MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
Under Lock & Key is a news service written by and for prisoners with a focus on what is going on behind bars throughout the United States. Under Lock & Key is available to U.S. prisoners for free through MIM(Prisons)'s Free Political Literature to Prisoners Program, by writing:
MIM(Prisons) PO Box 40799 San Francisco, CA 94140.
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.
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.
On the morning of 30 March 2015 I was called once again to the security
threat group (STG) coordinator’s office. When I arrived, there were
already five brothers waiting so I asked one of them what was going on.
The komrade explained that the STG coordinator was profiling dudes as
members of STGs but I thought to myself that I couldn’t be there for
that because I had already been profiled two times. After almost an hour
of wondering what it could be I was finally called into his office.
As I sat down on the opposite side of the watchdog, there was a moment
of silence and a menacing glare being aimed at me and I realized that
this watchdog would try three tactics to deploy me from my task. He
would begin with the “scare tactic” by throwing false accusations as if
I’ve violated some rule, and he would use any of my past history as
evidence of why I am in fact guilty of the accusations. He would then
apply pressure on me with the “good cop tactic” in order to take me off
my defenses by explaining to me how much he understands and how much he
hates to profile me but “it is his job and he hopes I understand.”
Finally he would play his “lets make a deal tactic” by either trying to
convince me to turn informant or to compromise the integrity of the
people, which to me is just as bad if not worse than the first choice.
Well as soon as I realized this I decided to apply my own tactics to
destroy this pig. Because I have a vigorous study habit in my cell,
amongst my peers and with the komrades of MIM(Prisons) it’s helped me
become well informed on not only our history but also with the rules
that currently govern me here on this plantation. His first tactic was
impossible to implement with my cool, calm and sure demeanor and my
basic knowledge of my rights as a prisoner. Even when some of the
information was accurate, I would deny, deny, deny! Deny not out of fear
but out of strategy, because I believe we are at a point where we must
use the clandestine strategies of the Black Liberation Army to regroup,
refashion and re-establish ourselves until we are strong enough. But
until then we must vigilantly study and organize.
As the watchdog tried to perform his “good cop tactic” I informed him
that his reasoning for pursuing to profile me for the third time within
seven months was clearly a violation of my First Amendment rights and is
of course retribution for my political activity. Once I made it clear I
recognized the constant profiling as a means to intimidate me into
submission he was stunned; what a dumb pig! Stand your ground and do not
accept any of their undercover allegations or remarks, komrade, and if
you do not feel comfortable enough to slay the pig verbally then don’t
say anything. You are not obligated to say anything but “no!”
The watchdog’s last and only tactic left was to persuade me to “make a
deal.” The watchdog claimed that there was a file on me that held
information about how many times I had received mail from the Black
Panther Party, and because they had just confiscated more through my
incoming mail, he had to profile me as a “Black supremacist”!
He may have thought he was dealing with “just another nigga” but I cut
so deep into this pig, I swear he squealed! I explained to him that
although I am not a Panther (deny) I am well aware that they were indeed
not racist. I explained to this dumb pig that the Panthers do not fight
racism with racism, they fight racism with solidarity and they fought
for the freedom, justice and equality of all people. When he saw that I
knew this, he offered to label me as a Panther as if that would make
things better. I let him know it would not be better until I’m off the
STG list totally because by this being their third time profiling me
(August 2014 as a Blood and January 2015 as a Five Percenter) they
obviously don’t have anything concrete proving any affiliation, so their
only true intent is to just keep me profiled by any means necessary.
