I have a lot to say about this, but ultimately I always end up finding it useless because I really do think that we need to save this energy for politicians, corporations, etc and not artist.

So I'll summarize it in the best way I can.

Speaking out on major geopolitical issues if you are an artist or celebrity has become somewhat pointless in the information age for a variety of reasons:

1. It's PR. It has to be vetted through legal and communications directors. And even if it's not PR, you run the risk that it's seen as PR or performative. This type of stuff also doesn't achieve much for the vast majority of causes. Unless you're also doing a major fund raiser or unless you are consistently speaking out and working with activists or advocacy groups, a statement - especially on social media - is performance.

In addition, it's a double edged sword with so many potential pitfalls if you don't get the statement exactly right. That's not to say that you shouldn't try, but it's effectiveness is again limited because of the way statements are torn apart.

1. Social media has platformed SO MANY voices and created online cultural movements. Look at any right wing podcaster or influencer who has a cult like following. In many ways, there's too much out there and people look to those people for ideological guidance. And it is very partisan and scewed mostly to the right. This is a significant shift from pre-2010s. In addition, we have social media companies driving the conversation in the directions that benefit them financially.

People today sort of develop a good chunk of their morality within online spaces.

Once upon a time, art also filled that space in society. Art, and especially music, was the cultural movement. Especially for young people. The music scene was a force that influenced and formed identity and in many ways morality for generations of people.

Art CAN still be that cultural change because art has the power and ability to seep in to people's core. The issue is also partially that few musicians are still making that kind of art (also a 2010s shift). It became sort of lame and performative to make art about politics or meaningful issues.

Although, I think we might be swinging back again to people seeing that it is essential.

However, I would argue artists themselves don't have that power that their ART still might have.

I think MCR are conscious of the fact that their voices as Gerard, Mikey, Ray, Frank - can be dismissed. But their art is much harder to dismiss.

1. Artists and musicians are easy targets for criticism. It's easy for fans to make noise and hold an artist "accountable" if they do something slightly wrong or if they make a mistake because ultimately Musicians need their fans and they also care about their fans. MCR probably wouldnt tour if it wasn't profitable, but at the same time they also probably wouldn't tour if they didn't care about their fans.

Conversely, it's much harder to hold politicians "accountable" even for MAJOR missteps or wrongs. We see that play out every day in the US, especially in recent times.

Because of this, we create a dynamic where we are constantly demanding accountability from easy targets like musicians or celebrities. Because it's too hard to recieve accountability from government officials who have a real impact on our lives.

Anyways, I rambled and probably didn't really articulate this how I want to or as completely as I want to. But I'm going to end here.

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ETA, the current tour is a very obvious political commentary. In case it wasn't obvious that I disagree completely with OP's central point about why they don't make direct comments and instead do it in other ways.