Libertarian Rush Drummer Denounces Ayn Rand: ‘Very Obvious’ Rand Paul ‘Hates Women And Brown People’

Libertarians have claimed Rush as “their” band for years, insisting?that the band’s lyrics encapsulated their small-government philosophy. Rand Paul even uses Rush’s music as his campaign soundtrack, despite orders from the band to stop.

Rush-in-concert
Image via Wikipedia Commons

Rush band member and legendary drummer, Neil Peart, says the band had a?break with Ayn Rand philosophy years ago and that he would never vote for Rand Paul. According to his interview with?Rolling Stone:

Peart outgrew his Ayn Rand phase years ago, and now describes himself as a ‘bleeding-heart libertarian,’ citing his trips to Africa as transformative…Peart just became a U.S. citizen, and he is unlikely to vote for Rand Paul, or any Republican. Peart says that it’s “very obvious” that Paul ‘hates women and brown people’ ? and Rush sent a cease-and-desist order to get Paul to stop quoting ‘The Trees’ in his speeches.”

“For a person of my sensibility, you’re only left with the Democratic party,” says Peart, who also calls George W. Bush ‘an instrument of evil.’ ‘If you’re a compassionate person at all. The whole health-care thing ??denying mercy to suffering people? What? This is Christian?”

Libertarian groups had a long love affair with Peart, who writes much of Rush’s lyrics. According to Advocates for Self-Government:

“The band’s 1976 album, 2112, was even dedicated to ‘the genus (sic) of Ayn Rand.’ The album, inspired by Rand’s novel ‘Anthem,’ is about a future society where the rediscovery of the guitar threatens a totalitarian society. It’s no surprise that Rush is the only band ever cited in the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies.”

After some heart-breaking tragedies in the late 1990s?in which both his daughter, Selena, and his wife, Jackie, both passed away, Peart says he did some soul-searching and lost his bent toward self-serving idealism.

“‘Finding generosity again was a huge gift…because I had a time where I was like, ‘I hate everybody. Why are you still alive? You should be dead.’ And then I said, ‘If I’m gonna live, I’m not gonna be that guy.’?”

Disillusioned Rand Paul supporters were quick to trash their former hero.

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One commenter, however, left me with the same sense of hope that Peart did after reading his interview.

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I couldn’t agree more, Anton.