The Punks are Alright!

In today's world, punk music seems to be a relic of the period of time in American history when people felt oppressed by the government and the corporate leaders. Since that period (late '80s - early '00s), punk music has declined in popularity in the United States due to the off-shoring of industrial jobs. This does not mean that punk music is dead—in fact, in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia it is alive and thriving. After watching the documentary, The Punks are Alright!, my perception of the youth culture in these two countries has been rectified. For many of them, punk music could be their salvation.

Punk music may be seen as aggressive and combative, but it is actually the voicing of a political statement in which it unites people to fight against "the man". In a third world country such as Brazil, punk music provides a platform in which the oppressed citizens can speak out against the corrupt society and unfair labor laws. Before watching this documentary, my perception was that punk music was just pointless negativity and an attempt to spread anarchy by the youth; however, after watching how punk music effected and enhanced the lives of the people in these countries, I believe it is a beneficial and valuable part of their society. The children who are growing up playing punk music are the keeping themselves from being involved in things such as the drug trade and other illegal activities. These are sometimes the only option the youth of Brazil and Indonesia have—a reality that most of the first world ignores.

Their lifestyles are so different from me, in the first world, I couldn't possibly fully comprehend the troubles and the struggle the artists in this documentary deal with on a daily basis. I admit to being content in my ignorance and knowingly overlook the unrest in distant regions of the world such as Indonesia. I live such a comfortable and blessed life that it is easier at times to not focus on other people's problems when I can avoid it. I have unknowingly been supporting this unfair and corrupt system my entire life by choosing to live in ignorance. By choosing to purchase products that were manufactured overseas, individuals like Dolly will continue to be unable to support themselves and their families.

Dolly is a factory worker living in Indonesia whose life is directly interrelated with consumers in countries such as the U.S.. Since labor unions and a minimum wage are in effect in the United States, factory and industrial jobs have been outsourced to third world countries where cheap labor can be provided. There are no laws in place that protect workers from unfair treatment, hours, or wages. This means that as long as consumers buy products that were manufactured in these countries, the laborers will be unable to live happy, fulfilling lives. That is why punk music is important to those in these regions; it provides a way to release aggression, have fun, and voice their disgruntlement with their society.

Punk music originated in London, New York, and Detroit and spread all around the world. It was so powerful that a Canadian band (The Forgotten Rebels) could make an impact on a young Brazilian boy's life. In turn, that young boy would grow up and form his own punk rock band (The Blind Pigs) whose music and message would help and inspire people across the globe—like it did for Dolly. Indonesia (where Dolly lives) has the largest Muslim population in the entire world. Brazil has the largest catholic population in the world. Any religion or any group of people who are feeling this way can identify with punk music; it transcends issues such as religion and unites people with very different lifestyles and ideologies under one banner. For people like Dolly, this is the only banner that they associate themselves with.

In the documentary, Dolly stated, "Punk is the remedy for my sickness." This statement pertained to the unfair and unfulfilling life he was living. This creates a paradox—the ones who originally provided his remedy, (Punk music), also administer his poison; allowing unfair and unjust practices to take place in these offshore factories. If these unfair practices did not exist, people like Dolly wouldn't be able to identify with the music and it would not have such an impact. Dolly says that if everyone in the world were "punks", there would be no wars or oppression. Without injustice, there would be no punk music. Since there will inevitably be injustice, all forms of punk music will never just become a relic of times past.