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Frank is probably the only person I consider to have been truly an extraordinary human being and is easily my biggest hero ever. However, that is not to say that I can agree with 100% of his political positions. For instance, Frank hated unions. He wrote songs mocking them and railed against them in interviews. This was, as others have pointed out, perhaps the inevitable outcome of a cottage industry businessman mentality but I still can't agree with Frank on that one. Similarly, he referred in one instance to himself as "devoutly capitalist", which is something else that doesn't appeal to me.
That however is part of what is facinating about Frank - the fact that he is almost impossible to pin down to one easy position. The man was nothing if not unpredictable.
And, as you suggest, there is much he got right politically too: opposition to the Christian Right and Republicans in general. Opposition to the PMRC and their boring attempts at censorship through economic pressure. Opposition to Reagan's murderous intervention in Central America. Opposition to the Soviet Union. Opposition to the first Gulf War. Pro freedom of speech. Pro choice. Pro taxing the churches. And, for me what is most interesting, was his evolving adherence to what I consider to have been a mild streak of social democracy (European style) in his later years. To explain, although largely claimed by the Libertarians as one of their own, Frank actually refused to run as a Libertarian Presidential candidate, as he considered their total opposition to welfare as objectionable. As Frank knew, but only occassionally talked about in interviews, you have to take care of the most vulnerable in society (heck, he even expressed his support for Mario Cuomo at one stage!). I think he could well have evolved more in that capacity - as well as the straight talking ass kicker extrodinaire - had he lived.
He is missed!
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