Serj Tankian says civilisation has 'run its course'

Serj Jankian at SSE Wembley Aren, 2015 — Serj Tankian (Image credit: Getty)

Serj Tankian says that “civilisation in its current form has run its course.”

The System Of A Down frontman and political activist has also urged fans to drive a “culture of change” to help tackle war, corruption and violence in modern society.

Tankian says: “The world seems to be spinning out of control all over the planet. Reason seems to have taken a back seat to xenophobia, extremism and fanatical thinking and action.

“Killings of unarmed black males in the US, targeted assassinations of police in response, an illegal overhaul of a whole part of society in Turkey supposedly in response to the coup attempt, heavy-handed round-ups by police in Armenia of civic leaders in response to an armed police station takeover, civilian killings in France, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere by so called Isis sympathisers – as the list goes on and on.

“I guess environmental catastrophic warnings are not enough to temper our animalistic idiocracy. One thing is clear – civilisation in its current form has run its course.”

He says the world “desperately” needs to figure out how to “handle the human disease of violence toward one another” and adds, “In the US we need to see a culture of change from violent unilateral action to serving justice starting with police incriminations of those responsible for heinous crimes.”

Tankian also turns his attention to last week’s failed military coup in Turkey and calls for “progressive change” against President Erdogan’s regime.

The singer, who has long campaigned for recognition of the Armenian genocide, also adds: “In Armenia we need to figure out a way out of the post-Soviet corrupt hierarchy that has ruled and ruined the country since its independence.

“Culture, empathy, and equality driven by the majority will always win especially in a climate of economic egalitarianism. Another dark day in history can be subverted by intellect, temperance and justice.”

Serj Tankian will perform his Elect The Dead and Orca symphonies for the first time in the US with an orchestra at California State University on November 10.

Tankian wades in on Gaza debate

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Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.