MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
www.prisoncensorship.info is a media institution run by the Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons. Here we collect and publicize reports of conditions behind the bars in U.$. prisons. Information about these incidents rarely makes it out of the prison, and when it does it is extremely rare that the reports are taken seriously and published. This historical record is important for documenting patterns of abuse, and also for informing people on the streets about what goes on behind the bars.
Every article in ULK
44 is on point!
“Baltimore:
Contradictions Heightening” leaves me hoping there are boots on the
ground to guide the demonstrators into an organized resistance. It seems
from historical examples that destruction of property and forcible
removal of merchandise gets results, e.g. Rodney King, whereas candles
and prayer obtain imperialistic praise, e.g. Trayvon Martin in Florida.
When a kkkapitalist suffers economic harm, imperialist forces will crush
a few of their own thug enforcers to restore the facade of calm. Destroy
the property of the bourgeoisie and the killers of oppressed citizens
get arrested.
Loco1’s article on the
sovereign
citizen movement does much to dispel myth and urban legend. But
often the hope of fallacy is stronger than the cold fist of truth.
Recently a rumor has spread that prisoners may file a 42 USC 1983
petition for just $35 if they tell the clerk to “file it in the green
file without the protection of admiralty law.” Even though I’ve shown
men an order from a magistrate judge, and a letter from the court clerk,
both stating $400 is the filing fee ($350 if in forma pauperis
is granted), prisoners still insist they only have to pay $35. I even
showed them an order denying a prisoner’s request to “file his petition
for $35.”
As for the sovereign citizen rubbish, it is historical fact that even
when a legal remedy does provide liberation, the supreme court of the
united snakes devises methods to make it inapplicable to the oppressed.
Look up Dred Scott. Consider that “a prison inmate … is not an employee
within the meaning of the [Federal Labor Standards Act].”(1) Does anyone
honestly believe that an imperialist court of pig justices would uphold
the sovereign citizen argument? Even if the argument was rooted in sound
legal principles (and your articles shows it is not), the imperialist
powers in the court are not going to say the government that empowered
them is a fraud and void.
And
Rashid
is incorrect, especially on the subject of the labor aristocracy. First,
MIM’s definition can be validated by simply engaging in discussion with
prison staff, including teachers. Those people do not identify with the
workers in other nations. Recently a teacher told me that his gas prices
should be lower because “Iraq owes us their oil in exchange for our
blood in liberating them.” When I replied that I don’t recall any Iraqis
ever asking us to invade their country and plunge it into civil war, he
said, “You only hear what you want to hear.” I was also informed it is
fair for a factory worker in India to earn 46 cents an hour because
“Amerikkka and England built that country for them.” Really? And second,
just because members of revolutionary groups are possibly from bourgeois
or aristocratic backgrounds, it does NOT mean those groups as a whole
will support revolution. But neither does it automatically exclude one
from the fight. There were Germans who fought against the nazis. And
Americans who fought for the bastards.
The vast majority of the governments in the world lack popular support
because they serve the oppressive interests of U.$./European/Japanese
imperialism. Popular elections in Palestine (for Hamas) and Honduras
(for Zelaya) have been rejected by the United $tates, who put their
chosen leaders in power. Meanwhile, Afghanistan and Iraq are the most
hypocritical examples of U.$. “democracy building.” A decade of military
occupation, with all the murders, secret prisons and torture that
entails, and even the imperialists can’t claim any victory. Iraq has
split into multiple states, all of which are engaged in an ongoing hot
war. And a recent U.$. government audit of the $1 billion dollars spent
in Afghanistan over 10 years concludes that they have been largely
unsuccessful in establishing “the rule of law,” not to mention
“democracy.”(1)
Of course, that’s not to say that certain imperialist interests have not
been served in these projects. A destabilized Third World nation is
certainly better than a unified one, because the inherent interests of
the Third World are opposed to those of the imperialist nations. Any
successful organization of Third World nations to serve their own
interests is a blow against imperialism. And the ongoing wars grease the
gears of the military industrial complex.
Looking at the Middle East, West Africa or Central America, we cannot
say that the oppressed nations are winning. But the objective conditions
for successful resistance are certainly there and developing. Our
strategic confidence in the victory of the proletarian nations over the
imperialist nations comes from these objective conditions, principally
that the proletariat nations far outnumber the imperialist ones.
Honduras: Mass Protests and Collective Farming
10 July 2015 – tens of thousands of Hondurans marched in the capital of
Tegucigalpa with torches held high to call for the resignation of
President Juan Orlando Hernandez.(2) These protests have been going
strong for seven weeks, and they are the continuation of a six-year
struggle against the forces behind a coup d’etat backed by the United
$tates in 2009.
