Anarcho Punks...

As I shuffled around my brain on what to write for my blog tonight
I was listening to my iTunes and one of my favorite songs,
Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious by Against Me!,
started to play.






I personally think this song has a wonderful message. I think that it flat out spells out modern anarchistic thought and does it better than any book ever could. We, as anarchists, envision a society of, by, and for the citizens of the society. A world in which the governed are able to directly govern themselves. And most importantly a world where the people of the society are able to focus and work together towards a common goal with others of a like mind.
When people walk down the street and see an anarcho-punk teenager they see a kid who's angry at their parents and who will grow out of it. That teenager may have the right goal but no clue how to get there and may think that random vandolizations and angry actions work towards his goal. Any one who has a brick thrown through their window is going to harbor ill feelings towards whoever did it, regardless of intent or purpose. Not withstanding actually having possibly targeted an institution which is in dire need of an overthrow like a wal-mart or a starbucks.
The point is that throwing bricks accomplishes nothing but creating ill-will towards the movement. And the truly sad part is that the kid throwing the brick does it with all the best intentions in the world, but those kinds of people don't see how they're sabotaging themselves in the process. That's the song. It makes all the difference in the world how we conduct and present ourselves.
I can guarantee that I'm the best neighbor that the people who live around me have ever had. And because of it when the topic comes up in conversation and I express my dissatisfaction with the current social, economic, and political system in America they might actually listen. The may agree or not, but the fact is that without a little respect for them as individuals regardless of their willingness to buy into a system I personally hate.
Not to say that direct action isn't a necessary part of the anarchist movement. It is. And it works. There's a time and a place for direct action and I'm firmly of the opinion that it has to be a last resort if anarchists are to be taken seriously. And even then, it should only be used against the powers which are directly doing the oppressing and not on the people who would allies in the struggle.
Like all art, songs are subject to opinion. I hear this song and I hear what I want to hear. But I'm very comfortable with that and I think that as many people as possible should hear it and form their own opinions. And then use those opinions to have a discussion, because a discussion about our future is something that has been sorely missing from everyday conversation for a great many years.