BY PAM LOBLEY

NEWJEREYNEWSROOM.COM

NOW THAT’S FUNNY

In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Bob Dylan holds forth on his feelings about the U.S.A., saying that the stigma of slavery has ruined America. As quoted in Yahoo News, he said we will never be rid of the shame of being "founded on the back of slaves.”

He said he has been having original thoughts like this for as long as he can remember.

The folk singer said that he doubts the country will ever recover from slavery, and "it will hold any nation back" and black people know that some whites "didn't want to give up slavery."

Mr. Dylan received his Bachelor’s Degree in U.S. History in 1982 from Talkingoutmybutt University.

Ever the radical, Mr. Dylan takes the courageous anti-slavery stance, drastically opposing the overwhelmingly pro-slavery sentiment which is so prominent among all Americans these days. He suggested that the Civil War was not the best way to deal with slavery and offered, “If slavery had been given up in a more peaceful way, America would be far ahead today.”

Yes. I see his point. If the British had given up their American colonies peacefully, we would be better off. If the Russian Tsars had just handed over their wealth more peacefully, peasants would have been better off. If Hitler had just calmed down and let Europeans co-exist peacefully, millions of people would have been better off.

Dylan is a visionary, man!

In the same interview, Mr. Dylan takes aim at the charges of plagiarism made against him. There has been some fuss over his using quotations from other writers in his own songs. According to CBS News, he disavows the claim of plagiarism and says that “in folk and jazz, quotation is a rich and enriching tradition … Wussies and pussies complain about that stuff. It's an old thing - it's part of the tradition. It goes way back."

Well, he totally stole that “wussies and pussies” phrase from my 12-year-old. The Rolling Stone interview hits stands today.

Pam Lobley writes the “Now That’s Funny” column. Check out her blog: Better Living Through Chaos! Follow her on twitter @plobley.

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