Editing Neil Peart (section)

==Political views==
For most of his career, Peart had never publicly identified with any political party or organisation in Canada or the United States. Even so, his political and philosophical views have often been analysed through his work with Rush and through other sources. In October 1993, shortly before that year's [[1993 Canadian federal election|Canadian federal election]], Peart appeared with then-[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] leader [[Jean Chrétien]] in an interview broadcast in Canada on [[MuchMusic]], but stated in that interview that he was an undecided voter.<ref>{{YouTube|jwJLGEDnFfs|Neil Peart Interviews Jean Chrétien – October 1993}} (accessed January 29, 2012)</ref>

Peart has often been categorised as an [[Objectivism|Objectivist]] and an admirer of [[Ayn Rand]]. This is largely based on his work with Rush in the 1970s, particularly the song "[[Fly by Night (album)#Track listing|Anthem]]" and the album ''[[2112 (album)|2112]]''; the latter specifically credited Rand's work.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sciabarra/essays/rush.htm|title=Rand, Rush and Rock|publisher=Nyu.edu|access-date=March 2, 2011|archive-date=February 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227230031/http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sciabarra/essays/rush.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> However, in his 1994 ''Rush Backstage Club Newsletter'', while contending the "individual is paramount in matters of justice and liberty," Peart specifically distanced himself from a strictly Objectivist line.<ref>{{cite web|last=Peart|first=Neil|title=Rush – Counterparts: Rush Backstage Club Newsletter, January 1994|url=http://2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19940100backstageclub.htm|publisher=2112.net|access-date=June 1, 2012|archive-date=April 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418082625/http://2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19940100backstageclub.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In a June 2012 ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' interview, when asked if Rand's words still speak to him, Peart replied, "Oh, no. That was 40 years ago. But it was important to me at the time in a transition of finding myself and having faith that what I believed was worthwhile."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Greene|first=Andy|title=Q&A: Neil Peart On Rush's New LP and Being a 'Bleeding Heart Libertarian'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/q-a-neil-peart-on-rushs-new-lp-and-being-a-bleeding-heart-libertarian-20120612|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=June 12, 2012|date=June 12, 2012|archive-date=June 13, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613043954/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/q-a-neil-peart-on-rushs-new-lp-and-being-a-bleeding-heart-libertarian-20120612|url-status=live}}</ref>

Although Peart was sometimes assumed to be a "[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]" or "[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]" rock star,<ref>{{cite web|last=Greenberg|first=Dan|url=http://www.thearkansasproject.com/republican-rock-stars/|title=Republican Rock Stars|publisher=Thearkansasproject.com|date=August 11, 2008|access-date=March 2, 2011|archive-date=July 17, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717075633/http://www.thearkansasproject.com/republican-rock-stars/|url-status=dead}}</ref> he criticised the U.S. Republican Party by stating that the philosophy of the party is "absolutely opposed to Christ's teachings."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/2012/08/13/on-introverts-learning-to-improvise-and-why-people-should-be-nicer-to-one-another/|title=Neil Peart on introverts, learning to improvise, and why people should be nicer to one another|first=Mike|last=Doherty|work=Maclean's|date=August 13, 2012|access-date=April 19, 2013}}</ref> In 2005, he described himself as a "[[Left-libertarianism|left-leaning libertarian]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jewsrock.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=words.view&wordid=5C400234-ACA1-4A3E-8CDCC1A3C6B074C4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503183904/http://jewsrock.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=words.view&wordid=5C400234-ACA1-4A3E-8CDCC1A3C6B074C4|archive-date=May 3, 2008|title=The Spirit of Rand|date=May 3, 2008|access-date=September 3, 2011}}</ref> and is often cited as a libertarian celebrity.<ref>{{cite web|title=LIbertarian Celebrities & VIPs: Neil Peart|url=http://www.libertarianism.com/pop_celebrity/26|publisher=libertarianism.com|access-date=June 1, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527063945/http://www.libertarianism.com/pop_celebrity/26|archive-date=May 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Jackson|first=Josh|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/high_gravity/2008/09/5-biggest-libertarian-musicians.html|title=5 Biggest Libertarian Musicians|work=Paste|access-date=March 2, 2011|date=September 6, 2008|archive-date=October 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009021210/http://www.pastemagazine.com/high_gravity/2008/09/5-biggest-libertarian-musicians.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In a 2015 interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', Peart stated that he saw the U.S. [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] as the lesser evil: "For a person of my sensibility, you're only left with the Democratic party."<ref name="From Rush With Love" />

Peart was a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and worked with them on a radio [[public service announcement]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://artistsagainstracism.org/radio-2/|title=Radio – Artists Against Racism|access-date=January 11, 2020|archive-date=October 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007213912/http://artistsagainstracism.org/radio-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref>