This is an archive of the former website of the Maoist Internationalist Movement, which was run by the now defunct Maoist Internationalist Party - Amerika. The MIM now consists of many independent cells, many of which have their own indendendent organs both online and off. MIM(Prisons) serves these documents as a service to and reference for the anti-imperialist movement worldwide.
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THE MAOIST INTERNATIONALIST MOVEMENT
MIM Notes 175 December 1, 1998
MIM Notes speaks to and from the viewpoint of the
world's oppressed majority, and against the
imperialist-patriarchy. Pick it up and wield it in
the service of the people. support it, struggle
with it and write for it.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. AMERIKKKA CONTINUES ATTACKS AGAINST THE BLACK NATION
2. A STATEMENT FROM DEATH ROW
3. PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI "PEACE" MELTDOWN RAGES ON;
NEOCOLONIAL STRATEGY LEADS TO CRACKDOWN
4. LETTERS
5. DOWN WITH U.$. IMPERIALISM!
6. HALLIDAY SPEAKS ON U.$. GENOCIDE IN IRAQ
7. CAMPAIGN TO EXPAND MIM NOTES DISTRIBUTION
8. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TAKES A POKE AT U.$. PRISONS
9. BLACK POWER: REVOLUTIONARIES MOURN STOKELY
CARMICHAEL
10. PRETTY NATO RHETORIC ABOUT KOSOVO HIDES BRUTAL
NATURE OF IMPERIALISM
11. PINOCHET PURSUED FOR CRIMES: U.$. IMPERIALIST ROLE
IGNORED
12. "UNITED STRUGGLE FROM WITHIN" MOVES FORWARD
13. MLM Online: ELECTION '98 ROUND-UP
14. ROCK THE NATION
15. AMERIKAN CHRISTIANS: SATAN'S SPAWN
16. PIRAO ATTACKS MORALISM
17. UNDER LOCK & KEY: NEWS FROM PRISONS AND PRISONERS
* * *
WHAT IS MIM?
The Maoist Internationalist Movement (MIM) is a
revolutionary communist party that upholds
Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, comprising the collection
of existing or emerging Maoist internationalist
parties in the English-speaking imperialist
countries and their English-speaking internal
semi-colonies, as well as the existing or emerging
Spanish-speaking Maoist internationalist parties
of Aztlan, Puerto Rico and other territories of
the U.S. Empire. MIM Notes is the newspaper of
MIM. Notas Rojas is the newspaper of the Spanish-
speaking parties or emerging parties of MIM.
MIM is an internationalist organization that works
from the vantage point of the Third World
proletariat; thus, its members are not Amerikans,
but world citizens.
MIM struggles to end the oppression of all groups
over other groups: classes, genders, nations. MIM
knows this is only possible by building public
opinion to seize power through armed struggle.
Revolution is a reality for North America as the
military becomes over-extended in the government's
attempts to maintain world hegemony.
MIM differs from other communist parties on three
main questions: (1) MIM holds that after the
proletariat seizes power in socialist revolution,
the potential exists for capitalist restoration
under the leadership of a new bourgeoisie within
the communist party itself. In the case of the
USSR, the bourgeoisie seized power after the death
of Stalin in 1953; in China, it was after Mao's
death and the overthrow of the "Gang of Four" in
1976. (2) MIM upholds the Chinese Cultural
Revolution as the farthest advance of communism in
human history. (3) MIM believes the North American
white-working-class is primarily a non-
revolutionary worker-elite at this time; thus, it
is not the principal vehicle to advance Maoism in
this country.
MIM accepts people as members who agree on these
basic principles and accept democratic centralism,
the system of majority rule, on other questions of
party line.
"The theory of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin is
universally applicable. We should regard it not as
dogma, but as a guide to action. Studying it is
not merely a matter of learning terms and phrases,
but of learning Marxism-Leninism as the science of
revolution."
-- Mao Zedong, Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 208
* * *
MIM Notes 175
December 1, 1998
AMERIKKKA CONTINUES ATTACKS AGAINST THE BLACK NATION
PA Supreme Court rules against new trial for Mumia
Abu-Jamal
On October 30, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled
against a new trial for incarcerated revolutionary
leader and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal. One
of the Judges on the PA Supreme Court was a District
Attorney who argued against Mumia's appeals 10 years
ago -- one more example of the grossly biased judges
throughout Mumia's trial and appeals process. The
rejection is currently under further appeal at the
state level, but Mumia has moved significantly closer
to falling victim to state-sponsored murder.
Mumia was framed for the righteous 1981 killing of a
Philly cop engaged in an act of police brutality.
Someone else killed the cop, but the Amerikan system
of injustice - backed up by the fascist anti-crime
fever among the white petit-bourgeoisie and labor
aristocracy - demands that someone die for the killing
of a pig. These fascists wish to kill Mumia because he
is a leader who generates public opinion against the
system. His political views were used as evidence
against him in his trial and in the imposition of the
death penalty.
Mumia is an outspoken advocate and leader of the Black
Nation. He was a Minister of Information for the Black
Panther Party, and later a radio journalist. Mumia was
hated by the Philly police and government for his work
exposing police brutality and the colonization of the
Black Nation within the illegitimate borders of the
United Snakes. Years ago, the mayor of Philadelphia
singled Mumia out at a press conference for this
ominous warning: "Someday you'll pay for what you've
done."
What Mumia Abu Jamal did do, was raise the
consciousness of the Black nation about its
colonization by white Amerika. And payback for this
revolutionary agitation was the frame-up that sent
Mumia to death row.
Mumia has not been silenced by his legal status. He
continues to organize and agitate, publishing two
books and recording 12 radio commentaries for National
Public Radio. NPR backed out of the deal when they
came under criticism from then-Presidential Candidate
and Senator Bob Dole. The Commentaries and the books
are effective indictments of Amerikan colonization of
the Black nation in general, and the justice system in
particular.
Settler nation kangaroo courts
Mumia has spent 16 years appealing his death sentence,
but now things are poised to move very quickly from
the Pennsylvania state courts to through the Federal
Courts and from there to murder by lethal injection.
The "Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act"
passed by Congress after the bombing in Oklahoma City
is going to make it very difficult to convince the
federal courts to overturn the conviction and death
sentence.
This 1996 law restricts habeas corpus appeals. A
petition for habeas corpus is a vehicle for a prisoner
to get a federal court to review his state court
conviction, by arguing that the conviction itself, or
the length of the sentence in some cases, was a
violation of his or her federal constitutional rights.
The new law affects Mumia and other existing cases,
even though Mumia's case is more than a decade old.
According to an explanation by Mumia's Attorney,
Leonard Weinglass, the law not only places brutal time
limits on appeals of state decisions to Federal
courts, the law also "moves the goal posts," requiring
Federal judges to apply a "presumption of correctness"
standard when reviewing state decisions.
The judge at Mumia's original trial and his appeals
was Albert Sabo. Known as the "Hanging Judge", Sabo is
a lifetime member of the Fraternal Order of the Police
and has sent more men to death row than any other
judge in the country. Sabo has earned the label "judge
beyond reason" from American Lawyer Magazine, and his
bias at Mumia's trial was severe enough to merit
criticism from the prosecution!
This Federal "presumption of correctness" means that
the Federal Courts are restricted from examining the
findings of fact made by the State Courts. Of course,
the findings of fact and other State Court actions are
precisely the issue. Sabo made his bias clear in the
record, but since Sabo declared himself "unbiased"
during the initial appeals, the Federal Courts are
restricted to maintaining that assumption. In a speech
in Amherst Massachusetts on November 1, Attorney
Weinglass expressed hope that the U.$. Supreme Court
would strike down this Federal Law.
Weinglass optimistically noted that while Mumia has
always lost in the state courts, he has always won in
the federal courts. Additionally, the federal courts
have reversed 35% of state death penalty convictions.
While this track record was likely the impetus for the
Effective Death Penalty Act, it also provides room for
hope.
Furthermore, Weinglass expressed hope in the fact that
Pennsylvania State Judges are elected, whereas Federal
Judges are lifetime appointees. Weinglass hopes that
the Federal judges will be less susceptible to
political pressures.
But MIM is not Mumia's attorney and so we must look at
this problem from a different perspective. All judges
have an interest in preserving the Amerikan system.
While there are radical lawyers, it's only the
supporters of the government (to one degree or
another) that get elected and appointed judges. But it
is true that the Federal Judges having a longer-term
interest in maintaining the legitimacy of the system,
whereas elected judges typically have shorter term re-
election interests.
It is appropriate for Weinglass to look at the
struggle to save Mumia's life as primarily legal
struggle. But this is a political problem that
requires an appropriate political response that is not
exclusively a battle waged inside the courts.
Amerikkka desperately wants to kill Mumia not only to
silence his revolutionary voice but also for the psy-
war effect upon its colonized Black Nation. It is
imperative that we continue the legacy of the Black
Panther Party and strengthen revolutionary struggle to
end the imperialists' ability to perpetrate this
repression of the people's leaders.
Mumia's last scheduled execution date was in August
1995. That date was postponed in response to the huge
outcry around the world for a new trial for this
revolutionary leader. A new death warrant can be
signed whenever the current appeal is denied. For this
reason, 2,500 people demonstrated in Philadelphia in
support of freedom for Mumia the weekend after the
negative decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Demonstrations of various sizes were held in other
North American cities and around the world.
Mumia Abu-Jamal's case is one of many crimes committed
against the people by the imperialist state and its
murderous Amerikan followers. Every day, hundreds of
thousands of members of Amerika's oppressed internal
colonies are held captive behind the bars of one of
the world's most repressive legal establishments. Most
of these people were not political activists when they
were jailed, but more of them are becoming activists
and revolutionaries every day. The struggle to end
oppression in Amerika involves everyday work including
and beyond the case of Mumia.
The Amerikan injustice system, which currently
threatens Mumia's life and deprives thousands of
people of their liberty by force, illustrates Mao
Zedong's statement that "power grows out of the barrel
of a gun." This is one of Mumia's political beliefs
which was used against him at his trial. But that
statement is an indictment of Amerika and the force it
wields against the oppressed, not of activists like
Mumia.
MIM urges readers to learn about Mumia Abu-Jamal's
case, and to take action to stop the murderous
execution. With the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's
denial Mumia Abu-Jamal's appeal for a new trial, his
case has an exceptional urgency.
MIM also urges readers to see this case as a concrete
example of the repressive injustice system, which
itself is a tool for imperialist oppression in the USA
and all over the world.
This article was edited by MC206.
