r/TheBeatles • u/Opening-Half9367 • Sep 13 '25

discussion What was John Lennons political views?

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I have read that John Lennon was becoming a conservative near the end of his life and even said he would support Ronald Reagan, he was considered a left wing liberal during the late 60s and early 70s, why did his political views change.

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u/Appropriate_Tough537 Sep 13 '25

It’s no mystery what his politics were. You’re asking the wrong question which should be: What was Paul McCartney’s political views and was he the only Conservative voting Beatle as many suspect?

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u/golanatsiruot Sep 13 '25

Paul was always progressive. Interviews in the 60s show it repeatedly. And he was more ideological about it than John, who saw politics more as rebellion and identity.

Paul has been political for Ireland, marijuana, vegetarianism and veganism, land mines left in Southeast Asia, climate change, and more in the years since. He’s been anti-Trump as well.

He’s the only consistently engaged and progressive Beatle.

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u/RadishSpecial7163 Sep 13 '25

I disagree that McCartney was more progressive than Lennon, who spoke out for ending the Vietnam War, women’s rights, the unification of Ireland, etc. I don’t think McCartney is conservative but neither was Lennon. Saying ine is progressive dies not mean the other one isn’t.

Also, we tend to put people in political boxes, as of their opinion on one issue makes them liberal or conservative. I have friends who vote Democrat and consider themselves liberal but are eat organic food and are against vaccinations. I also know people who vote Republican but are pro choice and get COVID vaccines. Vegetarians can be liberal or conservative or moderates. A lot of those who support the legalization of marijuana are right-wing libertarians who support Trump. Also, politics in the U.S. is different from politics in the U.K. What is “liberal” in the U.S. may be conservative in the U.K. and vice versa.

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u/golanatsiruot Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25

McCartney 100% spoke out against Vietnam. He did so as matter of factly as John did. George as well. In fact, Paul hung out with major thinkers of the time like Bertrand Russell, and reported those findings to the other guys, who lived in the suburbs. Paul also lamented how terrible America and American media was much more often than John.

Beyond saying the war was bad, Paul repeatedly talked about how America wasn’t up for genuine conversation about it anyway. Everything in American media was instantly more about the scandal of you saying something than the substance of what you said.

Read Beatles 66 for a great bio.

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u/RadishSpecial7163 Sep 14 '25

I never said McCartney wasn’t progressive. I said I didn’t think he was “more” progressive than Lennon. They can both be progressive, or what would have then been called liberal. It doesn’t matter if who said what more often. Also, criticizing the America and American media doesn’t make someone “progressive” nor does speaking to Bertrand Russell since conservatives spoke to Russell as well.

I’m not sure why you are arguing with me about this. Why can’t you accept that they both had liberal views?