Anti-Flag
Progressive Politics Through Punk Rock
2004-09-23
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On a sunbaked afternoon, backstage at the Warped Tour, Pat Thetic (drums) of Anti-Flag
sits down to talk about politics. From the recent Weathermen documentary to quotes
from Ghandi, the conversation meanders from topic to topic but never veers very
far away from the political. In an age where the public discourse is a veritable
shit-storm of accusations, commissions and nightly reports of new dead in the
Middle East, it’s not surprising that a band with a name like Anti-Flag
might have some explaining to do. Banner-waving patriots call them un-American;
but for thousands of skate brat adolescents, Anti-Flag strikes a chord.
“I think in many ways the voting process alienates young people and doesn’t have a real effect on them” Pat muses about the current downturn in 18- to 25-year-olds who actually make it to the polls on Election Day. “But the thing that makes this election different is that the Bush regime is sending our military all over the world to kill people and that has an impact on young people. When they personally know someone fighting over in Iraq, it starts to hit home,” he explains. “And there’s more invested in the electoral process. The fact that people we know, our friends and relatives, are going off to fight an unjust war for corporations and for money…that’s where it’s so wrong.”
When Anti-Flag formed back in 1988 in Glenshaw, PA, they were just a couple of muskrats with nothing better to do and punk rock on the brain. Despite some extended hiatuses from playing, due to a shuffling lineup of singers and bassists, the band as it is known today came together in 1999 and is now a staple on the Fat Wreck Chords label. Being tight with the label’s head Fat Mike has also added to their punk-political agenda. Teaming up with Fat Mike and NOFX in their Rock Against Bush tour (presented by Punk Voter) was practically a no-brainer. Because they share a common goal of seeing Bush the Junior get sent back to Crawford, TX, Anti-Flag was eager to do all they could to help along the process. “Fat Mike said to us, ‘You guys know how to talk about these issues and we’d like you to get involved,’ and there was no way we were going to turn our backs on that opportunity,” Pat says.
In addition to punkvoter.org and their goal of registering tons of punk fans to vote in the next election, Anti-Flag also have their own Web site to galvanize the movement. “We started this thing called Underground Action Alliance, and what that’s about is getting people involved in their own communities,” Pat explains. “It’s a way to help people advocate for themselves and promote progressive change, whether it’s a local issue or a global one.”
The site, www.undergroundactionalliance.org provides a forum for average citizens to publicize action in their communities or post essays on the state of the state — everything from poems to posits on politics and proaction. It’s a Web zine and a blog with the sort of egalitarian setup that seems very natural for a band with a message like Anti-Flag.
As we wind things up, I ask, simply, what they really want to have happen in the next presidential term.
“Our goal is not necessarily to elect John Kerry, it’s to get Bush out of office, and hopefully after we get this guy elected — since there’s no other legitimate choice — in four years we can get someone else in there who’s better than him,” Pat says. One election at a time; for Anti-Flag, it’s a simple plan.
“I think in many ways the voting process alienates young people and doesn’t have a real effect on them” Pat muses about the current downturn in 18- to 25-year-olds who actually make it to the polls on Election Day. “But the thing that makes this election different is that the Bush regime is sending our military all over the world to kill people and that has an impact on young people. When they personally know someone fighting over in Iraq, it starts to hit home,” he explains. “And there’s more invested in the electoral process. The fact that people we know, our friends and relatives, are going off to fight an unjust war for corporations and for money…that’s where it’s so wrong.”
When Anti-Flag formed back in 1988 in Glenshaw, PA, they were just a couple of muskrats with nothing better to do and punk rock on the brain. Despite some extended hiatuses from playing, due to a shuffling lineup of singers and bassists, the band as it is known today came together in 1999 and is now a staple on the Fat Wreck Chords label. Being tight with the label’s head Fat Mike has also added to their punk-political agenda. Teaming up with Fat Mike and NOFX in their Rock Against Bush tour (presented by Punk Voter) was practically a no-brainer. Because they share a common goal of seeing Bush the Junior get sent back to Crawford, TX, Anti-Flag was eager to do all they could to help along the process. “Fat Mike said to us, ‘You guys know how to talk about these issues and we’d like you to get involved,’ and there was no way we were going to turn our backs on that opportunity,” Pat says.
In addition to punkvoter.org and their goal of registering tons of punk fans to vote in the next election, Anti-Flag also have their own Web site to galvanize the movement. “We started this thing called Underground Action Alliance, and what that’s about is getting people involved in their own communities,” Pat explains. “It’s a way to help people advocate for themselves and promote progressive change, whether it’s a local issue or a global one.”
The site, www.undergroundactionalliance.org provides a forum for average citizens to publicize action in their communities or post essays on the state of the state — everything from poems to posits on politics and proaction. It’s a Web zine and a blog with the sort of egalitarian setup that seems very natural for a band with a message like Anti-Flag.
As we wind things up, I ask, simply, what they really want to have happen in the next presidential term.
“Our goal is not necessarily to elect John Kerry, it’s to get Bush out of office, and hopefully after we get this guy elected — since there’s no other legitimate choice — in four years we can get someone else in there who’s better than him,” Pat says. One election at a time; for Anti-Flag, it’s a simple plan.
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