Well, we all take what we want out of this. For some, the sociopolitical aspects of folk songs are the essential elements, almost as if folk music exists for the sole purpose of adding spice to otherwise dry political discourse. For myself, I am most drawn to the themes that deal with emotions, the soul, the inner life, which tend to have more relevance to my life than "Which Side Are You On?" or "Union Maid". There are rare individuals (Woody Guthrie, Dylan, Tom Paxton) who are able to combine the political with the personal in a way that diminishes neither. But most overtly political songwriting falls short of this, in my most humble opinion.

Thankfully, there are plenty of "folk" songs (by just about anyone's definition) that have little if anything to do with political movements or events. Those tend to be the ones I prefer.