# 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:** 6
**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:** [September 8, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/101 "2022-09-08T14:21:38Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > more of a statement about the aims of only _some_ of the generalissimos. Guests at the Fletcher Memorial Home, for incurable tyrants and kings: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Reagan and Haig Mr. Begin and friend, Mrs. Thatcher, and Paisley (_Hello Maggie!_) Mr. Brezhnev and party The ghost of McCarthy And the memories of Nixon Brezhnev, si, Putin Nyet eta: At least Rog’s current spews haven’t made me want to quit listening to PF. I’ve thought Rog was a wanker since about 1980, so this is just more, not new. I wanted to ask him in the time of the Final Cut if he thought we should have fought WWII. Now I know that answer would be no. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2022, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/102 "2022-09-09T06:57:20Z")
For Roger the overriding concern is that western plutocrats are salivating at the profit-potential of a prolonged conflict between Russia and Ukraine and thus we are only playing into the hands of the profiteers by going all sappy and rooting for the underdog, who should have capitulated at the outset in order to prevent this humanitarian catastrophe. That is the whole and unvarnished gist of it. Tortured and untenable, yes, but we all do weird things as we get older. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/103 "2022-09-09T12:24:27Z")
Yeah that sounds right, it’s looking back even before dad’s death, to the folks decrying that WW1 was all the fault of the armaments profiteers. In that worldview _whatever_ war were happening now would just be the Western Military Industrial Complex looking for another business opportunity. Mind you, yeah, as Ike said, you should _not trust_ the MilIndCon. But dammit, from there to the notion that people should just roll over and accept subjugation for the sake of avoiding hardship and not playing along… ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/104 "2022-09-09T14:30:12Z")
Putin supporters on the hard Left are like rotten apples: Red on the outside and Brown on the inside. ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/105 "2022-09-09T19:13:23Z")
As I understand it, he’s not a Putin supporter, he’s just bemoaning the fact that thousands of civilians have died so far and that most would likely still be alive if the Ukraine capitulated. Now I think that’s grossly naive and short-sighted, but not necessarily an _evil_ position. He’s a pacifist at heart and always will be. In other words, while I disagree with him on this issue, it doesn’t rise to the point that I’d throw away tickets to his concert. YMMV of course. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/106 "2022-09-09T19:26:23Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > As I understand it, he’s not a Putin supporter, he’s just bemoaning the fact that thousands of civilians have died so far and that most would likely still be alive if the Ukraine capitulated. Now I think that’s grossly naive and short-sighted, but not necessarily an _evil_ position. I was unsure whether it was that or being a Putin supporter, but these two items settled the issue in my mind. This goes beyond simple pacifism. > [@bobot](#): > > He certainly penned a similar letter to Putin, right? It would only be sensible. > [@CaveMike](#): > > Exactly. It’s so infuriating. That and the Russian spelling of Kyiv. ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/107 "2022-09-09T19:41:12Z")
I hear you. It doesn’t look good that he appears to be asking for Ukraine to back down and not Russia. But maybe he’s being practical here – like maybe he thinks he has a chance to convince Zelenskyy whereas he has no chance to convince Putin, so why bother? I know, it’s a reach, and I’m likely being overly charitable here. But until Waters comes out and says something direct like “Putin is absolutely in the right here” I keep wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/108 "2022-09-09T19:59:02Z")
Writing a letter like that to the wife of a President of a country that is under outright war from Russia is fucked up beyond belief. And I _like_ Roger Waters. Well, I mean I want to, and I used to. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/109 "2022-09-11T00:59:42Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > …says something direct like “Putin is absolutely in the right here” I think you can hear that on _Dark Side…_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Redcanoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b487fb/32.png) [@Redcanoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redcanoe)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/110 "2022-09-11T01:37:57Z")
That geezer was cruisin’ for a bruisin’ ---
**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:** [September 11, 2022, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/111 "2022-09-11T01:51:13Z")
(Hey! Get your filthy hands off my desert!) (What’d he say?) Putin took Ukraine… ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/112 "2022-09-11T01:53:39Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > His dislike for Margaret Thatcher has clearly metastasized into full-blown brain worms. Oh Maggie, Maggie what did we do!?!? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/113 "2022-09-11T15:05:03Z")
Dude… I’m definitely gonna hear that now. 😆 ---
**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:** [September 12, 2022, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/114 "2022-09-12T07:15:10Z")
Is that the same song that goes _In derelict sidings the poppies entwine With cattle trucks lying in wait for the next time_ – oh, wait, it is (effectively) a Roger Waters album, all one song. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/115 "2022-09-12T12:52:59Z")
And what would he say, I idly wonder, when Putin would have set up the Ukrainian gulags in the wake of his glorious victory? _chirp_ _chirp_ _chirp_… ---
**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:** [September 12, 2022, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/116 "2022-09-12T16:01:36Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > _In derelict sidings the poppies entwine > With cattle trucks lying in wait for the next time_ _And you’ll never see their faces_ _You have no recourse to the law anymore_ > [@eschereal](#): > > – oh, wait, it is (effectively) a Roger Waters album, all one song. It is, with some good parts and some terrible parts. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/117 "2022-09-13T00:51:44Z")
The other titan of '70s AOR says _[Really don’t mind](https://youtu.be/g5cYSmnrKnc) if you sit this one out My words but a whisper, your deafness a shout_ (The blurring of albums vs songs reminded me) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/118 "2022-09-13T01:50:34Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Sure, buddy, Lend-Lease had no effect on shortening WWII Actually, it’s wholly possible the war would have been shorter without Lend Lease. Of course, the **result** of the war would have been, to say the very least, regrettable. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/119 "2022-09-13T01:55:17Z")
> [@veryfrank](#): > > Apropos to nothing else in this thread, Johnny Ramone was also a baseball memorabilia collector of great renown, with a remarkably impressive collection of Yankees stuff, if memory serves. Alice Cooper is also known as a deeply passionate baseball fan. (Basketball too.) Once asked if he’d rather have been a baseball star instead of a rock star, he responded “That’s no choice at all. I’d say ‘show me to my locker.’” ---
**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:** [September 13, 2022, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234/120 "2022-09-13T03:33:50Z")
Apparently Roger’s big on synchronized swimming and rhythmics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-waters-is-a-tankie/969234.md?page=7)