Something Happening Here: Bob Dylan Goes to China
Ken McIntyre /
It’s a hard rain that’s been a-fallin’ on Bob Dylan from some blustery climes. This is because the 69-year-old folk-rock icon supposedly broke the sellout meter with a Chinese concert debut in which he performed songs approved in advance by the Communist regime.
Not that it’s Dylan’s job to stand up to dictators, tyrants and thugs — whether visiting their countries or hosting them at home and, say, the United Nations. Last time we looked, that was President Obama’s gig.
Writing this week on Chinese authorities’ most severe crackdown on dissidents and activists in a decade, Heritage’s Dean Cheng warns that if these “harsh measures” are overlooked by Obama, it “would not help the dissidents but instead betray American ideals.” (more…)