  • @LeGioNoFZioN oh well but thats an opinion based on other rollins speeches and stuff wich make it a lot more valid.

    i was just saying that asking for that amount of issues to be touched in such a little amount of time wont be posible, and for that matter saying that hes shalow was a little premature.

    i still like rollins but theres a lot better speakers and thinkers out there, as i said hes still an entertainer not a politician or philosopher .

    oh well have a great day and good morning.

  • @heavytransit yeah I like Rollins too, but you are right and he isn't a philosopher or a poltician so I may be expecting a bit much ... great expectations as it were,

    thanks and a wonderful day to you as well, all the best cheers !

  • Talk is cheap.

  • how about ending the Federal Reserve?

  • @AlanCom1 "There is only one problem in America", I beg to differ. There's a shit ton of problems in this country.

  • @AlanCom1 lol your hilarious.

  • The word trite is trite

  • This is quite a change from the role I know Rollins in on Junkyard Wars. Reassuring.

  • I'd vote for you dude.

  • Lame. Such trite, shallow ideas from Rollins.

  • NO FUCKIN WAY!

    IS this dude Atheist?

    If so, FUCKIN AWESOME!

  • Would totally vote for this great artist to govern my country

  • The problem wirh this crap is where were these kind of so called stand up people in 2001, 2002, 2003. I spoke up and said to many people that going into Iraq would not solve the problems of terrorism because there were no terrorists in Iraq, only Sadam and he was contained. I got verbally attacked, threatened and my girlfriends car was vandalized. Everyone needs to speak up and stand up for what we know is good. No president is going to able to do all the heavy lifting. We The People, RIGHT!!!

  • Where can I see more of this BigThink interview?

  • He's basically summarizing Obama's first term.

  • I liked him better when he sang in Black Flag and said stuff like " You say you don't want it ..then you slip it on in...You're loose "

  • Why does he talk about fixing 8 years of Bush's blunders while making no mention of Obama expanding the drone program exponentially, dropping more bombs in Pakistan, bombing Libya, passing a useless jobs bill and shortly thereafter trying to sell another similar bill, and writing executive orders to assassinate an American citizen? Sure Bush was bad, but Obama ain't that great either.

  • @einLesenderArbeiter I hate when i see people correcting and putting good intelligent arguments on youtube against people, when they should clearly be using these argumnts on our government officials that we despise so much

    this is no disrspect, i greatly in courage the stand up and correct people that our wrong when it comes to the way our country is run but please use it on the right people and at the right time otherwise your just bickering like the government we despise

  • @opalar27 i should clearly use my argument on government officials? you mean like obama, who was the focus of my comment? o_O

  • Comment removed

  • Comment removed

  • @einLesenderArbeiter the date this video was posted doesn't necessarily coincide with the date it was filmed. It could potentially be a 3 year old video.

  • @einLesenderArbeiter He's very much advocating for the American people in places like Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, etc. and Obama has done a great deal of good in that respect, in creating a likable America for the rest of the world, and an optimistic heart towards America. America is still a nasty country but, it's easy to see why Henry Rollins really hates Bush, and doesn't mind Obama nearly as much.

  • I agree with him in a way. I think the game changes for a lot of presidents when they get into office and get the rundown on what's REALLY going on, that the general public may not be aware of at all.

    But I don't agree that it's impossible. I think Presidents who are strong leaders and can tap into what the people want WILL get their way. This is where Obama fucked up. He HAD the support of most of America but when he got into office he just . . . stopped leading.

  • Comment removed

  • He just proved to me that he's an idiot.

  • @BigHeadFarm In what way?

  • @BigHeadFarm You do well by not elaborating. That way we all can't tell you how full of shit you most likely are.

  • @BigHeadFarm Care to elaborate on why?

  • Ron Paul/Henry Rollins 2012

  • @rhinnawi95 If you think Rollins would sit in the same room as Ron Paul and not rip him up one side and down the other, you are either misinformed or delusional.

  • @JesusKrispies What do you mean by "rip him up" exactly?

  • @rhinnawi95 I mean that Henry Rollins' and Ron Paul's politics are extremely dissimilar, and Rollins would not be shy about correcting Paul—whose comments throughout the Republican debate season would likely have inspired several blistering rants already were it not for the fact that Paul is the least consequential possible target in the field.

