"Why are you being the way you are Shimrod?"

I'm being the way I am, Villan, for two main reasons:

(i) Because I'm sick of going to, so-called, 'Folk Clubs' and sitting through an entire evening and not hearing any folk songs. I wouldn't mind if the 'nu-Folk' I'm forced to listen to was any good or bore any resemblance to 'real' folk song - but usually it doesn't (at this point I'm specifically excluding George Papavegeris from this - if everything was as good as his stuff, I wouldn't be as pissed-off!). If I hear one more song about how awful it is to be a fisherman/unemployed fisherman or a miner/unemployed miner and all to some mawkish - 'just-made this-up-in-the-bath-by humming-old-Neil-Young-hits' tune I shall f....ing well Scream!!

(ii) This thread poses a closed question ie. "Is this a folk song" and refers to some 'socially relevant' punk epic. There are only two possible answers to a closed question: 'yes' and 'no'. My answer is a resounding 'no'! But that is not the answer that the poser of the question wants to hear (you can probably guess which answer he actually wants to hear). There is also a subtext here that anyone who disagrees with the implied answer to the question is a 'purist' and 'fundamentalist' and must be attacked - and, sure enough, the 'anything goes in a folk club' brigade have come pouring out of the woodwork in support.
I find this whole approach to be basically dishonest and irresponsible. A more honest approach would be for the poster to state that the above epic is a folk song and to give the reasons why. I would still disagree, of course, but would have a bit more respect for the poster and his supporters.