Fuck Authority?

[commie kg]

I vaguely remember that this topic may have been addressed before, but I can't find it.
Why do some people go around saying things like "Fuck the police" and "Fuck authority"?
I know that the police forces have been brutal and unjust before, but I think a [fair] police force is neccessary in any government. Authority is not bad the way I see it. To me all the "fuck authority" talk seems a bit childish.
What do you think?

[T H mjd]

very good point, but where i live the police are more intrested in idiots on mopeds and gaffiti, when they should b focusing on robbery, rapism (god hope this dosent happen im just making an example)

(Edited by T H mjd at 10:11 pm on Jan. 15, 2003)

[I Bow 4 Che]

Like I said in an anti-anarchist thread If we had a REAL communist society we could moderate economy without state authority (aside from the people themselves) and when there are problems such as rape ect. I believe that they can be overcome easilier by THE community rather than the police force.

[redstar2000]

"Fuck Authority" t-shirts? "Fuck the Police" t-shirts? Sounds good to me.

I only wish those wearing them really MEANT it! :cool:

[truthaddict11]

so many kids i know say fuck the police for the petty fact that they took their skaeboards away (boo-hoo)
RedStar, have you seen footage from Seatle 1999? Pure example of the brute force of cops being used by the ruling class.

[Rob]

Quote: from commie kg on 7:47 pm on Jan. 15, 2003
I vaguely remember that this topic may have been addressed before, but I can't find it.
Why do some people go around saying things like "Fuck the police" and "Fuck authority"?
I know that the police forces have been brutal and unjust before, but I think a [fair] police force is neccessary in any government. Authority is not bad the way I see it. To me all the "fuck authority" talk seems a bit childish.
What do you think?


I agree that such talk seems childish.

[PlasticJesus]

I don’t think “fuck authority” is childish because MOST of the people saying “fuck authority” are mature enough to police themselves therefore authority is not needed.

[Anonymous]

police must be anhilated and replaced by popular militias...

police is a tool of the state, there is no such thing as "friendly" police, since they all work for our enemy --» da state!

[realismoverutopia]

First of all I would like to say that every opinion that I have read pertaining to this subject is incredibly unorganized. I see these articals from people such as redstar promoting "fuck authority t-shirts" and i cannot help but fear for the future of the American country. I realize that corruption is something that is more than prevelant within the authoritarian establishment, but corruption is something that is going to be an issue no matter what form of politcal party you follow. This is due solely to the fact that humans are greedy by nature. A prime example would be theanarchist's statement about how the police are simply a tool of our enemy (ie. the government) this thought goes beyond unorganized. If you were to look back at what the police were originally formed for you will realize that the police are there for the protection of the people. Now that theory may have changed over the years but it is not due to the government. The corruption within the authoritarian system is caused by the people who run the said system. Many of you who have posted comments on this page obviously have no sort of personal opinion because your views all come straight out of someone else's mouth. And for those of you who see "fuck authority" as a sign of maturity then you still have a lot to learn. Inorder for a person to be mature they must first develop their own opinions and then act upon those beliefs in a non-beligerant way.
I look forward to reading everyones "well thought out" responses to my post.
-Alex ([email protected])

[canikickit]

What the hell is "rapism"?

realismoverutopia, your post wasn't exactly well organised either. Pretty terrible actually, you should stick in a few paragraphs.


so many kids i know say fuck the police for the petty fact that they took their skaeboards away (boo-hoo)

I think that's quite a legitimate reason to fuck police. From what I can imagine, in most situations it wouldn't be neccessary for a policeman to confiscate a skateboard. It's probably down to a case by case basis on whether or not there should be any (methaphorical) fucking.


If you were to look back at what the police were originally formed for you will realize that the police are there for the protection of the people. Now that theory may have changed over the years but it is not due to the government.

Good one. Regardless of how the police were originally envisaged, I think it is fair to say that it has changed over the years, so I don't really see what you are trying to say. Just because something began with good intention, the bad intentions can be disregarded? I think not :biggrin:.

