Insurrectionism

Insurrectionism in the Cyberpunk Universe refers to the belief that all corporations are doomed to succumb to human greed and lust for power. To that end, it posits that "the people" should violently rise against the status quo and take whatever they think belongs to them.

In terms of aesthetics, it is closely related to Kitsch.

Principles

• Corporations are inherently evil and they must be overturned by any means necessary.
• Violence is a justified response to this evil; not only is it justified, but it is the only way corporations will actually be torn down;
• Those that work within corporations are willing participants and inherit some of the guilt;

Those most likely to adhere to Insurrectionism are Edgerunners and Streetscum, with a few Mallplexers and Movers seeing the value of it as well. Of course, Edgerunners and Streetscum are the ones that actually rebel against the corporate machine or are ostracized by it, so their motives are constantly reinforced.

For a Insurrectionist, there's always a way to blame the corporations for mishaps in their life. Sometimes these are valid - like one's nomad pack getting wiped by a corporate raid - other times, it is a stretch that only serves to fuel the rage. At the end of the day, corporates will make sure that "you"^[1] get the shorter end of the stick.

Insurrectionism is kept alive by the Rockerboys who have learned to make a living off of the hate and violence, as well as within boostergangs. Some revel in the glory and the chaos that comes with leading a mob into police stampedes, while others see it as a unique business opportunity. Whatever the reason, Insurrectionism is dependent on these ringleaders for its message.

The acts of violence it encourages also reinforce the idea that corporations must be evil, as they are hoarding so many resources. When an Insurrectionist steals from a corporate pharmacy, they don't care about the Mallplexers that might get fired because of missing stock - rather, they see it as a Robin Hood-esque repatriation.

Patrons

Although many Insurrectionists look up to these individuals, they are not necessarily believers themselves. Some Patrons use the anti-corporate aesthetic to further their own goals.

• Johnny Silverhand, famed Rockerboy responsible for the 2013 attack on the Arasaka NC HQ and a staunch rival of Arasaka
• Jack Entropy, world-renown Rockerboy with a strong anti-corporate message who sowed dissent across the EEC during his recent Eurotour, including starting a revolt in the UK;
• Betty Ice, the leader of the Street Queens gang and a known anarchist voice in the Night City underground

Further reading

Anti-corporate Insurrectionism can be traced back to real-world anarchism, especially the violent extremism of the 19th and 20th century. This included firebombing and assassinations for political motives. This is combined with illegalism, the idea of stealing from capitalists in order to pursue individual reclamation.

The shift to insurrectionist ideas symbolizes a wider move towards decentralization, with insurrectionist anarchists believing that formal organizations like large trade unions would eventually succumb to the same pressures. To that end, perhaps the clearest distinction is made in contrast with revolutionary anarchism: revolutionary anarchism seeks to replace the current status quo with a new status quo (whether it is a minarchy or something else), whereas insurrectionism wants self-determination and violent uprising.

The idea of self-determination suggests that the value of the individual becomes very relevant in such talks. Hence, individualism leads to the centralization of soft power in the hands of influential and charismatic leaders.