ICED EARTH Mainman: 'I Don't Trust The Rhetoric From Any Politician Anymore'

Ruben Mosqueda of Sleaze Roxx recently conducted an interview with ICED EARTH/SONS OF LIBERTY mainman Jon Schaffer. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Sleaze Roxx: You're back with Century Media Records where you began your recording career. You voiced your displeasure on the label's move to issue the best-of album after your departure and the release of the "Live In Athens" DVD. The DVD you didn't feel was up to ICED EARTH standards. Have you gotten past that? Did they contact you about you coming back?

Jon Schaffer: Our management was in touch with several labels, which is normal when shopping a deal. Though I'm not thrilled with either of the products you mentioned, the label had the rights to do it. We've gotten past our differences and I think things will be more professional in the future from both sides.

Sleaze Roxx: What are your thoughts on the Tea Party movement that has been taking place across America? Is it good for the country in your opinion? The mainstream media seems to view the Tea Party movement as nothing more than the Republican Party under a different banner.

Jon Schaffer: I believe that in general the Tea Party is good. However, there's no doubt that establishment Republicans are trying to hijack the movement, and that is bad. The system is scared of the Tea Party so it is being infiltrated by establishment scum from the right and demonized by establishment scum on the left. The real Tea Party principals are in line mostly with a libertarian/constitutional view of how the country should be running. The two party system is a fraud, it's two wings of the same ugly, collectivist bird.

Sleaze Roxx: You've shied away from talking about politics in the past while promoting your music. Was it because you were misquoted on a couple of occasions? I think most people got the idea that you are a Republican.

Jon Schaffer: I used to be in the mindset that one party was the lesser of two evils. Now, I vote no more evil. I'm sick of the lies from both parties, they both have betrayed the American people and are responsible for the dire straits the country is in. I have voted Republican and independent in the past because I've always been a constitutional conservative. However, I don't trust the rhetoric from any politician anymore. I am watching these people like a hawk, and that's what we all need to be doing. These are professional liars in most cases, and we need to throw out the establishment scum from both parties.

Sleaze Roxx: Do you think there will ever be major support for a third party in America? Why or why not?

Jon Schaffer: I think the people would definitely support it. The problem is the giant multi-national corporations and the banksters that run them. They print the money and control the airwaves, so it's been fairly easy to fool the people and get them to believe in the current head puppet that the system is pushing. I think the people are waking up to this fraud, and when the American people rise up in righteous anger, there will be hell to pay. We have been fleeced by a bunch of robber barons and the puppets they control. It's time we all get wise to the system and the lies it perpetuates on the people.

Read the entire interview from Sleaze Roxx.