I'll second that Chet. I've also had many heated arguments in the pub in the UK about politics etc which ended with us buying each other another pint, but its not "done" in NZ. One of the reasons I like this forum is that we can discuss these topics.

As to Dr. John's question I'm not sure I agree with Dick, I would not have thought that the great collectors / archivists: Child, Broadwood, Baring-Gould, Sharpe etc would have regarded themselves as left wing, or be so regarded. I would suspect that the most originators of folk songs were either working class or in the case of broadsheet ballads, writting for that market.

Steve F, I am of course defining "right wing" in the context of the class struggle, "morality" is a debased term since its capture by the self styled "moral majority", "christian" etc political groupings; likwise patriotism. I've no idea what is meant by "family values", presumably a US term?

Unfortunately, as Art has pointed out, self interest, or the cult of the individual (me first) is promoted constantly by the US led media, and the dominance of mass entertainment has led to a profliferation of omphalistic songs in this vein which is marketed by the perpetrators as folk.

Like Dr John I am none the less interested in the existence of any right wing folk songs.

Pete M

PS I wouldn't mention commercial C&W and folk in the same breath!