We are no different from the norms. You can hate the norms, but know that in the end it will come around to hating yourselves. The punk aesthetic is just another marketable cultural subset, one that is capitalized upon, repackaged, and sold for the benefit of those who have neither the need nor the wish to understand what “punk” even means, or ever meant. By perpetuating the “us” and “them” mentality we are only playing into their hands and lining their pockets. We are encouraged to be solely reactionary—reactionary politics, reactionary religion, reactionary emotions. If you are content, if there is nothing in this system that makes you want to stand up, then punk is dead. Where’s your anger? Alcohol fuels the scene rather than ideas. Gang mentality and superficial fads thrive rather than individual courage and the embracing of differences. There is this constant undercurrent that seems to push us into wanting to relive the eighties or the so-called “good old days,” either by actually pretending we are living in the past or by just desperately trying to look like it. We have to get together and make these the good days, make the present a unique and welcoming place where we all want to be all the time.
We have to question what we think of as “punk” and make it about unity and ideas, not just appearances and alcohol. The atmosphere in this country has been “Party in the USA!” “As long as I get to keep my stuff I’ll party on all over everybody!” and it’s been counterproductive. Drunk is how they want you, using booze to kill the pain so you can’t see we’re all the same. Anger is misdirected at yourself rather than being used to attack the ever-sprawling system that keeps you down. Let the anger out, don’t take it in. They want us to be fighting ourselves and each other so that we never bother to upset that system. We play the part, never wanting to admit that punk has become just another institution, a style, a group, a sect, a hollow idol. Ride that wave, and we’ll see how long it will support us, how far it will get us. Where is the threat? Don’t destroy just to destroy—destroy to create.
lyrics
Punx are norms We are part of the problem Try to thinks there’s a difference between us and them Just same social group structure Just assimilation Another costume game mask not much different from the norms Another bullshit subculture It’s an institution it’s not your friend Like mainstream culture We follow and try to fit in and judge the other side everyone thinks it’s someone else’s self can’t blame ourself just following again conforming where is the threat????? Punx are norms No place for dialogue no room for discussion we are the same but They want us Fighting each other we are playing into their games and structures we fit the part You know the enemy But you know they got us how they want us to be Drunk rage and that gang mentality it’s not fighting the system It’s fighting ourselves punk is dead if you’re content and there’s no threat and we engage In the same petty games and judgments And if we don’t realize that we live in prison then we’ll never ever ever will get out and if we don’t move on and we don’t realize that we are in prison then you’ll never get out
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