That, until recently, the U.S. government was such a bumbling embarassment that they would take such issue with a songwriting artist in an ethnically mixed marriage who believed in peace is beyond me.
Just goes to show how much power one can weild with a pen! Power to the People, right on!!
I see what your saying but to simplify Lennon's impact to the extent you have is fool hearty. Yes he was a song writer. But he was also an avid anti-war activist. He was very, very vocal about it in both songs and interviews etc. Also protested often as well. So yes they took such an issue with him as they did with many like him that weren't nearly as famous.
share"So yes they took such an issue with him as they did with many like him that weren't nearly as famous."
Is it worth the billions spent on surveillance?
It was that kind of time. The US Government in general, and the Nixon Administration in particular, was very paranoid about people like John Lennon.
"Let the f-ckers work that one out."-John Lennon
"Enemies list," anyone?
Remember, they burgled the office of Daniel Ellsberg's therapist in an effort to find information that might discredit him. Once paranoia gets into someone's sytem, it just gets worse & worse.
Came around and bit Tricky Dick in the end, though, didn't it? He was so paranoid, it eventually brought him down in the form of Watergate.
"Let the f-ckers work that one out."-John Lennon
Yes, and the shadey figures lurking in the shadows then (G. Gordon Liddy) are now serving as role models for the new breed working in the shadows now (people like Rove, Bill Kristol, Richard Perle, John Bolton...the GWB administration is over but believe me, those people are still influencing policy).
They will never allow themselves to get caught with their pants down again. Which makes them even more dangerous than anyone in the Nixon administration.
Fair and Balanced Fox News: Interviewing Republicans, interrogating Democrats since 1996
What do you mean "until recently"? The U.S. government spied on the "occupy" movement, which was really mostly a bunch of hippies and homeless, and branded them as domestic terrorists. The U.S. government if anything is getting worse, since Reagan was just a more successful version of Nixon, and the Bush family moreso. Now, even when you have a Democrat, you have largescale criminality.
Did I not love him, Cooch? MY OWN FLESH I DIDN'T LOVE BETTER!!! But he had to say 'Nooooooooo'