Mao's Combat Liberalism Very Relevent in PA Prisons
I am writing to let you know that I received Under Lock & Key November 2008 (#5). It seems like the prison might have kept the newspaper for a while like they always do. Anyway, it is very enlightening and helpful. The “Combat Liberalism” essay by Mao Zedong really did touch home because here at SCI Camp Hill SMU there are a lot of prisoners that claim to be political prisoners and against oppression and these degrading, diabolical establishments. But when they see plainly a fellow prisoner being harassed or oppressed through their meals, mail, showers, or yard or something, they all just fall back and say “well it’s not us, so it’s not my business.” This is nauseating. I mean it’s to the point where they witness the officers here assaulting a fellow prisoner, again these so-called political minded prisoners against oppression to these diabolical establishments do not do a thing but just fall back and submit to this wickedness and repeat their same hypocritical mottos. As long as it is not happening to them they’re fine, cool But let it happen to one of them, then they’re up screaming “oppression” and “we as a people.”
The fifth type and eighth type from Combat Liberalism are totally on point and we see these just about every day here. The fifth: “to indulge in personal attacks, pick quarrels, vent personal spite or seek revenge instead of entering into an argument and struggling against incorrect views for the sake of unity or progress or getting the work done properly.” And the eighth type: “To see someone harming the interests of the masses and yet not feel indignant or dissuade or stop him or reason with him, but to allow him to continue.” These two types again stood out and touched home.
The officers here keep coming onto the SMU pod here and poisoning people’s minds and keeping individuals bickering and fighting amongst themselves, it’s insane. There is not much unity here, thanks to the officers divide and conquer tactics. But who am I to say all of this - they’ve labeled me an irrational delusional psychopath!
