A Political Text

It's my birthday today, so I feel like writing about things *I* want to tell (instead of catering to others).

I wrote a lot about hardcore techno, history, subcultures, in relation to politics, political ideas, political movements.
And a lot of people got angry and yelled "Hardcore was not political in the 90s. People were against politics".

And it's not true. Outside the "big commercial" labels and events, the movement was very political, it was run by political people, anarchists communists, and so on, manifestos were written, leaflets were handed around. gabber basses hit home next to anarchist bookstores.

i know it, because i was there, because other people who were there confirmed this. but more than that; even the non-hardcore and / or mainstream press described the hardcore techno movement as radical, political, and anarchist.

but that is not what i want to talk about! because, yes. you are right. not everyone was political who listened to hardcore, gabber, and speedcore. not everyone owned a book by kropotkin or had a shirt with a socialist slogan. very true. some even despised the thought of politics, or could not care less.

but, and that's the big "but".
the scene was accepting. it was tolerant. to all kind of weirdos and freaks and bizarre people. and no one was really judging each other. everyone had his / her / their own things.
maybe someone never wore shoes and walked around in socks everywhere. or someone was into occultism and talked about rituals all the time. or someone had poor personal hygiene (well, a lot of us did, right?) we were all into this together, and we accepted that everyone is different and had their own strange things they were enthusiastic or hell-bent about.

so if someone was a card-carrying communist. and talked about politics all the time at parties or other music meetings.
then even those who hated politics or thought that this guy or girl or they was completely off their minds.
was accepting this and thinking "well yeah that's just how they are. we can't help it". no-one called for a removal of people like this, from social circles, from parties, or even from the scene (like it is done today!).

then, over the years, something happened.
opposition to the "freaks" began to grow.
people really tried to go against the political types. (and later, against others, too).

and not because they thought that left wing and radical politics would be "really dangerous".
they argued that these humans were on the wrong track, deluded, out-of-their minds, talking bullshit, weaklings.
and if they were allowed to "roam" the hardcore scene, they could weaken it, like a virus, like vermin.

it reminded me a bit of the "fascist" monologue towards the end of the movie videodrome... how "we" (as the scene) needed to be bold and clear and direct... and could no longer accept weakness and weaklings and "soft" people with "strange" ideas...

and yeah. i think all of this is an expression of a kind of "non-political" fascism. that one somehow needs to be strong-willed and "sane" in one's mind and behavior, and not be a "weirdo".


i mean, yes, it's true. there were, and there are a lot of cliché characters in the subculture, people who run around, talk about socialism and revolutions, while still not living in a home of their own, "who never had a partner", who will never start an actual revolution... likely...

but, i ask you, what is so bad about that? seriously? why would you judge?

if you think such human beings are disgusting or worth despising... well then you have the completely wrong picture.

the HC sub-culture was always accepting of all kind of weirdos, freaks, outcasts, "as long as they harm no other". accepting of "softies" and "pseudo-intellectual wanna-be revolutionaries", too.

regardless of whether you feel "political" or not... let's keep it this way!