  • @JesusKrispies Yeah, but that's only because Rollins is opinionated, not necessarily because he knows better.

  • @JesusKrispies Also not even sure if you're right. Not that I know what Rollins thinks of Ron Paul, but I do know they're both anti-war. In fact, Ron Paul is really the only anti-war candidate on both sides. So there's one thing they would surely agree on, bring everyone home and end these wars.

  • @chromo48 Henry gave his opinion on Ron Paul recently: /watch?v=gg07lNBrWIE

  • This is a bit silly, he's not a politician he's an old musician and standup comedian. Why does he have a say in politics? Because he's a celebrity?

  • I would gladly take a bullet or this man!!!

  • I don't agree with half of his policies, but Henry Rollins is awesome.

  • Henery Rollins is a pretty awesome dude.

  • EASIER SAID THAN DONE LOL

  • RON PAUL 2012 BRING HOME THE TROOPS FROM EVERYWHERE. END THE FEDERAL RESERVE. ABOLISH THE INCOME TAX. LOWER TAXES BY SLASHING SPENDING (1 TRILLION FIRST YEAR.) END ALL FOREIGN AID. ABOLISH CIA, TSA, FEMA, HOMELAND SECURITY, ABOLISH THE POLICE STATE AND RESTORE LIBERTY. DR. RON PAUL 2012

  • Ron Paul 2012 YOUTUBE HIM. OUR LAST CHANCE PEOPLE VISIT DAILYPAUL.C OM

  • This guy is a screwball, just like Obama.

  • At least he admits that he's a liar, and that he wants to turn us into him.

  • Good vid, but Glass Steagall was Clinton and he also militarised the borders. Those are older problems that need restitution. My ultimate aim would be that workers get to vote for their managers and set their contracts - the workplace operates under a system not easily distinguishable from fascism or feudalism. If humans have any merit or dignity then they're capable of being a part of the decision making process, not just the legal one, but also over their own craft.

  • @gamerunknown that is a very interesting idea, the workers voting for who manages them. you should start a company and structure it like that.

  • @TheFondler

    Well there are historical reasons why it isn't plausible. They've attempted to do it with companies in Spain, but even though the workers own the factory, their managers aren't derived from the workers. Workers pooled their money with the help of a union to try and buy a shut down factory in Detroit I think, but despite being inherently Democratc the factory owners refused to sell it. Capitalists believe the guy at the top should get a bigger share of resources.

  • @gamerunknown but it such a good idea, why don't YOU do it, with YOUR money. then there is no capitalist at the top with his boot to the throat of the proletariat, just you looking out for your fellow man! if you are in the US, it is a free country, it's not like the government has been empowered to make regulations that would make it difficult to start a business or anything - after all, the government LOVES businesses!

  • @TheFondler

    Well, I'm not in the US and I'm currently saddled with perhaps £30000 student debt already. Not the ideal candidate for a business loan. Do you have any examples of cooperatives receiving funding from other sources?

  • @gamerunknown Well, here in the us, we have the Unite Auto Workers with around 375,000 members, each paying in about $700 a year in dues for an annual income of over $250,000,000 and a strike fund of $500,000,000. I don't see why a worker oriented group like that wouldn't want to break off from the capitalists pulling all the strings...

    unless of course they were corrupt...

    or knew that a management model that was designed around an egregious conflict of interest was a stupid idea.

  • @TheFondler

    Well, according to their website, their expenditure is primarily for incremental rights, such as increased unemployment pay and more extensive healthcare coverage. There's no point investing huge amounts of money in worker control of the means of production when "Socialist" is an epithet in the political climate. Even "Freedom", an anarchist periodical that's been in print for >120 years, focuses on education and basic workers rights. Meanwhile - feudalistic factories.

  • Fix It Step #1: every member of congress who votes to approve the invasion of another country should be required to join the invasion at the rank of Private, and be the first to hit the soil with a gun in their hands.

  • Ron Paul anyone?

  • so do It . Don't talk about it Henry DO IT. Tis country needsa wake up call and a man who doesn't take shit. God please run

  • The problem is the winner take all system. It degrades to a 2 party system, where most of the time citizens are stuck choosing the lesser of 2 evils. As it stands, I'd have to choose whether relaxed gun control or abortion are more important issues to me.

