I N T E R N E T ' S  M A O I S T  BI-M O N T H L Y

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

     XX XX  XXX  XX XX   X   X  XXX  XXX  XXX  XXX
     X X X   X   X X X   XX  X  X X   X   X    X
     X V X   X   X V X   X X X  X X   X   XX   XXX
     X   X   X   X   X   X  XX  X X   X   X      X
     X   X  XXX  X   X   X   V  XXX   X   XXX  XXX

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

         THE MAOIST INTERNATIONALIST MOVEMENT

     MIM Notes 126               NOVEMBER 15, 1996


MIM Notes speaks to and from the viewpoint of the 
world's oppressed majority, and against the 
imperialist-patriarchy. Pick it up and wield it in 
the service of the people. support it, struggle 
with it and write for it.


IN THIS ISSUE:

1.  THE PEOPLE LOSE IN IMPERIALIST ELECTORALISM IN
    NICARAGUA
2.  FILIPINO STUDENTS SUPPORT SISON ASYLUM
3.  LETTERS
4.  FLORIDA: MASSES POSE 'CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER'
5.  ST. LOUIS POLICE BEAT FORMER PRISONER TO DEATH
6.  PENNSYLVANIA POLICE WIN MISTRIAL
7.  CAPITALIST TOOLS OPPOSE CONVICT VOTING
8.  ANTI-COLUMBUS WEEK EDUCATES ABOUT IMPERIALIST
    GENOCIDE
9.  WAKE UP TROTSKYISTS! WHITE WORKERS SHARE PIE
    WITH IMPERIALISM
10. MAOISM ABORTED: POVERTY IN CHINA TODAY
11. AMERIKAN CULTURE
12. STANDARDIZED TESTS: TESTING AGAINST THE WHITE
    MAN'S STANDARD
13. IMPERIALISM DESTROYS PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENT
14. UNDER LOCK & KEY: NEWS FROM PRISONERS AND
    PRISONS
15. BLACK PANTHER PARTY REMEMBERED
16. AMERIKA AGAINST THE BLACK NATION: GENDER AND
    NATIONAL OPPRESSION
17. REVIEW: BAD AS I WANNA BE
18. REVIEW: THE RULES


* * *

WHAT IS MIM?

The Maoist Internationalist Movement (MIM) is a 
revolutionary communist party that upholds Marxism-
Leninism-Maoism, comprising the collection of 
existing or emerging Maoist internationalist 
parties in the English-speaking imperialist 
countries and their English-speaking internal semi-
colonies, as well as the existing or emerging 
Spanish-speaking Maoist internationalist parties of 
Aztlan, Puerto Rico and other territories of the 
U.S. Empire. MIM Notes is the newspaper of MIM. 
Notas Rojas is the newspaper of the Spanish-
speaking parties or emerging parties of MIM.

MIM is an internationalist organization that works 
from the vantage point of the Third World 
proletariat; thus, its members are not Amerikans, 
but world citizens.

MIM struggles to end the oppression of all groups 
over other groups: classes, genders, nations.  MIM 
knows this is only possible by building public 
opinion to seize power through armed struggle.

Revolution is a reality for North America as the 
military becomes over-extended in the government's 
attempts to maintain world hegemony.

MIM differs from other communist parties on three 
main questions: (1) MIM holds that after the 
proletariat seizes power in socialist revolution, 
the potential exists for capitalist restoration 
under the leadership of a new bourgeoisie within 
the communist party itself. In the case of the 
USSR, the bourgeoisie seized power after the death 
of Stalin in 1953; in China, it was after Mao's 
death and the overthrow of the "Gang of Four" in 
1976. (2) MIM upholds the Chinese Cultural 
Revolution as the farthest advance of communism in 
human history. (3) MIM believes the North American 
white-working-class is primarily a non-
revolutionary worker-elite at this time; thus, it 
is not the principal vehicle to advance Maoism in 
this country.

MIM accepts people as members who agree on these 
basic principles and accept democratic centralism, 
the system of majority rule, on other questions of 
party line.

"The theory of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin is 
universally applicable. We should regard it not as 
dogma, but as a guide to action. Studying it is not 
merely a matter of learning terms and phrases, but 
of learning Marxism-Leninism as the science of 
revolution."
-- Mao Zedong, Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 208


* * *



THE PEOPLE LOSE IN IMPERIALIST ELECTORALISM IN 
NICARAGUA


The October elections in Nicaragua revealed the 
lasting effects of Amerikan imperialism. Amerikan 
imperialism has succeeded in destroying the lives 
of the Nicaraguan people so that the majority of 
the people live in extreme poverty, with 53% of the 
population jobless or unemployed (1). Amerikan 
imperialism succeeded in overthrowing the popular 
Sandinista government and restoring the legacy of 
the Somoza dictatorship under the pretty face of 
"democratic" elections. And Amerikan imperialism 
successfully created a neo-colony out of Nicaragua, 
a country that now serves as a source of raw 
materials and labor for Amerikan-run multinational 
corporations, a strategic base for Amerikan 
imperialism, and a puppet of Amerikan foreign 
policy in Latin America.

This is what the victory of Arnoldo Aleman, who 
belonged to the Somcista Liberal Youth during the 
Somoza dictatorship, and the complete selling out 
by Daniel Ortega, leader of the Sandinista party, 
tells us about Amerikan imperialism. At press time, 
the Sandinistas are still calling the vote results 
invalid due to counting fraud and there is 
confirmation of widespread problems in the 
process.(2) Many of the observers said that the 
voting process was valid but did not stick around 
to see through the counting where many votes were 
"lost" or destroyed or simply misreported. 

According to Ortega, this reporting and counting 
fraud means he lost 60,000 votes that were cast in 
his favor. While MIM does not doubt that there was 
much fraud in this imperialist run election, even 
the Sandinistas are not claiming that they won a 
majority of the vote: at best they hope for a run 
off between Aleman and Ortega. This is still a 
strong vote against Ortega by a large portion of a 
population that has a material interest in opposing 
imperialism.

The history of Nicaragua is important for 
progressives in this country to understand. In 
1979, the Sandinistas successfully overthrew the 
Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua and took power 
under a banner of revolutionary change. Aleman was 
among the wealthy who had their land confiscated 
and as a lawyer, Aleman represented clients whose 
property was confiscated by the Sandinista 
government.(3) For many years progressive people 
put a lot of time and energy into defending the 
Sandinistas against Amerikan imperialism (the 
contras and other imperialist agents attempting to 
overthrow the popular government.) Unlike MIM, some 
progressives were stunned when, in 1990, UNO party 
candidate Violeta Chammoro defeated the Sandinista 
leader, Daniel Ortega in presidential elections. 

To understand the defeat of the popular Sandinista 
government we have to understand the strength of 
Amerikan imperialism which spent millions of 
dollars destabilizing the Sandinista government, 
destroying the infrastructure of the country, 
making the peoples lives miserable, and then paying 
people to vote for the UNO party. To this day the 
Nicaraguan people are saying that the motivating 
factors behind their vote are fear of a renewed 
internal war (between the CIA backed Contras and 
the Sandinistas) and further economic devastation 
to their country. These things came from the wrath 
of imperialist Amerika which was not willing to 
tolerate a colony breaking free and implementing a 
popular and independent government. This should 
make it clear that a revolutionary overthrow of 
imperialism (whether it is run by Somoza or 
Chammoro or Aleman) can not happen through 
bourgeois electoralism. Currently, in elections, 
the people vote with Uncle Sam twisting their arms. 
Only when Uncle Sam loses in a decisive war will 
the people be able to express themselves instead of 
voting their fears.

