Music as a weapon: Reactions and responses to RAF terrorism in the music of ton steine scherben and their successors in post-9/11 music

The paper engages in a brief exposé of responses to terrorist acts in mainstream (Western) music. In particular, this paper compares and contrasts the (West) German response to the RAF (Red Army Faction) between the years of 1968 and 1977 and the American music response to the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. The argument is advanced here that in both American and German society a left-oriented bastion of musicians show sympathy, and in some rare instances support, for these terrorist movements. The biggest difference between these two cultures is the existence of a pro-government, right-oriented country music scene in America.