  • @Menuki In my country we used to have a multi party system which failed miserably because nothing got done. To sum votes in congress the one in charge had to give little concessions to every one there. Not to mention the awful corruption behind them.

    Right now it is polarizing again between officialists and opposition... I believe things are working smoother.

  • Comment removed

  • great stuff

  • TV PARTY TONIGHT

  • Henry Rollins for President

  • @caesar10022 Ron Paul for President

  • Democracy in America doesn't really allow for the ideal candidates to become president. Not when anyone* can vote. Most people don't know a thing about politics or the issues. Voters elect people based on skin color, preference between the colors red or blue, what invisible friend they pray to, how they feel about homosexuality, ect. It's all very broken.

  • @bledevik

    I think it's a bigger problem that not everyone is equally able to vote (see Rolling Stone "The GOP War on Voting". The idea that we should restrict voting brings up some serious issues, human rights issues. It would give the government the ability to decide who votes. How long before that goes completely to shit?

  • @bledevik The issue isn’t so much that too many people can vote but rather that too few individuals have a voice in politics. Goldman Sachs contributed to the campaigns of both McCain and Obama because their policy differences would be superficial to them: neither would oppose the bailout, their primary concern. The majority of voters want public healthcare (66%) and yet Obama didn’t even put up resistance. Direct democracy is the cure.

  • THE FONZ!

  • This from a guy who was lead vocals on albums like "Loose Nut" and "Slip it in",. Henry, you rock as a raging punk singer but you suck as a political type.

  • @brettj001

    Actually. He is a ok actor and seems to have a pretty decent head on his shoulders. I hate what he considers music. But I have to admit. He seems like the type that knows what is happening around him.

  • I can see what HR is saying but with Obama I think that is an weak excuse. Obama had House Majority but chose to compromise with a group of people who openly admitted that they wanted him to fail.

  • @melowar78 Obama and Bush works for the same guys, there's no difference really, both are horrible and evil imo.

  • In the event of a Rollins Presidency run, I hope the main campaign song would be 'My War' or 'Six Pack'

  • sad but true

  • holy fuck does he look old!

  • WOW you (henry rollins) and the other masochistic, pseudo marxist, liberal douche bags are still blaming that idiotic former president of ours for the economic woes here?- wasn't the campaign promise obama ran on that he could and would fix what happened under bush? never mind that he spent more money in the first 2years than bush in his 1st 4. his jobs bill averaged out to a cost of about 10 mil.per job of taxpayer money. AGREED Michio Kaku or Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson for PRES.

  • wow he's got a simplistic world veiw. there is no peace to be had with islam until we all convert. then it would still be war,but over which version of islam.

  • Fuck that.

    Michio Kaku for president.

  • You would be assassinated by the corporations as soon as you became president. It's not that easy.

  • China owns America lol

  • In listening to these people

    1. 99% do not know how the executive branch works or what The President's powers are.

    Thankfully Democratic systems only allows little changes over a long period of time. Or else, listening to most of these luddites it would be doom the world over. The job of the president is to do nothing. that's what the best presidents like Filmore did. The worst enact laws. And law, as Dicksons says, "is an ass".

    Most of these need a 3rd grade civics and law lesson.

  • @TheFaustianMan Nicely said, pseudo-libertarian retard. 

  • @Mangina9000 Why thank you.

  • @TheFaustianMan "The president's job is to do nothing". So tell us, o wise one, what's the point in having a president?

  • @blackmichael75 In my country.... representetive functions.

  • @blackmichael75 What's the point of having daylight savings time? Blue laws? A penny (that costs more to manufacture than it is worth)? The Prince of Wales? The Clerk of Quarter Sessions? A Pope? There is no point. As it is just a traditional hold-over.

  • END the Bush Tax Cuts??? NO WAY!!! People are struggling enough as it is!

  • @gtpluvr Your country is trillions of dollers in debt, even if people are struggling you can't really afford tax cuts.

  • @gtpluvr yeah! ending the bush tax cuts would take away Donald Trump's 57th personal cruise ship!

  • @gtpluvr You do know who the Bush tax cuts are for right? The top 1%....I don't think they're struggling right now.