I think that a lot of younger people think it's pretty hip to be seen as rebelling against the system. Largely due to our good friends the mass media. Of course, that doesn't mean that all people who say "fuck authority" are immature. Authority is not particularily neccessary in a lot of instances where it is used, but the powers that be like it that way.

I'm pretty much in favour of authority in a lot of cases. Depends on how it is used. Bullshit thread.

[realismoverutopia]

I would like to know what exactly your reasoning is for going against authority. If by fuck authority you mean the group of authority figures who abuse their power then I agree with you. But if you are going to limit it only to those then you might as well just say "Fuck authority, but only the select few who think that it is their position to violate my civil liberties." Because otherwise you would simply be stereotyping all forms of authority. It is wrong to simply generalize a group as you seem to be doing. If not for the police (the authority figures that you are obviously refering to) all of society as we know it would fall to a sort of chaotic- anarchy and eventually into a totalitarian system in which the strong ruled over the meak.
Take for example the French Revolution. Men and women were all incredibly happy because they had gotten rid of the absolute monarch system that had ruled over them and along with that system went the group of men who protected men, women, and children alike from injustices. This eventually led to a period in which any person accused of a crime was sure to be beheaded. This movement in support of the gilotine form of justice was led by a man named Robspierre who eventually became known as the undeclared ruler of Paris.
This only shows how a lack of regulating authority can lead to a totalitarian state or many other forms of injust rule.

[canikickit]

The people of the French revolution, the real people who were told to eat cake and what not were treated terrible by those in authority. There was a huge disparity in the wealth. Robespierre was also an asshole; I don't recall much of his story but i know he had a "reign of terror", which isn't my idea of a good time.

The point is all these people were in authority; I absolutely agree with you that authority should be strongly regulated, I think only a fool would believe otherwise. If something as powerful as authority exists, it should not be given a free reign. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

It's all very well to discuss what things could be like and the ideals of a figure in authority, but if the reality is that the majority of these authorities are corrupt and living off the blood of the people, then I perfectly agree with saying fuck them.

I mean, people say fuck global warming (or words to that affect), but if global warming mean I'm able to sit outside in the sun more than a couple of times a year, then I'm all for it. However the reality is that global warming will rip this planet assunder. So I don't particularily support that reality.

[antieverything]

I disagree with the notion that the police were origionaly meant to protect the people. Just look at ancient police forces (Roman Soldiers?). Their purpose was to maintain order...they are there to serve the people who make the laws...at least now we have some control over the law and thus over the police but when it comes down to protesting against the rulers we see the true colors come out. Most police brutality, however, is simply the abuse of power but I think that this is a problem with the mentality of our justice system more than a problem of power being corrupting. In Europe police brutality is very rare but in America it is epidemic exactly because in Europe the justice system is viewed as an institution for promoting public safety while in America it is viewed as the apparatus by which all undesirables are to be kept out of society--be they homeless people, minorities, drug users, or even actual criminals. America has a serious problem with the "us against them" mentality in the sense that it is the middle class against the poor...this has been surfacing in Europe too, recently but in the form of anti-immigration sentiment so police brutality may start to rise there, too.

[Beccie]

I agree with antieverything. The police don't give a shit about anyone besides the ruling class.

[Comrade Daniel]

That's true but without anyone controling a country you'll have total chaos.

[redstar2000]

Realismoverutopia, your sketch of the French Revolution is...superficial, not to say just plain wrong. Under Robespierre (called "the incorruptable" by the people), you were NOT automatically executed just because you were accused.

But that's beside the point; you and some others on this thread seem to be kind of defensive of the whole idea of AUTHORITY...as if there's something here that MUST be defended except in those (rare?) cases when it gets out of hand.

In Marxist terms, authority is CLASS authority...which means in today's world, authority is CAPITALIST authority and, in MY view at least, therefore illegitimate on its face and as applied.

If kids want to wear t-shirts that say "Fuck Authority" or "Fuck the Police" --EVEN IF they don't realize what they're really saying or its full meaning--that's OK with me.

Long before anyone is a Marxist or a communist revolutionary, they begin with a simple observation: the people giving me orders are stupid and unjust and I SHOULD rebel against them. It is the BEGINNING of wisdom! :cool: