I have to say, that I have not been a big fan of Nugent's music. "Cat Scratch Fever" was OK, but it wasn't something I ever wanted to purchase. I did enjoy his time with Damn Yankees, but that was mainly because I was a fan of Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades.
The first time I became aware of Nugent's political views, was when I saw him on The Glenn Beck Show. I immediately thought, "I may not be a big fan of his music, but I like the way he thinks." Nugent is a staunch conservative and makes no bones about it. In "Ted, White, and Blue" he articulates his views in the way that only he can. That is to say, he isn't exactly politically correct and he offers no apologies. Instead his response is "deal with it."
It is Nugent's way of telling it the way he sees it that made this enjoyable for me to read. He tackles a wide range of subjects and I find myself in agreement on almost everything, though some of his views might sound a little extreme, but Nugent proudly wears the right wing extremist label.
Take Ted's view on war. Ted's view on war is that if we are going to send our troups into battle, then they should be allowed to commit to total war, complete and total destruction of the enemy, much like Harry Truman dropping the bomb on Japan. According to Ted, "Lasting peace can only be achieved through the application of relentless and superior fire power."
Ted takes the same view as another famous Ted, Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt insisted that an immigrant should assimilate himself to the US and in every facet become an American, including learning English. Nugent, like most conservatives, have no quarrel with folks who come to this country legally to become citizens. His issue is with the illegal immigrants, or as he calls them criminal aliens, because they have committed criminal acts. His answer is to "shoot to kill" any armed alien who attempts to enter this country illegally.
As a member of the Board of Directors for the National Rifle Association it should come as no surprise that Nugent is a strong advocate for 2nd Ammendment rights. Nugent believes that all law abiding citizens should have the right to carry a concealed weapon. As he puts it, the police can't be everywhere and in most cases arrive after the fact. So called "gun free zones" are only opportunities for evil to reign without fear of reprisal.
If you are looking for a politically correct disertation of conservative views, "Ted, White, and Blue" is probably not for you. If you want to get through all the PC bull shit and hear somebody tell it like it is, then pick up the Nuge. If nothing else, he makes things interesting. I may have to go back and take a second listen to some of his music. In the meantime, for your listenting enjoyment, how about a little "Cat Scratch Fever."
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Dickster,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it won't come as any big surprise to you that Ted Nugent and I don't share the same political views, but I thought I would share a funny Ted Nugent story that I recall from years ago. In 1989, Nugent attempted to buy elevator music company Muzak with the intent of shutting it down. The following quote is attributed to Nugent:
"It's an evil force in today's society, causing people to lapse into uncontrollable fits of blandness. It's been responsible for ruining some of the best minds of our generation."
The bid was rejected, and this was viewed as a publicity stunt. He certainly is a character.
That is a funny story. After reading his book, I can see why he is called the Motor City Madman
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