Activism, non-violent direct action, has failed, say The Scream. They failed, gave up and are now polluting the system even worse than their former oppressors. Even worse are the hippie-kids, nostalgic for a bygone era that they missed by as much as two decades or more. The only solution is to simply start thinning them out, both the current polluters and the hangers on to outmoded idealism. Now, say The Scream, is the time for violent action against the system because that s the only thing the system understands.
History deserves some mention here, too.
You see, in the past few years Primal Scream have sworn their undying allegiance to the ethic that was the legendary MC5. The 5 did a great job of absorbing the lessons of their mentor and only became great once they became a vehicle for what was, in the end, a great deal of bullshit. It didn t even matter, in the end, what they believed in. What Sinclair knew was that a movement, as well as a band needed a shocking and outrageous image. It s just the sound of rock music in the new millennium.