This has become my normal routine for the last year and a half. Although
I honor sacrificing and suffering for my people, if we can take actions
to prevent these encounters at the moment, we should do so. The smallest
tactics we use will make the biggest differences in our struggle for
liberation, such as receiving material from MIM(Prisons) or any other
material in someone else’s name; specifically if your mail is red
flagged like mine. Write the dates of your outgoing/incoming mail, and
any incidents or run-ins you may have or witness with the pigs, and
never keep all the reading material you and your komrades use in only
your possession. Keep it in other brother’s cell not only so they can
absorb the knowledge but also in case you become a target and the
watchdogs confiscate your things. I hope my experiences will be a beacon
of light for those seeking strategies for their plantation. Until our
liberation, the struggle continues.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This writer makes a good point about the
importance of tactics that will make it possible for us to evade
censorship and set ourselves up for success within the very repressive
environment of prison. It is very important that we pay close attention
to security, and all comrades can take a stand against profiling and
validation as members of any organization, whether or not you have some
involvement with that group. Validation and profiling are tactics of the
prison to target and isolate activist prisoners. This is just one more
piece to the criminal injustice system’s social control of oppressed
nations. Follow this comrade’s example and work out your own tactics for
fighting back.
It is glaringly clear in my mind the total incongruity of thought within
the ULK 43 article
“Pigs
Kill in Oregon”, including the non-sequetur involving disunity,
which is pointed out, and the mindless disunity and consistent
antagonism toward other prisoners this writer conveniently labels as
“rats” about ten times.
The prisoner wrote about the disunity and lack of education and then
goes on in a paragraph after that to display a disturbing level of that
same disunity and lack of education by launching into a long rant on
“f’ing snitchery.” It seems that this individual is trying to blame all
their problems in life on the perceived myriad “snitches” around him,
even to the point of somehow blaming the fight his friend got into and
then was supposedly shot for, on snitches, displaying a rather
delusional hatred and irrational deduction.
My point is this: the writer is displaying, almost throughout the entire
article, the same sort of hatred, disunity, impulsive and spite-filled
rhetoric which are all the primary thinking pattern and behaviors behind
gang mentalities and the worst disunity behind Amerika’s prison walls.
There is a clear disconnect in this person’s reasoning. Now, don’t get
me wrong, in the case of people who genuinely and perniciously “snitch”
on others, or those who spy on others as agents of the state or for
personal gain, I have as little use or tolerance for them as the writer.
But the point is that I don’t see anywhere in the article, aside from
the lip service paid in one paragraph, any demonstration or advice for
the actual practice of unity. The writer complains, for example, about
guards targeting people who refuse to sit at chow hall tables
“belonging” to other groups (gangs) - great unity! - but makes no
mention on how this may be overcome through any unity of the prisoners
themselves. It’s all the “snitches’” fault there’s no unity or
education?
Also, what exactly are they getting snitched on for so much? A planned
insurrection? At any rate, such “focoist” action will only make things
worse. And instead of making scapegoats of others, perhaps this writer
could devise ways of approaching the purportedly overwhelmingly
hate-inducing snitch problem in his prison by considering some tactics
besides hate-mongering and blame-shifting. Like, for instance, trying to
figure out why that’s going on to the seeming level the writer makes it
out to be, maybe getting inside their heads, and trying to
constructively draw the “snitches” away from their behaviors and such by
addressing their fears or convincing them that the people they tell on
are really on their side – instead of, as this writer does, target them
for wrath and redundant invective.
I refuse to subscribe to this kind of hatefulness – against anyone or
anything. It’s self-destructive and un-constructive to any positive
ends. Hate and invective like those displayed are almost invariably
products of fear, and fear is an irrational emotional response to the
unknown or a threat. This is not scientific, rational thinking and I
reject it unequivocally. Other articles in this issue are commendable
examples of effort in unity and reason, these are the types of writing I
wish to see much more of in ULK, and are of the sort more
likely to foster positive and constructive thinking patterns and effort
among readers. Keep the childish, bile-filled hate speeches out.
Even the constant references to guards as “pigs,” “swine,” etc. is
un-constructive and ignoble in my opinion. We can oppose oppression
without reducing ourselves to the same level of intolerance, hate and
bigotry as our oppressors. We can effectively deal with it in logical,
reasoned, intelligent and mature terms. Maybe, just maybe, if every
humyn being can begin seeing another not as an “it” – that “it” being a
“snitch,” “rat,” “pig,” “jerk,” “punk,” “criminal,” “saint,” etc – but
as a “thou” who holds the same great potential as every other humyn
being, be they white, Black, male/female, etc., then we can use all that
energy spent in otherwise hating each other for endeavoring to try to
bring us all to an understanding that we are not just individual units
separated from a common whole in nature, and making all those former
“its” realize that their oppositions to the “thous” is futile,
destructive and hurtful also to themselves. And maybe some of those
“rats” and “pigs” will quit their negative pursuits and join the rest of
humynity in real solidarity. That’s the kind of work I consider solid.
