Saturday, December 26, 2015

'Hardcore libertarian' Kurt Russell interviewed

Kurt Russell Talks Cowboys, Guns, and Life as Hollywood’s Most ‘Hardcore’ Libertarian - The Daily Beast - Marlow Stern:

December 22, 2015- "Russell began his acting career as a young teen, appearing in family-friendly films for Disney. When Walt Disney passed away in 1966, it was discovered that the final words he ever wrote were 'Kurt Russell.' To this day, the actor has no idea why....

"Today, Russell, 64, is known as an actor who marches to the beat of his own drum. He’s a libertarian in an industry of liberals, recently branding the link between gun control and terrorism 'absolutely insane.' He has a ranch in Aspen, Colorado, far from the Hollywood bubble, where he hunts elk and deer. And he makes daring cinematic choices, many of which, from Escape from New York to Big Trouble in Little China, aren’t fully appreciated until years later. Like his iconic character of Snake Plissken, Russell is an unapologetic rebel....

"The Daily Beast sat down with a very animated and fun Russell in New York to discuss the film, his political beliefs, and his fine career....


"What’s it been like to be a libertarian in Hollywood? You’re in the extreme minority.

"I’ve heard some pretty rough things through the years that were really undeserved, but the number one thing was my case was worse, because I couldn’t say, 'I’m a Republican, sorry.' I wasn’t a Republican, I was worse: I was a hardcore libertarian. I’m not a Bill Maher libertarian. That’s faux-libertarianism. He doesn’t know what it is. I like him, and he’s a nice guy, but seriously, that’s not libertarianism. The other thing I’ve found is that a lot of liberals in Hollywood are faux-liberals, and a lot of Republicans in Hollywood are faux-conservatives. When I was a young guy, I was finding myself not quite being able to see the things that were going on and buy into a political culture. I didn’t know what to do, so I finally said, 'Why don’t I go back and see what the Founding Fathers were all about, and see how that stacked up.' Well, I found them and I found libertarianism. They were pretty radical guys, and damn smart, and I just believe in that old-time stuff and think they had great ideas.

"Years later, I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Cato Institute’s 20th anniversary and spend some real time with some amazing people. I met some great people there, and that cemented it for me. I felt, guess what, there is a place where I can have a conversation and not be laughed at or smirked at."

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/22/kurt-russell-talks-cowboys-guns-and-life-as-hollywood-s-most-hardcore-libertarian.html 'via Blog this'

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