In this same period a movement to seize land by collectives of
campesinos has been ongoing. These collectives are highly organized and
participate politically in the national assemblies behind the mass
protests. In the countryside, these collectives have provided improved
housing, education and pay for their members. They are class conscious,
and addressing gender contradictions as well. The documentary
Resistencia (2015) shows the regular harassment and
assassinations these collectives face.(3) One community had all their
houses bulldozed while attending a rally in Tegucigalpa, yet they pull
together and rebuild, as one campesino says, because they have nowhere
else to go. While some collectives seem to have armed guards, generally
they depend on non-violent resistence at this time.
The United $tates recently deployed 280 Marines to Central America, with
most going to Honduras as part of their ongoing militarization of the
country in face of this continued mass resistance.(2) Meanwhile, many of
the top military personnel who are allied with the large landowners in
Honduras have been trained in the terrorist training camp known as the
School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia.(3) For decades,
graduates of this school have carried out the most atrocious and brutal
military campaigns in Central America on behalf of U.$. interests.
Today, Honduras is considered the murder capital of the world.
Imperialists Slaughter Yemenis in Desperation
The United $tates has been waging low-intensity warfare in Yemen since
shortly after 11 September 2001. In that time they have carried out over
100 drone strikes in the country.(4) In mid-May of 2015, U.$. troops and
ambassadors were pulled out of the country following a popular
insurgency that threw out the U.$. puppet regime of Abdedrabbo Mansour
Hadi in late March. Hadi has since remained outside of Yemen with no
sign that he will be able to return.
Since the removal of Hadi, an intensified bombing campaign in Yemen has
been described as a “Saudi-led” effort, yet U.$. Deputy Secretary of
State Antony Blinken is behind the coordination center in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia and the United $tates expedited weapons deliveries to their ally
who they’ve already provided with a strong, modernized military.
On 6 July 2015 over 30 civilians were killed when invaders shot a
missile into a small market in the village of Al Joob. Other recent
strikes in the region killed 30 in Hajjah, and 45 just north of Aden.(5)
“In addition to some 3,000 Yemenis killed since March, the war has also
left 14,000 wounded and displaced more than a million people, according
to the [United Nations].”(6) Close to 13 million are lacking food due to
the war and the blocking of shipments into Yemen by the imperialist-led
coalition. Meanwhile preventable diseases like dengue, malaria and
typhoid are spreading.(6)
Like the people of Honduras, these horrific conditions leave the people
of Yemen with no choice but to keep fighting. In April, “19 Yemeni
political parties and associations rejected the UN Resolution 2216 [an
attempt to appease the resistance], stating that it encourages terrorist
expansion, intervenes in Yemen’s sovereign affairs, violates the right
of self-defense by the Yemeni people and emphasized the associations’
support of the Yemeni Army.”(7) In June, Najran tribes, in a Saudi
border region, declared war against the Saudi regime because of the
Saudis killing innocent people. This occurred after the House of Saud
attempted to bribe tribal leaders to support their war efforts in
Yemen.(8)
Yemen’s relationship to Saudi Arabia is similar to those of Mexico and
Central America to the United $tates. Yemen was once a nominally
socialist state after a Marxist-inspired national liberation army took
control after British colonialism ended in the region. So like Central
America, Yemen is no stranger to socialism and Marxism. Yet, while
militarily conditions are more advanced throughout the Middle East, we
do not see the class-conscious subjective political forces that exist in
places like Honduras.
Yemen risks falling into inter-proletarian conflict as has been ongoing
in Syria and Iraq. Yet, reports from the ground indicate a strong
recognition that the ultimate blame for their plight falls on the United
$tates (this is true in Honduras as well). Chaos does bring opportunity
for the objective forces of proletarian class interest to rise to
prominence. While conditions are dire in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, they
lend themselves to building dual power and ultimately delinking from
imperialism, which is what the oppressed nations must do to improve
their conditions. While there are multiple competing powers in Syria and
Iraq right now, no sustainable dual power can develop that is not built
on the class unity of the exploited classes as exists in Honduras. At
the same time, dual power must be defended, and the imperialists will
always respond to efforts at delinking with military intervention. It is
this military power that is lacking in Honduras to make their
collectivization efforts sustainable.
These are just some of the hotly contested areas of the world today. The
battle is between the imperialists and the exploited majority. While the
imperialists are the dominant force today, the exploited majority are
the rising aspect of this contradiction. As they rise in more regions of
the world, they undercut capitalist profits and imperialist militaries
become overextended. That is how the exploited majority will become
victors and gain control over their own destiny.
Iraqi-American oncologist and kapitalist Rafil Dhafir is serving a
22-year sentence in Amerikkkan prisons.(1) Being a wealthy kkkapitalist
did not prevent the united snakes from convicting Mr. Dhafir for his
charitable contributions to the people of his native country in
violation of economic sanctions during the U.$.-led attacks of 1991 and
2003. During that time Mr. Dhafir was an outspoken public opponent of
the U.$. war against Iraq.
