Comments on: Punk skepticism: A perfect mix of skeptic and rebel http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/03/31/punk-skepticism-a-perfect-mix-of-skeptic-and-rebel/ Skepticism and critical thinking in a world of new age, religion and credulous pop culture Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:07:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Rathpig http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/03/31/punk-skepticism-a-perfect-mix-of-skeptic-and-rebel/#comment-244 Rathpig Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:01:23 +0000 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/03/31/punk-skepticism-a-perfect-mix-of-skeptic-and-rebel/#comment-244 As a teenager in the Reagan Era and a fan of second-wave punk, I think many of us did embrace a skeptic's view that covered a range of thought from politics to corporatism to religion and even "punk" itself. As I now rapidly approach middle-age, I find that my political views disdain either side of the spectrum and my religious views have become tolerant but dismissive. What so many children of this era missed was that questioning authority can become it's own religion when you merely question blindly and fail to analyze the result. So many people embraced left-wing politics, veganism, and new age mysticism as a reactionary effect to Conservatism, consumerism, and traditional religion, but these same people failed to realize that they were merely building onto the other side of the same coin the hated. Anarchy and Rebellion were trademarked and sold in the exact same manner as Law and Patriotism were sold to an earlier generation. When it was examined, the entire process became a sham. In many cases it became a scam. Acting like everyone else in nonconformity is conformity. Thinking like everyone else in rebellion is just another status quo. Even the irreverent and irreligious "Anonymous" generation that has emerged in this new century fails to completely understand that skepticism has to be applied first to yourself. But more so than any previous generation, this one may understand it deeper and more sincerely. Skepticism is a process. Slowly we are progressing toward a more enlightened punk. As a teenager in the Reagan Era and a fan of second-wave punk, I think many of us did embrace a skeptic’s view that covered a range of thought from politics to corporatism to religion and even “punk” itself. As I now rapidly approach middle-age, I find that my political views disdain either side of the spectrum and my religious views have become tolerant but dismissive. What so many children of this era missed was that questioning authority can become it’s own religion when you merely question blindly and fail to analyze the result. So many people embraced left-wing politics, veganism, and new age mysticism as a reactionary effect to Conservatism, consumerism, and traditional religion, but these same people failed to realize that they were merely building onto the other side of the same coin the hated.

Anarchy and Rebellion were trademarked and sold in the exact same manner as Law and Patriotism were sold to an earlier generation. When it was examined, the entire process became a sham. In many cases it became a scam. Acting like everyone else in nonconformity is conformity. Thinking like everyone else in rebellion is just another status quo.

Even the irreverent and irreligious “Anonymous” generation that has emerged in this new century fails to completely understand that skepticism has to be applied first to yourself. But more so than any previous generation, this one may understand it deeper and more sincerely. Skepticism is a process. Slowly we are progressing toward a more enlightened punk.

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