* * *
A STATEMENT FROM DEATH ROW
by Mumia Abu-Jamal
SCI-Greene, Waynesburg, PA
October 31st, 1998
Once again, Pennsylvania's highest court has shown us
the best justice that FOP [Fraternal Order of Police]
money can buy. Ignoring right reason, their own
precedent, and fundamental justice, they have returned
to the stranglehold of death. In their echoes of the
tortured logic of Judge Albert Sabo, they have
reflected a striking fidelity to the DA's office. If
it is fair to have a tribunal who are in part
admittedly paid by the FOP-and at least one justice
who can double as DA one day and a judge the next in
the same case--then fairness is just as empty a word
as "justice." To paraphrase Judge Sabo, it is "just an
emotional feeling."
In recent months the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has
upheld death sentences in cases where an impartial
reading of transcripts or pleadings would make an
honest affirmation all but impossible. They have
ignored all evidence of innocence, overlooked clear
instances of jury taint, and cast a dead eye on
defense attorneys' ineffectiveness. What they have
done in my case is par for the course. This is a
political decision, paid for by the FOP on the eve of
the election. It is a Mischief Night gift from a court
that has a talent for the macabre.
I am sorry that this court did not rule on the right
side of history. But I am not surprised. Every time
our nation has come to a fork in the road with regard
to race, it has chosen to take the path of compromise
and betrayal. On October 29th, 1998, the Pennsylvania
Supreme Court committed a collective crime: it damned
due process, strangled the fair trial, and raped
justice.
Even after this legal legerdemain [sleight of hand] I
remain innocent. A court cannot make an innocent man
guilty. Any ruling founded on injustice is not
justice. The righteous fight for life, liberty, and
for justice can only continue.
* * *
PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI "PEACE" MELTDOWN RAGES ON;
NEOCOLONIAL STRATEGY LEADS TO CRACKDOWN
by MC12
It is now out in the open that the Amerikan CIA is
operating freely in Palestine, including in the areas
that are supposedly under "autonomous" Palestinian
control. And as the farce of the various "peace"
agreements continues to play out, the Palestinian
"Authority" is forever running back and forth trying
to prove its allegiance to Israel and its Amerikan
sponsors.
Officially, the CIA is now the go-between for Israeli
and Palestinian police forces, and provides
information back to the U.$. The CIA admits this is
not a new role, but says it was just made public to
help reassure people that peace is for real.(1) How
reassuring.
As has been the pattern in recent months, the U.$.-
backed Israeli government offers to "give" Palestinian
pieces of their own land -- which really remain under
the bottom-line control of the Israeli military. This
offer is in exchange for Yassir Arafat's promises to
use his Palestinian "Authority" to crack down on the
anti-Israeli movements in Palestine. Neo-colonial
governments have always done some of the dirty work
for imperialism in terms of squelching anti-
imperialist movements, but the practice has reached
new heights of visibility and hypocrisy in Palestine
today.
The Palestinian "Authority" -- basically the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) -- recently rounded up
more than 100 members of Hamas, an Islamic group that
organizes against Israeli occupation and provides
needed services to impoverished Palestinians. They
also put the groups founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin under
house arrest. Israel, which figures it would have even
more rebellion on its hands if its army did this stuff
itself, demanded more. "It's one step in the direction
that is indicated but it has to be continuous,'' said
a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu.(2)
The PA is running hard with its capitulation strategy,
over the opposition of many other Palestinian
organizations that made up the liberation movement.
Leaders from Islamic Jihad, Hamas, the Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front
for the Liberation of Palestine and the Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command have
expressed opposition to Arafat's plans for
surrendering the struggle for Palestinian self-
determination in exchange for a photo-opportunity and
a promise of future hand-outs.(3)
The imperialist-labeled terrorists of Palestine have a
habit of also providing services for the Palestinian
people, whose poverty and national oppression are
desperate. But the PLO police are now on the move to
stop them, under direct orders from Israel and the
CIA. PLO police shut down the Islamic Purity Nursery
after a recent car bomb attack. Reuters reported:
"Israel has demanded Palestinians clamp down not only
on militants but on their supporting infrastructure,
including schools, mosques and charities which Israeli
officials have said serve as fronts for militant
activities."(4)
Israel wants Hamas and Islamic Jihad completely
banned, despite their good works for Palestinians.
When the PA doesn't move fast enough, Israel still has
authority to step into the "autonomous" areas
supposedly "given" back. On November 8, for example,
Israeli soldiers shut down the West Bank village of
Kabatiya to look for their opponents.(5)
The neocolonial solution proposed by the PLO proves
its own futility more and more each day.
Notes:
1. Washington Post 27 October 1998.
2. Reuters 29 October 1998.
3. Associated Press 5 November 1998.
4. Reuters 8 November 1998.
5. Associated Press 8 November 1998.
* * *
LETTERS
proud of communism
Dear MIM: I never considered myself a communist until
I read some of your papers printed up by computer by a
friend of mine.
I was always anti-oppression, anti-racist, etc., but I
only believed that communism was what the media called
it. Now that I've studied only a few pages of what you
print, I would be "proud" to be labeled a communist,
Maoist or Marxist. They all seem to have basically the
same meaning.
Anyhow, could you (if possible) please let me know how
to learn more and/or even participate in the movement.
If you have a catalog for mail order books or
material, please send to me ASAP. I'm very serious in
my interest.
-- a new friend in the midwest
MIM responds: The misinformation in the media about
communism is one of the important reasons for
publishing and distributing independent newspapers and
magazines. Some people argue that we should drop the
term communism or Maoism because these words are so
strongly associated with evil that we can't possibly
win people over to our side. But we are not willing to
give up on the important historical and theoretical
developments related to communism and Maoism just
because the reactionaries spread slander and lies. One
way everyone can help counter these lies is to help
expand MIM Notes distribution. Contact us at the
address on this page to find out how to get a bundle
to distribute in your area.
Private prisons = increased oppression
Dear MIM: Just something quick: there's been talk
recently of moving prison organization and control
over to the private sector in the USA. Personally,
this sounds like a bunch of crap, but, provided this
legislation goes through, all hell could break loose.
(Say you just busted the hell out of Microsoft's
computer systems. Then, what happens if Microsoft gets
ahold of you in one of their prisons? Just a remote
possibility, but still...). I'm seeing a horrible
decrease in prisoner treatment and living conditions.
Has there been any MIM or RAIL movement against this,
is it just some stupid rumor that isn't ever going to
happen, or what?
--East Coast Reader October, 1998
MIM responds: It's true that more and more prisons
are being managed by private sector corporations. In
1996 less than 3% of prisoners were in private hands
but the growth rate is extreme. With private prisons,
a company can build a prison and then advertise
available space to other governments that have
overcrowded systems. For example, a few years ago a
number of states sent prisoners to the private prisons
in Texas, paying the corporations like Wakenhut, to
hold the prisoners. The incentive for these
corporations is to reduce costs any way possible. This
means cutting medical care, food, amenities like soap
and toilet paper, and education and other social
programs. Part of what this privatization means is
slave labor in the service of profit making
corporations. (For more information about this see the
article in MIM Theory #11 about private prisons, send
$6 for a copy.)
Both MIM and RAIL have been organizing against this
move to privatize. The important thing is for us to
fight privatization without endorsing state-run
prisons. It has to be a part of our fight against the
criminal injustice system in general. What we need
from activists is research into the private
corporations in your state so we can take action
against these corporations. If you're not already
involved in the fight, get in touch and get involved.
Spirituality & Revolution
Dear RAIL: I think survival IS about how strong ones
spirituality is. Especially being an African in
amerika (what is titled BLACK), we have survived many
years off of believing strongly in the power of
healing, and prayer, along with believing that "change
gon' come someday."
Spirituality IS very important in prisons. You or I
couldn't even begin to imagine what happens between
those walls. My brothas are in there and most of them
serving time for being framed, serving time for just
BEING (black, that is). I was the sista with the afro
(the light-skinned one), and I know about a lot of
things.
MIM responds: This letter was sent by someone who
attended one of our forums on prisons.
The point of our events is to provide some historical
basis for discussion and a basis for what we can work
together on. We do not focus the discussion on
spirituality because this is not something concrete
that will help the prisoners we work with. While
spirituality is very popular in the prisons, it is a
crutch used by prisoners, and others, to give up
responsibility for changing individual conditions and
the conditions in the world. When everything is up to
a higher power it is much easier for people to be
complacent and just pray rather than take action
against oppression.
There are prisoners of all different spiritual beliefs
that we work with. And the common point that we work
on is not spirituality or metaphysics, but concrete
conditions within prisons. Spirituality is not going
to help prisoners, or oppressed people anywhere, to
fight the imperialist system that is oppressing them.
Genocide by diplomacy kills as effectively as bombs
* * *
DOWN WITH U.$. IMPERIALISM!
As the U.$. geared up for its third firepower display
in the Persian Gulf this year, the Amerikan
militarists were boasting that their Arab and European
allies no longer oppose bombing Iraq. The Amerikan
militarists of course downplay their own aggressive
actions, pointing that even with the most rapid build-
up of military force by the U.$., weapons are still
not at February, 1998 levels when Amerika last
threatened to step up its military brutality against
the Iraqi people.
As MIM Notes went to press, bourgeois news reports
were that U.$. attacks had been averted with an Iraqi
pledge to not interfere with the arms inspections.(3)
For the time being, the Amerikan war against people of
Iraq has returned to death by preventable health
causes instead of death from Amerikan bombs.
Dennis Halliday [see adjacent article] is only the
most famous example of what liberals and bourgeois
humanitarians internationally are going through. Many
who have supported the U.$. and U.N.'s quieter methods
of persuasion are seeing mounting evidence that even
so-called diplomacy is an assault on the Iraqi people.
While the Amerikan imperialists crow about their
allies' support for bombings and aid workers come more
in touch with the violence of even their own
charitable work, MIM Notes reminds our readers that
revolutionaries cannot ask: "how can Amerika most
gently exert its hegemony?" We must consistently focus
on "how best to support the struggle of the
international proletariat to free itself from Amerikan
hegemony?"
As even the purveyors of international aid will tell
you, kinder and gentler imperialism in Iraq is still
the most brutal form of genocide. Dennis Halliday was
well-enough convinced of this to give up his job.
UNICEF, a branch of the very UN that administers the
sanctions has pointed out that UN Resolution 986,
under which Iraq may sell prescribed quantities of its
oil in exchange for money to buy food and other basic
necessities, has not helped the conditions for Iraqi
children. 750,000 children under the age of five had
died in Iraq as a direct result of the sanctions as of
mid-1997.(1)
Workers in Iraq for CARE, a large First World
charitable corporation not known for their radical
anti-imperialism, have pointed out that "Iraq was not
a Third World country before the (1991) war - and you
can't run a developed society on aid." The aid workers
are referring to Iraq's level of development compared
to its neighbors, and compared the to majority of the
CARE clientele.
