Ted Nugent: It Might Be Better If The South Won the Civil War
It's no secret that guitarist and singer Ted Nugent holds some pretty far-right beliefs. In fact, the singer takes just about every possible opportunity to promote his libertarian-leaning view of the world.
So it shouldn't be much of a surprise that in his latest opinion piece for the Washington Times, Nugent blasts U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts for his vote on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," as it is popularly known. In fact, it's a pretty standard piece for the right-wing rocker. Nugent calls Roberts a traitor, proclaims the end of liberty as we know it, and includes pretty much everything else you would expect in an angry right-wing rant.
Except there is one paragraph that sets it apart: Nugent apparently wishes the South had won the Civil War.
"Because our legislative, judicial and executive branches of government hold the 10th Amendment in contempt, I'm beginning to wonder if it would have been best had the South won the Civil War. Our Founding Fathers' concept of limited government is dead," read the most inflammatory paragraph of Nugent's latest opinion piece.
Nugent, who is not a Southerner and was raised in Detroit, has long been an outspoken advocate of "states' rights," apparently believing that the Confederacy was the last bastion for personal freedom in America.
Nugent concluded his column by again declaring the Affordable Care Act has destroyed the concept of democracy and ushered in an era of socialism.
"Limited government is dead. The smothering era of socialism is here," Nugent wrote.
The self-proclaimed "political activist icon" publicly endorsed Mitt Romney in mid-April. The Republican presidential candidate has not yet commented on Nugent's inflamatory statements.
Of course, Nugent is no stranger to finding himself in the news for his hard-right beliefs. In fact, this isn't even the first time this year that Nugent's penchant for expressing his political opinions has landed him in trouble.
In April, Nugent seemed to make threats against Barack Obama's life at the National Rifle Association's annual convention in St. Louis. "If Barack Obama becomes the president in November again, I will be dead or in jail by this time next year," Nugent told the crowd.
The rock star later met with the Secret Service to discuss his remarks and status as a potential threat to the president.