What's all this stuff about punk-ethics?

Many years ago I came across a very well written code of ethics called An Anarchist's Punk Ethic. I found that I identified and agreed with its values - and while I don't identify as much with the anarchist side of it anymore, I still find that many of my values are reflected in that document, even 10 years on. I genuinely think it is one of the best pages on the internet, and that it has stood the test of time.

However, I would never claim to be a good role model for the Anarchist Punk Ethic. It would be more correct to say that I aspire to follow it - some days "Act as I would like to be" is a tougher creed to follow than others.

But aside from that document, I find that most punk music actually has strong ethics behind it. Whether it's The Offspring urging people to seize the day and make something of their life in Nitro (Youth Energy), or respect themselves on Self Esteem... or Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols, reminding people "You don't do what you want and you'll fade away / you won't see me working 9-to-5 / there's too much fun in being alive". Punk music has always had a strong DIY-ethic of making the most of what you have, taking control of your own life and being self-sufficient. I certainly find punk music to be far more intelligent than most pure pop music out there, and I take inspiration from bands like Nirvana who recorded their first album on a $600 budget.

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