[In ULK 13, we printed some definitions that came from studying
MIM
Theory 5: Diet for a Small Red Planet, which focuses on line,
strategy and tactics. In this article, we summarize some of the ways we
applied those concepts to real world examples while discussing the rest
of the articles in MIM Theory 5.]
There are basically two ways we can make errors in our political work.
We can make rightist errors or ultra-left errors. How we avoid these
errors depends on our ability to assess our material conditions, because
what is left and what is right changes as conditions change. For
example, we spent time discussing focoism and opposing it as
ultra-leftist because it calls for armed struggle in the First World.
Yet, we recognize that armed struggle is a necessity to overthrow
imperialism when we reach that stage.
Looking left
While focoism was the main example, we tried to define ultra-leftism in
a more broad sense. Ultra-leftism in general means giving the appearance
of being to the left of the political spectrum to the point of moral
purity. In practice, however, it’s really so far to the left that it’s
useless to real revolutionaries because it makes us seek unrealistic
goals. Ultra-leftism denies our material reality and replaces it with
idealism. A second example of ultra-leftism might be spending all one’s
time attacking other revolutionaries for not being perfect.
Ultra-leftists hurt the Third World because every time a comrade has to
pull one of these cats over and pull their coats, they take away time,
energy and resources that can be used for the development of the Third
World nations. Take the approach that one prisoner wrote in to
ULK on commissary for example. S/he writes that instead of
everybody buying store and keeping our stomachs from touching our backs
when our oppressors are feeding us like we’re children, we should send
all our money home. Not to our brothas and sistas in the Third World, or
the institutions established by comradz in the U.$. that truthfully
provide for them. But send all the money home. And then what?
This is an example of ultra-leftism because, to some, this may seem
revolutionary and rebellious but in reality it is irrational thinking.
The idea is based in purity rather than a strategy with the objective
goal of overthrowing imperialism. You can tell that the motivation is
purity because the question is how do we not contribute
to the system rather than how do we contribute to something that will
change or end the system. This ignores material reality because you
can’t take the food from prisoners; then we’ll really underdevelop our
situation.
Looking right
When looking at rightism, the main problem we face is “revolutionaries”
that want to organize the majority of the people in the United $tates.
By catering to the majority in a First World country a party’s politics
are inevitably watered down - because the majority (in a First World
country) are not oppressed. They put out a right opportunist line and
get just whoever comes along. Basically, if you’re an organization in
the First World and have a large following you stand for bourgeois
ideals. Once a person understands this you can pretty much place your
bets on the small underdog movement for the correct line/vanguard
status.
While we must defend against right opportunism within our ranks, we
might ally with those who are openly reformist and therefore to the
right of us. Revolutionaries work on reforms because some do improve the
lives of people on a small scale, but ultimately we do it to show the
people that reforms do not work in the end and what they really need is
full-scale revolution. Trying to get some resources that will help
advance the revolutionary’s goals is a winnable battle worth fighting.
An example of a reform that can help a small percentage of the oppressed
and could be used as a tactic in a larger strategy is limiting the
number of people going into these torturous control units. Doing that
work exposes the United $tates’ cruelty, disregard for international
law, brutality, etc. Hence it may help to work on SMUs, IMU, MCC,
Ad-MAX, etc. struggles and inhumanities because as
Mao
said about public opinion. “The task of communists is to expose the
fallacies of the reactionaries. . . and so accelerate the transformation
of things and achieve the goal of revolution.”
While we may unite with and lead reformist battles, revolutionaries
should not join liberal mass organizations because they will eventually
be forced to water down their politics for the sake of the single issue
organization or risk alienation. Also, by working within a single issue
organization, revolutionaries may inadvertently be holding it back by
disempowering potential recruits, thereby disempowering the group. One
way they do this is by alienating potential new recruits with their more
worked out politics, leaving the potential recruits feeling as if they
have nothing to offer.
Mass organizations and single issue work are good ways for the middle
class to contribute to the anti-imperialist cause. We need to be looking
to build alliances with them when it genuinely serves the international
proletariat. In addition, we need to pay close attention to mass
organizations because a lot of people are brought into politics through
them. And we need to be there to challenge them to struggle for the real
solution of humyn beings, communism.
Find the opening
In addition to reading MIM Theory 5, we studied two articles
from the Black Panther newspaper entitled “In Defense of
Self-Defense” and “The Correct Handling of a Revolution.” In the latter
article, Huey P. Newton wrote that, “the party must engage in activities
that will teach the people.” In our discussion of how to do this, one
comrade discussed what s/he coined “MIM(Prisons) University of Thought,”
which includes the various study and discussion groups MIM(Prisons)
facilitates. Through this institution, individuals have the opportunity
to learn through study: the Party, its line and its history. Individuals
can study the organization of movements through out our struggle for
communist leadership by the proletariat and learn not only its victories
and successes, but also its stagnation and failures.
Another related activity would be a campaign for the creation of giving
(books, postal stamps, money, art, music, etc) by comrades that have to
give. And everyone has something to give. An institution should be
established that allows prisoners to send donated books to the cause, as
well as funds. MIM(Prisons) has the lit project to distribute
literature. This same institution can be used for prisoners who either
have to send their books home due to excessiveness, or going to a
control unit, or who want to just contribute to the cause. Some might
wonder why not recycle them on the yards? But only at small levels can
this be effective activity in educating the prison mass. If we want to
become internationally unified, we must then think internationally.
Such a project not only progresses our efforts to receive the favor of
the masses, but it also gives us an institution to counter the
bourgeois-imperialist propaganda that is spread throughout this U.$.
capitalist imperialist society.
Part of Huey’s point was to teach through action. So not only are people
learning from the books, but they are learning from the sharing and
coordinating of materials as a collective group outside of a
for-profit/business structure. Even an illiterate comrade could learn
from the example of the program. Other activities mentioned that can
teach the people were breakfast programs, community rehab on parks and
other resources and lawsuits to fight censorship.
In addition to this summary, our study and discussions are reflected in
a number of articles composed by comrades that appear in this issue and
will appear in the future. We also added to and further developed the
study guide for this topic (Strategy & Tactics), which we encourage
all serious comrades to study when they get the chance.
