Disclaimer: This post uses the term „military“ for brevity’s sake. The arguments presented here also apply to the police, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence services.
We are witnessing an increasing normalisation of the military in the Chaos community. This includes the wearing of military uniforms (real or not), infodumping about weapons and weapon systems, and the presence of soldiers in our digital and physical spaces. These actions are causing what so far had been a clear line to disappear: there is no place for the military in the Chaos community.
It follows from the hacker ethics that our values are incompatible with military organisations. The military is organised in an authoritarian fashion and requires soldiers to submit to that system, which stands in stark contrast to „mistrust authority – promote decentralisation“.
Obedience and secrecy are at the core of the military ethos. Again, this stands in contrast to the Chaos community, which is anti-authoritarian and critical of power. Critical thinking, openness, and transparency form the basis of this community’s values.
The military cannot function without nationalism. As an instrument of the state, it enforces the state’s interests through structural and physical violence. This authoritarian construction presupposes the existence of an enemy which must be excluded and driven out. The Chaos community stands against state authority and fights against all forms of nationalism. The CCC has explicitly codified this goal in its Declaration of incompatibility:
“Whoever holds beliefs rooted in racism, exclusion, and the associated ideology of structural and physical violence has abandoned discourse and does not meet our expectations of excellent behaviour.”
The Chaos community and the military
Our community is not only incompatible with the military as an organisation, but also with its members as individuals: they have committed themselves to an organisation whose values are fundamentally in opposition to those of the club. Soldiers are however required to uphold those values – even when they’re not on duty (see the German federal law on soldiers § 17). Police officers additionally have a duty to snitch and investigate.
The incompatibility exists even when a specific soldier does not actively oppose the club’s values. Their mere presence hinders us in the fight for our values, not least through self-censorship. Every soldier represents the military and its values.
By tolerating individuals who stand against our basic values in our digital and physical spaces, we are betraying those values. We are creating a space where those who do stand for those values do not feel safe.
Military uniforms: kink or declaration of war?
The basic purpose of a uniform is to advertise a membership to a certain group. In the past, black hoodies, cat ears, or a Strauss outfit have taken on this task in the Chaos community.
People express themselves through their clothing: they signal their preferences and express their individuality. We are not here to criticise that.
However, anyone who, like us, has a look around at a Chaos event or in a Chaos space must realize that the line between „tactical“ clothing and openly worn military uniforms or parts thereof has faded away. This is especially problematic when the uniform is prominently displaying a national flag. Even without a flag, a military uniform represents authoritarian structures, a lack of personal freedom, weaponry, and a state’s use of lethal force.
Even those who wear uniforms without being military personnel are contributing to a blurring of boundaries which we already know from the internet. Previously it was imageboards, and nowadays the same is happening on short video platforms: under the guise of irony or edginess, antifeminism, bigotry, and fascist ideologies are spreading. This irony creates sufficient uncertainty for even the most convinced misogynists and Nazis to feel at ease, and for others to become such. This leads to right-wing ideologies gradually establishing themselves, and these can serve as an entry point into far-right movements.
The military uniform aesthetics are slowly but surely becoming a permanent presence in our spaces and at our events, and this affects all of us. It affects those who feel repelled or intimidated by it and choose not to speak up against it, or simply stop coming. It affects those who do not really care about the reason why someone is wearing a uniform.
It starts with the first military personnel and the first ironic uniforms. If we do not take a stance against it already at that point, we will become the proverbial Nazi bar.
This is no kinkshaming. Taking offence at puppy gear and at a military uniform are two completely different things, for the simple fact that they represent two completely different things.
You can’t have your cake and bomb it, too
It’s not only about the people who we lose if we do not tolerate soldiers and military aesthetics. It’s also about the people who we lose if we do.
Someone who decides to become a soldier cannot at the same time be a member of the Chaos community. Someone who wishes to be part of the Chaos community cannot at the same time approve of the military or their uniforms.
It is time to take off your uniforms and put the national flags away1. Stop the military aesthetics in our spaces and kick out the soldiers.
We have a world to win!
- We believe that people can change. If someone stops serving and gives up the military aesthetics, they can once again be part of the Chaos community. ↩︎