Nick Cave shared his political opinion, saying that he supports neither the left nor the right, and that both sides are "unrecognizable".
The artist used his own website , The Red Hand Files, to leave a note after an Australian fan contacted him asking about Cave's political stance: “I’ve had several disagreements with friends about your position on certain things. What is your… position?”
So, Nick Cave left a lengthy response, but stated in the opening lines that he is "neither left nor right.".
“I recognize that this may be, for you and your friends, a pointless admission, but I am not entirely sure what my position is on anything at the moment. As the ground shifts and slips beneath our feet, and the world hardens around its particular views, I become increasingly insecure and less sure of myself. I am neither left nor right, finding both sides, as they present themselves, indefensible and unrecognizable,” he confessed.
The singer and songwriter continued his philosophy:
“I am essentially a spiritual conservative with a lowercase “c” leaning towards liberalism, which, for me, is not a political position but rather a matter of temperament. I have a devotional nature and see the world as broken, yet beautiful, believing it is our urgent and moral duty to repair it where we can and not cause further harm, or worse, deliberately incite its destruction. I believe we are more than mere atoms colliding with one another, and that we are, instead, beings of vast potential, placed on this Earth for a reason – to amplify, in the best way possible, what is beautiful and true.”.
“I believe we have an obligation to help those who are genuinely marginalized, oppressed, or sad in a useful and constructive way, and not to exploit their suffering for our own professional advancement or personal survival. I have a deep and well-deserved understanding of the nature of loss and know, deep down, how easy it is for something to break and how difficult it is to rebuild it. Therefore, I am cautious about the world and try to treat all its inhabitants with care.”.
Nick Cave is proud to have friends with differing political views
Nick also confessed that he feels disturbed by the "selfish and childish politics of some of my colleagues.".
“I am comfortable with doubt and constitutionally resistant to moral certainty, herd mentality, and dogma. Fundamentally, I am disturbed by the selfish and childish politics of some of my colleagues – I don't believe that silence is violence, complicity, or lack of courage, but rather that silence is often the preferred option when one doesn't know what one is talking about, or is in doubt or conflict – which, for me, happens most of the time. I am primarily at ease with ignorance and consider this a spiritually and creatively dynamic position. I believe there are times when it is almost a sacred duty to keep quiet.”.
The musician added that he is proud to have friends with differing views:
“I’m not particularly concerned about people’s positions – I’ve met some of the best people across the political spectrum. In fact, I take pride and immense pleasure in having friends with differing views. My life is significantly more interesting and colorful with them. Perhaps all this means very little, but I suppose that, in the end, I value actions more than words. I see my own role as a musician, composer, and letter writer as an active service to the soul of the world, and I’ve come to understand that this is the position I must adopt to try to cultivate genuine change.”.
Finally, Nick Cave concluded that he is beginning to understand his political side:
“Actually, I’m now beginning to understand where I stand , Alistair – I stand with the world, in its goodness and beauty. In these hysterical, monochromatic, and conflicting times, I invoke its soul, as musicians do, its afflicted and fragmented nature, its misguided meaning, its fragile and wavering spirit. I sing to it, I praise it, I encourage it, and I strive to improve it – in adoration, reconciliation, and unwavering faith. With love, Nick.”
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