It is not hopelessly impossible to fight against a 
strong imperialist country, even for an 
underdeveloped Third World country. The other part 
of the failure of the Sandinistas rests with the 
Sandinistas themselves. Their brand of so-called 
Marxism involved mixing capitalism with some 
socialist ideas into a system that was not 
sustainable or autonomous. Self-reliance is the key 
to independence from imperialism and a socialist 
political and economic structure is essential for 
self-reliant development of production in all 
fields. Faced with trade barriers with capitalist 
countries, attacks from Amerika, and offers of new 
colonial dependency, Nicaragua's only hope for 
independent development was socialist self-
reliance. Instead the Sandinistas took a more 
liberal "middle road" which left them unable to 
fight the imperialists and develop the country to 
sustain the people. The Sandinistas also 
legitimized electoralism-which includes allowing 
the U.S. government to spend millions supporting 
candidates it favors.

Now Daniel Ortega says he has learned his lesson 
and given up on Marxism as unrealistic and has even 
embraced religion. This is no surprise considering 
that the Marxism he was advocating was not really 
Marxism at all. It is no surprise to MIM that 
Nicaragua was forced back into a colonial 
relationship with the United Snakes, but from this 
we don't conclude that Marxism or socialism are 
failures. Instead we look scientifically at the 
political, economic and social structure under the 
Sandinistas and identify reasons why they were 
unable to become self-reliant and fight off the 
imperialists.

In 1949, China was an underdeveloped country, 
devastated by war with Japan, impoverished, unable 
to feed its population, mostly illiterate, and 
still following Confucian ideals. But with a plan 
for self-reliance and development that focused on 
sparking the creativity and initiative of the 
people to work cooperatively to benefit themselves 
and all of society, China was able to quickly 
advance to not only feeding all of its people 
(saving millions of lives from starvation) but to 
also develop a health care system that even the 
World Bank considers one of the best at delivering 
good health for very low cost. The socialist 
political structure along with the mobilization of 
the people to participate in both political and 
economic life, to educate and empower themselves, 
was the difference between self-reliant development 
and immediate re-colonization.

While China was by no means perfect, as can clearly 
be seen by the successful restoration of capitalism 
by Deng Xiaoping, China's successful development 
and incredible advances in all aspects of society, 
puts Maoism in the position of the furthest advance 
towards equality and liberation of humanity so far. 
Comparing Nicaragua to China, China clearly did 
better for its people and came much further under 
its socialist system than Nicaragua did under its 
liberal capitalist system. The people of Nicaragua 
are now suffering from the ideological errors of 
the Sandinistas and we can't afford to ignore this 
situation. Instead we must evaluate this historical 
lesson carefully so that the many Nicaraguans who 
were killed by Amerikan imperialism did not give 
their lives for nothing. Nicaragua is an important 
lesson in the strength of Amerikan imperialism and 
the failure of liberal capitalism at defeating 
imperialism. Let's learn these lessons and move 
forward in struggle.

NOTES:
1. Agence France Presse, October 23, 1996.         
2. The British Broadcasting Corporation, October 
25, 1996.
3. Los Angeles Times, October 22, 1996.


* * *


FILIPINO STUDENTS SUPPORT SISON ASYLUM

MIM attended a Filipino student conference at 
Boston University in late October to gather 
petition signatures in support of Jose Maria 
Sison's asylum case and to talk to people about the 
political situation in the Philippines and the u.s. 
involvement. We have been active in opposing 
Sison's deportation from the Netherlands, which is 
a possibility mostly because of pressure from the 
u.s.-Ramos regime. 

Sison is the founder of the Communist Party of the 
Philippines (CPP) and a key figure in the 
revolutionary struggle leading the peace 
negotiations between the National Democratic Front 
(NDF, led by the CPP) and the Ramos regime. This 
comrade gathered around 100 signatures in just a 
few hours and distributed many copies of Maoist 
Sojourner that included reprints of articles from 
International Liberation (a publication of the 
international office of the National Democratic 
Front) and Sison himself.

Most students had not heard of Sison's asylum case 
but were interested in learning about it. The vast 
majority of the students were willing to sign the 
petition once they heard about the case although 
many were clear that they do not support communism. 
The few who expressed support for communism were 
not familiar with the Communist Party of the 
Philippines (CPP) and MIM encouraged them to check 
out the literature we were handing out and to get 
in touch with the NDF and MIM for more information.

 The politics that existed at the conference 
focused mostly on electoralism with the opening 
session encouraging Filipino students to get 
involved in politics in the u.s. through electoral 
means. The literature being handed out also focused 
on why Filipino students should be voting in 
Amerikan elections.

We were glad for this opportunity to discuss the 
situation in the Philippines, the work of the CPP, 
and the role of Amerikan imperialism with youth 
already interested in Filipino activism. These 
students are potential allies and supporters of the 
NDF and one idea that came out of our many 
discussions was getting International Liberation on 
the web since college students would then have easy 
access to this important information.

Several students asked if they could take blank 
copies of the petition to gather more signatures 
showing that even the brief explanation of the 
situation was enough to galvanize some into further 
action. A few even talked about getting something 
going at their school around the Sison case.

Students we spoke to traveled from as far away as 
Michigan and showed a real commitment to Filipino 
student organizing. We hope the information we 
shared with them will push more to consider the 
political program of communism as the best path for 
achieving equality and justice for all people and 
will convince them to support the struggle of the 
CPP in the Philippines.

NOTES: For more information on the Sison case and 
the campaign to oppose his deportation back to the 
Philippines, Send $2 for copies of both MIM Notes 
120 and 121.


* * *

LETTERS

Dear MIM,

I recently picked up a copy of MIM Notes #123. I 
thought it was very well well put together and 
thought provoking. I have a good grasp on communist 
philosophy and I think I understand the position(s) 
of your movement.

I just have one question: Why do you use the symbol 
with the two female symbols with raised fists in 
them? I take this to mean militant lesbianism. I'm 
not anti-lesbian but I don't understand it's 
signifigance to the Maoist International[ist-ed] 
Movement. What does women having sex with each 
other have to do with class struggle?

Thanks for your time, 
--Internet Reader

MIM RESPONDS: We appreciate your letter and are 
glad to respond to your question.

Gender appears to be a missing part of your 
understanding of MIM's positions. We do not think 
wimmin having sex with each other has more to do 
with class struggle than any other aspect of social 
life. But there are two problems with the question. 
First, the revolutionary feminism symbol that you 
ask about does not represent just lesbian 
liberation, or wimmin having sex with each other 
per se. Rather, it is an original symbol developed 
by MIM to represent revolutionary feminism in all 
respects. MIM's gender line is original to Maoism 
in that we argue for gender to be considered as a 
"separate strand" of oppression, which, along with 
class, is fundamental to oppression in the world 
today. Class and gender together form the basis for 
national oppression, the latter of which today is 
the principal contradiction in the world under 
imperialism and patriarchy. 

There can be no national liberation, and no 
communist revolution, without revolutionary 
feminism, and there can be no communism without the 
abolition of gender oppression -- which is not 
simply a form of class oppression, or a "special 
case" of class oppression. Gender oppression exists 
alongside of class oppression, and both need to be 
challenged and eradicated together.

National liberation struggles, which are first on 
the agenda for communist revolutionaries today, 
require leadership that is both proletarian and 
feminist in character. Neither one of these 
political lines alone can successfully lead 
national liberation struggles to overthrow the rule 
of imperialism and commence socialist revolution. 
Eradicating gender oppression means abolishing sex 
hierarchies and enforced sexual orientations, as 
part of the process of eliminating the 
appropriation of some people's sexuality by others.

To understand MIM's gender line, we recommend 
beginning with MIM Theory 2/3, our original in- 
depth statement of revolutionary feminism. 
Subsequent issues of MIM Theory advance this line, 
in particular MIM Theory 7, "Proletarian Feminist 
Revolutionary Nationalism on the Communist Road," 
and MIM Theory 9, "Psychology and Imperialism." Any 
one of these is yours for $6 postpaid, and well 
worth it.

We hope that answers your question, and we urge you 
to struggle with us over these issues in practice 
by either working with MIM to advance revolution 
because you don't have a better alternative, or 
trying to convince us that you do have a better 
alternative.


