"People wrote songs to capture what was happening around them - what made them laugh, or what made them angry, or sad..... loss, achievement, death, birth...whatever.
They became folk songs because they were memorable and because they were universal enough to take root wherever they landed - not the introspective, navel gazing, angst-filled singer-songwriter stuff that masquerades as folk-song now."

That's what I was riffing off, Jim. I can accept your perspective on what is folk song - on a good day I might even agree with you. It's the arrogant dismissal of anything outside trad folk and a handful of officially sanctioned trad-a-like newer songs as lacking in value because they're all "introspective, navel gazing, angst-filled" I object to. It shows a refusal to engage with reality as you see it.

Rory McLeod apparently thinks he's a folk singer. By your definition he isn't. Equally he isn't navel gazing and would probably share your dismissal of such stuff. For example.

http://youtu.be/8MzL4jmKIpA

http://youtu.be/om4rVKQ2mrM

http://youtu.be/HPx1urhmfD4

"Liar" is a bit strong - I'm disputing your position on this issue, not lying, Jim.