Mr. Dhafir continues to experience harassment inside the white man’s
dungeon. Last year, just before Ramadan, he was moved to isolation and
had privileges revoked for several weeks for an “investigation” of
allegations that were eventually proven to be maliciously made and
utterly false.
But hypocrisy is a common trait of the imperialists. It is common
knowledge that the Jewish settlements in the West Bank and other
occupied territories are illegal. They are in violation of United
Nations resolutions as well as treaties brokered by the united snakes.
Yet as far back as 1982 the united snakes knowingly sent tax dollars to
I$rael. Billions of dollars in U.$. economic aid went to fund those
Jewish settlements. From 1978 through 1982, Israel received 48% of all
U.$. military aid and 35% of U.$. ekkkonomic aid.(2) The united snakes
gives grants, low-interest loans, and weapons free and at reduced prices
to I$rael. Additionally, citizens such as Alan Dershowitz, Arthur
Goldberg, and hundreds of thousands of others regularly send charitable
contributions to I$rael that are used to fund these settlements, knowing
these settlements are a major cause of conflict in the Middle East.
Amerikkka claims that peace in the region is “vital to our security
interests.” If this is true then why aren’t the supporters of I$rael
charged and convicted for economically supporting these illegal
settlements?
August is approaching rather quickly and before I address the September
9 Day of Peace and Solidarity, I want to address the making of such a
day of global recognition.
Black August is the representation of struggle. Black August is a clear
representation of the resistance exhibited by the oppressed who fought
not to return the deed of enslaving their unfortunate captors, holders
or those who sought their demise; but, rather, to end the slave economy.
Black August is the awakening of the poor of all nationalities to stand
up and fight to end the oppression we encounter on all levels.
This fight doesn’t entail the necessary requirement to pick up guns.
Violence only begets violence. To bring peace, unity, growth,
internationalism and global independence, we are to share our
experiences to come up with a solution to prevent these unfortunate
encounters from being transferred to our youth. The key is communication
and patience. Black August is for all who seek programs of productive
change to participate. We welcome all who are indeed sincere in change
to engage in this growth.
Our commemoration of the 9 September 1971 Attica uprising should be a
somber day of triumph and, more importantly, solidarity. The Attica
uprising ignited not too long after the untimely demise of our beloved
revolutionary comrade George Jackson, who was shot to death by tower
guards in the San Quentin maximum security prison on 21 August 1971 –
one year and two weeks after the death of his little brother Jonathan
“Manchild” Jackson who was gunned down on 7 August 1970.
Much sorrow is attached to the Attica uprising, for the physical loss of
so many brothers. The purpose of the Attica uprising was for better
conditions of prisoners (i.e. education, cleaning areas, an end to
racial discrimination, etc.). The courage these comrades displayed never
will be forgotten. It is up to us to see that their memories are
honored, and the first step to this effort is learning and then teaching
those who wish to learn.
I currently reside in Attica and I teach as much as I possibly can
regarding the law and history. It’s the key to our liberation and only
us (united soldiers) can be held responsible for the new surge of our
youth entering the prison system at such young ages. We are their keys
to betterment, provided we aim for better conditions ourselves.
During Black August fast till sundown. From September 9-13 fast as well
from sun up to sundown in true solidarity of our comrades.
MIM(Prisons) responds: As we see in other articles about the
September 9 Day of Peace and Solidarity, there are many ways to organize
and recognize this day. Some will choose to fast, others will choose to
engage in education towards greater unity, still others will spend the
day in quiet contemplation and study. What you do will of course be
determined somewhat by your conditions. But whatever your action, be
sure to emphasize the building of peace and unity. In general, we don’t
agree with this writer that “violence only begets violence.” We know
that the oppressors won’t put down their guns and stop killing those
they oppress without physical force. But our current stage of struggle
is a peaceful one. We echo this comrade’s call to cease all violence on
this day, and instead build between the groups that might otherwise stay
apart. Talk about ways you can work together against the common enemy of
the criminal injustice system. However you commemorate the Day of Peace
and Solidarity, send in a report on what you did to Under Lock &
Key on September 10 to be included in the next
issue.
My life has been bad ever since I wrote the newspaper about how officers
at Alexander CI in North Carolina killed a man with a mental health
problem and would have covered it up if I didn’t write the newspaper and
also they made life hell for doing it. I have been on lock for 16 months
because of it and I am just now getting ready to go to the yard for
standing up for what they did to htis person and I am also sending you
newspaper clippings to show they tried to cover it up and also what kind
of educated things you have…
7/7/2015 Attorney General of the United States: Lorreta E.
