Left or Right? Which way do you lean?

TestTubeTeen · Puppy Joined: 30 Mar 2004 Posts: 212 Location: France

My political compass
Economic Left/Right: -7.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.03
I'll bring the Dalai-Lama and Ghandi to my punk-rock-peace-and-love-party too!

Hexa · Fierce Poodle Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 279

I got the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela.

I wonder if this test takes into account that Ghandi was pro-caste system and went on hunger strike to ensure the cast system stayed in place and that Amedkar would lose the struggle to make all Indian people equal. ????? Probably not.

Slackeruprizing · Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 8:34 am Post subject:

It would be a seriously boring world if everyone were the same. Political concepts or movements that seek to make everyone the same is strange.

Is "Punk" pro-establishment?

Hexa · Fierce Poodle Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 279

Oh.
I was merely commenting on the misconception that Gandhi was some sort of immaculate deity. While he was an extraordinary person who did much for this world, he also did some pretty questionable things. (Like his opinions about the Jews during WWII. He said they should have “offered themselves to the butcher’s knife”.)

But since you asked:
Punk is a culture. It may have started as a socio-political movement, but it has developed into a culture. I do think Punk is anti-establishment as a culture, and I don’t think Punk wants everyone to be the same, but Punk also has rules and ideologies. Different ‘tribes’, if you will, have difference ideals about Punk, but there are still “guidelines”. We have a traditional way of dress, form of music, way of dancing, look for our art, way of viewing the world, we are establishing certain dietary (including alcohol) traditions and even a traditional way of speaking to one another. (The heavy doses of sarcasm, especially in lyrics, the way we tend to say what we think instead of being passive aggressive and our sense of humor). Sure, we don’t have to subscribe to all of it, but Punk isn’t exactly a ‘free for all’.
I’ve always considered Punk to be pretty strict, actually. I remember the days when kids who were not accepted tried to show up in Doc Martins and they were beaten down and walked home barefoot. There are all kinds of rules in the pit. There are all kinds of ethical and ideological guidelines different “tribes” of Punks and Skins follow. There are even issues over bathing! As time goes on the groups get tighter and tighter and argue with one another about these ideologies. Example: Crusties are usually extremely left-wing and Skins are usually very “working class”. On the whole we agree about the most basic stuff, though.
I’ve never had a problem with accepting the rules of my culture. Sure, I still do whatever I want despite those rules, but I admit that 8 times out of ten I’ll naturally go along with the Punk cultural norm by default. I’ve been Punk for nearly 25 years and to be honest, I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t “blend” with regular American society even when I try anymore. Subtleties like sense of humor and speech patterns give me away. Like I said, I’m an individual, but my culture is Punk…. Instead of being American or Irish, or Christian, or Jewish or whatever … I’m Punk. It doesn’t control me, but it is a big part of who I am.

Slackeruprizing · Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 6:02 pm Post subject:

Hexa · Fierce Poodle Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 279

I openly admit to having nihilist tendencies. LOL. Not specifically the 19th century Russian definition, though. I do not believe in terrorism, of course.
It is really amusing how many Punk philosophies parallel Russian political history. You think? Examples: Nihilism, the Red Skins, Anarchism… which is really more of a socialist-communist movement…Marxist philosophy, the whole romanticism of the “revolutionary”.

Early Punk seemed more like Dadaism, but that ideal kind of crumbled the same way Dadaism crumbled and it evolved into something else. And it is kinda weird it didn’t evolve more toward Fabianism. I guess Fabianism is too pragmatic for Punk. Violent revolt is more romantic and Fabianism believed in gradual, non-violent change.
Ugh…. I hope I’m just sounding like some sort of billowing steam train here. LOL…..

TestTubeTeen · Puppy Joined: 30 Mar 2004 Posts: 212 Location: France

Enforcer · Alley Cat Joined: 09 May 2005 Posts: 182

I'm not really trying to be a Republican or a Liberal or anything. I'm just a bitter f*cker who's tired of getting bullshit from the public.

makestuff69 · Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 8:51 am Post subject:

uh huh uh huh its ur birthday o yea sorry i had a bad night last nigh and a sucky morning

Slackeruprizing · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:42 pm Post subject:

lawn_gnomes_r_evil502 · Lion Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 931 Location: Indiana

alright, im not good at organized thought, but here goes:

as far as i'm conserned, punks today are hippies with mohawks( sorr for the stereotype, but it fits) we want to make a change, but of course, were frowned upon beacuase we have a different opinion. were not nessicarily prone to violence, as a matter of fact, after your in a punk "tribe" its your new family, sorta like hippies and... busses haha. but anyways, every punk group has a different political philosophy but it all consists around what america was made for: life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness.

punkscribe1 · Not So Newbie Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 6

politics is for faggots :(