Go here to read it.
http://www.nme.com/news/the-beatles/41638

Paul McCartney has said that he was responsible for politicising The Beatles.

He claims he had a meeting with philosopher Bertrand Russell in the 1960s and that triggered the band’s politicisation.

"We sort of stumbled into things," he told the journal Prospect. "For instance, Vietnam. Just when we were getting to be well known, someone said to me: 'Bertrand Russell is living not far from here in Chelsea, why don't you go and see him?' and so I just took a taxi down there and knocked on the door."

"He was fabulous. He told me about the Vietnam war – most of us didn't know about it, it wasn't yet in the papers – and also that it was a very bad war.

"I remember going back to the studio either that evening or the next day and telling the guys, particularly John [Lennon], about this meeting and saying what a bad war this was."

It had previously been accepted that Lennon was the political driving force behind the band and Tariq Ali, a former leader of Britain's anti-war movement, has disputed McCartney's claims.

He told The Sunday Times: "This is news to me. We never heard of Paul's views at the time. It was John Lennon who was concerned about the war. He never mentioned McCartney and I never thought of asking him to join us."

Thanks for the info, Glassie.

It's interesting.... I wouldn't have thought that Paul was the political one. i mean, sure he may have gone to Bertrand Russel and told John about the Vietnam War and gave John the idea, but I don't think he can say that he was the one who Politicised the Beatles. And besides, (and I am trying to remember here) in most interviews - wasn't it John who gave the political view?


Have you read the comments after the article? Geez, some people

Paul was always the businessman. It might sound terrible but maybe not, like he saw a way of promoting The Beatles by this war through peace and love whilst at the same time genuinely wanting to bring the plight to the public for the greater good, for that sake of peace and love?

I think it was a wise move anyway.

But I think the debate here, is whether he did it or not, as in whether he is just saying it now...

Yeah he could just be saying it never know.

Yeah he could just be saying it never know.