STUDY AND WORK WITH MIM AND RAIL

We wrote to you before through e-mail requesting to 
work with MIM and RAIL, sorry we did not get back 
to you. We still look foreword to working with MIM 
distributing MIM Notes and discussing important 
theoretical issues for a clearer understanding of 
Imperialism and settler colonialism. I am a student 
at X university. I recently saw your paper in one 
of the buildings and remembered one of your cadre 
mentioned being in the area. I hope this letter 
gets to you in time before the worker(s) leave. We 
look foreword to working with MIM. 

--Comrade in struggle also


THERE REALLY ARE OTHER ANTI-IMPERIALISTS OUT THERE

I have read the last several issues of MIM Notes 
and am amazed at the fact that a group such as MIM 
exists. I live in X and was wondering if your group 
has a branch here and if so how I can start to get 
involved with them or learn more.

I have also enclosed a check for $70. For two of 
those dollars could you send me the pamphlet "What 
is the Maoist Internationalist Movement." The rest 
of the money use as you deem necessary.

Its great to know there are other people who 
disagree with the mindset of 
capitalism/imperialism.

--New friend in the Midwest


* * *


FLORIDA: MASSES POSE 'CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER'

The mayor and police chief of St. Petersburg, 
Florida, declared the oppressed masses of their 
city "a clear and present danger" after a police 
murder sparked a violent rebellion that left two 
police buildings, a post office, a bank, and other 
buildings "destroyed or heavily damaged."(1)

The protests followed the murder of a young Black 
man by white officers. Police apparently pulled 
over 18- year-old Tyrone Lewis, allegedly for 
speeding. They say the car "lurched" toward them as 
they approached with guns drawn. Some witnesses say 
Lewis had his hands raised inside the car, others 
say he had stepped out and was not threatening 
anyone. Lewis and his passenger were both wanted on 
warrants for nonviolent drug and property crimes, 
supposedly justifying the police's military 
approach.(1)

The Washington Post said this was the sixth time 
the St. Petersburg police have been caught shooting 
at cars this year.(1) But the New York Times said 
it was the sixth person the police had killed.(2) 
St. Petersburg was the scene of the debate between 
vice presidential candidates a few weeks before the 
murder, and the mayor, who declared Black residents 
a danger to "order," was upset by the bad press. He 
complained: "the city worked so hard on its image 
... obviously we haven't gotten there yet."(2)

One police officer was shot and local media were 
also attacked by protesters. The Times reported: 
"Hundreds of people roamed the streets, setting 
fires and throwing bricks at riot-equipped police. 
They firebombed a patrol car, torched two 
television vehicles and burned a police substation 
and a post office."(2)

Political violence in response to state repression 
and murder is a righteous response in self defense 
of the Black nation. Such expressions of popular 
fury against the state and white nation also 
highlight the need for organized political response 
to bring about revolution for national liberation 
and socialism.

NOTES: 
1. Washington Post, Oct. 26, 1996. p. A3. 
2. New York Times, Oct. 26, 1996. p. A8.


* * *


ST. LOUIS POLICE BEAT FORMER PRISONER TO DEATH

St. Louis Police beat a former prisoner to death 
while he was apparently freaking out and in need of 
help. Randolph Vance's friend said he was either 
having a bad drug reaction or a nervous breakdown 
of some sort when he called police to report that 
he was in danger. When police arrived they treated 
him as the danger, and quickly solved the "problem" 
by killing him.

Constance Johnson was quoted by the local newspaper 
as saying: "One officer was kicking him in the 
head. Another one was jumping on his neck." She 
said they began the beating immediately when they 
arrived, with no provocation, and continued after 
he was cuffed at the wrist and ankle. "They were 
beating him with a flashlight and kicking him. I 
said, 'Stop, you're killing him,' but they kept 
beating him. One officer was stomping on his head. 
They beat him for 20 minutes. All Randy was trying 
to do was to scoot away from them. He wasn't 
fighting back."

Soon more police arrived, and quickly joined in. 
"When they dragged him out of the house, his head 
bounced down the steps," Johnson said. By the time 
they dragged him to the yard, he had stopped 
breathing and they called for paramedics, too late.

Vance had been a prisoner for 20 years. The day 
after Vance's murder, police arrested Johnson for 
"disturbing the peace" when she tried to "stir up" 
onlookers at a police stop in the neighborhood. 
Some peace! If Vance himself was not on the 
police's list from his prison stay, Johnson is 
surely on their list now.

In this imperialist country, prison is meant to 
destroy people. Randolph Vance survived prison only 
to be hunted down and killed by the long arm of the 
law. His murder is a warning to all prisoners. 
Johnson's subsequent persecution is a warning to 
all who would expose the murderous practices of the 
state.

NOTES: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Oct. 24, 1996. p. 
1B.


* * *


PENNSYLVANIA POLICE WIN MISTRIAL

Two white Pennsylvania police officers will not 
have to face an all-white jury for on the charge of 
"involuntary manslaughter" for their murder of a 
Black man last year. The case was declared a 
mistrial after a witness demanded that the 
defendants testify, which they are not required to 
do. The officers may be tried again after a new 
jury is selected.

The two officers were among a group of five that 
murdered Jonny Gammage in Western Pennsylvania 
after a traffic stop. A Black man driving a Jaguar 
in an all-white town, Gammage was naturally pulled 
over, supposedly for erratic driving. They say they 
were trying to "restrain" Gammage by standing on 
his neck and pressing down with a metal club at the 
time of his death.

The criminal injustice system supports pigs 
murdering Black men and gives them a trial by their 
fascist supporting peers while Blacks and other 
oppressed nations are also faced with trials by 
predominantly white juries who have been well 
trained to believe that Blacks are criminals. MIM 
would like to see Black people who kill police 
officers tried for "involuntary manslaughter" 
before all-Black juries.

NOTES: Los Angeles Times, Oct. 19, 1996. p. A14.
 

* * *


CAPITALIST TOOLS OPPOSE CONVICT VOTING

BOSTON--As elections approach, reactionary 
columnist Howie Carr wrote against the voting 
rights of convicted criminals. He predicted that 
the murderers most notorious to the mainstream 
media would all vote for Senator Kerry and oppose 
Governor Weld.

The Boston Herald in the same day that it ran the 
column associating Senator Kerry with murderers 
also called for Perot to quit the race in favor of 
Bob Dole for president.

Like other reactionaries Carr doesn't seem to 
realize that we live in the leading police state 
contrary to his bragging about how our too 
democratically kept prisoners get to use Nautilus 
weight-lifting equipment. However, he does have one 
small point that is just vastly distorted in his 
hands and the hands of the thousands of other 
demagogues just like him: Carr understands that 
some people lose their "rights" in a society when 
they commit crimes. It's just that Carr writes 
sensational stories about William Hortons (yes, 
he's still talking about "Willie" Horton in 
October, 1996) in order to distract attention from 
the real mass murderers in the government and 
heading agribusiness, banks, pharmaceuticals and 
environmentally destructive industries.

We at MIM also believe that while there are violent 
contradictions in society, there will have to be 
dictatorship as Carr seems to understand in 
practice in his own distorted bourgeois way. The 
reason there must be dictatorship is that there is 
no way to negotiate over one's right to live; hence 
those who organize to kill others through 
starvation, war, toxic pollution, withholding 
medicine, clothes or shelter must be put down by 
force, including the use of prison--until that day 
when no one would get the thought of violence 
against others for profit. When we get to that day 
when the profit- system and its kin are as nearly 
universally loathed as the slave system is today, 
then we can all live without dictatorship.

We at MIM point with pride to the months and years 
after the U.S. Civil War when some Southern 
slaveowners lost their rights to vote and run for 
office. Republicans at the time understood that the 
slaveowners would come back to power if they were 
left to organize for what they wanted. Today, we 
benefit from that act of organized force against 
slaveowners and only a small portion of the world 
would think of supporting slavery. That is 
progress. The next step will be to do the same 
thing for those who profit from murder.

If Howie Carr would be consistent and favor 
stripping citizenship rights of the rich, white men 
who organize mass murder for profit, we'd back him 
all the way.

