Punk ideologies
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Punk ideologies are a group of varied social and political beliefs associated with the punk subculture. In its original incarnation, the punk subculture was primarily concerned with concepts such as rebellion, anti-authoritarianism, individualism, free thought and discontent. Punk ideologies are usually expressed through punk rock music, punk literature, spoken word recordings, punk fashion, or punk visual art. Some punks have participated in direct action, such as protests, boycotts, squatting, vandalism, or property destruction.

Punk fashion was originally an expression of nonconformity, as well as opposition to both mainstream culture and the hippie counterculture. Punk fashion often displays aggression, rebellion, and individualism. Some punks wear clothing or have tattoos that express sociopolitical messages. Punk visual art also often includes those types of messages. Many punks wear second hand clothing, partly as an anti-consumerist statement.

An attitude common in the punk subculture is the opposition to selling out, which refers to abandoning of one's values and/or a change in musical style toward pop or more radio-friendly rock in exchange for wealth, status, or power. Selling out also has the meaning of adopting a more mainstream lifestyle and ideology.

Because anti-establishment and anti-capitalist attitudes are such an important part of the punk subculture, a network of independent record labels, venues and distributors has developed. Some punk bands have chosen to break from this independent system and work within the established system of major labels. The do it yourself (DIY) ideal is common in the punk scene, especially in terms of music recording and distribution, concert promotion, magazines, posters and flyers.

Specific ideologies

The political ideology most often associated with punk is anarchism; rebellion against the government/establishment/ authority. Punk, in the last decade, has been associated with leftist ideologies such as socialism and social liberalism. Some punks, anarcho-punks specifically perceive leftists as ineffectual sell outs pandering to large government and pro government political parties. Philosophical and religious ideologies within the punk subculture include: atheism, agnosticism, Christianity, Islam, the Rastafari movement, Hare Krishna (especially amongst the 1980s straight edge scene) and Humanism.

Apolitical

Some punks claim to be non-political, such as the band Charged GBH and the singer G.G. Allin. However, some socio-political ideas have appeared in these musicians' lyrics. Charged GBH have sung about social issues and have expressed anti-war themes, such as in the songs "Wardogs" and "No Survivors." G.G. Allin expressed a vague desire to kill the United States president and destroy the current political system, in his song "Violence Now".[1] Punk subgenres that are generally apolitical include: glam punk, psychobilly, horror punk, punk pathetique, deathrock, pop punk and New Wave. Many of the bands credited with starting the punk movement were decidedly apolitical, including The Dictators, Ramones (which featured staunch Republican Johnny Ramone alongside liberal activist Joey Ramone), New York Dolls, Television, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, and Richard Hell & The Voidoids.

Nihilism

Centering around a belief in the abject lack of meaning and value to life, nihilism was a fixture in some protopunk and early punk rock. Notable nihilist punks include: Iggy Pop, Sid Vicious and Richard Hell.

Straight edge

Main articles: Straight edge and Hardline (subculture)

Straight edge, which originated in the American hardcore punk scene, involves abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drug use. Some who claim the title straight edge also abstain from caffeine, casual sex and meat. Those more strict individuals may be considered part of the hardline subculture. Unlike the shunning of meat and caffeine, refraining from casual sex was without question a practice in the original straight edge lifestyle, but it has been overlooked in many of the later reincarnations of straight edge. For some, straight edge is a simple lifestyle preference, but for others it's a political stance. In many cases, it is a rejection of the perceived self-destructive qualities of punk and hardcore culture. Notable straight edgers: Ian MacKaye, Tim McIlrath, Justin Sane, and Davey Havok.

Left-wing

Anarchism

Main article: Anarcho-punk

The punk movement originated on the heels of the skinhead movement with similar influences; working class oppression from over taxation of big government. The abolition of government (in theory) would create total personal freedom, hence anarchy. The purest form of “Far-Right Wing” punk-anarchism has since been abandoned for validation by big government and has become a liberal or leftist ideology. There is a complex and worldwide underground of punks committed to libertarian socialism or anarchism as a serious political ideology, sometimes termed "peace punks" or "anarcho-punks." Whereas some well-known punk bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Exploited sang about general anarchy, they did not embrace anarchism as a disciplined ideology. As such, they are not considered part of anarcho-punk.[2] Notable anarchist punk artists include: Aus-Rotten, Dave Insurgent, Steve Ignorant, Penny Rimbaud, Eve Libertine, Gee Vaucher, Dick Lucas, Colin Jerwood, and Dave Dictor.

