MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
Under Lock & Key is a news service written by and for prisoners with a focus on what is going on behind bars throughout the United States. Under Lock & Key is available to U.S. prisoners for free through MIM(Prisons)'s Free Political Literature to Prisoners Program, by writing:
MIM(Prisons) PO Box 40799 San Francisco, CA 94140.
At this moment in time, one of the greatest things that could ever be
happening for the outkaste population of the U.$. of amerika, known as
the convict prisoner, is happening right under the watchful eye of the
exploiter state. Those who are least expected have begun demonstrating
the five principles of the United Front for Peace in Prison, at the
first degree principle that peace is knowledge to the L1 cipher of the
5% Nation of Gods and Earths civilization class, hosted by the Ra’Star
Far I Prison Ministries (RSF).
Peace amongst the 5% NGE is commonly referred to as an acronym that
introduces the concept that: Proper Education Always Corrects Errors. A
concept that the parents of RSF, 8PM embrace with the definition of
Peace as it is made born-manifest to the universal cipher, of the United
Front for Peace in Prisons statement of principles:
“Peace is that WE organize to end the needless conflicts and violence
within the U.$. prison environment. The oppressors use divide and
conquer strategies so that we fight each other instead of them. We will
stand together and defend ourselves from oppression.”
As of late, leaders within, [at CDCR, CSATF, Delta] have begun
concentrating on the key objective that they are to be organized into a
united body of individuals. And so it be. From this determination it can
now be seen more clear just what is needed of WE, the populations within
populations of the close eyed massive dying giant. We need the Poor
Righteous Teachers to unite in an organized fashion to offer scientific
solutions to the problems of the exploited prison population.
“Unity is that WE strive to unite with those facing the same struggles
as us for our common interests. To maintain unity we have to keep an
open line of networking and communication, and ensure that any situation
we face is done with true facts. This is needed because of how the pigs
utilize tactics such as rumors, snitches, and fake communication to
divide and keep division among the oppressed. The pigs see the end of
their control within our unity.”
Why do we need these Poor Righteous Teachers to unite? Because they are
the only hope and last salvation in the upliftment of the original
asiatic most oppressed Chican@ and New Afrikan nations. They are those
most capable of giving those of WE, the rejected stone, what WE want.
And what WE want is that to be FREE by the universal justice of
equality, that is Internationalism, which exposes Us to attentions of
those at, and like, the United Nations. Attentions that will make known
the injustice faced by prisoners in the United $tates where it just
doesn’t matter how well we serve the time, the wronged is just-us, and
we can never be right. WE want Internationalism so that WE can GROW.
“Growth is that WE recognize the importance of education and freedom to
grow in order to build real unity. We support members within our
organization who leave and embrace other political organizations and
concepts that are within the anti-imperialist struggle. Everyone should
get in where they fit in. Similarly, WE recognize the right of comrades
to leave our organization if we fail to live up to the principles and
purpose of the United Front for Peace in Prisons.”
In California prisons, and free communities, it has been custom to
remain loyal to learning systems and institutions of thought, all up to
the point of destruction of self. Whether these systems be serving the
groups that lay claim to, and reap economical tax-write off benefits,
refusing WE who are claimed for, the opportunity of developing social
equality, or not. This culture must be refined with the power of
Independence. This Independence gives us the International attention we
need to grow. And to grow is to be raised into social equality, so is
the attention that comes with social equality, that of Internationalism!
“Internationalism is that WE struggle for the liberation of all
oppressed people. While we are often referred to as minorities in this
country and WE often find those who are in the same boat as us opposing
us, our confidence in achieving our mission comes from our unity with
all oppressed nations who represent the vast majority globally. WE
cannot liberate ourselves when participating in the oppression of other
nations.”
Ain’t no future in fronting systems that don’t unite us. Systems that
don’t empower us with the tools to FREE ourselves without us having to
step on all those who share a similar condition of poverty. Therefore
the Gods of this L1 cipher will use our power to develop the independent
social media networks that make freedom understood and born. We will
invent economical opportunities that build and destroy the culture of
defeatistism and abuse that is so prevalent amongst the imprisoned
themselves.
As a Black nationalist and a member of the Nation of Gods and Earths
(NGE), I identify politically as Socialist. See my nationalism is on the
lines of Pan-Afrikanism in alignment with the RBG and Global Panther
movements. I push the Panthers 10 point program, though I be considered
a Political Prisoner under the 8th demand of the 10 point program. I am
a force of change even in here, by having intellectual exchanges
regularly with members from all ethnic background and mindsets, sharing
books full of facts about revolutionary struggles, facilitating a weekly
NGE meeting where 23 prisoners discuss positive change ideals for the
family units and communities.