Health care and education were widely available in
Iraq before war and poverty crippled the national
infrastructure. Iraq was able to develop national
health and education systems through reinvesting money
from oil sales, and was also able to generate an
economy that would support some resistance to U.$.
domination of Iraqi actions internal to its borders.
A CARE worker described Iraq's level of development in
relation to the sanctions: "What is wrong with the
water system here is a result of breakdown and damage
to complex and very expensive water purification
plants. And this eats up hundreds of thousands of
pounds in repairs - for just one region of the
country. The doctors here are excellent but because of
sanctions, they haven't had access to a medical
journal for eight years."(2)
As MIM Notes reported on the bombings of Sudan and
Afghanistan, an Amerikan military campaign against a
neo-colony or semi-colony is not always a direct
defense of established economic interests. Because
Amerikan imperialism relies on being the most powerful
economic and military force in the world, the u.$. is
willing to use guns every time a country does not bow
to its will. As the uncontested biggest imperialist
country on the planet, Amerikkka seeks to coerce every
corner of the globe through not only military means,
but also economic and diplomatic means. When a country
like Iraq first steps out of the U.$. plan, Amerika
must step in and re-establish its control.
A disobedient Iraq is a particular threat to the
United States because Iraq controls what is a scarce
resource at the global level: oil. While Iraq's wealth
is in part dependent on the imperialists to buy their
oil, the concentration of oil in a select number of
countries put these countries in a position to demand
better prices for their raw materials. Other Third
World countries with less scarce natural resources are
unable to demand as high a price from the
imperialists. Whereas the imperialists typically play
Third World countries against each other, Iraq has
managed to use the imperialists against each other.
This is the independence that the First World in
general and Amerika in this particular case, so fears
and to which it responds with threats of massive
aerial bombardment.
Likewise, Amerika does not care about the supposed
threat Saddam Hussein's government poses to the
peoples of the Arab world. Amerika only cares about
stretching its economic and military influence more
thoroughly around the globe. Amerika has no interest
in protecting Kuwait or Kurdistan from Iraqi weapons,
it cares only about its ability to dictate resource
usage in the Persian Gulf.
The great danger in the way the U.$. and U.N. have
framed sanctions and military strikes at Iraq is that
progressive activists may become caught in discussing
Iraq's weapons capacity. The militarists plant the
question in anti-militarist debates: if we don't use
sanctions or our weapons to stop the Iraqi weapons,
what do we use? MIM places such heavy emphasis on
Amerikan weapons capacity because we hope to persuade
our readers that preserving this country's version of
justice is not worth it. Mao pointed out that humans
are a tiny speck on the life of the universe, and MIM
follows Mao in the realization that we may blow
ourselves up before achieving international peace
through socialism and the eventual disintegration of
nations.
Within this framework, how could we say that using
Amerikan force of any kind is justified in containing
Iraqi force of any kind? Acknowledging that humans are
small and insignificant allows Communists to embrace
the knowledge that the only defensible use of force
today is aimed at liberating people from oppression.
We call on all anti-imperialists and anti-militarists
to join us in categorically rejecting U.$.-U.N.
interference in the affairs of sovereign states, and
to support with us the quests for sovereignty of those
nations that have not yet achieved it.
Notes:
1. Iraq Action Coalition, Summary of Facts updated
April 1998 http://leb.net/IAC/
2. "Women Fighting to Stem Disaster in Iraq," The
Independent 14 October, 1998.
3. MSNBC, November 14 1:51 PM ET
Article edited by MC234.
* * *
HALLIDAY SPEAKS ON U.$. GENOCIDE IN IRAQ
In early November, Dennis Halliday made his first
public appearance since resigning his post as the UN
Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq. He spoke at Harvard
University about his resignation and the devastating
results of sanctions on Iraq. After his resignation,
Halliday said, "We are in the process of destroying an
entire society. It is as simple and terrifying as
that. It is illegal and immoral."(1)
Halliday is far from a revolutionary, he is a strong
believer in Amerika as a great country (though he is
not american). He firmly believes in working within
the system to attempt change. MIM reports on his
speech because of the important first hand information
exposed and because of the strong statement made when
one of the capitalists' own speaks out against u.$.
and UN-sponsored genocide.
Those of us opposed to imperialism are well aware of
the death and suffering that takes place around the
world at the hands of the united snakes. However,
imperialist supporters often refuse to see what is
right in front of their eyes. Halliday could not
ignore the evidence he faced daily in Iraq. He
resigned his Iraq post in September and then resigned
from the UN in October in protest to the UN policy of
sanctions against Iraq.
Halliday spoke about his experiences in Iraq from
September 1997 to October 1998 as well as his first
hand knowledge of the conditions prior to that period.
Halliday joined the UN in 1964 and was assistant
Secretary-General before taking up his post in Iraq.
Halliday oversaw the distribution of food and other
humanitarian goods that Iraq purchased from money
earned through the U.N.-approved sale of oil which
started in 1996.
Halliday provided evidence that the continued UN
sanctions can be called nothing less than genocide.
The current sanctions deny Iraq access to profits from
oil sales which form a mainstay of its economy.
Eight years of sanctions have had disastrous effects
on the country. Halliday said the sanctions "kill,
destroy and bring ruin to 23 and a half million
people."
Every ten minutes an Iraqi child dies from
malnutrition, preventable disease or other effects of
the sanctions. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), in Iraq 6000-7000 children under
five years of age die every month as a direct result
of the sanctions. And the WHO considers these numbers
an underestimate due to the difficulty in collecting
information on some parts of the country.
The sanctions have hit children particularly hard
because the economic devastation has led to poor
health of their mothers, poor nutrition, high
incidence of water borne disease, and use of baby
formula mixed with water that is not safe to drink.
The malnutrition among children under five years old
remains at approximately 30% in spite of the oil for
food program the UN initiated supposedly to alleviate
the suffering in Iraq.
In addition to the direct effects on the health of the
population, Halliday outlined some of the economic
consequences of the sanctions. The effect on the
economy can be seen in the inflation rate. In 1990, 1
dinar was worth $3 (US) while today 300 dinars are
worth $1 (US). The financial ruin has led to
homelessness, prostitution, begging, corruption and
children being forced to work. All of these things,
Halliday pointed out, were virtually unknown in Iraqi
society before the sanctions. In addition to the
inflation rate, in 1996, the Iraqi government
legalized secondary market monetary exchange in an
effort to restrain the exchange rate. This means the
dinar is worth even less in that sphere.(2)
The dropout rate in the schools is now 20-30%. In
addition to the problem of children needing to earn
money to help support their families, there is no
money for resources in the schools and thousands of
teachers have quit, unable to support themselves and
unable to work in the horrible conditions. Even those
children who do not drop out of school all together do
not have a high attendance rate.
On the higher end of the education scale, the
sanctions are leading to a widespread "brain drain" as
an estimated 2 million Iraqi professionals are now
working outside of the country. Even when
intellectuals do not flee the country, there is an
internal brain drain going on. Because a country
without money for food and exponentially expanding
inflation cannot continue to pay its intellectuals to
perform services it needs. In Iraq, this is seen in
the government offering stock in its national
operations to educated workers so that a petty-
bourgeois base of civil employees will remain even
while many, like lawyers and scientists, are becoming
small merchants, taxi drivers and other service
workers because these jobs offer better pay than their
trained professions.(2)
Halliday believes that the impression widespread by
the media that Iraq is run by a one-man-show (Saddam
Hussein) is incorrect. He sees the political system
there as strongly influenced by the public and
particularly by other members of the government. And
he reports that the current government is seen as too
moderate by youth who have grown up under the harsh
effects of imperialist sanctions and who are pushing
the government to take stronger action against the
imperialists.
Halliday agreed with one audience member that it is
reasonable to view the sanctions as genocide against
the Iraqi people but when asked what we should do
about this, his strongest statement was that we should
lobby congress to change. Halliday's position is not
radical at all. In fact, his view is that sanctions
are never effective and only lead to suffering of the
people. Instead he advocated other forms of persuasion
which he did not detail except to mention that this is
a very difficult issue.
MIM agrees with Halliday that sanctions on the Iraqi
people must end. But we disagree with his view that
member states in an international organization have
the inviolable right to change the actions of "erring
states" through force. MIM would only support such
international pressure in the name of socialism, and
for the purpose of liberating masses of people from
oppression while providing them with the basic
necessities of life.
In the UN today, the strongest member states are
imperialists and fierce enemies of the majority of the
world's people. MIM recognizes no moral authority in
imperialism and we categorically reject the
imperialists' claims to the right to decide who eats
or starves. When there is anti-imperialist
international debate, this dialog can righteously lead
to improving national policies. But today while
imperialists call the shots on the international
governmental scene, all peace-loving people must
reject any claims of supposed neutral international
organizations to impose their will on any oppressed
nation.
Even if the sanctions are ended tomorrow, the Iraq
people will not regain their sovereignty. The
imperialists will not give up control of any country
in the world without a fight. The sanctions are one,
particularly devastating, way that the imperialists
control their colonies. In fact, back when Hussein was
a good u.s. lackey, the US government was supplying
him with material to produce chemical and biological
weapons.
Just as they have in countries throughout the world,
the United Snakes demands loyalty and obedience from
the government. And when any colony resists, they are
met with harsh reprisals. Only through revolutionary
struggle will the people of Iraq and the people of the
world throw off imperialist domination and be free to
establish a system of government truly by and for the
people: a socialist system.
Notes:
1. The Independent 14 October, 1998.
2. MIM Notes no. 153 1 January 1998.
* * *
CAMPAIGN TO EXPAND MIM NOTES DISTRIBUTION
MIM Notes is initiating a campaign to expand
distribution of our newspaper in 1999. As the end of
the century approaches we must stress the importance
of summing up the lessons of the 20th century for
communists and of applying these lessons to the
advancing struggle against imperialism.
Independent media of the oppressed is crucial to
building a movement that can take on imperialism.
Right now we don't come close to competing with the
New York Times or the other daily newspapers across
this imperialist country. But with your help we can
expand our distribution and advance the fight towards
the day when we can take on and defeat the imperialist
mouthpieces.
If you live in a city where there is no regular MIM
Notes distributor, your help is crucial. But even if
you live in a city where there are already
distributors, your help will expand our outreach into
more communities in your city. We ask that our
distributors help with the cost of printing and
shipping the paper if possible but whether or not you
have the money we need your help.