Hatred only begets hatred. Let’s try that line.
MIM(Prisons) responds: Overall this writer makes a good point
that we should be doing all we can to organize people for greater unity,
and in a situation like the one described in the Oregon prisoner’s
ULK article, where so many prisoners seem to be working with
the guards, it’s possible that some of them could be won over to the
side of their own people.
But this writer is suggesting that we can have unity with all people.
While that’s certainly the ideal that we always strive for, we also need
to be scientific about who are our enemies and who are our friends in
our present moment. We cannot just pray for unity with all humyns
because we are the same species, absent an analysis of our current
conditions when there is systematic class, nation and gender oppression
in the world. Appealing to the pigs’ humynity is a waste of our time,
just as it is to appeal to the bourgeoisie to voluntarily give up their
money and power in the interests of all humankind.
In Under Lock & Key we generally don’t print articles that
are just complaining about the dire conditions or general oppression
without offering a solution or talking about organizing work. When this
is missing from an article we will add it to our response. And so in
that sense we agree with this writer’s general call for scientific
articles that build unity.
We don’t share this writer’s condemnation of use of harsh language for
our enemies. The Black Panther Party started using the term “pigs” to
help disempower the cops and empower the people to fight back. As the
Maoist Internationalist Movement explained in an
essay
on tone:
“The middle-classes otherwise known as the petty-bourgeoisie constantly
ask MIM to ‘tone it down.’ The classes in-between the imperialists and
the property-less known as proletarians are inclined to believe that
there is a neutral educational tone appropriate for all communications.
In reality, a neutral tone is not appropriate when your friend is about
to fall off a cliff. You better yell in excitement: ‘Look out!’
According to the petty-bourgeoisie and the imperialists, there is no
reason within the status quo to be yelling or using a harsh tone. In
contrast, we see an emergency situation in reality, a reality so bad it
needs to be overthrown. Hence, we communists seek to match our tone to
underlying substance. …
The oppressed and exploited have a lot to be angry about. The bourgeois
and petty-bourgeois political organizations do not suit them and
sometimes the result is pseudo-rebellion through street-crime. Often
times the spirit of these pseudo-rebellious people is in the right
place, but they don’t see political leaders with the right tone.”
After reading ULK 43 I decided to write for the cause. Seeing
the article
“Denied
Recreation in Ad-Seg” written by a Texas prisoner made me want to
expound on the same issues and expose the injustice in Texas prisons as
a whole. From general population to Ad-Seg we all take the unfair shake
of the hand; from the food on most units, to the disciplinary system, to
the grievance system setup, to segregation placement and release. It’s
all kangaroo! And the chance for changing this seems highly unlikely.
The “new” Willie Lynch and Jim Crow still has the masses blind,
programmed and divided.
On this unit there are only two grievance investigators yet neither
knows any answers to questions about grievances. Some grievances I’ve
filed that have substantial evidence against officers or the system take
90 days to “investigate” and/or come up lost. Others come back with such
a general response, it doesn’t address the issues grieved. I have over
ten grievances with the same response!
There’s no need to really comment on the disciplinary system. Anyone
who’s ever caught a case knows how that turns out 99% of the time. I’ve
never understood how the substitute counsel is supposed to be here to
help us prisoners in such a matter when they are employed by the same
agency that employs the captain who will find you guilty.
All of the conditions for management and release can be found in the
Administrative
Segregation Plan in the law library, signed by Director Rick
Thaler on 6 March 2012. A lot of us are in segregation for some b.s.,
and once here they keep us here against policy with lame reasons or some
non-violent infraction which has nothing to do with segregation
placement anyway. Here are a few helpful things listed in the
Administrative Segretation Plan.
I. Definitions A. At no time shall administrative segregation be
used as punishment for misconduct. Punishment of an offender shall be
assessed and imposed only pursuant to the provisions of the rules
governing disciplinary procedures.
