Pop Stars & Politics -- Gutless The World Over

The NY Times has an interesting video (click to watch, you might have to register, I don't know) about Pakistani pop stars singing out against the US, not the Taliban. According to some of them, the Taliban is a very minor problem, in spite of the bombing of 200 girls schools. Of course, this is the safe way to appear politically active in Pakistan -- just like opposing the war in Iraq (AFTER the invasion) was for US pop stars or jingoistic flag-waving has been since Lee Greenwood. The best part is at the end where the alternative band says that it's the duty of mainstream stars to criticize the Taliban while the mainstream stars imply that alternative bands should do it. It's good to know that seeking popularity through shallow displays of political awareness isn't just the curse of American pop music.