We discuss a new underground railroad; as a network of Blacks, Asians,
whites, and islanders inviting Latin@ immigrants into our homes for
hiding purposes if and when the mass deportation starts taking place. We
recognize we the oppressed nations in the United Snakes aren’t several
groups divided by race and ethnicity, but one group oppressed by
capitalism in an effort to create a new economic slave class of citizens
who barely survive while corporation owners benefit from the labor of
these masses and live lives of lavish ecstasy. We have to unite as one
with the Third World nations under the umbrella of Socialism. We are
going to change law through proposing new legislation, creating a more
equal legal system for our advancements as a single people, with one
universal goal and intention “Self Rule & Self Govern”.
This is Revolutionary and will take the effort of the people to become
self-educated in these crucial areas. Taking our united fight to the
floor of the United Nations and to every block in every country known to
man.
Know you not that Governments are insurgent forces feeding off of the
progress of the masses. There is no freedom under capitalistic rule,
because everything has a price in a capitalistic society and so freedom
is way too expensive for the common man.
We strive for the power to go from thought to product with outside help,
from concept to conception without enlisting our oppressors. After 500
years we haven’t created one gun, produced one car, owned one textile
company, sent one astronaut to the moon by our self; we’ve done
absolutely nothing to advance our independence from our oppressors. Not
because we love them so much we don’t wanna leave them but because the
global system built around us has grown so much over the years that no
matter where you are in this world, the effects of this government are
felt and the ways of oppression continue to change due to its appetite
and need.
Black Nationalism is not a hate group, based on racism. No we want all
people to take care of their own, mate within their own and know about
there own greatness. We also want this for ourselves.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This study group is serving as a think
tank, coming up with original ideas that clearly demonstrate their
internationalist framework. Engaging the masses in developing these
ideas is an important task for developing the leaders of tomorrow’s
revolution. MIM(Prisons) works to leverage our own resources by
providing material and ideological support to projects like this. If
you’re in prison, work with us to build a local study group. If you’re
on the outside you can help us promote independent institutions of the
oppressed like this one by
donating books, money
for postage and printing, typing services, helping to fight censorship
battles and by getting involved in our prisoner correspondence work.
[The motivation for the focus of this issue of Under Lock &
Key was to better address the many interested readers who write us
coming from a religious background. We also thought that our
study
pack on the topic could use some updating. And that is the planned
outcome of putting this issue together. Therefore it was timely that we
recently received an in-depth response to this study pack to spur
discussion. One of the readings in the religion study pack is on the
struggle of the Tibetan lamas who rose up against the oppressive rule of
the Dalai Lama after socialism was established in China. This article
begins with a response to that from Legion.]
In the excerpt from Chapter 10: Reform in a Major Monastery(1), I
recognize the principal contradiction to be rebellion vs. religious
thought (I define religions as a doctrine of ethics derived from
“spookism”). When the lamas took the time to work out problem #13
(master their circumference/cipher, 360 degrees/120x3) they came to see
the very nature of the Buddhist teachings and began active rebellion
against the 10% ruling class. The elimination of classism liberated the
poor righteous teachers from the bondage of captivity. When people use
religion to secure position, all they do is promote
imperialism/colonialism and economic oppression, which is very
devastating to the humyn condition. With autonomy you have freedom to
see the reality of your power. The feelings of the lamas is in line with
the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE) student enrollment #1, when you
master your condition you become owner ruler sustainer, God of your
universe.
The lamas also came to the reality that the only way they would find any
peace or equality was to unify, arm themselves and defend their position
in the face of the oppressor. And when the goal of peace was obtained
they went about their lives, with the power of self-determination in the
form of religious freedom.
The issue with the blind, deaf and dumb religious belief lies with the
fact that traditions and institutional doctrine lead people towards the
path of faith instead of scientific discovery. Dialectical materialism
is based on history but whose history? The fact is that when technology
is stolen and corrupted holes and cracks appear and when one discovers
for self the answers become liberating in themselves. For example,
ancient Egyptians perfected communism thousands of years before Marxism
existed. Yet, through racism and colonialism the history was nearly
erased from record books. But with the science beginning to catch up
with the absolute truth we can begin to understand why the religious
institutions gravitate towards oppression because with knowledge comes
power and responsibility.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This analysis is a good example of how the
Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE) evolved from indigenous New Afrikan
liberation theology by rejecting religion and moving towards
materialism. The rejection of faith in favor of scientific discovery
puts the NGE ideology close to our own. However, as an amalgamation of
ideas from different New Afrikan movements, we do find NGE literature to
often refer to things that are not actually based in scientific
discovery. An example is in the citing of Egypt as developing communism
before Marxism existed. While primitive societies existed in communalist
social structures, Egypt in the period mentioned had a highly developed
society. And like all complex societies known to date, it had a
hierarchical social structure. There is a tendency to rewrite history to
paint the past of oppressed nations to be more noble. But this does a
disservice to our understanding of how to actually build communism
today.
