Punk rock icon HENRY ROLLINS recently spoke to MoshpitTragedy.com about Obama, war, the music industry, and the Mayan Calendar. Read a few excerpts from the chat below:

MoshpitTragedy.com: I've seen numerous videos of you fronting Black Flag in the 80's and your live shows were definitely crazy! I saw a particular video where you got hit in the head with a beer can and another one where you punched an audience member who was taunting you. That period in time must've been really intense. Do you ever miss the chaos and excitement of those days? Do you get the same rush in other aspects of your life now?

Rollins: "I certainly don't miss getting cigarettes put out in my leg, no. It was never a rush. In the days of Black Flag as now, I only come to do the show, the rest is dramatic distraction that I can do without."

MoshpitTragedy.com: How has the music industry changed since you entered it in the early 80's? Do you think that the future medium of music is the mp3?

Rollins: "I think that things are a bit more 4-lane and well lit now, compared to how they were before. There are good and bad parts to anything called progress. Like when your operating software gets upgraded, you sometimes miss things that are now gone to make them "better", so there's always that aspect. I think the major labels have done more to damage music than to help it. Money and art don't always make for good bed partners. Thankfully, there is an upside and to me at least, there's a very healthy "underground" scene happening, with great labels and bands. There will always be people wanting that LP, so I don't think that medium will go away, if anything, it's making a comeback."

MoshpitTragedy.com: What do you think of the 'pay-what-you-want' download concept? Would you ever consider such a thing for any of your own work?

Rollins: "I think if you know you're going to sell a lot of copies, it's one thing. If you're not in a position like that, it's quite another thing. I think there are enough free download opportunities at this point to where you pay what you want anyway. I would rather pay fairly and keep the band on the road and well fed."

MoshpitTragedy.com: You stated in your short performance in Coachella '09 that every single war ever fought is completely preventible and that wars are nothing but scams. Could you elaborate on that?

Rollins: "Someone always makes a lot of money off any war. In WWII, Germany sought to dominate Europe and turn it into one big Germany. Roosevelt got America into WWII for the money, what, you think he felt for all those Jews? Bush went into Iraq because Saddam had oil under his feet, you think it was he felt bad for all those Iraqis? All the military bases we have all over the world will guarantee more hostility to come, it's an investment in the future. Those bases don't make America any safer, they piss people off."

MoshpitTragedy.com: What do you think of talk about the Mayan calendar ending and a supposed apocalypse in 2012?

"I'll let you know in 2013."

To read the entire interview go here.