Recommendations for Release B. General Procedures 1. The ASC may
make recommendations to the SCC [State Classification Committee] for
removal of an administrative segretation offender from administrative
segregation who is between routine SCC reviews. 2. When considering
the release of an administrative segregation offender to the general
population, the SCC shall base the decision on whether the offender
would still be: a. A current escape risk; b. A physical threat to
staff or other offenders; c. A threat to the order and security of
the prison as evidenced by repeated, serious disciplinary violations
Grab a look at that policy, then ask yourself and others, does it
take keeping a human being in segregation 3, 4, 5, or 10 years for any
reason, provided their behavior is not continuously violent? I myself
have been in segregation for almost 600 days now, for “possession of a
weapon,” that was not actually on me but in a cell where me and another
prisoner were housed. Anyway, I’m labeled as a threat. I haven’t done
anything to anybody, haven’t caught any violent cases either. When will
I not be considered a threat? I’m not even labeled as part of a
“security threat group,” or escape risk!
To all of us in the struggle I just want to say keep your head high and
strong. Learn the rules and know the game.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This author’s experience shows that
prisoncrats don’t have to follow their own rules for responding to
grievances, just like they don’t need any substantive justification for
torturing individuals for years. There are many who spend their time and
energy trying to improve the protections for prisoners by enhancing
prison rules. We can use this tactic to our advantage to make space for
our organizing, but ultimately we wonder what’s the big picture? The
anecdote above is just one small example of the role of social control
of Amerikkkan prisons which has been blatant for decades. And prison
reformers have been trying to for decades improve these same prisons’
conditions, while doing nothing to dismantle the economic system which
requires oppression of groups over other groups. Prisons are a
manifestation of that hierarchy, and capitalism is the economic system
that we must destroy.
When the U.S. border patrol concocted a plan in 2005 with the help of
George W. Bush called “Operation Streamline” the idea was to get tough
on immigration by arresting and prosecuting those who crossed the
border, instead of simply deporting them or placing them in a civil
detention center. According to a report by the Bureau of Justice (BOJ)
more than 80% of immigrant defendants received a prison sentence.(1)
This punishment was for crossing an imaginary line into territory that
was, before the battle of Alamo, their country’s land. If one looks at
it from the side of someone who crosses illegally, held up to 15 months
in jail, one must ask what the hell is going on with this new prison
system. According to the BOJ statistics the more than 60,000 people
convicted of immigration crimes in 2014-15 were primarily found guilty
of one of two things: “illegal entry” or “illegal re-entry.”
In Texas, where many arrests are taking place, it is costing the state
$270/day to house immigrants, not including food. That’s $98,550 a year!
Former Attorney General Eric Holder announced reforms to the nation’s
drug sentencing laws in an attempt to reduce the number of federal
prisoners held on non-violent offenses, but these actions are not
tackling the bigger picture. The expanding pool of new prisoners has
meant steady business for the two largest U.S. private prison
corporations. Last year, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA)
received 30% of its revenue from federal contracts with the U.S.
Marshall Service and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a total of $546
million. The GEO group received more than 25% of its revenue for a total
of $384 million and four of the CCA’s board’s senior executives are
former BOP employees. In Pearsall, Texas, there is a jail that can house
up to 1,800 men at any one time, sleeping up to 100 on iron bunks in
dormitories. This isn’t a traditional jail, but a piece of land
surrounded by fences topped by razor wire and run by the GEO group.
A Congressional Budget Office analysis of new senate immigration
legislation estimated that
“the additional prosecutions under the bill would lead to an increase in
incarceration costs totaling about $1.6 billion over the 2014-2023
period … Those costs would stem from the increased number of individuals
prosecuted, the change in sentencing guidelines, and the rate of
conviction. … Implementing the legislation would increase the prison
population by about 14,000 inmates annually by 2018. The total
additional costs to detain, prosecute, and incarcerate offenders would
total $3.1 billion over the 2014-2023 period…”(2)
In Arizona, three privately run jails have contracts that require 100%
occupancy. The main incentive for private prisons is to make money and
they lobby politicians to keep it that way. The United $tates is a
country where private corporations profit from “lockup quotas.” So in
the eyes of capitalism “Operation Streamline” is full steam ahead.