Another feature of the existing religion study pack is a debate among a
few members of the NGE, one of whom (Infidel) was in the process of
leaving the organization for its promotion of imperialist views and
idealism. One piece that particularly triggered Infidel to move away
from the NGE was an article from The Five Percenter newspaper
(2006) by the God Born King Allah on the relationship between those in
prison and those on the outside. Below is a relevant excerpt from that
article highlighted by Infidel.
“The fact that the father[sic] respected the American government is very
important and he raised our Nation to do the same. The reality that the
Father fought for this country in the Korean War showed that he was a
true patriot… It showed that his love for the country of his birth
outweighed any disappointment he may have had with the treatment his
people suffered in the Jim Crow era that he came up in. … Gods and
Earths in the Armed services… are fighting to insure[sic] that people
all over the planet can enjoy the Freedoms that their own Nation is
still denied in America… the Father…must have seen how the religion of
Islam and Muslims would become synonymous to terrorists posing a danger
to America way back in 1964. His personal separation from religious
Islam and Muslims as well the Nations[sic] separation from them as well
in the past and present excludes us from being linked to any terrorist,
Muslims or radical Islam, period.”
Ey goes on to say the country of Afghanistan is responsible for 9/11.
This same newspaper printed a statement calling on members to join the
military in October 2001 because “we” were attacked.(2)
One NGE comrade in the study group counters that the article represented
a few misguided members, taking a similar position to Legion below.
However, we must note that the NGE is a mass organization and it does
not have a defined political line. While not the focus of what Father
Allah taught the Five Percenters, eir political views were in fact quite
reactionary and pro-Amerikkkan in relation to international politics.(3)
So as we work and build with the many Five Percenters who do take up an
anti-imperialist stance, we think it would be a mistake to see the NGE
as an organization made up of anti-imperialists at this time.
Legion responds to NGE debate: NGE have, according to the 8th
degree of the 1-14, socialist political views. So, anyone claiming
anything else should do the basic knowledge on anything before firing
shots into a crowd. I have done the knowledge on United Struggle from
Within (USW) principles and built with a few Gods along the way and
point after point has a parallel with NGE science. Let’s not forget NGE
don’t practice Islam as religion but as science; a science of everything
in life. Religion tends to feed into the imperialistic trend of getting
everything funneled to the top while everyone else works hard for
nothing.
With regards to Infidel’s commentary, I see no reason that one would be
confused with comments made, unless it was made to agitate and stir up
debate. NGE metaphysics is a philosophy that seeks to explain the nature
of being (life) and reality (dialectical materialism). To call the
allegorical nature of lessons sham science is false evidence appearing
real based on, time after time “Western” science has proven that 1. the
Blackman is God, and 2. that the nature of the oppressor is exactly how
it’s described in the lessons.
…If we take a look at the “Arab” movement vs. the NGE movement, you find
mostly similarities. Let’s be logical about it. Keep in mind, I make no
apology for another man’s statements. Just facts. NGE has been at the
forefront of the Third World in America (prisons). MIM’s focus is on
prison. “Arabs” get labeled terrorists by the same people that lock up
young Gods for borning knowledge. Plus, most overlook the fact that the
father served before not after he came into the NOI.
…Infidel also states, “You claim to have 7.5 ounces of superior brain
power (compared to the white man’s 6 ounces. Please tell me you don’t
actually believe this, brother)…” Man is God, so God is Man, period. The
7 reps Man-God/God-Man, 5 reps Justice/Power. Therefore NGE does have
manpower and the “white man” whom prior to 1492 did not exist (people
were referred to as Irishman, Englishman, Dutchman, etc), created as an
oppression tool this version of equality that only applied to the
genocidal pilgrims who trekked across the Atlantic. The white man is
only available on paper and as a mindstate. I know plenty of so-called
Black men who are white as snow and vice versa. Black is dominant
consciousness, white is weak consciousness.
…The focus would be very different if MIM(Prisons) and NGE knew each
other in depth from inception. But, like many others before and to the
present, most humyns get stuck on doctrine instead of looking at the
bigger picture. Supreme Power Allah told me in civilization class people
get so wrapped up in the designs of one tree, that they fail to
recognize the forest. When you debate over small things, big things
never become material. HC [the coordinator of the MIM-led study group]
says, “such a persyn will not be able to be as effective fighting
imperialism if they don’t learn and apply the science of dialectical
materialism.” Once again I emphatically state, we focus on manifesting
using metaphysics, or in layman’s terms we make apparent to the senses
reality and reality is the answer to the equation. Numbers and letters,
formulas and theories are what? Science.