Lynch Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania, Avenue
NW Washington, DC 20530-0001
June 8, 2015
On June 7, 2015, a man named XX was brutally beaten by the large group
of rogue correction officers in Great Meadow Correctional facility, for
no reason other than for asserting his rights by writing up the
injustices that take place in this facility on a daily basis. We mess
hall workers witnessed it, since it took place in the corridor right
outside of the mess hall. As Mr. XX was walking out of the mess hall in
the afternoon of June 7, 2015, he was approached by several officers and
was told to put his hands on the wall, and he complied. They then
slammed his head into the concrete wall and picked him up and body
slammed him against the floor. Then a group of officers started kicking
him all over the face and head and were hitting him with their sticks as
well. XX was screaming hysterically as these officers continually hit
him over the head with their sticks, blood splashing all over the place,
and then the screaming stopped, since he was knocked unconscious. Then
the officers who beat him carried him down the stairs and the officers
who were in the mess hall started screaming at the mess hall workers to
go to the front part of the mess hall and get against the wall, which we
did.
This is the type of brutality that goes on in this place just about
every day, especially against Black men. For this reason this is an
anonymous letter, since at the end of the day we have to live here, and
these officers here are out of control violating human rights all day
long. We are afraid that they will retaliate, as they always do. But if
you send officers from your agency to interview us, we will give you all
of the information needed to prosecute this crime if we are transferred
to other facilities.
The correction officers here at Great Meadows don’t just beat the
prisoners up, they kill us here, then falsify their reports claiming
they were assaulted, but it’s the prisoners who end up in the hospitals
and morgues.
XX was carried to the SHU, where he has been ever since. They haven’t
even taken him to the hospital. And when they cleaned up the pool of
blood in the outside corridor of the mess hall where he was brutally
assaulted, there was a big piece of flesh in the blood. It was said that
his teeth were knocked out.
Ms/Mrs Lynch, this savage, racist, criminal behavior, must be stopped!
Please investigate this as soon as possible!
cc: Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Clifford C.
Holly New York State Police Superintendent, Joseph A. D’Amico
MIM(Prisons) adds: This letter was forwarded to Under Lock
& Key by the persyn who was assaulted, after receiving a copy
from fellow prisoners who sent it to the Attorney General. It is a
particularly brutal example of the reality of life in Amerikan prisons.
I’m on lock during the month of Ramadan because I’m Muslim and I’m
fasting. I’ve written grievances (I-60s) to Warden Vondra, the head
Warden, and to Warden Clark concerning the Ramadan service for the
Muslims on Ferguson Unit. Isn’t it some type of violation for them to
lock us down during the month of Ramadan? It started on 18 June 2015
[reported 7 July 2015].
They also have violated the right for us taking showers too because they
have exceeded the limitation of 72 hours between shower access. While we
have been on lockdown for the Muslims who are fasting we have been
getting regular Johnnys along with the rest of the unit. It seems like
they want us to break our fast and they don’t bring us no type of cold
water or nothing else to eat when our fast is broken. I feel that is
wrong and the Muslims are being discriminated on Ferguson Unit. When we
are on lockdown the Christians get to go to their service without any
question being asked. I’m asking if I can get some type of help on this
matter.
I thought I’d share how it works up here in Ad-Seg. I trip on how I’ve
been going at it since the end of September. I’m doing what I’m supposed
to do, from request forms, to 22 [inmate request] forms, to 602 [inmate
appeal] and no good results. The appeals here are quick to catch a
mistake and return it. First off, I am not a lawyer, second I’m a CCCMS
mental health prisoner. But that does not mean anything here.
Anyhow, I wrote Sacramento, letting them know that I never wanted to do
a 602 but it concerns my back brace and prescription glasses. And
they’re in my property at the property room. I had to pay for those 2
items in state and I needed them so I was OK with that. Now I’m just
asking for what’s mine and it’s a need. I use a cane and have a vest. I
bought some glasses from another prisoner who wanted hygiene, but I’m
not supposed to do that.
Nobody listens here and the 602 process is meaningless. I don’t know
what else to do.
MIM(Prisons) responds: California was where the demand for
grievances to be addressed began five years ago. It has since been taken
up by comrades in a dozen other states. The focus is on petitioning
state and federal officials responsible for the care of prisoners. In
doing so, comrades are attempting to rally prisoners together as a group
to defend their basic rights, like the ones the writer above describes;
basic medical care and property rights.
But there are reasons why the arms of the injustice system are so
unaccountable. Their central task is to control certain populations, and
they must be given leeway to achieve that task. If their task was about
justice, then obviously injustices like the ones above would not be
tolerated. So we must rally together to ensure the rights of all are
respected. Yet, ultimately, we must build a system that serves the
interests of those who are oppressed and exploited by the current
imperialist system that dominates our world. Petitions will not prevent
these ongoing abuses.
