Anti-Flag an Antiestablishment Band?

Ever since the war in Iraq started in 2001 there have been many singer/songwriters and bands that have performed songs defy the war efforts such as Billy Bragg, Merle Haggard, Nellie McKay, and the band Anti-Flag (Pareles 1). Anti-Flag as caught the most scrutiny about it, being called an antiestablishment band in an article in The New York Times published on November 26, 2001. Anti-Flag is not an antiestablishment band because according to the dictionary antiestablishment is “opposed to or working against the existing power structure or mores, as of society or government” (dictionary.com). The lyrics of Anti-Flag’s songs are not to be mistaken as going against the government; they are simply talking about bringing peace to the world.
In a live performance Anti-Flag took a short break from their songs after “Bring Out Your Dead” to talk about this article in which they were said to be an antiestablishment band. Justin Sane the lead singer of the band had a few thoughts about the article. “One of the things that I think to myself, what’s so wrong and what’s so antiestablishment with the idea of wanting peace, why is that anti-establishment? Why is wanting to be told the truth antiestablishment? These aren’t antiestablishment ideas; these are pro-fucking-peace ideas!”(Justin Sane) The ideas of Anti-Flag are not to get people to go against the government or start an upheaval but they are trying to get people to think about bringing more peace to this nation instead of, in the words of one of their songs “A New Kind of Army”, killing mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, common human beings, not savages but people, like you, like me!
In the article in which Anti-Flag is said to be an antiestablishment band a man is interviewed by the name of Mr. Carpe. He says that he used to worship antiestablishment punk-rock groups like Anti-Flag and he states, “It’s cool what they’re saying, but this is not Vietnam at all. This is terrorism” (Chen 1). No matter what the war is over, innocent people are being killed so peace ideas like those of Anti-Flag should not be seen as antiestablishment ideas. Now that the war has gone on for so long the original heroic feelings people were having, have died off and now they just want the war to end. They are scared of going to war and dying as soon as they set foot in the country. “Before I was thinking that it would be good for my resume, because anywhere you go, you say, ‘I was in the Army,’ they give you a job easily,” said Mr. Polanco who was interviewed in the article, “But now it’s scary. Everyone I see, they are scared. They don’t want to go. My family doesn’t want me to go” (Chen 2).
This current war has taken the lives of many soldiers and innocent civilians. To date according to globalsercurity.org and antiwar.com the number of American casualties is totaled to be 28,773 (Pike) and the total Iraqi civilian deaths is 1,173,743 (Casualties). These numbers may be overwhelming but they are not the only numbers to be considered in this war. According to the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) Operation Iraqi Freedom has cost $93.7 billion. If there was no war that money could have gone towards something more useful such as getting the government out of debt or helping those less fortunate. The government acts like the innocent lives being lost and the tremendous amounts of money being spent mean nothing. There is a line in an Anti-Flag song entitled “One Trillion Dollars” that satirizes this situation. It goes, “one trillion dollars what a bullshit useless thing”. They are trying to say with this war the government is showing plain old greed when they could take the “peace” route and things could be much better.
Anti-Flag should not be considered an antiestablishment band because all they are doing is trying to convey peace ideas to the nation. This world could be a more enjoyable place all around if we as a whole society would try to go towards the pro-peace ideas. In the words of an Anti-Flag song, A New Kind of Army, “We’re looking to start a new army, (that’s) too smart to fight, too smart to die. We’re looking to start a new army, (that’s) too smart to fight, too smart to kill”(A New Kind of Army). Anyone interested in the position?