Imagine the following scene…a scene at a school’s (doesn’t matter what level of institution, but preferably higher like high school or college) political science class…

(A TEACHER walks to the front of the class. She dresses with a propriety that is expected from someone who is scholastically employed.)

Teacher: Attention class! We are now beginning. Now, for today’s current event, we are covering a controversial topic. To start, I would like a show of hands for people who are fans of the rock ban Guns N’ Roses?

(A good portion of the students raise their hands.)

Teacher (disappointed): Now class, I don’t want you to lie to me. How many of you are Guns N’ Roses fans?

(The same portion of students raise their hands, except this time they’re unsure as how to what the appropriate response is.)

Teacher (aggravated): No, you’re not! Because if you were…(TEACHER holds up a Guns N’ Roses CD.)…you would have raised your middle finger at me instead of your hands!

(TEACHER turns on boombox beside her desk, which starts blaring “Sweet Child O’ Mine“. Her, and the students, began dancing.)

Since this is a family friendly site, I won’t pontificate much further what happens in that scene. But let me assure you of two things:

1) It is a work of fiction.

2) This scene does have some relevance.

The legendary rock group Guns N’ Roses (G ‘N R)has stirred up some political controversy with their new album Chinese Democracy. According to a newspaper released by China’s ruling Communist Party, G ‘N R’s work is a tool for Western Civilization to eventually take over China; the article goes further to proclaim that Chinese Democracy “turns its spear point on China.”

I can’t really comment on the matter extensively, because I haven’t read the article. There’s two reasons for this:

1) I can’t read Chinese.

2) The Chinese Spokesmen for the Culture Ministry and State Administration of Radio, Film and Television couldn’t be reached for comment.

However, I will say that I’m baffled by how thin-skinned China is about this. After all, this is China we’re talking about. The world cried out loudly when China was caught aborting virtually all their baby girls, executing defenseless students at Tiananmen Square, and bullying around their neighbor state, Nepal. In response, China thumbed their nose at the world.

However, Axl Rose composes some new songs and the Chinese government is in an uproar. True, some of the lyrics in the title track has inflammatory comments about China, such as “if your Great Wall rocks blame yourself”, but hardly worth depriving young, little Chinese boys and girls from listening to G N’ R. You’re depriving them of the ’80s for crying out loud!

But maybe this is what it’s all about. China’s contempt for the emphasis of American capitalism and Ronald Reagan that thrived in the ’80s. Or perhaps it’s something deeper. The knowledge that art, no matter what medium, is a powerful tool that can be used to shake the foundations of entire civilizations. Book burnings, steamrolling CD piles, mustaches and devil horns on works of art. What China is doing concerning the banning of Chinese Democracy is no different than any of these heinous acts!

Or it could be China is sore for being runner-up in the overall Olympic medal count this past year in Beijing. That’s probably it. No matter what the case is, here’s a video for you hardcore G N’ R fans (in China and around the world.) Take it away, Axl!