Distributors can sell the paper on the streets and at
political events and you can leave copies of the paper
free at colleges, in community centers, in laundry
mats, at libraries, in coffee shops, in bookstores,
and anywhere else that they won't get thrown away and
people will pick them up.
Our goal for 1999 is to expand distribution of MIM
Notes and increase the necessary funding by 25% of the
current total. We can't do it without your help.
Contact your local distributor or send us the form
below to help out.
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* * *
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TAKES A POKE AT U.$. PRISONS
by MC12
In early October, Amnesty International (AI) initiated
its campaign entitled "Rights for All." This campaign
focuses on human rights violations by the United
snakes internationally and domestically. The campaign
is to run from October 1998 to May 1999. "Rights for
All" is campaigning for: "an end to police brutality;
an end to torture and abuse of prisoners; the
protection of asylum-seekers; the abolition of the
death penalty; ratification of human rights treaties;
and a code of conduct for arms sales." At the
beginning of the campaign, Amnesty released a 150-page
report documenting human rights violations in the U.$.
by "police departments, prison systems, detention
facilities, the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) and other institutions."
MIM welcomes this main stream exposure to the daily
atrocities committed by and backed by the United
Snakes of Imperialism. Details provided in the reports
adds to the work that MIM and prisoners have done
since our beginning to expose the nature of the U.$.
INjustice system as a system of social control and
national oppression. We invite Amnesty chapters and
supporters to struggle with and work with MIM and
RAIL. There are many projects which we can collaborate
on based on our mutual goal to expose and oppose U.$.-
imposed oppression.
In this article, we focus on the aspect of Amnesty's
report dealing with the Amerikkkan prison system.(1)
We credit Amnesty for conducting investigation and
exposing some of the conditions in Amerikan prisons.
In the past, we have used information that Amnesty
provides and have credited it when AI has been correct
in exposing imperialist-country atrocities.
Despite some points of agreement, MIM has several
criticisms of Amnesty International's politics. We use
this opportunity to explain our political differences
with Amnesty and the central importance of building a
Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Party. MIM sees that there are
various tasks that progressives can accomplish which
help to oppose oppression. However, MIM maintains that
proletarian leadership is essential to forge the
quickest path toward liberation of the oppressed and
annihilation of imperialist domination. It is because
of proletarian internationalism that MIM and RAIL work
against prisons in Amerikkka. And it is because of
proletarian internationalism and the continuous
emphasis of mass work with prisoners that we continue
to oppose prisons within the context of building anti-
imperialist revolution.
Oppression within prisons
The report's chapter on prison says: "Every day in
prisons and jails across the USA, the human rights of
prisoners are violated. In many facilities, violence
is endemic." Further, Amnesty adds, although "many of
these practices violate US laws as well as
international human rights standards," in current
prison system "serious violations can occur and
continue without being effectively challenged."
The report documents many cases of brutality by prison
officials, including: administrators supervising
beatings of prisoners, "gladiator" fights arranged by
guards, false reports filed to cover up guard
atrocities, racist attacks and false disciplinary
charges lodged against Black prisoners, and 600
prisoners handcuffed outdoors for 96 hours, wimmin
prisoners raped and sold by guards for sex (which is
torture according to international law), the use of
restraints deliberately imposed as punishment, chains
and leg-irons (illegal under international law),
prisoners who died from blood clots from prolonged
immobilization, prisoners tortured while strapped in
restraint chairs, prisoners with tape wrapped round
their mouths and football helmets placed backwards on
their heads, hogtying, pregnant wimmin forced to give
birth in shackles, the use of dangerous amounts of
tear-gas as retaliation for nonviolent protests,
prisoners maced and racially taunted while already in
handcuffs, lethal use of pepper spray, the use of
electric stun guns to shocks prisoners already
restrained, and the use of dangerous remote control
electro-shock stun belts.
One useful element of the report is Amnesty's
documentation of where U.$. practices violate
international laws. These are largely hollow in the
case of the Amerikan government, which generally
ignores them, but pointing out these violations helps
expose Amerikan hypocrisy in its treatment of
prisoners. For example, transferring prisoners
thousands of miles from their communities, which RAIL
and MIM and others have protested in recent years,
violates the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment
of Prisoners in international law.
These international rules are pretty much used as
toilet paper by Amerikan prisons. Imagine what prisons
would be like if they followed all this: "Under the
ICCPR and the Convention against Torture, the US
government is obliged to ensure that people are not
subjected to torture (including rape) or to cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment, and that people
deprived of their liberty are treated with humanity
and with respect for the dignity of the human person."
The U.$. government ratified this Convention in 1994,
but said it would interpret the rules to apply the
same way the "cruel and unusual punishment" clause of
the U.$. Constitution is used -- in other words,
rarely if at all. Reading any edition of Under Lock &
Key exposes the lie of these so-called rights in
Amerikan gulags today.
Revolution to stop prisoner-prisoner violence
Part of Amnesty's focus is on how prison guards should
do more to prevent violence between prisoners. For
example, "Overcrowded correctional facilities lack the
space and staff to protect vulnerable inmates from
predatory ones. As a result, physical and sexual
violence and extortion are rife in many prisons and
jails," examples of which they provide in some detail.
In the real world of politics such demands turn public
opinion against prisoners, lead to increased prison
funding and a bigger prison system, and divert
attention from the central issue, which is the
national, gender and class oppression of the injustice
system. These are not the concerns of Amnesty
International, however.
MIM agrees that the injustice system should be held
responsible for crimes against the people committed in
prisons. And we know that the conditions of prisons
and the machinations of the prison officials cause
immeasurable harm to prisoners. However, we don't want
to put our political energy into demanding that prison
guards do more to stop these crimes. And progressives
must make clear that additional guards will not
decrease violence within prisons. The guards
themselves are the primary perpetrators of crimes in
prisons and we do not trust these pigs to end
violence. In many cases reported to MIM, even prisoner
on prisoner violence is instigated by the guards like
some sick human version of a cock fight.
The crimes which prisoners commit within prison
represent consequences of the root injustice of the
system. The pitfall of single issue politics in this
situation is revealed when Amnesty's solution does not
take into consideration the social causes of violence
amongst prisoners. Setting aside pig violence --
prisoners fighting themselves or even being self-
destructive through the use of drugs, stems from
social inequalities and massive repression and denial
of a meaningful existence prisoners face.
Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China,
the Chinese people (up to 1976) developed prisons
which helped prisoners to rebuild their lives as
productive members of society. The Chinese prisoners
were assisted in genuine rehabilitation with the
result of prisoners having more respect for
themselves, other individuals and for society in
general. This is one of the many reasons MIM addresses
problems like violence within prisons from a
revolutionary analysis instead of attempting to
address problems in piecemeal.
Control Units violate international law
The report also criticizes supermaximum security
(supermax) prisons, at least 57 of which were in use
by 36 states and the federal government in 1997 --
incarcerating more than 13,000 prisoners, with many
more under construction. Supermax prisons have already
been condemned by Amnesty as well as the UN Human
Rights Committee.
Violations of international law include: cells
smaller than the 80 square feet, no windows and little
or no access to natural light or fresh air and
insufficient exercise. Further, "In Westville,
Indiana, prisoners were not allowed to wear watches or
ask the time until a hunger-strike and a lawsuit led
to some court-imposed changes." U.$. courts have
forced some changes, but generally permit supermax
administrators to have their way in the name of
"legitimate security needs."
As MIM Notes readers know, often, "the process of
review is discretionary, or the criteria for moving
out of the units are vague or difficult to meet. Some
prisoners may spend years in supermax units." In
particular, "Prisoners may be assigned for long
periods ... for relatively minor disciplinary
infractions, such as insolence towards staff ...
Others have reportedly been moved to supermax units
because of overcrowding or because they have
complained about prison conditions." In Valley State
Prison, California, for example, wimmin were
"assigned, or threatened with assignment, to the
supermax unit if they complained about sexual abuse by
guards." Finally, "some prisoners have reportedly been
put in supermax units because of their political
affiliations."
Readers will be interested to know that "International
standards clearly specify that medical care and
treatment shall be provided whenever necessary, free
of charge." Not only is medical inadequate, but it is
often not free.
Build proletarian internationalism
Build the foundations for revolution
The report goes on to list many reforms that would
reduce specific abuses, such as banning stun guns,
limiting time in supermax conditions, and so on. It is
useful to have groups such as Amnesty agitate for
these reforms, and MIM and RAIL have led or joined
some struggles to improve prison conditions. MIM takes
it as our main task, however, to build public opinion
against the injustice system as a whole, and to build
a movement to overthrow the system that imposes these
draconian conditions, primarily by creating
independent institutions of the oppressed (especially
media).
MIM has long criticized Amnesty International(AI) for
its focus on the oppression committed by Third World
governments without assigning blame to the
imperialists in the background whose power and
influence are often at the root of "local" acts of
oppression. MIM has criticized Amnesty specifically,
for example, for attacking the north Korean government
for the famine there, without blaming the U.$.
government, which bears heavy responsibility for the
suffering of north Koreans and the division of Korea
in the first place.(2)
We have also criticized Amnesty for its whole approach
to "human rights" and supposed "apolitical" stand, as
if rights could be divorced from power and politics in
a world dominated by imperialism and patriarchy.
Amnesty generally uses a bourgeois theory of 'human
rights.' We argue that there are no inherent rights,
there are power struggles. This means we recognize the
reality that those in power are the ones who determine
what is and what is not a right. The ability to be
treated in a certain way, or for the bourgeoisie to
hold its property or any other 'right' is only
supported by the ability to actually gain and defend
it. Conceiving of justice in terms of rights allows
the bourgeoisie to determine what is and is not a
right and for which groups of people. Capitalism
forcing whole villages to starve or denying health
care to Blacks in the U.S. is typically not thought of
as a human rights violation.
That disagreement with the overall approach is
unchanged. But we have also blamed Amnesty for a
tendency to "ignore or tone down criticism of the
First World -- and especially the local First World --
country. Within the United Snakes, Amnesty will
sometimes focus timid pressure in some death penalty
cases. People can most effectively organize in their
own territory, but Amnesty chooses to ignore the
torture in police stations and prisons right around
the corner. Even from within the reformist
perspective, the people who need to shut down the
Control Units at Marion prison--cited as torture by
Amnesty -- live within the United Snakes. For local
issues not to be an integral organizing strategy is a
mistake."(3) And here Amnesty has improved their
record in our eyes.
Yet even now, as the bourgeois media generally ignores
the Amnesty report after a brief mention, the problem
with Amnesty's approach is apparent. The next time
they do a report on atrocities in a Third World
government the U.$. is hostile toward, and it's
splashed all over the news, will someone from Amnesty
stand up to expose the imperialist power structure and
history behind the offending government, or compare
the atrocities to the crimes of imperialism --
including not just wars and interventions, but also
starvation, disease, and environmental devastation?
