# Roger Waters is a tankie **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 7, 2022, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234 "2022-08-07T05:05:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/341 "2025-07-20T15:40:39Z")
Especially as Pink Floyd started out as a blues band… ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/342 "2025-07-20T15:40:42Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Even more to the point, Pink Floyd were a technically brilliant but ultimately soulless band; they were so white they made ABBA look like the Temptations. This. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/343 "2025-07-20T16:07:15Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > supporting the harming of the West Moves to protest a Western nation in its ties to an actively genocidal fascist regime is helping the West, not harming it. The UK’s declarations of who is and isn’t a terrorist has never had any legitimacy, any way, as we in South Africa [know all too well.](https://opiniojuris.org/2024/08/09/symposium-on-unbroken-bond-tracing-the-ties-between-african-and-palestinian-anti-colonial-struggles-when-nelson-mandela-was-considered-a-terrorist-and-the-natural-alliance-between-south-afric/) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/344 "2025-07-21T00:00:08Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > > [@Alessan](#): > > > > Even more to the point, Pink Floyd were a technically brilliant but ultimately soulless band; they were so white they made ABBA look like the Temptations. > > Now _that’s_ a criminal thing to say. 😡 🤣 +1 > [@JohnT](#): > > > [@Alessan](#): > > > > Even more to the point, Pink Floyd were a technically brilliant but ultimately soulless band; they were so white they made ABBA look like the Temptations. > > This. -1 ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/345 "2025-07-21T11:31:15Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > But I will state, for the record, that Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza. Israel is fighting a very difficult, very challenging, very vicious war against an enemy that is doing whatever it can to ensure that as many as possible of its own people die, in order to elicit outrage from useful idiots like you. At this point do you agree that Israel’s plan to move the population of Gaza into a camp and only allow them to leave if they emigrate from the country entirely will be textbook ethnic cleansing if actually carried out? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/346 "2025-07-21T13:50:15Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Well, even though I’ve enjoyed his music, I’ve never really thought of Roger as a deep thinker on matters of geopolitical importance. Really, I can think of very few rock stars (or anyone else in the entertainment industry) who I would consider even near being a reliable source of opinions on such matters. Yeah this is one if those things that are part of growing up IMO. The realization your rock and roll heroes you worshipped growing up are not infact enlightened geniuses whose understanding of thr world goes far beyond that of boring mere mortals. They are just very good musicians who can put together a catchy song that sounds kinda deep, and put on a good show. Still if they could stop turning into Tankie/Maga arseholes when they grow old, that would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/347 "2025-07-21T15:13:05Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > > [@JohnT](#): > > > > > [@Alessan](#): > > > > > > Even more to the point, Pink Floyd were a technically brilliant but ultimately soulless band; they were so white they made ABBA look like the Temptations. > > > > This. > > -1 I could perhaps see the argument that Pink Floyd is over-produced, and thus the flawless quality of the (studio) material detracts from its “soulfulness”. Granted there are some tracks that feel a bit too pop, but overall the music itself is deeply affecting and reaches a lot of people on an emotional level. It is largely a matter of taste: if you want soulless (IMO), try Boston, Journey or Asia. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/348 "2025-07-21T15:28:33Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > or Asia. Do you really mean that? Or did you just say it in > [@Jackmannii](#): > > “the heat of the moment” 😃 😆 😂 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/349 "2025-07-21T15:40:10Z")
Oh Babale, You’re nearly a laugh, but you’re really a cry ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/350 "2025-07-21T16:10:59Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Update: he could be facing criminal charges for support of Palestine Action, which takes direct action against insufficiently pro-palestinian organizations, including attacking airplanes on an RAF base: > [@OldOlds](#): > > Hell, even The Economist thinks Europe has a free speech problem: To avoid sidetracking started another thread on this: > [@The UK (and Europe's) free speech problem](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-europes-free-speech-problem/1021153): > > Splitting this from the [Roger Waters](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/307) thread to avoid side tracking… [Roger Waters is a tankie - #338 by OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/338) IMO this is a demonstration of something that comes up pretty frequently. JR Vance’s pro-fascist lectures in Europe (and generally the fact its pretty hard to hold up any aspect of American political as good example for others right now) notwithstanding. The way the US defines free speech and other fundamental rights, as a concise, (relatively) unabigous set of absolute statements… ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/351 "2025-07-21T16:44:11Z")