MIM(Prisons) adds: Private prisons are indeed cashing in on
national oppression in the United $tates. And the use of prisons to
target migrants is a key component to the imperialists’ efforts to keep
the borders closed and hoard wealth for Amerikan citizens. Defining the
act of crossing an imaginary line in pursuit of a safer environment or a
higher wage as illegal and requiring imprisonment is just one more way
that the Amerikan criminal injustice system ensures a system of social
control over oppressed people within U.$. borders. And the private
prisons have found a way to turn a system that is inherently built on
taking
a financial loss (the government has to subsidize prisons as they do
not make enough money from prisoner labor to run themselves) into a
profitable enterprise for imperialist parasites. Sadly, there is no
problem filling these prison quotas, as the criminal injustice system
shows no sign of cutting back on what has become the largest
imprisonment country per capita in the world. We have
written
before about the private prisons economic push to lock up more
migrants.(1) And in response to these conditions, more recently we have
seen some migrant prisoner protests.(2) In the end we won’t be able to
defeat this system of national oppression against migrants and all
oppressed nations without dismantling imperialism itself. Imperialism
depends on closed borders to ensure luxury for a few at the expense of
the rest of the world.
Many Chican@s understand the concept of Aztlán in a variety of ways,
some for its indigenous historical roots and others for its contemporary
symbolic meaning of unity and our national territory. Either way, Aztlán
draws the line of demarcation between Chican@s and our oppressor and
provides an anti-imperialist thrust. To abandon Aztlán ultimately
declaws Chican@s and attempts to assimilate the nation into Amerikkka
which results in weakening Chican@s and strengthening our oppressor.
When it comes to the U.S. left within U.S. borders, many within the
non-Raza strain work hard to attempt to lump together all Brown people,
just like Amerikkka did in the days of the old “Greaser Laws” only today
it is in the name of “progress.” The idea is to better control Brown
people and get Raza to assimilate under a mostly white left-wing
leadership. These “progressives” work hard to co-opt Raza struggles and
are quick to downplay the Chican@ nation and its distinct leadership.
Some of them even capture the minds of Raza who unwittingly push their
agenda, but real anti-imperialism understands that nationalism of the
oppressed is a positive thing.
The truth is Raza have lots in common and will always have that strong
bond and close collaboration. Our common histories on this continent
ensure this. However the fact remains that we come from distinct nations
and for Chican@s our national territory of Aztlán defines the Chican@
nation. Many different Raza have come to identify as Chican@ and thus
Aztlán has continued the tradition of being inclusive of many diverse
peoples. Raza have arrived from various latin@ nations and moved into
Chican@ barrios and made them their home. Acknowledging the concept of
Aztlán does not turn anyone away. But what denying Aztlán’s existence
does do is it denies the existence of the Chican@ nation because without
a land base, a national territory, there is no nation. This is what many
“progressives” do not explain.
Working against an oppressed nation is done in many ways. One of the
more obvious ways is of course implanting the idea that their nation
does not exist or that they should attempt to assimilate with Amerikkka.
But another more subtle way of doing this is how those pushing the
Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) political line do it. They attempt to
explain mass imprisonment in the United $tates as being profit-driven so
that corporations can profit off of free prison labor. On the surface
this sounds like a possibility. Even many well-intentioned
self-described revolutionaries have bit into this and are running around
promoting the PIC concept. But Raza, what this means is if this prison
boom is profit-driven it alludes to there being no national oppression
and thus no need for national liberation struggles.
The prison boom is about social control and it is a form of national
oppression first and foremost. Profit is a secondary result. Mass
imprisonment proves that national liberation struggles within U.S.
borders are still very much relevant.
As Chican@s our land is occupied as you read this, so why would we ever
seek to negate our existence as an oppressed nation? Can one be any more
oppressed than having one’s land stolen? And should we react by refusing
to call our national territory by its historical name? I say no.