In short, Amnesty criticizes a series of misbehaviors
by governments, but not the systems that drive them,
and that leaves their work open for use by the many
people who use "human rights" as a club to impose
Amerikan hegemony on the rest of the world.
Notes:
1. The full report is available at www.rightsforall-
usa.org/info/report/index.htm.
2. MIM Notes no 149 November 1, 1997
3. MIM Notes no 127 December 1, 1996.
* * *
BLACK POWER:
REVOLUTIONARIES MOURN STOKELY CARMICHAEL
As MIM Notes goes to press, we have just learned of
the death of Kwame Ture - formerly Stokely Carmichael,
Chairperson of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC) in 1966 and later honorary leader of
the Black Panther Party. We take this time to honor
some of Carmichael's important contributions to Black
nationalism - his articulation of the need for Black
Power and community control and autonomy, and his
criticism of integrationism as an individualist
strategy.
As Chair of SNCC, Carmichael developed a strong line
against integrationism and other forms of identity
politics and individualism. Speaking to a crowd at the
University of Michigan in 1966, he said that
"integrationism is an individual choice," not a
liberation strategy. If Blacks want to integrate
themselves with whites, they can do so on a social and
individual level. But to say that Blacks must
integrate is to say that "I must go to a white school
to get a decent education" and that "to live in a nice
house, I must live in a white neighborhood."
Carmichael further criticized integrationism as a form
of individualism, arguing that Black college students
can integrate because they receive the same training
as whites do for professional life, but that Black
college students are a very small portion of the
population. He further stated that a strategy for
liberation of Blacks must not just address college
students, it must address the needs of housemaids, of
porters, of ditch diggers and of the masses of
unemployed Blacks. And Carmichael decried the goal of
Blacks serving in the military, criticizing the
pressure (especially strong during the Viet Nam war)
to join ROTC and become "a hired killer to get a
decent education."
From this correct analysis - that the oppression of
Black college students cannot be addressed in
isolation from economic and territorial oppression of
the Black nation as a whole - Carmichael developed the
theory laid out in his and Charles Hamilton's book
Black Power: The Politics of Liberation in America.
Kwame Toure went on to found the All-African People's
Revolutionary Party after he left the Black Panther
Party. He upheld pan-Africanism and "scientific
socialism," although MIM believes that he had an
eclectic understanding of socialism which effectively
left the door open for neo-colonialism. As this issue
goes to print, we acknowledge Carmichael's legacy but
cannot address all aspects of his politics here. The
next issue of MIM Notes will include a fuller
treatment of Carmichael's anti-integrationist, Black
liberation ideology. We will also discuss his later
shift toward Pan-Africanism. MIM Notes encourages all
readers to go pick up a copy of Black Power, to
educate yourself about Carmichael's history, SNCC, and
the history of the Black Panther Party.
Source: Speech at the University of Michigan, Hill
Auditorium 1966.
* * *
PRETTY NATO RHETORIC ABOUT KOSOVO HIDES BRUTAL NATURE
OF IMPERIALISM
Fighting continues in Kosovo between Yugoslav and
Albanian forces, despite a cease fire brokered by the
u.$. on October 13. Various bourgeois media sources
claim that the Serbian-dominated Yugoslav army and
police force are strengthening and winterizing their
current positions in Kosovo, while the separatist
Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) is seizing territory
vacated by the Serbs in the aftermath of the cease
fire. The Yugoslav armed forces launched an offensive
against the KLA in August. The u.$. and its
imperialist allies in NATO threatened air strikes
against Serbia in order to force Yugoslav president
Milosevic to agree to the October 13 cease fire.
The majority of the population of Kosovo is Albanian,
and there is a strong movement in Kosovo for
independence from Yugoslavia.
From what MIM has gathered at this point, the
situation in Kosovo is an example of inter-imperialist
conflict on the one hand, and an example of the
imperialists preserving conflict in order to ensure a
"balance of power" for stable investment opportunities
on the other. There is evidence that Germany is
backing a faction of separatist armed forces which is
more moderate than the KLA. The u.$., while
threatening Serbian forces with air attacks, is also
cautioning the KLA to "be reasonable" and not demand
independence. On the other side, Russia is supplying
Yugoslavia with surface-to-air missiles (the better to
shoot down NATO planes with), and consistently
opposing the use of force against Yugoslavia by NATO
in the UN.
Under imperialism, competing blocs of imperialists
divide the world into "zones of influence." The
competing blocs are always jockeying to increase their
piece of the pie while trying to preserve stable
political climates to ensure a return on their
investments. This is one reason MIM says war is
inevitable under imperialism. Despite all of the high
falutin' u.$. and NATO rhetoric about stopping human
rights abuses in Kosovo (and where was the u.$. when
the illegitimate south Vietnamese government committed
all sorts of human rights abuses to preserve its
power? oh yeah, right, they were supplying military
advisors and bombs to the abusers), their intervention
in the area is sure to breed future conflict. The fact
that the current cease fire does not address the roots
of the conflict in Kosovo illustrates that.
Note: Christian Science Monitor 6 November 1998.
* * *
PINOCHET PURSUED FOR CRIMES:
U.$. IMPERIALIST ROLE IGNORED
by MC17
In early November the Lords, the highest court in
England, heard arguments concerning former Chilean
dictator Augusto Pinochet. The issue argued was
whether Pinochet should be sent home or extradited to
Spain to face charges of killing and torturing
opponents during his 17-year rule. In the end of
October the High Court ruled that Pinochet could not
be extradited because, as a former head of state, he
is immune to prosecution. At press time the results of
the appeals hearing are not known.
Pinochet was arrested on October 16 on a request from
Baltasar Garzon, a Spanish magistrate who is
investigating atrocities in the "dirty wars" in Latin
America in the 1970s and 80s. The Spanish government
wants to put Pinochet on trial for "savage and
barbarous" crimes against humanity during his rule
which included the deaths of Spanish citizens.
Pinochet has claimed that Chileans accepted a deal and
agreed not to prosecute him when he stepped down from
his position as head dictator.(1)
Pinochet led a Chilean military government which came
to power in a CIA-backed military coup. His government
killed more than 10,000 people, tortured thousands
more, and forced activists who were not killed or
imprisoned into exile in fear for their lives.
Pinochet, the military ruler of Chile from 1973 to
1990 and commander in chief of its army until earlier
this year, is a senator for life. The 300-page
document from the authorities in Madrid details "a
most ferocious oppression" and a systematic criminal
plot to eliminate ideological enemies of many
nationalities in the Pinochet years, from 1973 to
1990.(2)
"It is the argument of the Spanish authorities that
the savage and barbarous crimes committed in Chile and
the territories of other states, including the U.S.A.,
Spain and Italy, are not within the functions of a
head of state in English law, the law of nations or
the law of Chile," said Alun Jones, the lawyer who
represents Spain.(2)
Pinochet's lawyers have countered the charges by
arguing that if the extradition bid succeeded, Queen
Elizabeth II could theoretically be arrested abroad to
face trial for alleged crimes by England.(3) The
Pinochet defense is trying to scare imperialists about
the potential chaos that might result if all
imperialists were charged for their crimes.
The Economist addressed this argument by saying that
heads of state "would have nothing to fear unless they
had indeed tortured or mass-murdered or bombed
indiscriminately."(4) It is a testimony to the willful
blindness of the imperialists (and their media
mouthpieces) that they could argue with a straight
face that most heads of state have never tortured,
mass-murdered or bombed indiscriminately. As if
financing the military dictatorships throughout the
world, supplying them with arms, and even sending in
troops to aid or at least train them for the fight did
not constitute such crimes. It is convenient that the
imperialists can put a pretty face on their crimes by
hiring lackeys like Pinochet to run the show and then
to take the blame if the people get upset.
Garzon has also demanded the extradition of several
former Argentina junta rulers, but Argentina has
refused to abide by warrants. Both President Eduardo
Frei of Chile and President Eduardo Menem of Argentina
have resisted the Spanish legal motions, arguing that
they infringe on their nations' sovereignty.(5) It's
not surprising that the Spanish investigation into
"dirty wars" in Latin America has led to no
accusations against the U.$, the key financier and
supplier of military might for of most of the dirty
wars in Latin America.
French, Swedish and Swiss judicial authorities said
that they intend to join Spain in pressing for Gen.
Pinochet's extradition, presumably by petitioning the
English government. But these diplomatic maneuverings
against one dictator should not fool anyone into
thinking that Spain, France or any other country
supporting the extradition of Pinochet is on the side
of the people against the imperialists. In fact,
Spain's hands are far from clean in the case of Chile.
Spain's investment in Chile's two main banks, telecoms
and electricity industries is significant.(4)
In imperialist England this case has become a heated
topic for debate. Many point out that Pinochet was an
ally in England's 1982 Falklands War with Argentina
and want to be nice to their ally. Margaret Thatcher,
the former primer minister, treated Pinochet to
cocktails at her home just last month.
MIM sees this entire case as an issue of diplomatic
maneuverings by imperialist countries embarrassed by
an imperialist-backed military dictator whose crimes
have gotten too much press. For the exposure of the
U.$ ties to the Pinochet dictatorship and murders and
torture his government committed, this case is doing a
service to oppressed people around the world. But
anyone who believes that putting one puppet dictator
on trial in an imperialist country court is going to
make the world a better place is mistaken.
The dictators who have served the imperialists for
years, along with the imperialists themselves, do need
to be put on trial, but it must be a trial by the
people. And this will never happen until imperialism
is overthrown and a system of rule by the people has
been established. Join MIM in fighting for Maoist
revolution as we work towards the day when , under
socialism, the former dictators of the world will
answer for their crimes.
Notes:
1. Boston Globe 5 November 1998, p. A2.
2. New York Times 5 November 1998.
3. New York Times 29 October 1998.
4. The Economist 24 October 1998.
5. New York Times 18 October 1998.
* * *
TREMENDOUS RESPONSE TO ANTI-IMPERIALIST PRISONER MASS
ORGANIZATION
"UNITED STRUGGLE FROM WITHIN" MOVES FORWARD
by MIM Prison Minister
MIM has received a tremendous response from comrades
under lock and key who have shown dedication,
commitment and leadership in developing the anti-
imperialist prisoner mass organization. Comrades have
sent artwork, name suggestions, articles, plans for
development of the organization and submissions for
MIM Notes and MIM Theory. MIM salutes the
inspirational revolutionary work of our brothers and
sisters under lock and key with a clenched fist. We
will continue our efforts to make your voices heard
and to build the foundations of revolution and a
future society where prisons are not tools of social
control and oppression.
