The Used Frontman Says Australian Political System Is “Fascism”

Singer for The Used and recently minted Sydney resident Bert McCracken has shared his feelings regarding his new home’s political and electoral system, likening it to “fascism” and explaining that he would rather deal with hefty fines and jail time than vote in an Australian federal election.

“Once I solidify dual citizenship, I’ll have to vote, or I’ll be fined and then jailed,” McCracken, whose wife is a native Australian, told The Music. “I’ll pick jail over voting – that’s not democracy in my mind. Mandatory voting is confusing, because that’s the opposite of democracy – that’s fascism.”

“It’s hard because the Commonwealth was written so long ago. I don’t believe that democracy is possible when it’s based on antiquated ideas – in my mind, 100 years is antiquity,” he continued. “When the rules of the system to control people only reflect old and out of date ideas, then we need to rethink all the rules, and who writes the rules is a really important part of this ‘democracy’.”

He said that he is “an anarchist at heart” and doesn’t believe in “that type of democracy,” adding “It’s tough, but you have to kind of work the system’s that given to you. And being in Australia, with free health care, the system is so much better in ways, and it’s so much worse in ways.”

Speaking on the last federal election, McCracked said, “There’s bipartisan nonsense everywhere – I think in the last election for Prime Minister, it was really tough… you could either vote for the guy who hates homosexuals or the guy who doesn’t care for f-gs, you know. It’s pretty discouraging.”

Hear Bert McCracken talk about living in Australia for Episode #4 of Music Feeds Podcast!

Gallery: The Used – Vans Warped Tour Australia 2013, Sydney 01/12/13

Photos by Ashley Mar

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