Sunday, March 19, 2017

This machine kills fascists

The songs currently being released daily through the Our First 100 Days project may all be directed against Donald Trump, but I don't suppose anyone (including the artists) expects that they'll bring him down; instead, the purpose of the project is to raise funds for campaign groups that might do so.

But, as this Pitchfork article by Jes Skolnik underlines, certain punk songs have in the past been instrumental in deposing right-wing/fascist leaders and dictators. The piece is both a testimony to the potential political power of punk and a reminder of its cultural currency over a long period of time and right around the world, from Belgium to South Africa and Chile.

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