Several prisoners submitted suggestions for names of
the organization. The MIM Prison Ministry has decided
to use the suggestion "United Struggle from Within" by
a prisoner in South Carolina. We have a couple
comments about the theory behind picking the name.
We reiterate that the intention of the organization is
to unite all anti-imperialist prisoners, further
education and build struggle. This is not intended to
be an organization solely made up of Maoists, as some
have suggested. Just as RAIL does not exclude non-
communists or those who have less worked out political
lines, members of other progressive organizations or
those who have religious beliefs, the USW should
include a broad base of prisoners working together
against national oppression.
Stemming from other name suggestions, we reiterate the
importance that this organization be within bourgeois
legal confines. Prison comrades face enough repression
without ourselves drawing legal justification for
more. The name, slogans and general work of the
organization should be to build anti-imperialism, but
it should not give the oppressor fodder in a legal
argument to punish comrades further.
Specifically, MIM does not engage in armed struggle in
the imperialist countries at this time. We have made
clear that revolution is the only solution to ending
oppression. But arms at this time are not our weapons.
We must build education, independent institutions of
the people, public opinion and a strong United Front
against imperialism led by the proletariat. There is
much work in these areas, there is no need to
perpetuate the pigs' claim that we support armed
struggle now in Amerikkka.
What next?
Increased study, censorship monitoring & agitation
USW has several leaders working quite hard to build
revolutionary study groups. These study groups are
essential to keeping USW and more generally, anti-
imperialist agitation, on the correct path. We need
USW comrades to help mobilize other prisoners who are
not in touch with MIM. It is essential that USW
comrades share information and lead discussion on the
ways in which imperialism oppresses the masses and the
need for organization to end it. USW comrades have
pointed out the need to understand the histories and
legacies of Parties like the BPP and the YLP. This
understanding will help to organize the USW in the
most effective direction. Many comrades are already
quite versed on the theory and history needed for
revolution, and in those cases, it is your obligation
to educate and mobilize others into anti-imperialist
activity. If you have not already started to receive
study material, write to us and start out with the
pamphlet "Maoism and the Black Panther Party." If you
cannot communicate with others, we urge you to use the
time to produce articles which educate.
As part of our push to distribute more literature
through the Serve the People Books for Prisoners
Program, MIM needs help from United Struggle from
Within to monitor censorship closely. Systematic
campaigns to fight censorship were among the most
frequent USW suggestions. At this time, MIM does not
have the capacity to systematically fight the ever-
growing censorship cases. In general, we need comrades
to first file grievances and make legal gains
individually when possible. Nevertheless, compiling
records of censorship is important as we increase the
capabilities of the Prisoner Legal Clinic and
coordination of prisoners working together. USW
comrades have clearly stated agreement that legal
battles against censorship are key to developing other
struggles against oppression because the masses need a
way to communicate. (If you need a copy of the brief
MIM censorship packet, let us know.)
MIM also calls on USW to increase agitation against
imperialism and the oppressive prison system. It is
difficult for prisoners to see all of the ways in
which comrades on the outside use your words to
educate and mobilize others. Nevertheless, your
articles, art, poems and testimonials are crucial in
outside work to mobilize activists against oppression,
specifically the INjustice system. USW comrades are
encouraged to write theory articles from books that we
send or other literature. Also, the summary of
conditions, battles against oppression, lessons on
organizing and study are quite helpful to mobilize
support inside and out.
In addition to sending MIM and RAIL information that
helps us organize support for prisoners, we need USW
comrades to spread the word to your families,
supporters and friends on the outside that there is a
way they can oppose the Amerikkkan prison system. Some
USW comrades have started to get outside supporters to
distribute MIM Notes. Other USW comrades have been
working within other organizations they belong to for
the purpose of building more unity and opposition to
imperialism. We urge each of you to think ways to
increase agitation both outside and inside the unjust
prison walls.
Please note: Prisoners who have shown support and
leadership in the USW should have received two general
form letters; if you have not, please write because
you are most likely being censored. Outside supporters
interested in more information should check out MIM
Notes #161 and #168 as well as recent submissions to
the Serve the People Prisoners' Legal Clinic printed
in MIM Legal Notes. (The PLC is a subset of the USW
mass organization.) ($1 for each back issue to
supporters on the outside.)
Build opposition to oppression
A Texas Prisoner wrote:
I can't express in mere words how greatly I agree
(with the mass org formation.) It is due to this
parallel of ideology that I immediately began the
ground work for structuring a "control agitation unit"
here in this particular colonized camp.
There is a lot of energy waiting to be cultivated into
the revolutionary mentality. Study groups (think
tanks) have been set up and a curriculum which refers
to MIM Notes and other donated material has already
opened the eyes of many who might have otherwise been
unconscious victims of this Criminal INjustice System!
We call this faction "The Peoples' Alliance" and I
have drawn up its primary objective as well as an
amendable 10 point program for the sake of instituting
structure and discipline. (attached)
The topic of our first demonstration was entitled
"universal principalities." It was given before a
group of approximately 50 oppressed inmates (POW) of
varying ethnicities. So yes, we are building. There
is however, a great need to centralize with other
organizations/groups so that we may have some sort of
universality within our approach to this institutions'
sub-social injusticies.
Nonetheless, I would like for MIM to consider
integrating this faction into its objective as well.
With life there is struggle, without struggle there is
complete and satisfactory death.
MIM responds: Thank you for using the literature to
build opposition to oppression. We again encourage you
to work with those comrades to help expand agitation
as stated in the adjacent article. As for the
development of "The Peoples' Alliance," we commend
your work to organize and see it as positive that
other progressive prisoner organizations continue to
emerge. We also see several ways in which this type of
organization particular to one prison can fit into the
larger development of unity between prisoners
throughout the united snakes.
We will include additional details of your
outline/program within the letters going out to USW
comrades, but of special importance to print in MIM
Notes for all prisoners are: 1) Your stated unity
that "The primary purpose of this prisoner (POW) mass
organization is to consolidate and strengthen our
ability to agitate, if and whenever necessary, against
imperialism [the] principle tool of the sub-social
oppression within this criminal (in)justice system."
2) Your unity and emphasis on the need for comrades
within your prison organization to respect one another
and to be disciplined and organized. Part of which is
a clear statement of unity to be principled at all
times, even when dealing with the oppressor.
We look forward to discussing more organizational and
theoretical issues and working to increase agitation
with you and the comrades in your organization.
* * *
MLM Online:
ELECTION '98 ROUND-UP
The increased incorporation of the Internet and World
Wide Web into this years' campaign and election was
hailed from many quarters as a leap for democracy, a
way to reach more people, to promote democratic values
and educate potential voters, especially among
Amerikan youth. In this issue of MLM Online, we review
some of these online election-oriented clearinghouses
and expose the lies and hypocrisy of electoral
politics espoused by them.
If it were just mainstream politics that we wanted to
pick on, we could review the web sites of the
Democratic and Republican parties directly. But worse,
we find, than the straight two-party line (who can
tell the difference, anyway?), are groups that claim
to have a bit of cynicism but promote voting in spite
of that. We know, for example, that the candidate with
the most money wins. We know that bills need corporate
sponsorship to become law. So more than the
politicians themselves, we criticize those that accept
those realities and attempt to portray voting as the
participatory experience that it profoundly is not.
The Web is a perfect vehicle to perpetrate that
fiction.
Consider WomenVote.org. (http://www.womenvote.org).
This interactive site provides a database of
politicians and how they voted on specific political
"issues." Vote your conscience, the site admonishes.
Check your values against our database, print out the
results and take it to the ballot box. After selecting
certain categories of interest (e.g. crime, housing,
health care, poverty, education, etc.) one is asked to
support, oppose, or ignore specific questions, such as
funding for community oriented policing, or lowering
the age at which juveniles are tried as adults. Click,
click, click, and voila, the database returns the
candidates from the jurisdiction you selected and
tells you how they voted on those same questions.
That's who you vote for!
Nowhere on this or any similar site did we find a
discussion of who defined those incredible narrow
issues in the first place. How is it that X
legislature came to vote on whether money from the
feds should go to prison construction or youth
violence prevention programs? By that point, "crime"
has been defined by the ruling class, and the
proletariat is the victim of those definitions. The
only bourgeois question that remains is whether X or Y
policy is the best way to address the problem. Can
anyone really look youth straight in the eye and say
their vote matters? The Web, with its interactive
technology, provides some illusion that the electoral
process is itself interactive between government and
"citizen."
We say to progressive-minded youth, don't settle for
so little, so late. Fundamental inequality and
injustice is unaffected by who's in office and how
they vote on a narrow range of questions defined by
the ruling class.
* * *
ROCK THE NATION
http://www.rockthevote.org/main_nation.html
On November 1, the Rock the Vote organization began a
15 city tour it's calling "Rock the Nation." Rock the
Vote's mission is "increasing civic action of young
adults," principally by registering them and then
getting them to vote. Rock the Nation goes beyond mere
voting to parrot the jargon the federal government
uses to justify cutting welfare or any other social
service -- community. Rock the Nation is about
"connecting" youth to activism on the "community
level." The slogan? "Rock the Nation, One Community at
a Time."
A list of cities on the tour and other information can
be found on Rock the Vote's web site at
. It's
here we learned that Rock the Nation is sponsored by
the Pew Charitable Trusts, a wealthy non-profit
organization funding liberal causes, and that the
campaign is endorsed by several local politicians.
The declaration of the campaign reads in part "We
[youth] hereby pledge to involve ourselves at the
community level and solve problems one step at a
time." In other words, think locally and act as a
reformist. Convincing young people that the only
difference they can make is locally, and that local
politics is the most honorable, is an attempt to crush
the revolutionary potential of youth under the guise
of supporting their "activism." Even in the parasitic
imperialist nations, youth have some tendency toward
protest and against group oppression, and bourgeois
organizers of "Rock the Nation" understand this.
Poverty and other forms of inequality are not "local"
problems, but the results of capitalism and
imperialism. MIM and RAIL have long admonished young
people to think globally and ACT globally, even if in
their actions they choose to expose and isolate a
local policy -- such as one state's prison censorship
or out of state transfers. Don't be fooled by the
government's opportunistic verbal support for
"community action" (in some cases, to do its dirtiest
work, including community policing). Work with RAIL
and smash imperialism across all communities!
* * *
AMERIKAN CHRISTIANS:
SATAN'S SPAWN
Cambridge, MA--Christians passed out flyers in this
secular stronghold Halloween night. "Satan: The God of
This World" reads the flyer with the serpent on the
front. Also in town we find white supremacist stickers
on the lampposts.
