Daron Malakian, a name best remembered for delivering some of the hardest hitting metal songs of the 2000s through his band System of a Down, has now claimed to be “far middle”. Is this recent political proclamation a publicity stunt? Or is it the unfortunate truth that’s eluded fans for years?
Last week, after the assassination of right-wing political speaker Charlie Kirk, Daron made a post to his public Instagram account stating, “Fuck political violence!!!! I’m not part of the far right or far left. I’m part of the far middle!!! This is our symbol (middle finger emoji)”
There’s nothing wrong with Daron claiming to be against political violence— the issue is his statement of being “Far Middle”. Though the statement can be read as a tongue in cheek play on words, it’s more likely that this is his way of loudly walking back his old political views.
Through System of a Down, and his solo outfit Scars on Broadway, Daron leveraged his song writing abilities to tackle important political issues. Whether it be the Armenian genocide or his hatred for dictatorships, it seemed that Daron was at least slightly left leaning.
Comparing Daron to his fellow System band members paints a stark picture, specifically when examining Serj Tankian. Serj is a proud activist that puts his political views at the forefront of everything he does. Moreover, he is a proud anti-authoritarion leftist.
Both Serj and Daron have made continuous political statements after moving away from System in 2005, however the only member to proudly make a difference politically is Serj.
Even looking at System of a Down’s name you could probably hazard a guess what the band’s political outlook was. This isn’t to say people’s political outlook can’t change; of course they can. The issue lies in the fact that Daron Malakian has profited off of a false political stance for over twenty years if his claims of being “Far-Middle” are true.
Daron’s new found political stance was made clear shortly after System of a Down announced a world tour where they will be accompanied by Deftones.
Though many will look past Daron’s politics, it’s important to keep them in mind when you listen to any of his music as there’s an intrinsic fraudulent nature to them.
Practice what you preach Daron Malakian or get out of the way, there’s no place for those in the “Far-Middle”.
Featured Image Credit: DM via Wikimedia
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