Los E$tados Unido$ y Cuba recientemente acordaron restaurar sus lazos
diplomáticas después de medio siglo de hostilidad, tomando pasos para
finalizar uno de los últimos enfrentamientos en el mundo de la Guerra
Fría. El anunciamiento del Presidente Obama, hecho en coordinación con
el Presidente Raúl Castro, declaró que estos países alejados por largo
tiempo volverán a comenzar cooperaciones en una serie de temas
económicos y de viaje y el restablecimiento de la embajada Amerikana en
La Habana, la cual fue cerrada después de la revolución Cubana en 1961.
Aunque la Revolución Cubana fue un golpe contra del imperialismo
Amerikano, el cual mantuvo bajo llave a la economía Cubana, Cuba se
volvió dependiente del estado capitalista de la Unión Soviética después
de la revolución de 1959. Para entonces una nueva burguesía había subido
en la Unión Soviética y se había alejado de su orientación socialista
hacia el estado capitalista. En vez de construir socialismo en Cuba,
Castro y su gobierno terminaron por construir una colonia satélite de la
Unión Soviética.(1)
El rechazo Amerikano de asociarse con Cuba fue una reacción al exitoso
alto de la denominación Amerikana de parte de la gente Cubana y una
concesión a los tantos inmigrantes Cubanos ricos que se fugaron a los
EE.UU. después de la revolución, en vez de una postura política seria.
Los imperialistas Amerikanos no han dudado en asociarse con gobiernos y
países que son fuertemente anti-Amerikanos cuando los beneficios
económicos de la relación son imperiosos.
Los recientes cambios de póliza forjan lazos económicas significantes
entre los dos países permitiéndole a instituciones financieras de EE.UU.
abrir cuentas con contrapartes Cubanas, facilitando restricciones en la
exportación de equipo agrícolas y telecomunicaciones a Cuba, permitiendo
que los ciudadanos Amerikanos usen tarjetas de crédito y débito en la
isla. El mayor alzamiento a corto plazo de los cambios vendrá por
remesas, las cuales permitirá a los parientes de Cubanos mandar $2,000
al mes a sus tierra natal, que del limite presente de $500. Las remesas
son la fuente más grande de ingreso económico de la isla. En efectivo y
productos (aparatos y ropa), cuentan por 5100 millones de dólares al año
en ingresos, casi el doble de lo del turismo que cuenta por unos 2600
millones de dólares.(2)
Los beneficios inmediatos para el país son obvios. El gobierno Cubano
reportó que el crecimiento económico para el 2014 fue al rededor de
1.4%, y que aproximadamente 40,000-50,000 Cubanos emigraron en el año
pasado. Por razones económicas, Cuba está hambrienta por efectivo, y su
mayor socio de comercio, Venezuela, está enfrentando una crisis
económica debido a la reciente caída de precios del aceite. Los
analistas dicen que la posibilidad de perder la ayuda Venezolana tal vez
jugó un papel en el alcance del acuerdo con los EE.UU.
Abundan Oportunidades de Negocios
La restauración de lazos comerciales beneficiará a la economía EE.UU.,
permitiéndole a compañías unirse a otros países que han operado por
décadas en Cuba y hecho sus propias incursiones capitalistas, como
Canadá y estados miembros de la Unión Europea. Agricultores Amerikanos,
ya ayudados con el levantamiento parcial del embargo a productos de
agrícolas, tendrán nuevas oportunidades de exportación. A pesar de las
fuertes regulaciones y limitaciones estrictas, las exportaciones de
productos agrícolas Amerikanos a Cuba crecieron de 4 millones de dólares
en el 2001 a 547 millones de dolares en el 2010.
Grupos que van desde la Agencia de la Federación Agricola Amerikana
(Amerikan Farm Bureau Federation) hasta la cámara de comercio de los
EE.UU. apoyan fuertemente el levantamiento del embargo porque ven a Cuba
como a un mercado de exportación significante. Las oportunidades abundan
en otras partes, como en la telecomunicación, la reventa, el turismo, y
recursos naturales. “Cuba necesita todo lo que hacemos en los Estados
Unidos,” dijo el director de relaciones del gobierno de Caterpillar,
Inc. La compañía espera pronto instalar una concesionaria en Cuba.
“Hemos estado pidiendo una póliza nueva hacia Cuba por 15 años.”
Compañías de hospitalidad Amerikanas también están deseosos de hacer
negocios en Cuba cuando puedan. “El minuto que sea disponible, estaremos
allá,” se reportó que dijo el Jefe Ejecutivo Oficial de Choice Hotels
Internacional, Inc.(3)
Todo esto es evidencia del sistema capitalista en Cuba. Las compañías
Amerikanas quieren acceso a este mercado que corporaciones basadas en
otros países han estado disfrutando por años.