The flyer is very much in line with the movement of
ultra-reactionary Christians to fight Halloween. A
full-length adult television cartoon appeared on the
subject on "King of the Hill."
Animal liberationists would be correct to point out
that Christians are giving serpents a bum rap for all
the evils of homo sapiens. The depiction of serpents
since "Adam & Eve" is that they are manifestations of
evil. Yet serpents do not enslave each other; they do
not make up religions to garner funds for themselves
or to quiet the masses.
The flyer is a perfect example of how to prevent
people from fighting for justice. In the first place,
as the title reads, these Christians believe that this
world is already ruled by Satan. Even first-class
citizens with good families are Satan spawn says the
flyer.
Thus, Christianity might seem to have a kernel of
rebellion in it possible, but that is just one of its
lures aimed at keeping people from rebellion. It turns
out that Satan appears even as an angel of light and
as religious workers. According to this tract, we may
tell Satan posing as Christian apart from real
Christian teachers, because Satan will never say that
Jesus gave his blood for all our sins.
As materialists, we have to tell our Christian friends
and enemies that they are sorely confused. Such a
religion can only fill a persyn's need for Authority
and an end to intellectual and political struggle.
We would like them to consider that Satan must have
printed their Bibles for centuries and run their study
classes. The printed word, reverends and Bible study
classes are all of this world, which is Satan's world.
Only a true master of evil would construct an idea
where all sins are redeemed by the blood of Jesus,
something already done and something not of this world
according to these witting or unwitting Satan spawn.
The fact that Satan can take any form in the real
world should be taken as a call to struggle in this
world by the Christians, but instead they tell us as
long as Jeffrey Dahmer or John Salvi or the like
believe that Jesus died for all our sins, they will
not spend "eternity in hell." In other words,
Christians say people should ignore the evil in this
world to focus on their afterlives.
It's not possible to have it both ways: either
believing in Jesus makes one a good Christian or not.
If the "Lord Jesus" died for "all" our sins, then it
matters not what we did in this world so long as we
believed in "Him."
We call the Christians idealists because in the end
their reference points are in the heavens and not in
struggle here on earth. Believing in Jesus has no
power to help create justice in this world. It does
have the power to make some evangelists rich and to
protect the status quo of the real world by creating
another religion to divide the oppressed and by
focussing the oppressed on the afterlife which does
not exist.
If Satan is the King of Evil, then Satan surely sent
the world these Amerikan Christians: "For such are
false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel;
for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light."(1) This may be the single best teaching of the
Bible and for this reason the Christians had to ruin
it or face the prospect that Satan could be defeated
in this world, which would mean the end of the
Christian business as well. The Satan wing of the
idealist scam distributed this leaflet "Tract No. 121"
in the guise of Christianity.(2)
We Marxists have a similar problem with so many
revisionists falsely claiming to be Marxist.
Revisionism is like Satan dressed up as a Christian,
except worse, because Satan and Christianity are only
the two heads of the same idealist scam run by the
King of Evil, whereas there is a real-world difference
between Marxism and revisionism. Merely believing in
Marx or shouting his name does not make one Marxist.
Our measuring sticks are real-world questions--the
Soviet Union, China and the nature of imperialist
country working classes. Likewise, on lesser
questions, for example when someone claims to be
fighting crime, MIM demands the facts in this world to
see how one strategy succeeds or fails in fighting
crime.
While there are two positions possible for each of
these three historical questions MIM focuses on, MIM's
approach has only a certain number of logical
solutions to it, whereas religions can be created
infinitely and without reference to anything concrete.
This feature makes religion most useful for dividing
people and fomenting wars along the lines of the
fertile imaginations of religious leaders who are a
portion of the ruling class.
In Russia, the masses tried a number of concrete
things before settling on Bolshevism in 1917. The
endlessly divisive nature of Christianity, Christian
Satans and Marxist revisionism stems from their
failure to connect to the real world where they may be
held accountable and either accepted or rejected by
everyone.
Notes:
1. Bible, II Corinthians 11:13-14
2. Tract No. 121, Fellowship Tract League, PO Box 164,
Lebanon, OH 45036.
* * *
PIRAO ATTACKS MORALISM
by PIRAO chief
The suspension of Maoist Sojourner underscores the
importance of PIRAO work to provide the infrastructure
and logistics necessary for a Party.
Recently I studied two movements in U.$. history that
are typical of Amerikan social movements. One was
abolitionism and the other was the temperance
movement.
Both these movements were moralistic. The
abolitionists tended to be the polar opposite of
various preachers advocating the retention of slavery.
They were not a strong material force in society. The
force to abolish slavery did not come to exist until
the Civil War.
Later, the prohibitionists moved to outlaw alcohol.
Much of the movement was feminist-minded in thinking
that abolishing alcohol would improve husband-wife
relations. Of course the movement also had a heavy
Christian component.
Moralistic spiritualism and crass materialism seem to
go hand in hand in Amerika. One seems to give rise to
the other. We dialectical materialists seek to get off
the perpetual roller-coaster of unguided greed on the
one hand and spiritual naivete on the other.
MIM attracts people who have broken with or are in the
process of breaking with revisionism. Yet many of
these people are from the moralistic school of
thought. Their hearts are aflame with ideology, but in
narrow ways.
PIRAO has identified some practical steps commonly not
given enough attention.
Speed-reading
It should be apparent to anyone that Maoism is far
removed from mainstream imperialist thinking and MIM
consequently puts a heavy emphasis on study. With the
exception of those about to die, we all have many
years of study ahead of us. Hence, learning to speed-
read and studying vocabulary in dictionaries and
encyclopedias should be a priority for us.
People being shot at in the field of armed struggle
probably become experts in some matters as quickly as
possible. Yet the importance of speed-reading and
vocabulary is one of those things lacking ideological
sex appeal. The inability to read quickly and
effectively is one thing that holds back a whole slew
of party efforts. While seemingly ideologically
neutral, the question is actually very ideological.
INTERNET access
There are people who complain to MIM day in and day
out that there is no political activity of the
progressive sort in their neighborhood. This fact gets
used as an excuse for an individual not to be the
backbone of political activity his or herself. To such
people without the subjective drive to lead
themselves, we say, "move!" Somewhere they can go and
see progressive and communist activity. There is no
doubt that one's environment is important to political
development.
Related to this question is that isolated people in
the imperialist countries should also prioritize
getting access to the INTERNET with full browser-
access. This is important both for rapid
communications and study as the INTERNET is far
superior to any library in most contemporary matters.
Many of the people attracted to the party have a
petty-bourgeois lifestyle of rejection of corporate
culture and a practiced poverty. These are people in
the imperialist countries who could be relatively well
off with relatively little effort, but moralistic
asceticism prevents their doing so.
While it is one thing not to be on the INTERNET in the
Third World, it is essentially ideological laziness
not to be on it in the imperialist countries.
Money
Whether it be buying voluminous proletarian literature
to study, getting on INTERNET, learning to type on a
computer word-processor, taking speed-reading or
supporting the party, alleged poverty in the
imperialist countries can be an excuse by people who
are not exploited or in prison.
There is a fine line to walk. No doubt careerists
obsessed with money are the main danger to our
movement, not Buddhist moralists. However, if we find
ourselves saying we are not on the INTERNET and we
cannot afford to buy literature or support the party
even slightly, then we need to re-prioritize
ideologically speaking. For some people gaining
material powers is a priority.
Those of us with a progressive sense of justice should
be careful not to get caught in the trap of Amerikan
moralism. Ideas alone never change anything. The same
life-and-death urgency put into learning to fight in
the armed struggle in the Third World needs to go into
developing our material powers to accomplish things
that need to be done. The trick is to grasp the
ideological importance of improving our own mental and
material powers.
Comrades in the Third world have to defeat
technologically superior enemies on the battlefield.
Imperialist country comrades need to keep asking
themselves whether they have established comparable
material goals for themselves. If the Vietnamese had
to learn how to shoot down B-52s what is too much to
ask that people accomplish here?
Maoist Sojourner still not coming out
It has been over six months since Maoist Sojourner
came out. Although the party budget has increased over
this period, there is still a lack of funding for the
publication, which is also suffering secondary
political difficulties.
We apologize to the public and hope to correct the
situation as soon as possible.
* * *
UNDER LOCK & KEY: NEWS FROM PRISONS AND PRISONERS
PIGS HATE TO LET PRISONERS GO
Dear Comrades, I am sorry for such a long delay in
responding to your letter. I was transferred from
prison to the county jail 'cause of an old outside
charge from back in 1996. They waited 'till the day of
my release to go home, to charge me. Then on top of
that they lose ALL of my property during my transfer
to the county jail. The prison kamp is just now
sending my mail to me at the county jail! ...
-- A Florida Prisoner 18 October 1998
Torture and brutality in South Carolina
Fire Stabbing and Brutality
...MIM, on 7/8/98 a few of the unprofessional pigs
here at Evans Correctional Control Unit were denying
some of the comrades Rec. [recreation] and showers for
no reason at all. So a few of the Comrades set their
kages on fire, hoping to get some form of get-back for
what the pigs have been doing to us. At one point, I
thought the pigs weren't going to let us out of the
smoky building but the pigs finally started leading us
out to the Rec. fields.
So while trying to get everyone out a pig named c/o
Martin placed one comrade in the level 1 dog kages and
took the cuffs off him immediately. [C/O Martin]
stated that no one is going in the kage with this
comrade, but he went back on his word. When he saw
another comrade who he [Martin] had some animosity
against he placed this second comrade in this kage
also. Yet he kept the handcuffs on the second comrade,
while the other comrade was without handcuffs. When
c/o Martin noticed that the first comrade had a knife
he left the Rec. field, leaving the comrade in cuffs
to be stabbed.
Finally the pigs go the comrade with the knife out of
the kage and took the other comrade to Medical for
treatment. The pigs here will watch you die in cold
blood. And these are the people we have so-called
protecting us. It's a shame.
But it doesn't stop there. When it was time to go back
to our kages, we comrades refused. So they called in
the Red Team to shake our kages down, leaving them
with nothing, not even tissue for us to use the
bathroom with. After they had finally confiscated
everything out of our kages, the Pigs came with a
demand to for us to back up and be cuffed. But we the
comrades stilled resisted going in, so the pigs left
the Rec. field for a few minutes. They cam back with
the white racial ole Associate Warden, P. Mcleod
demanding us to back up and be cuffed or they will gas
the entire Rec. field. 15 seconds and every comrade on
the Rec. field will be gassed so I am given one more
direct order to back up and be cuffed.