NOTE: Boston Herald Oct. 25, 1996, pp.4-5. 


* * *


ANTI-COLUMBUS WEEK EDUCATES ABOUT IMPERIALIST 
GENOCIDE

East Coast-In early October, RAIL, MIM and another 
organization organized a week of events entitled 
"Anti-Columbus Week." The purpose of the week was 
to "build public opinion against the imperialist 
genocide in this hemisphere that has been carried 
out for the last 504 years. The initiating 
organizations recognize the need for national 
liberation struggles against imperialism."

The event was very successful at getting beyond the 
reformist debate about whether to change the name 
of the holiday while leaving the rest of this 
imperialist society and it's symbols intact. For 
much of the week, RAIL made hard hitting cases 
against the United Snakes, and for national 
liberation struggles.

(MIM Notes 123, October 1, 1996 covered a criticism 
of a First Nations administrator towards the week's 
event. MIM Notes 124, October 15, 1996 covered the 
first event, a showing of Incident at Oglala about 
framed American Indian Movement leader Leonard 
Peltier.)


PEACE CORPS OPPOSED


On Tuesday a guest lecturer spoke about the Peace 
Corps and U.S. Imperialism. RAIL wasn't very happy 
with this event because the invited speaker 
conducted a "workshop on imperialism" instead of 
making a presentation on the Peace Corps. Many 
members of the audience left dissatisfied that they 
did not get the information they had hoped to 
attain.

RAIL's criticism is that the workshop format failed 
to challenge incorrect ideas, and failed to draw 
out the various radical positions held by audience 
members.

One additional problem has it's root in the 
speaker's passing reference that the history of 
U.S. foreign policy has been "imperialistic." In ** 
Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism, Lenin 
stresses the importance of viewing imperialism not 
as a foreign policy but as an integral part of 
capitalism. Kautsky, whom Lenin was criticizing, 
held that imperialism was a foreign policy, and 
that as imperialism developed (or super-imperialism 
as he called it) it would eliminate war because it 
was bad for business.

Lenin smashed this reformist view of imperialism, 
which simultaneously held that imperialism could be 
stopped by a change in policy by the imperialist 
government. Lenin correctly argued that imperialism 
is a stage of capitalism where in order to obtain 
more labor-power and markets, the capitalists must 
expand beyond the borders of their home countries. 
Not only is there a continual war carried out 
against the oppressed nations, but inter-
imperialist wars are inevitable because that is the 
only way that the imperialists can resolve 
contradictions amongst themselves. 

As Clauswitz said, "war is just politics by other 
means", and sometimes the imperialists need to 
leave the board rooms and bargaining tables and 
need to shoot each other--or more accurately, 
arrange for the oppressed under their control to 
shoot each other--in order to resolve their 
differences. The inevitability of war is proven by 
the need to resolve the contradiction between 
economic growth and the need for colonies. For 
example, Germany before World War I was growing 
greatly, but it had few colonies and there were no 
"unclaimed" colonies, so it had not choice but to 
attempt to seize other's colonies by war.

Rather than being a slip of the tongue with little 
importance, the little noticed comment by the 
speaker served as an encapsulation of an overall 
line problem in the speaker's talk. It led to a 
passing reference to a book called "Alternatives to 
the Peace Corps" about other NGO programs for 
Amerikans to go down and mess with Third World 
people's societies. While these other programs are 
no doubt under less direct control of the State 
Department and the CIA, it is incorrect to 
positively endorse an "anything but the Peace Corps 
approach" without getting at the root of 
imperialism.

The speaker said he wanted to get at the diversity 
of the Peace Corps' methods of attacks and bring it 
back to the conclusion that from Honduras to the 
Togo, the Peace Corps is part of imperialism. But 
this didn't come across, and an excellent 
opportunity to further this analysis would have 
been to discuss the role of all imperialist-backed 
NGO "service organizations" in the Third World 
instead of endorsing all but the Peace Corps.

As a RAIL comrade said an event later in the week, 
this would be like talking about how the U.S. 
Marines are part of imperialism and then suggesting 
that people join the Navy!

Overall RAIL, was not pleased with this event. Had 
the speaker allowed a facilitated discussion at the 
end of the event--as RAIL had expected--RAIL and 
individuals in the audience would have been able to 
ask questions and challenge the speaker and each 
other. But without this form of struggle and 
accountability, we regret doing the event as we 
did.

But what did come out of the event was a small 
group of people who want to aid RAIL in doing anti-
Peace Corps work, including protesting recruiting 
sessions and organizing our own talks. 


APARTHEID IN AMERIKA


On Thursday, RAIL and two members of the other 
organization sponsoring the week were on a panel 
discussing "Prospects for Decolonization in the 
Americas." These other activists discussed the 
history of Amerika's broken treaties with the First 
Nations. They explicitly didn't propose any 
particular path forward and just wanted the 
audience to "join an organization." RAIL advocated 
it's line and that of MIM as a superior way 
forward.

The RAIL comrade explained that the problem with 
the "United Snakes" is that it is an illegitimate 
"nation," containing many nations oppressed by the 
white nation--Amerika. The RAIL comrade started 
from the question that a student asked the comrade 
repeatedly during the week: "I don't understand why 
the Indians want to be different. Why don't they 
want to be a part of society?"

The RAIL comrade explained that the 500 First 
Nations contained within the borders of the United 
Snakes are their own societies. Just because 
Amerika has more people doesn't give it the right 
to forcibly assimilate (or exterminate) minority 
populations. The RAIL comrade asked him: Why do you 
Amerikans want to be your own society? Why aren't 
you arguing to merge with Germany? Or why not merge 
with Mexico, the United Snakes' border touches that 
of Mexico?" The student had no response to this, 
other than to explain that he was a liberal 
Democrat.

The RAIL comrade discussed recent tax struggles of 
the First Nations enclosed within the borders of 
Canada or New York State. As sovereign nations, 
they should not have to pay taxes to other nations. 
Sometimes, even this basic right of self-
determination must be defended with arms, as has 
been the case recently with the Mohawk and Seneca 
Nations.

The RAIL comrade explained the RAIL position that 
armed struggle will be necessary for national 
liberation. This was a big part of the discussion 
at the end of the event. Most surprisingly, during 
the discussion, everyone said that they agreed with 
the statement "The U.S. is an apartheid society." 
We hope that this agreement fuels more practical 
unity as RAIL goes about our work.

The biggest opponent of armed struggle was an 
Azanian student who distorted the history of the 
African National Congress and its struggle to 
achieve state power in Azania and South Africa. He 
argued that violence only breeds more violence and 
that only peaceful means can bring real change. 

Before he was challenged on it, he claimed that 
Nelson Mandela being elected president and leaving 
fundamental issues of power and wealth remaining 
untouched, constituted national liberation. He also 
attempted to argue that the neo-colonial power the 
ANC now holds was a result of their non-violent 
work, not as a result of their armed wing and the 
support the Azanian people held for it.

RAIL would make a different criticism of the ANC: 
not putting enough reliance on the power of an 
armed proletariat. Instead of going to the masses 
for power, the ANC often went to the white 
government or internationally, to negotiate. Even 
the armed struggle that the ANC carried out was 
limited to symbolic actions aimed at bringing the 
white government to the table, and not in 
concretely adding to Azanian political power. This 
incorrect strategy has led to the neo-colonial 
situation today.

Overall this week of events was a success at 
educating more people about the oppression of 
indigenous nations by Amerika and fueling more 
support for national liberation struggles against 
imperialism. We hope to build on this unity as we 
carry on the legacy of the struggles for self-
determination of all oppressed people every day and 
not just on Columbus Day.


* * *


WAKE UP TROTSKYISTS! WHITE WORKERS SHARE PIE WITH 
IMPERIALISM

In a bid for more bargaining leverage, AFL-CIO 
president John J. Sweeney used a recent public 
appearance to articulate the theory of 
imperialism's relations with the Labor Aristocracy. 
Addressing the organization Business for Social 
Responsibility Sweeney said "We want to work with 
you to bake a larger pie which all Americans can 
share and not just argue with you about how to 
divide the existing pie." Sweeney is out to 
convince the Amerikan bourgeoisie that the AFL-CIO 
is all for increasing profits, so long as the 
workers it represents get a share.

