HARDCORE SCENE HAS REVOLUTIONARY POTENTIAL
by a RAIL comrade
reprinted from MIM Notes 144, 15 August, 1997

Hardcore crowds often epitomize what MIM refers to as first 
world youth who have not yet bought into supporting 
imperialism. The underground music scene attracts youth who 
don't fit into mainstream society and some who are looking 
to change it. White youth vacillate between assimilation and 
revolution. They have reasons to rebel, but they also have 
reasons to assimilate or "rebel" ineffectually. Hardcore is 
often referred to as a movement -- though there are no set 
goals or strategy, the scene can provide a forum for 
progressive ideas. MIM and RAIL organize these youth to work 
against the system entirely, not just through individual 
acts of kindness or rebellion, but through strong organized 
methods to tear Amerika down entirely.

The general rejection of Amerikan culture is evident in some 
of the currents of the scene. For instance many youth reject 
all forms of drug use as inhibiting to their ability to 
function clearly. Many also reject Amerikan romance culture 
and promiscuity as destructive outlets for one's potential. 
General condemnation of capitalist greed and selling out is 
also common within the hardcore scene.

RAIL recently took the opportunity to participate in a 
three-day hardcore festival organized by two ambitious 
hardcore youth. The program included music and other 
culture, as well as tables set up by a variety of political 
organizations -- some reformists, some anarchists, some 
identity-politics groups, and, of course, RAIL.

RAIL set up a table with petitions, literature and T-shirts. 
There was relatively high interest in what RAIL and MIM have 
to say as was evident by the number of people who stopped to 
browse through our literature and ask questions. RAIL 
distributed a lot of newspapers, theory journals and sold 
fundraising T-shirts as well and was generally received 
positively.

One festival workshop, set up by students and a self-
proclaimed radical professor, focused on language and ideas 
in Amerikan culture and the necessity to recognize their 
roles and change them. Though the presenters mentioned the 
material advantage of middle class Amerika and the 
oppressive role of the U.$. government in world politics, 
this was not the focus of the presentation. They did not 
stress the need for material change, rather the change of 
ideas and thought. Principally focusing on changing ideas 
ignores the fact that oppressive culture stems from the 
oppressive imperialist system, not vice versa.

The weekend was successful for RAIL, as we reached a lot of 
people with revolutionary information. Often young people 
have great potential without the knowledge or outlet to use 
it. Many young people in the hardcore scene have the 
progressive potential to become revolutionaries, but 
anarchist ideas seem to prevail rather than more scientific 
communist ideas. Throughout history youth have played an 
important leadership role in revolutions. They will continue 
to do so and MIM and RAIL organize youth to learn from 
history and move forward along the quickest path to 
liberation and the elimination of oppression.