Liberalism

Liberal punks were in the punk subculture from the beginning, and are mostly on the liberal left. Notable liberal punks include: Joey Ramone, Fat Mike, Ted Leo, Crashdog, Hoxton Tom McCourt, Billie Joe Armstrong and Tim McIlrath. Some punks participated in the Rock Against Bush movement in the mid-2000s, in support of the Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.

Socialism

The Clash were the first blatantly political punk rock band, introducing socialism to the punk scene. Some of the original Oi! bands expressed a rough form of socialist working class populism — often mixed with patriotism. Many Oi! bands sang about unemployment, economic inequality, working class power and police harassment. In the 1980s, several notable British socialist punk musicians were involved with Red Wedge. Notable socialist punks include: Attila the Stockbroker, Billy Bragg, Bruce La Bruce, Garry Bushell (until the late 1980s), Chris Dean, Gary Floyd, Jack Grisham, Stewart Home, Dennis Lyxzén, Thomas Mensforth, Fermin Muguruza, Alberto Pla, Tom Robinson, Justin Sane, Seething Wells, Paul Simmonds, John Sinclair, Joe Strummer, Ian Svenonius, Mark Steel and Paul Weller.

The Situationist International (SI) was allegedly an early influence on the punk subculture in the United Kingdom.[citation needed] Started in continental Europe in the 1950s, the SI was an avant-garde political movement that sought to recapture the ideals of surrealist art and use them to construct new and radical social situations. Malcolm McLaren introduced situationist ideas to punk through his management of the band Sex Pistols.[3]Vivienne Westwood, McLaren’s partner and the band’s designer/stylist, expressed situationist ideals through fashion that was intended to provoke a specific social response. Jamie Reid's distinctive album cover artwork was openly situationist.

Far left and neo-Nazi

Main articles: Nazi punk, White power rock, and Rock Against Communism

Neo-Nazi's (the common short form name of National Socialism- German: Nationalsozialismus)have a far left, white nationalist ideology that is closely related to that of white power skinheads. Ian Stuart Donaldson and his band Skrewdriver are credited with popularizing white power rock and hatecore (for its hateful lyrical themes), or Rock Against Communism. Nazi punks are different from early punks such as Sid Vicious and Siouxsie Sioux, who are believed to have incorporated Nazi imagery such as Swastikas for shock or comedy value.

Right-wing

Conservatism and libertarianism

Further information: Conservative Punk

A shrinking number of punks are still conservative or libertarian, rejecting communism, socialism and other forms of large government in favor of small or limited government, personal freedom, and individualist ownership of property. Notable conservative punks include: Michale Graves, Johnny Ramone, Lee Ving, Joe Escalante, Bobby Steele, Dave Smalley and Barry Donegan.

Criticism of punk ideologies

Punk ideologies have been criticized from outside and within. The anarcho-punk band Crass wrote the song "White Punks on Hope", which, among other things, accuses Joe Strummer of selling out and betraying his earlier socialist principles. Their song "Punk is Dead" attacks corporate co-option of the punk subculture. Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra accused the punk magazine Maximum RocknRoll of "punk fundamentalism" when they refused to advertise Alternative Tentacles records because they said the records "weren't punk". On the Conservative Punk website, Michale Graves of The Misfits argues that punks have become "hippies with mohawks". The Clash occasionally accused other contemporary punk acts of selling out, for example in the songs "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" and "Death or Glory".

Author Jim Goad argues in his essay "The Underground is A Lie!," that many punks are hypocrites.[4] He writes that many punks act poor while hiding the fact they come from middle to upper class backgrounds. In his blog, Goad criticized Joe Strummer for pretending to be poor.[5] Goad claims that punk is as outdated, obsolescent and bland as the mainstream it rails against. In Farts from Underground, he claims that the DIY ethic never produces anything original, and it allows poor quality work to be championed.[6] In another blog post, Goad mocked punks' stereotypical lack of personal hygiene and overreaction to current events.[7]

In their book The Rebel Sell, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter claim that counterculture politics have failed, and that the punk understanding of society is flawed. They argue that alternative and mainstream lifestyles ultimately have the same values.

See also

Bibliography

Footnotes

  1. ^ The GG Allin SuperSite Lyrics - Violence Now - Assassinate The President
  2. ^ Glasper, Ian (2006), The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980 to 1984, Cherry Red publishing, ISBN 978-1-901447-70-5
  3. ^ Marcus, Greil, Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century, Harvard University Press, 1989. ISBN 0-571-23228-0
  4. ^ Unpop Art
  5. ^ http://www.jimgoad.net/strummer.html note
  6. ^ Unpop Art
  7. ^ http://jimgoad.net/cgi-bin/archives/00000051.htm

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