Lenin's theory of imperialism recognizes that in 
the imperialist countries the working class exists 
as a labor aristocracy--trading loyalty to 
imperialism for a cut of the superprofits in the 
form of substantially higher pay than the workers 
of the oppressed nations. Sweeney told business 
owners that they should encourage unionization by 
only doing business with unionized companies, and 
that they should give workers more power within the 
corporations as well as higher wages, better 
benefits packages and more training.

MIM has been arguing for years that Amerikan 
labor's interests lie with imperialism, as evidence 
by white unions' struggles for benefits from 
imperialism. MIM works from the vantage point of 
the Third World proletariat--the majority of the 
world's workers who are exploited and 
superexploited by imperialism. We happily unite 
with all Amerikans who understand and work for the 
liberation of the Third World proletariat But 
unlike the Trotskysists we will not slow down and 
coddle the self-interested struggles of the labor 
aristocracy in the name of bringing that class to 
revolution.

NOTES: New York Times Oct. 27, 1996, p. 15.


* * *


MAOISM ABORTED: POVERTY IN CHINA TODAY

In its consistent campaign to agitate against 
socialism and for capitalism, the New York Times 
has run a feature article on poverty in China 
today. Although the Times tarnishes the name of 
Communism by referring to capitalist-roader Deng 
Xiaoping as a communist, its reporting is valuable 
for exposing some of Deng's reactionary policies 
and some of the contradictions between fast 
capitalist growth and the well-being of the 
masses.(1) 

One of the big lies told in this article is that 
Deng and his capitalist reforms are responsible for 
lifting the standard of living of the Chinese 
people.(1) In Shanghai in 1972, the infant 
mortality rate was lower than the rate for New York 
in 1971.(2) Clearly this was a huge development in 
the standard of living in China given that pre-
revolution China was already much poorer than the 
United Snakes, and this statistic is from 4 years 
before Mao's death and the revisionist coup in 
China. In 1979 (3 years after the revisionist coup 
and 1 year after the beginning of reforms the Times 
credits with improving Chinese life), the Chinese 
life expectancy was 68 while citizens of the middle 
income capitalist countries could expect to live to 
age 60.(3)

An important point of exposure is that there is 
more poverty in Chinese cities now because of 
massive firings in state factories. Under socialism 
(1949-1976), China's factories and the rest of the 
economy observed planning, and placed greater 
emphasis on political advance and on total economic 
advances than on the profitability of a single 
factory. The primary object of socialism is to 
increase the quality of life of the masses and to 
build their social, political and economic power. 
This goal could hardly be served by laying off 
workers, even if it does mean that "the overall 
economy continues to register impressive 
growth."(1) This is not growth that is benefiting 
the majority, it is instead benefiting the minority 
of state capitalists in power in China.

The Times article also notes that China now faces 
tremendous and growing debt(1)--a feature of neo-
colonial relations with the west. Maoism emphasized 
socialist self-reliance in China, and the Maoists 
understood that even temporary rapid growth from 
foreign investments was problematic because it 
could not be sustained. An economy that depends on 
outside investment will quickly degenerate into 
mounting debt and interest, once it has surrendered 
its capacity for independence.

Finally, this report on China accentuates the 
growing gap between the cities and the 
countryside.(1) An inspirational feature of Maoist 
political economy is the recognition that while the 
proletariat leads in the struggle for socialism, 
the peasantry and the agricultural economy are the 
basis of the socialist economy. The current state-
capitalist regime in China is doing everything it 
can to deny this fact and instead following the 
revisionist mantra of putting profits in command. 
This includes diverting funds from less profitable 
to more profitable enterprises, and from the 
countryside to the cities. 

MIM has many books available for sale on the 
genuine history of the success of socialist China 
and on the capitalist restoration, whose shining 
results we see in the growing poverty of the 
Chinese masses. Write to the address on page 2 for 
a literature list, or if you have more news to 
share on what's going on in China now.

NOTES: 
1. New York Times 26 October, 1996. 
2. Victor Sidel and Ruth Sidel, Serve the People: 
Observations on Medicine in the People's Republic 
of China, (New York: Macy Foundation, 1973), p. 
257. 
3. MIM Theory 4: A Spiral Trajectory, the Failure 
and Success of Communist Development, p. 70. 


* * *

AMERIKAN CULTURE

MUSIC REVIEW: CRACKER

"The Golden Age," the latest album from Cracker, is 
another political disappointment. When Cracker's 
lead singer was with Camper Van Beethoven he 
demonstrated an understanding of the main conflict 
currently facing Amerikan youth: assimilation into 
an evil, rotting system versus true rebellion. But 
Cracker's lyrics have been increasingly apolitical 
and individualist. Most of the songs on "The Golden 
Age" are dedicated to romance culture, and the 
remaining songs are either surreal and meaningless 
or smug and nihilist.

"Key Lime Pie," the last Camper Van Beethoven 
album, was principally anti-militarist. "When I win 
the Lottery," for example, dissed Reagan-era 
jingoism and anti-Communist hysteria:

"Never run a flag up a pole/Like Mr. Red-White-and-
Blue/Down the road/But I never called myself a 
hero/For killing a known communist.
"Now I can walk into any old bar/And find a fight 
without looking too hard/But I never killed someone 
I don't know/Just 'cause someone told me to."

Some of the songs on "Key Lime Pie" even recognize 
that imperialism fosters a decadent ideology which 
romanticizes colonial oppression and promotes 
escapism. Here are some of the lyrics from "All Her 
Favorite Fruit":
"And I'd like to take her there/Rather than this 
train/And if I were a civil servant/I'd have a 
place in the colonies.

"We'd play croquet/Behind whitewashed walls/And 
drink our tea at four.
"Within/intervention's/distance of/The embassy"

Still, although the song compares this ideology to 
rotten fruit under the noonday sun, it does not 
explicitly reject it. There is a certain self-
serving hopelessness in the song along the lines of 
"the world may be going to hell in a hambasket but 
at least I'm enjoying the ride."

In any case, "Key Lime Pie" may not talk about 
solutions to the problems it outlines, but at least 
it directs its anger and ridicule towards the 
violent and oppressive status quo and those who 
defend it. Cracker, on the other hand, has carved 
itself a nice market niche by satirizing activists 
and turning hopelessness into a matter of 
principle. The confusion of "The world sucks but 
what can I do about it?" has turned into "Yeah the 
world sucks but fuck you for suggesting that I 
should do anything about it." Cracker's first big 
hit was "Teen Angst," which included one liners 
like "What the world needs now/is another folk 
singer/like I need a whole in my head" and "I don't 
know what the world may need/but a good stiff drink 
it surely don't/think I'll go and fix myself a tall 
one." It's possible to read this song (and other 
Cracker songs) as a satire on philistines who would 
rather get drunk and screw than make revolution, 
but Cracker never gives an alternative to this 
attitude. Since the imperialists spend lots of 
money screaming "Escape! Enjoy Yourself! Forget 
about the movement!" at Amerikan youth, they drown 
out any possible subtle criticisms. Ultimately, all 
this careful ironic distance only serves to justify 
Cracker's own participation in the culture it 
criticizes. That's how "How Can I Live Without 
You," which pokes fun at patriarchy, can end up on 
the same album as straight-up harlequin-romance-
trash like "Big Dipper."

All of this is a big step backward from "Key Lime 
Pie," which recognized that "just keepin' on 
keepin' on" was a luxury and a crime, since it left 
the status quo unchanged:

"It's a luxury/'Cause all our heroes [the heroes of 
Amerikan imperialism-MIM] are bastards/It's a 
luxury/'Cause all our heroes are thieves/Of the 
innocence/Of the afternoon/That we think it's a 
virtue/To simply survive"

As MIM would say:
As long as there is imperialism, there will be 
oppression. Don't adjust to oppression, overthrow 
it! Study and apply the science of revolution!


