Hendo’s Headspace – The Time and Place for Punk Tactics
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It was only after my 5th or 6th listen to “PUNK TACTICS” by the Beastie Boys-esque rap group Joey Valence & Brae, that I gave a thought to the title and chorus of “hit ya with the punk tactics”. No one would mistake this track for a punk song, but the duo’s use of the word Punk is so innocuous that I doubt anyone’s ever even considered it strange. This is because we all innately understand that there’s another meaning of the word “Punk” distinct from musical genre and fashion aesthetic. That said, it can be hard to describe what this meaning of Punk is exactly. As the punk artist and set designer of Pee Wee’s Playhouse, Gary Panter responded to a question about the meaning of Punk “I don’t know, I just draw pictures”. Fair point, but I think Joey Valence & Brae are on to something. This other meaning of the word Punk implies a strategic method of action, a tactic used by the underdog. With so few tools in the current political environment, we, the Non-MAGA, Anti-AI, Anti-War, and/or Anti-racist people of America are in a disadvantaged situation, so now might be the time to take a look at underdog strategies like Punk Tactics, and see if there might be anything we can use.
A solid place to start when considering what Punk Tactics might entail would be their tactical cousin. Guerilla Tactics (often misstated as Gorilla) are something most Americans would claim to know, but few could accurately describe. Guerillas are on about the same level of awareness as the sport of curling. Something people have heard about on TV that occurs in other places; occasionally involving the United States, but not in a way that anyone is proud of. Guerilla is the combination of “Guerra” and “Illa”, together meaning “little war” in Spanish, It is the modern name for an ancient military strategy, employed when a smaller force is self-aware enough to realize that it would get crushed in an open fight. Instead, the underdogs take to Guerilla Tactics, avoiding a “fair fight” and instead popping in and out of hiding, and attacking weak points when situations provide advantages. Long before the term Guerilla existed, the early Americans used these tactics during the Revolutionary War, and even longer before that, the Gauls used Guerilla Tactics to harass Roman invaders. Like Guerilla Tactics but far less violent, Punk Tactics are a useful method of action to overcome otherwise adverse odds, but in an imbalanced media, political, and cultural environment instead of on the battlefield.
While it’s clear that Punk Tactics are a tool used by the disadvantaged, its only through the review of past uses of Punk Tactics that we can see how they help even the odds. The strategies that we think of as Punk were made well known by the hardcore, punk, and alternative rock bands of the 1980’s, who faced an uphill battle against popular music industry of their time. Punk Tactics include methods of spreading information through inexpensive independent media (zines, posters, stickers, graffiti, etc.), advocacy for political stances through art and its creators, organizing and growth of likeminded groups, and the use of any public platforms that provide an opportunity to reach a wide audience; often in a way that shocks the mainstream and draw more attention to issues. These are all different ways to gain attention, give power to a voiceless group, and grow a counter culture revolution despite the odds.
Punk Tactics are mainly a method of spreading information, growing power, and building community despite a lack of resources and institutional power. With that in mind, it becomes possible to look further back and find other examples of Punk Tactics successfully employed by a variety of movements. While the word punk didn’t exist yet, the revolutionaries in Nazi occupied France and Spain were using Punk Tactics to speak out against fascism and grow power. They created underground newspapers and radio broadcasts and spoke out against fascist abuses through their art. The painting Guernica became one of the most famous works of anti-fascist art, and many of their political songs became worldwide hits that were translated into many languages and inspired volunteers to join the cause.
In a different time and place, but with very similar disadvantages, the Native American movement of West Coast occupied the prison on Alcatraz and drew TV news cameras to the site of their dramatic (and certainly punk) protest for their rights. In both situations, the media and political environment was completely opposed to the speech of these communities, and yet they found ways to reach an audience and redirect the conversation in a way that would benefit their movements.
Punk Tactics can be applied in a variety of situations, but they are most useful in the exact situation we happen to be in: a lack of financial resources, a media environment that has shut out dissent, and a political class that is totally adverse to our goals. This was the situation faced by the punk rockers, and to a greater extent by the anti-Nazi revolutionaries and Native American activists. In times when everything was stacked against them, they were still able to spread their message through the use of Punk Tactics and grow in power to the extent that other options and strategies became available.
The Zohran campaign for New York City Mayor has powered itself on Punk Tactics like flyers, canvassers, artist endorsements, and other cheap media. This confirms that these methods still work even in our modern internet culture. And it’s not just that one positive example, artists in all different mediums are using Punk Tactics to speak out against Palestine, against war in Iran, against AI, and more. Speaking of rappers with undeniable Punk Tactics, Kneecap are inventing and innovating in this space to draw attention to the Palestinian Genocide and other abuses by the UK government and worldwide. While Zohran and Kneecap may be on the cutting edge, both are inspiring thousands around them to take similar public stances.
However it’s important to remember that Punk Tactics aren’t only limited to the work of artists and politicians. What the Punk Tacticians of the past have shown us, is that their strength comes through their low barrier to entry. Almost anyone can print a flyer, attend a town meeting, share info with neighbors, or start a group chat. When the entire community of punks works together and uses these tactics well, it seems that the entire world takes notice, whether the forces in power like it or not.
Previous Hendo’s Headspaces
Shorter in Person / Best of 2024
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Written by Henderson
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