De Yanqui a Imperialismo - Social Soviético: Negligencia de Alternativas
Socialistas
Con la revolución de 1959, Cuba buscó desmantelar la hegemonía económica
que los EE.UU. tenía sobre el país. La nacionalización parcial de
ciertos sectores de la economía, seguida por confiscaciones completas de
propiedades de propietarios extranjeros, fueron enfrentadas con fuerte
oposición de EE.UU., pues muchos ciudadanos Amerikanos mantenían grandes
inversiones allí. El tres de enero de 1961, el Presidente de EE.UU.
Dwight D. Eisenhower rompió relaciones diplomáticas con Cuba después de
que Castro culpó a la embajada Amerikana en La Habana de ser un centro
de actividades contra-revolucionarias en el país. En febrero de 1962, el
Presidente John F. Kennedy proclamó un embargo en la mayoría del
comercio de los EE.UU. con Cuba. La economía Cubana en ese tiempo estaba
en serio peligro. Las plantas industriales, confiscadas después de la
revolución y ahora en un estado destartalado, necesitaban los materiales
principales para seguir operando. Partes para los equipos de las
fábricas y vehículos motorizados hechas en EE.UU. ya no estaban
disponibles. Las cosechas eran pobres, y la racionalización de alimentos
inició en marzo de 1962. En contra de este foro, Cuba firmó un acuerdo
de comercio con la Unión Soviética por 700 millones de dólares, seguido
por un crédito de 100 millones de dólares y un acuerdo de entregar una
gran porción de azúcar dos años atrás. A mediados de julio de ese mismo
año, miles de consultantes económicas y militares iban en su camino
hacia a la isla.
Aunque fue un mejoramiento sobre el estado neo-colonial que tenía bajo
EE.UU, la nueva alianza que Cuba forjó con la Unión Soviética fue apenas
simbiótica en naturaleza. Esta relación con deudas-pendientes también
afectó a Castro en su manejo para diversificar la economía Cubana
atravéz de industrialización, cual al último comprobó ser sin éxito.
Históricamente, la cosecha mas valiosa de Cuba ha sido la caña de
azúcar. Bajo la tutela de EE.UU, más de la mitad de la tierra de cultivo
era dedicada a esta cosecha para exportarla a los mercados de EE.UU.
Poca cambió después de la revolución, y la azúcar contaba por casi dos
tercios de todos los réditos de exportaciones. Esta gran dependencia en
una sola cosecha continuó a obstruyendo la economía Cubana. Cuba
necesitaba azúcar para cumplir su tratado de comercio con la Unión
Soviética y sus aliados, y como resultado, su diversificación
agricultura y su habilidad de alimentar a su gente sufrió. La economía
de Cuba se mantuvo estancada, y se volvió muy dependiente en la ayuda
Soviética. Eventualmente con la caída del bloque Soviético, Cuba fue
herida económicamente severamente.
Además, la ayuda material dado a Cuba fue inferior en calidad, y no
estaba equipada para las necesidades y condiciones climáticas del país
Caribeño. La abrogación temprana de revolución violenta por todo
Latinoamerica de Castro lo puse en desventaja y debilitó las relaciones
de Cuba con la Unión Soviética. Los Soviéticos por su parte acortar la
ayuda económica cada que el gobierno de Cuba cruzara la raya, como fue
el caso cuando Cuba se opuso a la invasión y de Checoslovaquia por la
Unión Soviética y sus países en 1968. Después de una ronda torciendo en
brazo económica, Castro tomo una estancia más neutral.
A diferencia de una aparente cooperación económica de la
Soviética-revisionista, la linea de China comunista en esa época en
consideración a la ayuda material y financiera socialista estaba basado
en cooperación mutua y aconsejó que debería hacerse a la medida de la
necesidad de ambos países con la meta hacia una economía
auto-suficiente. De ninguna manera debería de ser condicional y llevar
altos intereses, lo cual perpetúa el cielo de endeudamiento en el país
recipiente. La ayuda de material debería de ser de primera calidad y no
anticuado tecnológicamente. También deberá servir sus condiciones
materiales. Implementaciones agrícolas Soviéticos exportadas a Cuba, por
ejemplo, causaron mucho daño en los campos de caña de azúcar.
¿Principios Socialistas?
En el último discurso sobre el tema de normalización de relaciones, el
Presidente Raúl Castro dijo que Cuba “no dejará sus principios
socialistas.” A pesar de su aserción nosotros contendemos que él y Fidel
ya lo habían hecho desde 1961. Ellos aceptaron la falacia de que uno no
puede tener producción sin incentivo, instituyendo varias medidas
agrarias y industriales del estilo Soviético, como la implementación de
incentivos de trabajo y diferenciales de sueldos para alzar mejor las
cuotas de producción. Viendo las implementaciones de Mao Zedong de los
incentivos morales para recompensar los logros de producción por encima
de lo normal de la fuerza laboral en China, pudieron haber sido una
alternativa viable a esta. La lucha de clases también fue puesta al
margen con su enfoque en rendimiento económico como medida del éxito del
país en construir socialismo, la cual constituye un fracaso de
deshacerse de la teoría de las fuerzas productivas - una póliza que ha
llevado a muchas revoluciones socialistas a sus perdiciones
revisionistas.