* * *


SLEEPERS 
1996

Sleepers is the purportedly true story of four 
Amerikan boys who grew up in Hell's Kitchen on the 
West Side of Manhattan. When one of their otherwise 
low-level childhood pranks goes awry, the boys 
accidentally nearly kill a man and are sentenced to 
one year at a juvenile prison. The movie is the 
story of the savage abuse they endured during their 
incarceration -- and then the trial of two of them 
when, ten years later, they execute the most 
sadistic of the guards in revenge.

MIM likes the movie for several reasons. First, 
whether it's really true or not, it's an exposure 
of the oppression of both children and prisoners in 
a prison system that has nothing to do with 
stopping "crime" and everything to do with 
exercising power over youth and the oppressed. The 
very fact of being guards over young boys -- and 
all that power -- becomes pornography for the 
guards, who live in a sadistic sexual dreamworld of 
terror-rape at will. The guards repeatedly rape the 
boys the whole time they're in the prison. They are 
stripped at whim, made to eat what passes for food 
off the floor, and generally terrorized for their 
entire stay at the so- called "home" for boys.

Second, when the boys get out, two of them are 
basically ruined and become hit-men, and the movie 
does not morally judge them for that. The meaning 
is clear: the prison experience made them killers. 
The movie celebrates their murder to the point of 
comparing it to winning a trophy in a dance 
contest.

Third, the idealized community of Hell's Kitchen 
unites around the boys after they are grown up. 
Everyone thinks it's fine that they kill the guard 
in revenge. And, rather than rescue the legal 
system, the movie shows that the only way for them 
to get real justice is to completely subvert the 
legal system and the trial they face.

Some people are upset because they don't believe 
the story. The part about how they undermine the 
court system by getting the killers acquitted is 
especially irritating to some people, and various 
defenders of the system insist that no such case 
ever happened. The Catholic church is also bent out 
of shape because in the movie their neighborhood 
priest agrees to lie for them on the stand -- to 
get them off for a murder they did commit -- 
because he sees the greater justice in their 
execution of the guard. The lying priest is a hero 
in the movie, which suits MIM fine. In his case 
lying is the moral thing to do because sending the 
killers back to jail would accomplish nothing 
except more ruined lives.

Finally, the movie does not have a falsely happy 
ending, which is itself refreshing. The nuclear 
family is not saved, the court system is not 
vindicated, and no one lives happily ever after. 
However, the characters do find a way to redeem 
their humanity within an oppressive system, and in 
that the movie is positive without raising false 
hopes of reformist solutions.

Obviously, MIM prefers movies where the characters 
realize the necessity of revolution, but in this 
case, at least, it leaves room for a realistic 
appraisal which reveals that there is no other 
choice.


*DAUGHTER OF VIET NAM*

Wake up, my sister, the nightmare is over, You live 
again, sister, you really live; The searing 
electric shock, the piercing point, The brilliant 
knife; the consuming fire Have not killed you; 
heroic girl, your heart, my sister, Your heart so 
great, with one drop of blood It will beat again 
and it will not beat for you alone.

It will beat for justice, for your native village, 
for your country, For humanity. From the regions of 
death, you have come back to us, resplendent As on 
the day you went away when the nation called; You 
have come back, daughter of glory. The whole 
country embraces you As flesh of its flesh and 
blood of its blood, You live again, for you have 
conquered . . . .
--To Huu, Vietnamese national leader

 *THE LIBERATION GIRL*

From a child, I have been dreaming of becoming a 
fighter Against U.S. aggression and a defender of 
the land. I'll say farewell to my dear ones and 
respond To the vibrant call of the Truong Son 
Range. Wrapped in the affection of the whole 
country I'll be tempered in the crucible of war, 
Aware of the Truong Son hardships Aware that it's 
an immense school of life.
--Dang Thi Ha (d.1972)

 *INSCRIBED IN BLOOD ON HER CELL WALLS:*

A rosy-cheeked woman, here I am fighting side by 
side with you men! On my shoulders, weighs the 
hatred that is common to us. The prison is my 
school, its mates my friends, The sword is my 
child, the gun my husband.
--Nguyen Thi Minh Khai , Secretary of the Saigon-
Cholon branch of the Indochinese Communist Party 
(executed 1941)


* * *


STANDARDIZED TESTS: TESTING AGAINST THE WHITE MAN'S 
STANDARD

In Massachusetts, results of standardized testing 
for primary and secondary school students were 
released in late October. MIM does not believe 
standardized tests put together by the imperialist 
schools are a good measure of youth's achievement. 
By the test standards, only one quarter of students 
in the state can communicate well or think 
critically. The results divide students into 
proficiency levels from one to four. Students at 
level one and below are said to have little or no 
grasp of the most basic facts.(1) Those at level 
two have firm grasp of the facts, but cannot 
interpret those facts or use sound reasoning in 
answering essay questions. 

This supposed crisis in education caused ultra-
right wing Board of Education chairperson John 
Silber to pronounce this a scandal in the state 
because, he said, the school system is producing 
adults unprepared for life. Having just taken over 
this job recently, Silber can make these criticisms 
without taking any blame. One of Silber's main 
fears seems to be that students in the state will 
not be able to compete adequately in the job market 
so that companies that want to hire people with a 
high school education will leave the state to find 
a better educated workforce elsewhere. 

Let's take a look at what these standardized tests 
really measure. The Boston Globe printed one 
example of a question on the test which included a 
paragraph about bikes getting stolen that suggested 
that putting a piece of paper with your name on it 
inside the handlebar grips as a good way to 
secretly identify your bike in case a thief rubs 
off the serial number. The question about the 
paragraph wanted to know the main point. Anyone who 
lives in the city knows that bikes are frequently 
stolen and that there is no way that putting a 
piece of paper inside the grip of your handlebars 
will help you recover your bike. They are stripped, 
repainted, and sometimes just sold for parts. So 
the student who knows something about life might be 
stumped because the possible answers on this 
multiple choice question don't include anything 
logical like this. But the student who has been 
trained at taking multiple choice tests will 
quickly be able to identify the answer that the 
test scorers want.

This question is actually one of the better ones 
because at least it is asking for reading 
comprehension skills rather than memorization of 
"facts". Much of the outcry in the aftermath of 
this test has been over the need for more learning 
of "basics." Many people are actually talking about 
the importance of students having the same basic 
"facts" memorized. 

For instance, some people working in the state 
education system called in to a public radio talk 
show to say that "facts" about the civil war should 
be known by all students. This is an excellent 
example of what people really want from 
standardized tests. They want everyone to have 
certain knowledge and skills that they think is 
important. In the case of Massachusetts (and 
Amerika in general), this means knowing the white 
man's history and knowing how to take the white 
man's tests. This includes throwing common street 
sense out the window as with the question above and 
it includes memorizing things that masquerade as 
facts about history that are really facts about the 
way the imperialists like to interpret history.

An excellent example of this historical 
interpretation was shown in the recent issue of the 
** United Youth ** newspaper, a publication put out 
by progressive youth in Boston. This issue included 
an article about the history book used for Amerikan 
History classes that describes John Brown as a 
"lunatic", a "culprit" and a "butcher." One student 
wrote a paper describing how Brown was really "the 
greatest White friend, without reservations, that 
Black people had in the nineteenth centuryŠ."(2) So 
on the standardized test, this student would get 
questions about John Brown wrong because he won't 
accept the white man's version of history. This is 
true of imperialist versions of history throughout 
the public schools in Amerika.

In a way Silber is right: he wants to train the 
youth of Massachusetts to be good devoted young 
imperialists or if they can't be imperialists or 
petty bourgeois imperialist supporters because they 
are Black or Latino and tracked into vocational ed 
instead, at least they can be good devoted workers 
for imperialism. So the best way to accomplish this 
is to pick your future imperialist leaders by how 
well they do on a standardized test created to 
measure future success in a white man's world, 
while forcing youth to memorize lies as facts so 
that they won't know the truth about imperialist 
history.

