In addition to being the frontman for one of Canada's most successful bands, Arcade Fire's Win Butler isn't afraid to weigh in on non-musical issues. Already this year he's called for relief following the Haitian earthquake and criticized Wyclef Jean for his foray into politics. Now, Butler has weighed in on Barack Obama's presidency.
"I definitely don't envy his job right now," he told Metro, referring to the U.S.'s tense political climate. "He's been able to get a lot of things through that are maybe a little more subtle. The main thing for me is a lot of the people working on Haiti policy are competent -- that was definitely not the case under Bush."
As for whether the country's rightwing trends would continue, he observed, "It always happens. It's kind of like worrying about the weather. Most of the really far-right Tea Party candidates lost this last election. The Obama election showed, if anything, the country as a whole is more moderate than it was eight years ago."
It's worth noting that, even though Butler now lives in Montreal, he grew up in Texas, so this isn't just another case of a musician shooting his mouth off about issues he knows little about.
Arcade Fire are currently on tour in Europe. See the dates below.
Tour dates:
11/26 Lyon, France - La Halle Garnier
11/28 Munich, Germany - Zenith
11/29 Dusseldorf, Germany - Philipshalle
12/1 London, England - O2 Arena
12/8 Birmingham, England - LG Arena
12/9 Cardiff, Wales - Cardiff International Arena
12/11 Manchester, England - Manchester Central
12/12 Glasgow, Scotland - SECC
"I definitely don't envy his job right now," he told Metro, referring to the U.S.'s tense political climate. "He's been able to get a lot of things through that are maybe a little more subtle. The main thing for me is a lot of the people working on Haiti policy are competent -- that was definitely not the case under Bush."
As for whether the country's rightwing trends would continue, he observed, "It always happens. It's kind of like worrying about the weather. Most of the really far-right Tea Party candidates lost this last election. The Obama election showed, if anything, the country as a whole is more moderate than it was eight years ago."
It's worth noting that, even though Butler now lives in Montreal, he grew up in Texas, so this isn't just another case of a musician shooting his mouth off about issues he knows little about.
Arcade Fire are currently on tour in Europe. See the dates below.
Tour dates:
11/26 Lyon, France - La Halle Garnier
11/28 Munich, Germany - Zenith
11/29 Dusseldorf, Germany - Philipshalle
12/1 London, England - O2 Arena
12/8 Birmingham, England - LG Arena
12/9 Cardiff, Wales - Cardiff International Arena
12/11 Manchester, England - Manchester Central
12/12 Glasgow, Scotland - SECC
