After watching the documentary, The Punks are Alright, I've came to some realizations of how the punk culture affects other nations around the world. Specifically, the movie referenced Brazil and Indonesia as countries that utilize punk music in a beneficial manner. Each country contained problems of their own, such as, drug trafficking, oppression, crime, and poverty. The citizens of these countries live in such hostile environments that just trying to survive is a difficult task. Most citizens choose to keep to themselves for fear of being assaulted or losing their job, assuming that the citizen in question is even employed. This type of environment dictates how people behave, and limits the time and location where anyone can truly be who they are.

As a response to this environment, many of the younger generation have picked up punk music as inspiration. Punk music gives them hope for change, and an outlet to express themselves. It has become more than just music, but a tool to assist the youth in becoming something greater. The documentary mentioned how children are employed by the cartel to traffic drugs and do their bidding, as a means of employment. Families need their children to work and assist with costs, but there are not enough jobs for everyone, so the kids are forced to take any type of work they can to survive. Punk music as become an inspiration for the youth culture to defy what the cartel wants, and as a result, keep kids off the streets.

The artists interviewed in this documentary discussed many topics that I connected with. Their views on how religion is perceived in society and music as a means of escape from the world, are two subjects  that I personally relate to. To start, religion in both Brazil and Indonesia is a topic most citizens avoid. They keep their religious views to themselves for fear of starting trouble. I share in that quality, as I don't like to discuss my religious views either. People tend to be more sensitive when discussing religion, so when the instance of two people discussing opposing religious views occurs, it tends to result in an intense argument. I'm one to avoid such conflict, so I avoid talking about religion all together. Using music as a means of escape is common practice all over the world, and is depicted well in this documentary. Brazilians and Indonesians alike are utilizing punk music as a method in which they break away from their everyday lives as oppressed citizens, and become a part of a community that supports individuality and opposition. Even though I don't suffer from oppression and struggle with survival, I still use music to escape every day stresses. It's not uncommon to find myself mesmerized by music after a long day at school or at work. My problems may not be as severe as others, but music still helps me cope with them.

In class we discussed how one of the artists in the film, Dolly, is a factory worker, and depends on his job to survive. He has a job because some corporation wanted cheap labor, and Indonesia has no labor laws. Indonesia has no labor laws because they are wanting to entice corporations to build factories and provide a new means of revenue for the government. Because there are no labor laws intact, workers get paid very little and as a result the company makes an exponential profit. As consumers, we control what sells, and what does not. If consumers chose not to buy items manufactured from Indonesia, corporations wouldn't have a reason to stay there, and as a result Dolly would be out of a job. In a way, consumers in America control what happens to workers in other countries. This relationship is a direct model of how Capitalism runs different parts of the world. In America, citizens reap the benefits of Capitalism. While in Indonesia, the citizens are suffering the repercussions.