Pink Floyd, “soulless” and “overproduced”? Tracks that feel “a bit too pop”? Pink Floyd? The acid rock band? And what the fuck does “so white” even mean as a criticsm? Excuse me? Who replaced all your PF records with Cher records? Or, maybe, have you listened to anything other than The Wall? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/352 "2025-07-21T19:06:48Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > And what the fuck does “so white” even mean as a criticsm? _needs more sitar_ ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/353 "2025-07-21T19:21:49Z")
So, later Beatles? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/354 "2025-07-21T20:23:37Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Pink Floyd, “soulless” and “overproduced”? Tracks that feel “a bit too pop”? Pink Floyd? The acid rock band? _Learning to Fly_ is bog-standard eighties pop-rock. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/355 "2025-07-21T20:43:04Z")
The most ardent Floyd fans in the world will generally acknowledge that post Waters Floyd was vastly different. Most will probably agree that it’s inferior. Certainly it’s not relevant to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/356 "2025-07-21T21:48:21Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Pink Floyd, “soulless” and “overproduced”? Tracks that feel “a bit too pop”? Pink Floyd? The acid rock band? And what the fuck does “so white” even mean as a criticsm? First of all, I am nobody’s idea of a rock scholar. I’m not claiming to state facts, merely my own opinions and impressions. Second, I’m only referring to the Pink Floyd I’m familiar with, that of the 1970s - meaning post-Syd Barrett, pre-whatever most bands were doing in the 1980s. Anyway: there’s this thing called “funk”. I can’t define it, but I know it when I hear it, and you have to admit that Pink Floyd are not a particularly funky band, even relative to other white British artists of their period. The Stones were funky. Cream was funky. Bowie was funky. Pink Floyd? Not so funky. They had the chops, but they didn’t have the groove. That’s one problem I have with the band. My second problem is that rock, to me, has to at least have the illusion of spontaneity, if not the actual thing, and Pink Floyd come across as too calculated and cerebral - not for commercial reasons, but simply a matter of British self-repression. Again, that’s just my own impression of them. My third problem with them is that they come across as humorless, self-important twats. But maybe that’s just Waters. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/357 "2025-07-21T22:03:20Z")
Awww, I don’t know about not being funky. This section of Echoes is pure Space Funk. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rn7MmS3vazU/maxresdefault.jpg "Pink Floyd Echoes & 2001 A Space Odyssey HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn7MmS3vazU&t=438s) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/358 "2025-07-21T22:09:14Z")
I’ve heard PF can be a good melatonin substitute. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/359 "2025-07-21T22:22:02Z")
(Playing **scabpiicker** ’s Echoes. Is there a “funk” argument here, as David Gilmour is only playing wicked lead) I still do not know what a “tankie” is yet when my brother told me people in the USA and UK were being arrested for holding up signs saying, “I support Palestine Action” (a group declared as terrorist as Isis and Al-Quaida) my reaction was the fucking labour party in the UK had taken sides 3-4 of “The Wall” as a guide. > Get 'them up against the wall - Pink Floyd, “In the Flesh” A little over 10 years ago. in Saint Petersburg (Russia) at a protest on Nevsky Prospekt (think Fifth Avenue) at Gostiny Dvor (a number of shops yet central and a common place for protests) I saw a woman hold up a blank sheet of paper and then arrested by the OMON (cameo wearing special police.) Roger Waters has provided the playbook for fascism, though like Orwell considered it fiction (and in Water’s case, the imagination of an imaginary Rock Star who has taken too much LSD) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/360 "2025-07-21T23:17:14Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > … my reaction was the fucking labour party in the UK had taken sides 3-4 of “The Wall” as a guide. > > > Get 'them up against the wall Because, the Tories _never_ woulda done anything like that 🤨 🙄 > [@Coriolanus](#): > > Roger Waters has provided the playbook for fascism Yeah, just like how the US Right Wing are using [_Texan Love Song_](https://youtu.be/haH-tClY8ME) for their anthem. Seriously, man. Pull your head out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234.md?page=19)