We are anti-imperialists because we are against land grabs and
exportation of oppression. We are not stuck on just our nation, we know
that we are inter-connected to the world’s people and we fight
oppression everywhere. At the same time we know that we can’t free the
world’s people until we lead our own people both physically and
psychologically.
Imperialism is strengthened when people refuse to liberate themselves.
It is also strengthened when large swaths of oppressed people are
hoodwinked into not taking the right path to free themselves. Attempting
to bury the concept of Aztlán not only sets back the Chican@ movement,
but it also sets back the anti-imperialist movement. Rather than
attempting to smother what may be the most essential social forces in
U.S. borders, real progressives need to find ways to support and help
unleash them. Such actions would be real anti-imperialism.
How can we unify the common interest of the prison population at Kern
Valley State Prison (KVSP) when you have those who understand the needs
of the masses and address them accordingly in direct opposition of those
who place their own personal agendas as well as status above the needs
of the people. President John F. Kennedy once said “ask not what your
country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”(1) This
statement transcends class, ethnic, political and economic spheres. In
1964, Clarence 13X (2) did something for his people that was at times
hidden from even the initiated parties in the NOI/FOI umbrella (Nation
of Islam), he liberated the people through the development and synthesis
of the supreme mathematics and supreme alphabets.(3) He exposed the true
nature of the Black man (Blackman is jet black, brown, red, yellow
peoples) to the masses.(4) When coupled with the Supreme Wisdom lessons
given to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad the result is the 120 degree Book
of Life; a tool used to promote mental, physical and spiritual growth,
through diligent study of the social science of life.
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the principal contradiction of
prisoner vs. selfish individuals from a Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE)
perspective. Father Allah (formerly Clarence 13X) stated “I’m not pro
Black, no am I anti white, I’m pro righteousness and anti
devilishment.”(5) The 33 degree of the I-40 defines a devil as any man
which is made weak and wicked or any grafted, live germ from original is
a devil.(6) The I-40 defines the 5% on the poor part of the planet earth
as poor righteous teachers who are all-wise and righteous.(7) So the God
Body put into practice a blueprint established in Message to the
Blackman in America.(8) To see who in fact would make a concession
for the sake of the whole (prisoners) or plot scheme and manipulate for
parasitic status, personal wealth and physical lust (selfish
individuals). The entire range of programs can be found in Message to
the Blackman in America. The core of these programs are in direct
line with
United
Front for Peace in Prisons (UFPP) principles of peace, unity,
growth, internationalism, independence, written in language specific to
oppressed youth (those without knowledge of self).
The first task was to free the God Body from the open-ended oppression
of the privileged entitled hierarchy of Islam. That happened 9 October
2014, when 25 independent parts came together and collectively
established a Universal Parliament(U.P.) and began building during
cipher Saturdays. The U.P. was offered every other Thursday for a
“trial” period. Because of the KVSP operational procedures, the God Body
does not have the luxury of everyday contact, so Thursdays and Saturdays
became show and prove days. The results were complex in nature. The main
principal contradiction of prisoner vs prison came into play. The
administration, short of Security Threat Group profiling us, made going
to the chapel a hassle, made getting the God Body out on ducats to U.P.
an uphill battle. The God Body was informed beforehand also of the
possible delay tactics and threat assessments. Certain free staff, whom
due to fear of the unknown, began to spread chaos and confusion among
ill-informed followers. This resulted in hostile posturing on their
part. Yet the truth had revealed a sense of security was lost when “all
of the wise people walked off.”
The next task, was to provide the God Body with study material to engage
in informed conscious development. Collectively the God Body pooled all
resources together so that no one was lacking. Then certain elements
began to replace sound science with political slander for sympathy (an
act that would eventually lead to a divided front). The pooling of
resources was a show of growth, certain elements viewed this growth as a
chance for a power grab for personal gain, such as establishing credit
with parasites. Allying with capitalist movements that even Mao himself
would wish to execute. The movement isn’t about short-term “runs.” The
movement is constant, generational, so, in order to preserve the
integrity of the God Body resources were issued as needed to prevent
selfish deeds. Resulting in mysterious bed moves occurring at odd hours
of the night.