If MIM were to measure useful knowledge, we'd give 
high marks to those students who have been able to 
develop the thinking skills to criticize an 
imperialist history book in spite of all the 
attempted brainwashing they've received in school 
and in spite of the attempts by educators to quell 
this kind of thinking. We'd give high marks to 
those prisoners who have educated themselves about 
imperialism and are working with the revolutionary 
movement to fight imperialism even though they have 
their reading and writing materials stolen and 
destroyed by guards. And we'd definitely give 
points for activism in the face of a society that 
encourages apathy, drugs and other avenues of 
escapism.

NOTES:
1. Boston Globe, Oct. 22, 1996, p. A1. 
2. United Youth, Fall 1996. P.O. Box 4, Jamaica 
plain, MA 02130.


* * *


IMPERIALISM DESTROYS PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENT

Armed private security guards and Philippine 
National Police (PNP) brutally attacked and 
arrested more than 250 barricaders who were 
protesting the expansion of open pit mining 
operations in barangay Loacan in the Cordillera. 
One person died as a result of the attack.

The people of Loacan protested for over two months 
and eventually barricaded the mine site in order to 
defend their land and livelihood. The Benguet 
Corporation's open pit mines have devastated much 
of the lands in the area, and Benguet has used 
trickery and outright violence to seize the lands 
it wants.(1)

This conflict is characteristic of the Philippine 
Mining Act of 1995, which is itself characteristic 
of the u.s.-Ramos regime's neo-colonial role.(2) 
Ramos et al claim that liberalizing the economy and 
giving "foreign investors" (i.e. imperialists) a 
free rein will bring investment dollars and 
therefore prosperity to the people of the 
Philippines. But in reality the increased 
penetration of monopoly capital into the 
Philippines brings poverty, loss of sovereignty, 
and environmental destruction.(3) 

In the case of the mining industry, the 
imperialists (with the aid of the PNP and the u.s.-
backed Armed Forces of the Philippines) have driven 
peasants and indigenous peoples off of their lands 
against their will and destroyed much of the 
Philippine environment, harming the people's health 
and their livelihood.

Although it tries to put on a show of "consulting" 
the people affected, the toady Manila government 
grants land sales and "development" permits without 
the input and against the will of local residents. 
As the case of Loacon shows, it will use military 
might to impose these permits on the people. 
Existing permits cover more than 50% of the 
Cordillera region.

In order to please imperialist mining and technical 
firms, the Ramos government now wishes to relocate 
whole peoples--many of whom it relocated in the 
name of "development" 40 years ago.(4)

In MIM Notes 116 we reported on the Marcopper 
Mining disaster, where toxic sludge from a 
Canadian-owned mine destroyed a river and forced 
more than 1,200 local residents from their homes. 
Investigators from progressive organizations have 
found that drains from the mine continue to poison 
local irrigation systems and rivers. About 19,000 
cubic meters of waste from the mine spill into the 
Boac river daily.(5) Those living near the mine 
have high levels of leukemia and skin diseases, and 
suffer generally from diarrhea and headaches.(6)

Marcopper has a history of dumping waste with the 
tacit approval of the reactionary government, and 
little has changed. The investigators concluded 
that "[The Ramos government] is guilty of looking 
the other way as Marcopper poisons our land and 
waters. It is guilty of tolerating and coddling 
Marcopper by simply suspending its operations when 
Marcopper and Placer Dome should be permanently 
banned."(5)

The imperialists and their paid lackeys point to 
all kinds of band-aids and pipe dreams in order to 
make it seem like they are not responsible for the 
massive destruction of the environment in neo-
colonies like the Philippines. The u.s-Ramos 
regime's Department of the Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR), for example, proposed an 
amendment to the implementing rules of the Mining 
Act to raise the fees companies should pay for the 
putting up of a rehabilitation fund--AFTER the 
Marcopper incident. Too little, too late--actually: 
nothing, never. The imperialists and the Manila 
government "propose" to pay a little money to put a 
happy face on a major disaster, while in reality 
they continue to poison the people and the 
environment.

A flyer protesting the liberalization of the mining 
industry and other anti-people "development" 
projects put it this way: "If we cut a tree to make 
a house, the DENR arrests us for violation of the 
law. But when a company fells so many and destroys 
the environment, that is not a violations of the 
law. What kind of law do we have?" Answer: a law 
which serves imperialist monopoly capitalism.

Imperialism necessarily plunders, destroys, and 
pollutes the environment, just as it necessarily 
exploits and oppresses colonized nations. 
Opposition to the destruction of the environment in 
oppressed nations therefore requires opposition to 
imperialism, which ultimately requires armed 
struggle and the struggle for socialism. The Maoist 
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is 
currently waging Protracted People's War against 
the u.s.-backed puppet regime in the Philippines. 
In its own words, "The broad masses of people led 
by the CPP resolutely and militantly fight for the 
conservation and wise utilization of natural 
resources for the purpose of self-reliant 
development against imperialism, feudalism and 
bureaucrat capitalism." CPP-led forces have put 
these words into practice by enforcing a ban on all 
logging for export and by carrying out a broad 
reforestation campaign.

MIM calls on all who truly despise the destruction 
and pollution of natural resources around the world 
to take up an anti-imperialist perspective.

NOTES: 
1. Press release, Itogon Inter-Barangay Alliance, 
Sep. 2, 1996. 
2. MIM Notes 114 and 116. 
3. For more information, order "Support the 
National Democratic Front of the Philippines," a 
RAIL Pamphlet, send $1 to the address on page 2. 
4. HAPIT: Official Publication of the Cordillera 
People's Alliance, Jan-Apr 1996. 
5. Balitang BAYAN, May-Jun 1996. 
6. Balitang BAYAN, Apr-Mar 1996. 


* * *

UNDER LOCK & KEY: NEWS FROM PRISONERS AND PRISONS


LAWYER PREDICTS FAVORABLE COURT RULING

Dear Comrade,

Please renew my subscription to MIM Notes. The last 
issue I received was
118. Though issue 117 and 118 were selectively 
denied. They only let certain issues reach my cell. 
The good news is that the Federal courts rule 
around October on the constitutionality of this 
censorship. My attorney stated it's an open and 
closed case, being that the prisoncrats have no 
penological reason to deny the publications. Thus I 
should get all past denied issues of MIM Notes if 
the court rules fairly.

There's been a lot of restrictive changes within 
the last month. Once the prisoncrats finish doing 
their modifications I will send a chronological 
calendar of events, for MIM Notes.... 

In Struggle.
-- An Iowa Prisoner, Aug. 28, 1996


HARASSMENT IS THE NORM IN WISCONSIN FEDERAL PRISON


Dear MIM,

Here in the Federal Gulag of Oxford, Wisconsin, 
things remain the same: staff harassment, 
discrimination, and violation of privacy (yeah, the 
little we do have guaranteed by University-student 
contract.) Lest I forget the prevention of 
rehabilitation which ensues because of Bureau of 
Prison staff actions.
While my MIM Notes are not censored, and I do wish 
to continue receiving them, this tolerance of 
publications does not hide the clearly biased 
behavior of the Department of Justice staff here at 
FCI-Oxford.

Should you at MIM be interested in the details of 
my case...don't hesitate to contact me. Keep up the 
great work.

Sincere in the struggle, 
--A Wisconsin Prisoner, Oct. 3, 1996.


PRISONERS MUST WAIT HOURS FOR THE BATHROOM, WHILE 
PIGS GO IN THE FOOD


...I would like to thank you for your support. I 
already received two newspapers of yours. I am very 
happy to receive your paper from Notas Rojas. I 
want to say a few things that happen here.

In the prison that I'm in, some pigs got caught 
pissing in the people's food while inmates were in 
the hole. These pigs are still working in this 
facility. At this moment two got fired and one is 
still working....

