GENE SIMMONS On Living In America: There Is 'No Place Like This On Earth'

Radio host Arroe Collins recently conducted an interview with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons for the "Unplugged & Totally Uncut" podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the Spreaker widget below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his many philanthropic endeavors:

Gene: "We are the luckiest bastards who ever walked the face of the planet, 'cause we get to live in America. Those of us, especially, who are here legally, and I'm a legal immigrant, because there is a difference. I went, I stood in line and waited for my turn and entered the country legally.

"This country gives more than any other country on the face of the planet. Think about it: there are anywhere from twelve to twenty [million] illegal immigrants in America. That's more than most of the populations of the countries on the planet. Did you know that? There are more people here, because this is the land of opportunity. I don't remember the last boatload of people who dropped to their knees on a shore and said, 'Thank you, God, we finally made it to the shores of France.' That's never gonna happen. Here you're in America, and over here you can be anybody. Yes, it's a racist country, there are people with decidedly racist points of views, and yet we have an African-American president — two terms. Yes, its' a sexist country, but Hillary [Clinton] is running for president. And you can have a man I've known for a while, Donald Trump, who can freely speak his mind whether people like it or not. [There's] no place like this on earth."

On whether he would be willing to share his knowledge as a businessman to get this country moving forward again:

Gene: "Sure, but I'm not a political person. You know, if you're my friend and your breath stinks, the least I could as your friend is to tell you your breath stinks and you've overweight. That's not a criticism; you're trying to help. If I can't tell my friend his breath stinks and he's too fat, which is dangerous to his health, why call yourself a friend?

"Politicians have a mandate to themselves. What they're trying to do is to get re-elected. So it seems to me the better off you are, the more money you make, the more of a businessman or a businesswoman you are, the less you need the amount of money that the government pays you as a salary. So I'd be willing to serve for a dollar a year, but don't you fucking dare — pardon me for the French — try to tell me what to say. I'm gonna tell it the way it is, and politicians don't."

KISS kicked off the "Freedom To Rock" tour on July 4 with in Tucson, Arizona. The trek is hitting 40 cities through the summer — many of them places that the band has either never played or hasn't played in years.