"Underground Network" a step forward for punk-rock Anti-Flag

Anti-Flag Underground Network Fat Wreck Chords 

Reviewed by an HC April 24, 2001

This new album by the punk rock band Anti-Flag is an example 
of revolutionary anarchism, which MIM has much unity with. 
While featuring their usual abstract calls to "stand up and 
fight," this album shows a real political maturation since 
their last album "Die for the Government" (see MIM's review 
on the web in MIM's online bookstore). Specifically, they 
have embraced a true internationalist stance which was 
largely lacking in their previous criticisms of the U$ 
government. They have also embraced a more clear strategy 
towards fighting the government offering fans guidance and 
resources to join the struggle. The album name, "Underground 
Network" is explained in the sure-to-be-hit title track as 
well as in notes on their website (www.anti-flag.com). 

The band has come to recognize the power of modern technology to 
link the progressive sectors of society in order to share 
information and organize. MIM feels the same way as it has 
watched its readership increase greatly with the growth of 
our website. In order to further promote networking, Anti-
Flag has listed a few dozen alternative and progressive 
sources of information on the web in the twenty page CD 
inset. They have also included notes from people such as 
Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky, providing a more complete 
story behind the issues dealt with on this album. This is a 
sign that they are taking their political message to their 
fans more seriously. 

Anti-Flag's internationalism is 
demonstrated on track five, Vieques, Puerto Rico: Bikini 
Revisited. Criticizing the U$ navy's abuse of the island of 
Vieques as a military testing ground, they make a call to 
those in the belly of the beast to use their privilege to 
fight such injustices, especially because it's "All done, in 
your name, by Uncle Sam/ So if we don't fight it - then 
we're guilty too!" They also say, "As the richest nation in 
the world, we've got a responsibility." While it is good to 
call Amerikans out to take responsibility for their 
government's actions, the latter line is really a bourgeois 
liberal line used to promote the United $tates as a rich 
humanitarian benefactor to the rest of the world. Clearly in 
the case of Vieques the United $tates is committing the 
crimes, but the song ignores that it is the richest nation 
in the world because of the way it uses and exploits the 
Third World. For Amerika to use its wealth to fight 
injustice in the world would be biting the hand that feeds 
it, since U$ wealth is a product of capitalist injustice 
around the world. The song Stars and Stripes, in contrast, 
describes Amerika as a nation built on the genocide of First 
Nations in North America, linking it to the international 
genocide of indigenous people carried out by the United 
$tates today, mentioning Mexico and Colombia. This song 
mentions the reasons given for such wars as being "Its 
National Interest, National Security," but the song The 
Panama Deception describes the real reasons as being "to 
further the interest of private corporations to control 
global economic situations [and] for personal gain (i.e. 
Bush in Panama)." The Panama Deception talks about how the 
government feeds the people reasons for military involvement 
that make no sense, ignoring the bottom line -- money. The 
song ends asking, "But you're so fucking brainwashed, would 
it even help to try TO GET THROUGH TO YOU!?!?" If it were 
only a matter of being brainwashed, then it is our 
responsibility as revolutionaries to spread the truth to the 
people. But MIM proposes that the main reason people don't 
listen to revolutionaries in this country is material 
interest. 

The song Until It Happens to You says, "You turn 
your face, you turn your back, you say, 'That can't be 
true!'/ You stay safe locked in your prefab world, 'cause 
you're sure it won't happen to you/ You're sure it won't 
happen to you/Just wait 'til it happens to you!" This is on 
the right track. Amerikans are correct to feel safe in their 
prefab worlds, because that is all part of the U$ national 
interest. When a time comes that the majority of Amerikans 
are threatened by capitalist oppression then they may begin 
to change their alliance from imperialism to that of the 
international proletariat. We make this point not to tell 
Anti-Flag to give up on its education efforts, but rather as 
a reality check to prevent burn out from not being able to 
reach unrealistic expectations. We musn't be surprised when 
most Amerikans turn their backs on us, yet it is still our 
most important task at this time to build as much support as 
we can for the anti-imperialist camp in our efforts to 
organize within the largest imperialist power. Until it 
Happens to You does sum up the meaning of freedom of speech 
in this country quite well, "You could stand on the street, 
talk 'til you're blue in the face/And they would not make 
you stop, 'cause you have no power base/ But if Dan Rather 
got on the Evening News, and said, 'It's time for 
revolution!'/ The F.B.I. would fuck him up so bad, he'd wish 
he wasn't living!" It's easy to be a 'free' country 
internally when you bribe most of your citizens to overlook 
the oppression of people across the globe. 

At first, Daddy 
Warbux seemed like it could be a song about Amerikans and 
the U$ government that serves as their Daddy Warbux, paying 
them off and taking care of them materially. However the 
lyrics don't seem to make this realization as the chorus 
calls for "Revolting against the few/ The rich, the bigoted 
few," clearly referring to the U$ government. MIM would 
place the white nation as a whole in the category of the 
rich and bigoted few, in relation to the oppressed masses of 
the world. Anti-Flag seems to be holding on to the 
traditional punk ideology of the people against the 
government, ignoring the economic structure of imperialism 
which places the whole United $tates in a hegemonic position 
above the oppressed majority. One of the most upbeat calls 
to action on the album is the song Culture Revolution. 
Though energizing, the message is not clear but falls into 
the old take to the streets message, with some general 
criticisms of the current system. What they mean by 
"Culture" Revolution as opposed to other types of revolution 
is not clear. MIM recommends that Anti-Flag and their like-
minded fans study the methods of revolution further so that 
they are able to contribute to a successful revolution. A 
good place to start would be MIM Theory 8: Communism and the 
Anarchist Ideal available from MIM for $5. 

Anti-Flag 
continues to be at the forefront of promoting revolutionary 
ideas in the U$ punk scene. They show their leadership in 
keeping punk revolutionary in the song This Machine Kills 
Fascists. With the large presence of 'working class' white 
kids in the scene there is a strong tendency towards white 
nationalism which comes in opposition to most of what Anti-
Flag represent. This is an example of what MIM means about 
the reactionary nature of settler nation nationalism. Anti-
Flag says, "You don't have to be a racist, to be a Nazi 
fuck/ Your mindless nationalism gives you credentials 
enough." This is good in that it recognizes that white 
nationalism is still in opposition to the interests of the 
masses, even as racist language and behavior has become 
passé. While MIM differs with their anarchistic tendencies 
and their lack of understanding of the national question, 
Anti-Flag has put out another good album with their 
strongest anti-imperialist lyrics to date.