the punks are alright~

After watching The Punks are Alright, I felt a new appreciation for punk music and gained a new understanding of its relevance and tangible impact on the world today. Before the movie, I had a general impression of punk music-- I identified it with countercultural movements and rebellions, but always saw it as an almost pointless, directionless release of anger and a directly confrontational and inefficient type of music. I did not see the big picture, the networks it creates across the globe, and I did not fully appreciate what it stands for and what it offers to people who have no other 'remedy' in their lives. This movie brought me that new understanding and allowed me to view the punk scene as something more. I learned that while punk music is a confrontational form of action, it it is not directionless; it creates a participatory field through confrontational means and unites people all over the world into a community outside of society, drawing attention to a shared message and creating solutions outside the capitalist system.

Part of why the movie was so effective in clearing away my misconceptions of punk music is because it provided a platform for real people to tell their individual stories about punk and its effect on their lives. Following the chain of influence from the Forgotten Rebels in Canada to the Blind Pigs in Brazil to Bastagan/Superman is Dead in Indonesia gave personal stories and faces to a genre that for me was initially just impersonal and loud and pointless. I began to understand the positions these people were in and the integral part that punk played in their lives; I identified indirectly in many ways with the artists and respected their initiative in incorporating punk into their very being. I now see punk as more than just music; I see it as a DIY, creative solution to seemingly inescapable situations and an escape from an ingrained capitalist culture. Punk has the ability to foster empowerment and to let people to take back control over their lives. (In Indonesia, it is powerful enough to dispel the "slave mentality" created by Dutch colonialism decades ago and perpetuated by modern capitalism. It is also an alternative to making the choice between the religious orthodoxy of Islam and western-based consumption.) Punk allows people to create an entire new community outside "the system"-- a community with ideals outside of the capitalist framework. The movie also allowed me to better know my part in their story, as a citizen of the world.

I am aware of the economic disparities between developed countries (the United States in particular) and the third world nations where we plant our factories and take advantage of cheap labor. I know the US is responsible for the crippling of governments in these host countries and their forced dependence on foreign investment; I know American factories create underpaid, unsafe, miserable jobs. I know that we take advantage of other nations and that "this is capitalism." But whenever I think about these issues I become overwhelmed and frustrated; I sometimes hide behind the illusion of distance (geographical, usually) and rarely end up changing my habits as a consumer. But I do realize the interconnectedness of politics, economics, and people around the globe and I know the world is getting smaller because of this. This movie has helped me come to terms with how much my choices and actions directly impact people around the globe, people with real lives like in The Punks are Alright. It also highlights the part that music plays in helping these people create awareness for their cause.

I cannot possibly begin to imagine everything these artists have gone through and exactly how much punk music means to them. Punk is not a part of my life like it is theirs because, from my privileged position on the other end of this capitalist system, I do not have the same need for it as they do. But though we do not share the same individual experiences, I can indirectly relate to their lifeways because the concept of using music as an escape is one that I identify with (though our circumstances and environments are completely different). I play music to be out of myself, and I appreciate the idea of using music not against other people but as a form of personal expression and self liberation. I also admire the creativity and resolve of these artists because sometimes when confronted with huge issues I become frustrated and paralyzed. Seeing these people create an outlet, a way out, in the midst of poverty and oppression is simply inspirational.