Retired rock star Michael Stipe blew a gasket this week when presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz used the R.E.M. hit "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" as walkup music during their appearance at the Tea Party Patriots End the Iran Deal rally on the U.S. Capitol steps.
Trump declared, "We are led by very, very stupid people.”.He also called the deal “incompetent” promised (in true Charlie Sheen Tiger Blood fashion),“We will have so much winning if I get elected, that you may get bored with winning.”
Leaving aside whether Mr. Stipe has a point about whether copyright holders have a right to complain when their work isn't properly licensed for a public performance (correct answer: he does), Cruz and Trump raise an interesting question: will our almost-certain-to-stand nuclear deal with Iran make the world a safer place? Or (as implied by the song), will the agreement lead to a nuclear confrontation likely to result in the end of the world?
While you're thinking, check out a (properly licensed) video of the R.E.M. classic and then take our survey below.
Rock out with Michael Stipe:
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Take the survey:
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