Resist!

Each generation believes it carries a momentous burden on its shoulders; that historical forces have placed it in a position to intervene decisively in the present; that a great reckoning awaits humankind if it remains passive and complacent.

A similar outlook afflicts those of us today who see in the impending climate catastrophe and the rise of neo-fascists a future soaked with the blood of millions. But let us be clear: such an assessment is not a result of the lure of apocalyptic fantasies, nor is it the outcome of some narcissistic generational ennui. It is a legitimate response to certain obvious facts – that climate change is an existential threat to the functioning of human society as we know it; that it is already underway, causing droughts, floods, extreme weather events, habitat destruction, species extinction and more; that capitalism is responsible for setting us on the path to ecological collapse and is an impediment to preventing it; and that the elite, fattened by the bounty from a global capitalist empire, are eagerly willing to side with fascist demagogues in order to protect their wealth and privilege from the righteous anger of the masses.

Is it unreasonable to believe that in the coming decades the world, shaped by the aforementioned trends, would be wracked with endless wars, famine, large-scale migrations, detention of those deemed “illegal immigrants” or lacking “ethnic purity”, and much, much more? Or is it unreasonable, moreover irresponsible, to sit by idly, clinging to vacuous and flawed notions of development, propriety and acceptability, while the world descends into chaos and ruin?

At Black Flag India, we feel that what we carry on our collective shoulders is not an imagined, or exaggerated, burden, but rather the real and anticipated culmination of centuries of unbridled capitalist exploitation – of the people, as well as the environment. We think it is the responsibility of rational and sane people to intervene, through words and deeds, to prevent the death and destruction we know is already here. Most importantly, we believe it is possible to salvage the world from its perilous state through our actions and free it from the clutches of private property, wage slavery, alienation, militarism and nationalism, and usher in a new age of human existence based on the ideals of solidarity, compassion, empathy and justice.

We urge you to join us as we attempt to take our places on the historical stage to fulfill our generational responsibility, carrying in our hearts and minds the spirit of the black flag – that of eternal rebellion.

To contribute to Black Flag India, please send a brief synopsis of your story to blackflagindia@gmail.com