Esta es una razón crítica por el cual la Revolución Cultural en China
representa el mayor avance hacia el comunismo en la historia: teorías y
prácticas capitalistas no van a desaparecer así nada más bajo el
socialismo y deben de ser combatidos activamente. De otra manera una
nueva burguesía se levantará desde las fuerzas proletarias anteriores y
intentarán tomar el poder en contra de los intereses de las masas. Esto
pasó en la Unión Soviética, y su trato a Cuba demuestra claramente como
los capitalistas del estado ignoraron las necesidades de la gente
cubana.
Desde que Raúl Castro tomó el control de su hermano Fidel en el 2008, el
gobierno Cubano se ha tomado una serie de reformas económicas tentativas
para mover al país de un estado capitalista de cuadro a un sistema
capitalista totalmente desarrollado.
Manteniendo Solidaridad con Cuba en Perspectiva
Habiendo soportado siglos de repetidas intrusiones imperialistas, Cuba
se les ha ingeniado para alcanzar un grado de independencia y soberanía
sobre sus asuntos. Apoyamos el derecho de auto-determinación de Cuba, y
aplaudimos el notable éxito del gobierno Cubano de proveer servicios
educativos y médicos a todos los segmentos de la sociedad Cubana. La
estancia anti-imperialista de Cuba en una serie de asuntos se mantiene
fuerte, y en una confrontación con imperialismo, Cuba se merece nuestro
apoyo. Más sin embargo Cuba no es socialista, y la gente de Cuba sabe
que su gobierno hasta este punto de su historia no es un gobierno
revolucionario, sino un pragmático. Es nuestra esperanza que la gente de
Cuba experimenten un florecimiento de conciencia revolucionaria y que se
organicen por sus derechos en los años venideros conforme la intrusión
capitalista pone a su país en la mira para futura explotación económica.
The protected, favored race here at Belmont Correctional Institution in
St. Clairsville, Ohio is black, especially Muslims. Racism is against
whites, light-skinned Hispanics, Jews, etc. A large part of the reason
for this unusual situation is the rural nature of the prison and thus
the staff employed by the prison. The catchment area for employees is
97% white, encompassing rural Belmont and surrounding Ohio counties and
the bordering WV county visible from the prison yard. While it is
counter-intuitive that an overwhelming white staff favors black inmates,
it is easily explained: they are scared of dark skin, of people with
whom they have had little or no interaction other than in the prison.
The mainstream media’s portrayal of blacks terrifies them. Because of
this fear, blacks get a “pass” on behaviors quickly causing disciplinary
action for whites, light-skinned Hispanics, etc. The few black staff
overtly favor blacks as well. Due to this, and the inadequate
socialization and education of the overwhelming majority of blacks here,
has led them to become oppressors of these same “white boys” groups by
the black majority. Official prison policy is “equalization” of blacks
amongst the eight kennels of 272 per kennel, that insures this
oppression in every kennel. (We also have the same dog program as in the
“Prison
Dog Rehab Program Underscores Inhumynity to Humyns” article of in
ULK 44, and yes, the dogs are better treated than inmates.)
This leads me to address the racism in ULK 44, that clearly
contradicts point #3, “We promote a united front with all who oppose
imperialism.” An example is contained in the response from MIM(Prisons)
on the article
“Ohio
Guards Instigate Beating, Lock Down Prisoners as Punishment”: “a
systematic oppression of certain nations (New Afrikan, Chican@, First
Nations) by the nation in power (the white nation).” This is overtly
racist, incorrect and divisive! Power being defined in terms of
political, social and economic power, that exploits the national and
international proletariat, the oppressors are not all white. A thorough
look at the exploitation of non-whites by non-whites in the First World,
especially in the United States, Western and Eastern Europe and Asia can
be elaborated upon in a full article within any upcoming issue of
Under Lock & Key. Though where it would fit in the listed
themes for issues 45-48 is a question, I could do so if MIM(Prisons)
would be agreeable to my becoming a ULK Field Correspondent.
Incorrectly defining the oppressor class as white disenfranchises 100’s
of millions of the oppressed “majority” in the U.S. and Europe from the
struggle rather than being inclusive. In Dialectical Materialism, Mao
said, “Because the oppressed class [an economic class, not racial
groups] fails when it adopts the wrong plans and succeeds by correcting
its plans…” The wrong plans are to divide the proletariat along racial
lines, causing the exact divisions necessary for oppression. The correct
plans include all the proletariat; white, brown, black, yellow or
purple. Only then, in unity, can there be the equality necessary to end
oppression.