So some of the comrades were afraid to face the
consequences so they started backing up to be cuffed,
one-by-one. They are quick to fight each other around
here but scared to destroy these lazy pigs here on
Evans SMU Control Unit.
Me along with a few other comrades, we are trying our
hardest to build with comrades who are not consciously
aware of what it going on. With some of them theirs is
no hope, it's sad to say.
In Struggle,
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 29 July 1998
MIM responds: Right now the most important work our
comrades can be doing in prison is building
consciousness and organization. When the pigs attack,
there is sometimes no choice but to fight back. But
even with the most organized and conscious prisoners
all united, as they were in Attica, the pigs have so
much power they can turn almost any rebellion into a
massacre. We call on our conscious comrades in South
Carolina to build the new prisoner anti-imperialist
mass organization -- United Struggle from Within(USW)
-- and keep educating and organizing others.
Poor treatment and Excessive Rules
...Here at Evan's on SMU it's a shame how the pigs
here treat the comrades. Note there are a few comrades
who have been without a mattress and personal property
for four and five months. A few comrades are trying to
correspond with their codefendant at another
institution, but the Warden here at Evans disapproves
for no reason at all.
MIM, something must be done about these rules that are
causing so much confusion in this small world of hell
that's being controlled by the Devil and run by the
Deaf, Dumb and Blind pigs....
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 14 September 1998
Policies Limit Outside Contact
...The SCDC [South Carolina Department of Corrections]
now wants to inspect our mail before we mail it and
seal it for us too! What kind of shit is this! And the
kicker is that they do it while we're not present.
Just like with our incoming mail. This is nothing but
blatant censorship and is against our human rights.
How do I know what they're doing with my personal
mail, putting contraband in it, making taking pictures
out, or parts of my letters? Maybe destroying my
destroying my letters (I'm not sure you got this one.)
I think everyone needs to write to the SC department
of corrections, PO BOX 21787, Columbia, SC 29221-1787
and let them know how we feel. Like I said, anything
can happen to our mail if it is opened not in front of
us.
While I'm at it, something needs to be done about our
visitation privileges also. The way we get visits now
is breaking up more families then keeping them
together. All we can do is sit in a room at a table.
You can't touch your wife or other family members.
They have to sit across from you. You can't play with
your children, all they do is sit. How is this a
meaningful visit? How can I enjoy a visit when the man
stands there and watches me and my family? You can't
keep your relations strong with your wife or children
this way. We should be allowed visits the way they
used to be, in a park type atmosphere. My family and
myself would feel more at ease, our relations are
stressed enough with me being in prisoner. The type of
visits we get now don't help. More private visits in a
more relaxed atmosphere can only help relations and
keep families together. Write SCDC, get human rights
activists involved and let them know how we feel. Keep
fighting!
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, July 1998
Opposition to Sex Offender Registry
The sex offender registration law in South Carolina is
a bunch of bull! Judges and courts have already
convicted and sentenced the sex offender to serve
prison time and pay his debt to society. So why does
he have to pay for the crime the rest of his life by
registration? This is law is against his rights!
Next South Carolina will be having all violent crime
offenders have to register. The registration will keep
the offender, who has paid the price of the crime
already, from getting a decent job, to live in peace
and trying to be an asset to the community. He will
only be shunned from society. And his family, they
will become victims of this law.
Offender registration is like passing a life sentence
on the offender. It verges on being double jeopardy,
which is against the law. This law has nothing to do
with fairness or justice, especially for the offender
and his family. Society has the right to be protected
against sex offenders, registration is not the way.
Who will protect the offender and his family from
society and allow them a normal life?
Before it's too late, we, as inmates, and our families
need to voice our opinions on this, or we will all end
up registering. We already suffer with 85% sentences
and no parole.
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 10 August 1998
Some Legal Advice
In reference to MIM Notes #169, page 4 "Prisoners
denied legal aid" -- it's happening in the
concentration camps of South Carolina under the
authority of Michael Moore, the dictator of the SCDC.
Inmates are supposed to use the grievance system to
make a good faith effort to resolve problems. However
80% of the grievances are denied. Where's the SCDC's
good faith? The grievances only give the oppressors
fuel to fight you if you pursue your grievances to
higher authorities, e.g. a lawsuit. By filing a
grievance you give them your reasons for the grievance
and they use that against you.
Also as a jailhouse lawyer, I have been charged with a
disciplinary offence, under SCDC policy 22.14. The
charge is unauthorized services. It basically states
that one inmate can't provide any service to another,
e.g. legal. I have found many inmates are unable to
get legal assistance that's what the getsapo wants.
That's why they don't like jailhouse lawyers. Many
inmates simply don't know how to go about getting
legal assistance, and SCDC isn't offering any, unless
you call a law library with outdated books,
assistance.
At this time, for obvious reasons, I can offer limited
advice to my comrades in the concentration camps of
South Carolina:
Get copies of the following SCDC policies for your
personal use to help avoid delays, etc in your fight
against oppression. SCDC GA01.12 grievance system, and
SCDC GA01.03 Inmate access to courts. At least by
using these policies, your requests won't continually
be returned or denied because of procedural errors on
your part.
If you're practicing any type of unauthorized
services, don't keep incriminating evidence in your
cell, e.g. forms, letters, etc with other inmates
names on them.
This is a way the gestapo keeps inmates from seeking
help from jailhouse layers -- disciplinary offence
2.19 soliciting assistance from an employee or an
inmate to violate an agency rule or employee rule.
This is what the inmate who sought my help was charged
with. So don't admit to asking for jailhouse lawyer
help, or give the jailhouse lawyer any paperwork, if
possible, with your name on it. Your name can be added
later. This protects both of you.
Get your paper, etc, back daily from the jailhouse
lawyer. This way if his cell is shook down then your
papers won't be found in his possession. This helps
protect both of you.
Don't let other inmates know you have sought help.
There are obvious reasons for this.
Above all, never give up your fight! Things will only
get worse if we let it, comrades.
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 1 October 1998
Possible AIDS Experiment
Comrades, the Eurocentric tricknology to oppress the
sick captured has moved to another level within SCDC
prison slave camps....The SCDC, without our consent,
forcefully tested 21,000 prisoners for HIV recently.
640 prisoners reported to be infected.
These prisoners will be shipped to Kirkland
Correctional Institute in Columbia, South Carolina.
The savages, state is to better treat them. My theory
is based on the amount it will cost to properly treat
one infected person which is around $1,000 a month. I
see this move as a get-rich scam. I believe these
prisoners will be taking to Kirkland, not to be
helped, but to become test subjects for new AIDS
medication, which has not yet been tested on humans.
Big corporations provide SCDC with this test
medication and pay SCDC for using it on prisoners. If
any of the captured die from the shit, it will only go
down as an AIDS related death. And the families of the
captured individual will never know the truth. The
psychological chains must be broken.
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 25 September 1998
Exposing Deplorable Conditions
...I am in Closed Custody unit. They tell me I cannot
get out until I complete my sentence....[T]his system
is very korrupted. First of all our medical, food and
treatment is below human standards. They [prisoncrats]
handle us like kids. Meaning that when one prisoner
does something, we all get lockdown. This builds up
tension amongst us. The officers that come over her
are programmed prior to getting here so they have a
determined idea that we are all ignorant and can not
be treated in any other manner.
Our Warden, Pretty Ricky (Ricky Harris), has put it
this idea in officers' heads. And when they do
otherwise he treats them the same as us. He is a self-
styled man, making rules as he goes along, which puts
us in a twisted condition every time.
In [our closed custody unit] we breakfast at 5:30 am.
We are last for lunch and dinner, receiving nothing
but leftovers and cold food. Picture that.
They tell us no phone, TV, or Rec., at will. Being
that we don't get paid, we have nothing to do or work
for. So they put us all in the dorm to work. It is
true that after January 1, 1998, there was no pay, so
you have to be indigent for 30 days before you get a
bag of hygiene [supplies]. It contains 3 bars of soap,
2 shampoo, toothpaste, brush, paper and envelopes.
This is supposed to last for 30 days. When we get
money, they say we owe $6.38, so we pay it against our
will 'cause they take it!
SDCD-Kershaw is getting slacker by the day and we have
no one who will investigate. We even have to leave our
mail unsealed before sending it out. No Rights! Even
rights we're supposed to have we don't.
Help the world to see what time it is and expose the
pigs for who they are.
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 11 August 1998
Barbaric Conditions
...Putrid, spoiled, rotten food is served daily. And
no one in the entire administration is willing to
correct this ongoing insanity.
Hygiene items, such as toilet tissue, soap, shampoo,
toothbrush, and toothpaste, are constantly unavailable
to us for long period of time.
...Life is deprived of and attacked via denial of
adequate medical and mental health treatment. During
the month of April 1998, after we lost the physical
composition of Sista Merle Africa, we also lost the
physical composition of our Brother and Comrade born
Messiah God Allah (S/N John Green). He was brutally
murdered by this wicked cyst'm which watched him
deteriorate until death. Dying of starvation due to
the inhumane conditions and controllers of this camp.
Attacks are daily at this kkkamp. Here they enforce a
no-talk use-force unwritten policy that is carried out
via chemical munitions (riot gas) and a gang in riot
gear (good squad) cell extraction team. The problem
here is that there is no riot, these excessive means
of force are taken out on individual prisoners, the
majority of which are New Afrikan (Black).
I personally have been subjected to massive amounts of
this chemical agent via the large riot gas canister
that is designed for outdoor use only. I was gassed
and shocked with an electric stun baton when I
followed orders. I was subsequently placed in a
torture chair without being provided a shower. I was
left restrained in this torture chair with gas (mace)
fumes filled in the cell for a period of four hours.
All this for simply trying to get a supervising
official to complain about racial discrimination and
harassment.
...Freedom, our right to freedom, of expression is
infringed upon and deprived via unlawful censoring of
letters and phone calls to loved ones when we express
the barbaric conditions we're forced to live under.
...Equality is denied and deprived of via no access to
the courts, which other prisoners in this state and
others are provided. This is carried out here by the
denial of access to the law library, denial of the
adequate and consistent legal aid and law books....Not
every prisoner is guilty of the alleged crime they
were convicted of committing. Now the opportunity to
prove this has been cut short at this slave station.
...What you can not do, must not do, is sit back idly
hoping and thinking that this does not concern you.
That things will change in time. That this is what
prison life is supposed to be like, because it's not.
And to hope and think so is to fool yourself. We are
humans, not pieces of old clothes or broken down cars.
We contain life. Those of you who disregard this you
are cowards who are the allies of slavery and
oppression....
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 31 July 1998
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