MIM(Prisons) responds: Legion is one of those comrades who have
taken up anti-imperialism. By the time we heard from em, ey had already
gained a good understanding of USW and the United Front for Peace in
Prisons (UFPP). Not only that, but ey had put the
UFPP
into practice(4) applying the scientific method to the laboratory of
the U.$. prison environment. This leads us to put more weight in eir
words above, which we have a lot of unity with. In the last paragraph ey
talks about finding common ground rather than dogmatically debating
minutia to divide us. MIM(Prisons) hopes this issue of ULK in
particular works at that common goal.
Legion uses metaphysics as a term analogous to science.
Metaphysics can be used to mean different things, and we are not sure
what its meaning is here for Legion. However, we typically use
metaphysics to define a type of materialism that is antithetical to
dialectical materialism. Where dialectics recognizes things as always
changing, based on contradictions found within the thing, metaphysical
materialism sees things as static, or even eternal. For example, a
metaphysical position would be that humyns are greedy, while a
dialectician might say that humyns in a certain time and place (ie. 20th
century United $tates) have developed greedy tendencies on average.
Where we see metaphysical tendencies in the NGE lessons is in the
meaning put into numbers and letters. As if the number 7 or 360 has
eternal meaning and power and aren’t just concepts created by the humyn
brain.
Legion critiques Infidel for making literal readings of the NGE
ideological foundations. We cannot speak to how they are more often
interpreted. We like Legion’s interpretation of them as metaphors that
might fit in with Loco1’s ideas on how
religion
is an important tool for the imprisoned lumpen.(5) However, we also
know that things like the story of Yacub have been and continue to be
interpreted as literal truths by many in different New Afrikan
organizations. So we would not be so quick to dismiss Infidel’s
critique. The creeping of religious idealism into NGE ideology is also
reflected in the following quote from Tupac Shakur when asked, 20 years
ago, what religion ey follows:
“I talked to every god there was, in jail. I think that if you take one
of the ‘o’s out of good, it’s god, if you add a ’d’ to evil it’s the
devil. I think some cool motherfuckers sat down a long time ago and said
let’s figure out a way that we can control motherfuckers, and that’s
what they came up with, is the Bible, woo woo. Because if God wrote the
Bible, I’m sure there would have been a revised copy by now. You know
what I mean? Because a lot of shit has changed.
“…I think heaven is just, when you sleep you sleep with a good
conscience, you don’t have nightmares. And hell is when you sleep, the
last thing you see is all the fucked up things you did in your life.
…it’s hell on earth because bullets burn. There’s people that got burnt
in fires… All that’s here… Heaven is now, look, we sittin up here, big
screen, this is heaven, for the moment. Know what I mean? Hell is jail,
I seen that one. Trust me. This is what’s real, and all that other shit
is to control you.
“…I believe in God… It makes sense that if you good in your heart, then
you’re closer to God. But if you evil then you’re close to the devil.
That makes sense. I see that every day. All that other spooky shit don’t
make sense. And I don’t even believe, I’m not dissin’ it, but I don’t
even believe in the brothers, I was in jail with ‘em and having
conversations with brothers; ’I’m God, I’m God.’ You God? open the gate
for me. You know how far the sun is and how far the moon is, how the
hell do I pop this fuckin’ gate? And get me free up outta here. Then
I’ll be a Five Percenter for life! But, never seen it.” (6)
Like Legion, Tupac calls for a materialist approach that works here in
this world. His critiques of religion parallel those of the NGE in
rejecting spookism but not the concept of God altogether. Yet, Pac also
had criticism for the Five Percenters he encountered while in prison.
Another way to put what he said is that combating idealism is more than
just rejecting the God in the sky. Most of the idealist European
philosophers that Lenin and Engels spent so much time critiquing did not
believe in a God above.
Legion provides an interpretation of the 7.5 ounce brain that is not
based in ideas of race or biology, but rather an analogy for the history
of white nation oppression. This is an example of an interpretation that
is friendly to our own. In fact, we’d point out that Irishmen existed as
separate from the “Native” white nation in North America into the early
1900s. This interpretation of oppressors as evil, while rejecting racial
categorizations, was put forth by Father Allah and even further back by
other New Afrikan liberation theologists who strove to empower Black
people, while rejecting a biological basis for race.(7)
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.