The next task was to apply peace (9) towards the population. Peace
happens to be the final goal of what we will achieve.(11) So rules of
A-yo you immediately placed the God Body as a threat to the status quo.
This shed light on those that had intentions of using the God Body for
selfish interests. Elements began to poke and pry into affairs, blowing
any and every situation into all out war, when in reality, those
elements were upset that the God Body demonstrated peace and harmony
instead of the usual chaos and confusion. An extra insight was gleaned
also, when a proletariat has no major opposition or when elements feel
the enemy has come and gone it may eat itself because peace may be seen
as weakness. Prisoners vs. prisons, as a personal opinion, ensures
opposition larger than a divided yard. The demonstration resulted in a
pruning effect. The selfish individuals cut themselves off from the God
Body, actually returning to an oppressed state.
The next task, was extending support to other righteous people who
adhere to the absolute truth. In motion as we speak, is the movement to
secure close ties between the Black man’s nation. At this point I would
like to address the notion that there are no white god bodies. Azreal
and Azreal Wisdom are both well known poor righteous teachers deeply
rooted in the movement. This movement allows for the entire NGE to
thrive as one strong nation. To criticize one of your own for developing
and implementing applied science to build up, not tear down, the nation
shows a clear lack of study of the supreme sciences involved in the use
and practical application of the 120 degree Book of Life. Those selfish
individuals would voice the rhetoric of racial infiltration. The reality
is, the God Body is not a circle within a circle. It is 3 dimensional
and metaphysical. Able to assert its chemistry and algebra across all
aspects of life. If elements reach out to parasites for support you
can’t honestly say you God Body.
The next task was and still is liberating the Black man. How can we make
free a nation with plantation psychosis? Wanting to be free and actually
being free is the principal contradiction. Those that preach and teach
freedom yet don’t know freedom should take notes on how struggles are
pushed. You can’t be free and married to the master outside of self.
I-self-lord-and-master(12) is how to be free! Drugs, yard sex, debt,
drama, is house nigga politics. Freedom, liberation, and independence
comes from struggle, hard work dedication, blood, sweat and tears.
Re-education and active development promote independence. Each one teach
one according to h own knowledge. (13)
After synthesis of accumulated findings the God Body can survive if and
only if the selfish individuals remain outside of the body. During the
qualitative experiment the selfish individuals main objective was to
establish a parasitic egg inside of the God Body to bring the movement
to a stand still. One selfish individual after another removed
themselves from the body citing the fast of Ramadan as the reason for
removal. Yet, through efforts of the prisoners working to liberate the
God Body Ramadan is a non-issue. The question I pose to the world is how
long will it take for selfish individuals to stop pretending and start
presenting?
MIM(Prisons) responds: We salute the comrades of the Nation of
Gods and Earths and other organizations at Kern Valley doing this
important work as part of the struggle to build a United Front for Peace
in Prisons. It sounds like they are really putting in the work with the
right attitude of protracted struggle. While we have
some
criticisms of the NGE ideology related to Supreme Mathematics and
Supreme Alphabet and their tendencies towards idealism and
metaphysics that we’ve addressed in more depth elsewhere(14), this
comrade demonstrates the dialectical materialist method in eir practice
above. And it is that kind of experimentation in the laboratory of U.$.
prisons that will allow USW to learn and grow into an effective
organization.
In this analysis the comrade mentions a few principal contradictions,
all of which are important to discuss. However, it is important to note
the context of each one, as each thing has a principal contradiction
that defines that thing at a given moment in time. For instance, the
contradiction of prisoner vs. selfish individuals is one that we might
reframe as the necessity for the lumpen to come together as a class to
survive and its tendency to resort to selfish individualism following
the capitalist model, which allows for short-term gains for some. This
is an important contradiction that we think defines the First World
lumpen class, and is therefore principal. The contradiction that defines
the internal semi-colonies in the United $tates we think is that between
assimilation and liberation, which is related to the contradiction
discussed of wanting to be free and actually being free. And finally,
there is the contradiction between prisoners and the state, which is the
principal contradiction defining the prison system. Those interested in
an in-depth discussion of the principal contradiction in the prison
movement can write us for an essay we have on that topic for USW
comrades.