Subcultural Anarchism—a Rebellion that Doesn’t Strike the System

From Black Cloud Speaker translated by a friend of Anarchistnews.

In recent decades, the anarchist movement has been closely tied to counterculture. Many people are drawn to libertarian ideas through their affinity for punk music, and even among those outside the movement, the image of an anarchist is often associated with a mohawk and a leather jacket. Moreover, many bands sing not only about spontaneous protest against society but also directly call for a struggle against the state and capital. 

While in the past many people would transition from the subculture to conscious revolutionary activity, however, the opposite trend can now be observed in the post-Soviet space. There is a shift away from struggle. Energy and time are being spent not on organizing protests, but on holding seemingly apolitical concerts. But experience has shown that the authorities crack down on nonconformists even if they do not proclaim anti-state slogans. So is this energy being spent wisely? 

The problem runs even deeper. Anarchism seems to be becoming less of an idea and more of a mechanical adherence to subcultural clichés. To be an anarchist, you have to listen to certain music and wear certain clothes. Direct struggle against the state is not a defining factor. After all, anarchy lies in leading a certain way of life, not in revolutionary activity. Thus, style prevails over substance. Thus precedent is born, in which a person, while espousing utterly reactionary ideas, still positions themselves as an anarchist, and no one challenges this. 

These trends began a long time ago, but they have now intensified significantly due to the escalating repression of the anarchist movement in Russia and Belarus. The most telling manifestation of this is “lifestyle anarchism”—that is, living as if a stateless society has already been established on the planet. But this is nothing more than escapism. As long as the state and capital exist, shows will be raided and squats evicted. 

Replacing revolutionary struggle with subculture not only does nothing to bring about the collapse of hierarchies and oppression, but also directly benefits capital. Literally everything is being commercialized, and people who were originally anti-establishment don’t fight against the system; instead, they buy T-shirts with “anarchy” printed on them, pay for subscriptions to listen to rebellious tracks, and sometimes even reproduce hierarchical systems by excluding those who don’t fit the subcultural norm. And so the system transforms what was originally counterculture into the flip side of the coin of the conformist lifestyle. The symbols are opposite, but the essence is the same—consumption and reproduction of hierarchies. We do not stand against subculture as such! Songs inspire people to fight, and rebellion doesn’t always begin with strikes, street battles, and burning barricades. It often starts with clothes that challenge the status quo, speaking out loudly against the system, and lifestyles that reject the mundane, conformist way of life. But don’t limit yourself to that! This is just the beginning, not the whole journey. Listen closely to [the lyrics of] the songs to which you listen. They sing about this, too.