MIM(Prisons) responds: MIM(Prisons) distinguishes ourselves from
other groups on six key points and this writer cites our point #3,
promoting a united front with all who oppose imperialism, but then
ignores point #4 which clearly states that we disagree that there is a
proletariat in the First World, especially within the white nation:
“A parasitic class dominates the First World countries. As Marx,
Engels and Lenin formulated and MIM Thought has reiterated through
materialist analysis, imperialism extracts super-profits from the Third
World and in part uses this wealth to buy off whole populations of
so-called workers. These so-called workers bought off by imperialism
form a new petty-bourgeoisie called the labor aristocracy; they are not
a vehicle for Maoism. Those who work in the economic interests of the
First World labor aristocracy form the mass base for imperialism’s
tightening death-grip on the Third World.”
The quote above about systematic oppression is not “overtly racist,”
rather it is specifically addressing nation and not race. Certainly
“white” is a racially loaded term, and one could argue that
“Euro-Amerikan” is preferable. Yet, “white” remains a term that people
can relate to and that often has more negative connotations among the
oppressed. We want to stress the negative and encourage the oppressed to
not identify with Amerikanism, which is the number one enemy of the
world’s people. We are not encouraging people to be anti-white because
of some racial attributes (racism) but rather we are opposing the
reality of the white nation oppressing other nations (national
oppression).
This letter is from a first-time reader, so the above is old hat to our
regular readers. But what made this letter more interesting to us was
within the context of other things going on in Ohio. We can say with
certainty that what the writer above reports is the exception to the
rule in both Ohio and throughout the United $tates prison system. While
this could just be one persyn’s subjective experience, it is feasible
enough that we will assume for now that what s/he says about New
Afrikans playing the oppressor role in Belmont is true at this time. Now
let’s look at a report from a USW organizer in a different Ohio
prison:
“A lot of the individuals professing white supremacist beliefs also
contain some underlying socialist views. Whether enough of a test to be
an indicator of ‘all’ or not, i’ve decided to halt attempts at
developing their consciousness at this time. i’ve opened up my study
group to more than a few of them, usually after they’ve continued to
join in open conversations over the range. However, once they see
materials that expose Amerika as an oppressor nation they go
‘subjective’ on me, getting extremely defensive and also protective in
claiming the united $tates as their rightful possession.”
Our comrades at this prison have decided to focus on single-nation
organizing due to their experiences. We want to commend both their
efforts to be open to all potential allies, as well as their scientific
approach to the situation. Taking a scientific approach requires dealing
in probability. This comrade acknowledges that h limited experience does
not prove that all white supremacists are pro-imperialism, but that
combined with our theory of the labor aristocracy it supports a practice
of focusing on organizing New Afrikans. Clearly this single-nation
strategy is not coming from a racist political line, but a scientific
assessment of national alliances in practice. This practice will
ultimately prove more successful than if these comrades had hidden their
critique of Amerika in an effort to unite with these white supremacists,
which is why this is a dividing-line question for us.
In some writings on the First World lumpen we’ve specified that we are
talking about the oppressed nation lumpen only. This is because we see
nation as the principal contradiction, leading to the vast majority of
whites allying with imperialism, even at the lowest economic classes. In
other writings we talk about uniting the imprisoned lumpen as a whole.
This is because the conditions of imprisonment put all nationalities in
the same position, living side-by-side, where there is greater potential
for them to recognize their common plight. And there is history of this
being true in Ohio itself during the Lucasville uprising, as well as in
California. In both cases, it was not just white prisoners, but the
Aryan Brotherhood who stood with oppressed nation lumpen organizations
to demand concessions from the state. It is for this reason that in
point #3 we say, “Even imperialist nation classes can be allies in the
united front under certain conditions.”
On the other hand there are countless examples of oppressed nation
lumpen organizations working against the people, even playing the role
of organizing violence in alliance with the state, as the first writer
above alludes to. This is the dual nature of the lumpen class overall
that makes it a potentially dangerous and revolutionary class. Yet, the
national contradiction in the United $tates favors the revolutionary
potential for oppressed nation lumpen in the long run, while making it
more likely for white lumpen to become the foot soldiers fighting for a
fascist state to rise. At the same time, we believe the probability of
anti-imperialism to develop among white prisoners to be higher than
white Amerikans in general. It is not that black=good and white=bad in
an absolute sense. It is about percentages. And as our USW comrade found
while putting h theories into practice, while there is a high percentage
chance of white prisoners opposing the state, and even favoring
seemingly socialist ideals, there is a very low percentage chance of
them opposing Amerikan exceptionalism and hegemony. Such people are
allies in the prison reform struggle, but rarely in the anti-imperialist
struggle.