Megadeth vs. the United Nations

Usually we think of the United Nations as an organization that promotes peace. But a recent post on the United Nations Foundation-funded blog UN Dispatch declared war on the heavy-metal band Megadeth — whom you may remember from your sophomore year in high school — over the title track of their new album, United Abominations. Mark Leon Goldberg, one of the blog’s writers, calls the song “a witless screed,� despite the fact that Megadeth takes the perfectly reasonable position that the U.N. is responsible both for the war in Iraq and for the 9/11 attacks.

Goldberg’s post, taking the song apart line by line, quickly made its way onto heavy-metal message boards, and eventually to Megadeth’s front man Dave Mustaine.

Mustaine shot back with a lengthy dispatch on his record label’s Website, highlights of which we excerpt here:

te>Whether my facts are right or wrong, and whether you agree with me or not, I know I have your support — most of the time and that is all that matters.

I would rather feel right and be wrong with the semantics or facts in the song and have expressed my right to free speech, than to feel wrong and be right and sit back, like the rest of the cowards of the world, not saying anything…

Bottom line is I am stoked to see you all having this discussion about things that matter to us all. What a victory!!!

We win!!!

We win!!!

We win!!!

When a hundred thousand metalheads sack the United Nations building like a bunch of damn Visigoths, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Critic Watch: Megadeth Smackdown Edition [UN Dispatch]
DAVE MUSTAINE Responds To Article Challenging His ‘United Abominations’ Lyrics [Roadrunnerrecords.com]