I just read Merck's statement and I can't help feeling annoyed. This statement just further emphasizes to me how alienated I've become with modern Morrissey. Yes, I agree that the NME is taking sick delight in trying to skewer Moz, but if Morrissey didn't say these things in the first place they'd have no ammo.
I completely understand what Morrissey is saying about cultural diversity diluting the England of his youth, and I don't think there's anything wrong with having that opinion. It's no different than, for example, my friends bemoaning the influx of yuppies ruining Wicker Park in Chicago. We all have certain cultural niches that we hold dear that we hate to see change - whether it be beautiful old buildings torn down in the name of "progress," neighborhoods changed by a new demographic moving into the area, or strip malls proliferating endlessly and causing treasured Mom & Pop shops to go out of business. Morrissey is just very clumsy and careless in the way he expresses his dismay at the changing cultural landscape.
I just prefer the old Morrissey who would have just put out a witty statement and laughed the whole thing off. This new modern Morrissey with his team of lawyers ready to attack every possible "defamation" is disheartening to me. Imagine if this had been the Morrissey of The Smiths? He would have sued The Sun for child molesting allegations and claims that "Suffer The Children" were pro-Hindley, Rolling Stone for saying that he said he was gay, Melody Maker for suggesting "Panic" was racist, Nick Kent for printing the "he just needs a good humping" comment that Johnny made, NME for the Finsbury Park debacle, and on and on and on and on...
As far as I'm concerned, when you make a career out of controversy, you have to live with the consequences. Once upon a time he would have said something funny like, "If someone from the the Daily Mail comes along and shoots me, that's the way it has to be. I'll die defending what I say." I miss those days when he seemed just so above all the silly controversy, instead of sucked down into it.
Oh well, guess I should get to work...