At the moment I'm doing top lock for some major 
tickets. There are some racist officers up there in 
the upper peninsula of Michigan. Most of these 
officers are KKK members that are constantly 
harassing Blacks and Latinos. These officers write 
tickets on us just for looking at them the wrong 
way. They will take a piss in people's food, take 
your mail and give it to an inmate whenever that 
feel like it.

Thank Allah-Solah God, that I got all your papers, 
late but I got them. We are having a problem here. 
The deputy warden passed a new policy saying that 
inmates in top lock for major misconduct will 
remain in our cells and wait for 2 to 3 hours, 
until they make rounds, so that we can go to the 
bathroom. Sometimes I wait two hours or more just 
to go to the bathroom, because if I get out of my 
cell to tell them that I need to use the rest room, 
they will give us a ticket for that....

--A Michigan Prisoner, Aug. 26, 1996


POLICE BRUTALITY IN TEXAS


I am in Bell County Jail. I was talking to one of 
my cell-mates when he showed me your newspaper. He 
gave me some to read. I read some of the stories 
and was glad that someone was trying to help and 
look after people and prisoners. That made me mad 
knowing what some prisons get away with, as was 
glad to see prisoners fighting back.

Like one time I got arrested in ... Texas just 
because they didn't like my last name. But anyway, 
they threw me on the hood of the police car. I was 
talking to one of the officers asking what was I 
being arrested for. One of the officers behind me 
sprayed pepper spray in my eyes. At the time I 
didn't know what to do, so I was trying to rub my 
eyes because they were burning. As I was trying to 
rub my eyes, the officers jumped on me.

One choking me and two other ones trying to throw 
me to the ground. I was charged with resisting 
arrest. I tried to fight it in court, but the 
officers said, "We didn't use pepper spray." So I 
got six months probation for resisting 
arrest....Now every time I go to town a cop stops 
me or my family.

I wrote you to see if I can get some of MIM Notes, 
because they tell the truth and they fight back.

Thanks,
--A Texas Prisoner, Aug. 22, 1996


UNSANITARY LIVING CONDITIONS IN ILLINOIS


...The topic that I'm about to speak about is the 
unsanitary living conditions which are purposely 
imposed and ignored by the Menard Administration. 
The cell house in the North segregation unit is 
infested by numerous different types of vermin: 
rodents, birds, bats, insects and roaches. This 
creates an unhealthy living environment. We have 
not seen any effort to exterminate or prevent 
further infestation of our living environment. The 
response to our numerous grievance issues about the 
birds, mice, roaches and insects have been 
basically disregarded or completely ignored.

The only response that was given, was that they 
denied that these conditions exist....We have 
nothing to keep them out of our cells. They eat 
through the cardboard boxes in which we place our 
clothes, commissary and hygiene items. The birds 
fly through the cell house, leaving their feces on 
the gallery floor, cell bars, our food cart, etc. 
The mice make their nests in everything or where 
ever they can. The roaches infested here so bad, 
that they are immune to the roach spray. They live 
in almost every crack, corner, crevice they can.
The insects are unbearable to experience. In the 
shower stalls we must constantly endure unsanitary 
and inhumane conditions. They purposely deny us 
proper cleaning materials for our cells. We are 
issued two SOS brillo pads.

We have for years been forced during these deadlock 
periods to live yet under more inhumane and 
unsanitary conditions. The galleries are extremely 
filthy and are never swept or mopped. There is dirt 
caked on the floors....The drainage systems are 
constantly clogged which make the water we use to 
shower, overflow. We are forced to stand in this 
foul smelling water while showering and take our 
chances on catching some type of disease or 
ailment....

Some of the toilets are dysfunctional, some 
constantly flush and some don't flush at all. Some 
of the sink water fixtures don't work at all, some 
when they do, never stop flowing.... All inmates 
who reside in the Menard segregation unit, request 
that the health department be notified. [We want] 
all our accusations to be investigated by a 
unbiased individual who will expose these 
conditions to the outside world. Without you we 
have nobody to hear our voices or anyone who could 
care enough to speak out against this 
administration.

--An Illinois Prisoner, Sept. 20, 1996


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INJUSTICE CENSORS MIM NOTES


To Whom it May Concern

You are hereby advised that a publication entitled, 
"MIM Notes" June 1, 1996, No. 115, and "Notas 
Rojas", Enero-Marzo de 1996, No. 8 has been found 
unacceptable, under Federal Prison System Program 
Statement 5266.6, Incoming Publications, for 
delivery to inmates of this institution for the 
following reason: it is determined detrimental to 
the security, good order, or discipline of the 
institution....

Sincerely, 
--George E. Killinger, Warden, Jul. 30, 1996

Letters of protest can be sent to Warden George E 
Killinger, US Department of Injustice, Federal 
Prison System, Federal Correction Institution, 3150 
Horton Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76119.

Regional Director, South Central Regional Office, 
Federal Prison System, 4211 Cedar Springs Rd., 
Suite 300, Dallas, TX 75119.


KANSAS CENSORS MIM NOTES


Comrades,
I received the first paper that you sent. It was 
refreshing! Unfortunately the second wasn't allowed 
in. They'll refuse each and every one. The reason, 
part of it was written in a language other than 
English. While I know this wasn't the real reason 
the military penal system is far worse than the 
normal [prison] and has unlimited resources.

Continue to carry forth the word to the masses and 
I wish you the best in your endeavors.

--A Kansas Prisoner, Aug. 9, 1996.

Letters of protest can be sent to: Department of 
the Army, 310 McPherson Ave, Fort Leavenworth, KS 
66027-1363.


PRISONER INDICTED WITHOUT EVIDENCE OR WITNESSES


I'm writing this [about] the situation I'm in, in 
the hope of getting legal help, or just to let the 
world know how the system messes over inmates 
(mostly of Color or without money). My problem is 
this:

I'm an inmate at Tennessee Colony, Texas 
Penitentiary, in ad-seg [administrative 
segregation] for aggravated assault on an officer. 
(Which happened in....[another prison]) A free 
world charge that I got a disciplinary report on. I 
was found guilty for striking an officer with a 
lock, with no officer or lock at the hearing.

Then I got an indictment for that charge, but they 
didn't lie about a lock being involved. As that 
indictment said, it was just my fist, but I got all 
these legal papers in which "lock" was the main 
word...Is putting a jacket on my back and getting 
me beat up on every unit.

To top it off, a female officer was hit, but not by 
me. In the course of beating me, one law man hit 
this female officer and blamed me. I was beat by 
three officers on racial grounds. (Just having 
color in my skin) and not listening to an order 
after I was talked to like a slave.

I go to court in October. I don't know much about 
law and I have an "Inmate Service Lawyer" who was 
trying to get me to plea guilty. Now how can I let 
my life be in his hands?...

--A Texas Prisoner, Aug. 14, 1996


A 10TH GRADE AZANIAN YOUTH FACES THE DEATH PENALTY 
IN MISSISSIPPI


A Madison County, Mississippi District Attorney 
named John Kitchens wants to play God by seeking 
the lynching of ..[X]..., a17 year old South 
African, in his self-serving promotion to advance a 
political career in this well publicized case. The 
Johannesburg native who has become D.A. Kitchens 
victim was born and raised in the former Apartheid 
black township of Soweto, where [X] lived through 
the turbulent years of racial tensions. Two years 
ago, he moved with his parents to Jackson, 
Mississippi, after his mother had won a scholarship 
to Jackson State University...

All through [X]'s stay in America, he has done 
exceptionally well in his classes while attending 
...high school, with no difficulty adjusting 
academically even though like many children in 
Soweto, had missed numerous days of formal 
instruction on account of school boycotts in 
protest of Apartheid. In 1995, wanting to be 
accepted by his peers, who basically rejected him 
due to his foreign accent and mannerisms, he chose 
to befriend a group of older youth who spent little 
time in class but were very street-wise.

Eventually [X]'s parents became concerned because 
of the new crowd he was hanging out with. So in 
desperation they decided to scrape together the 
funds to send him to .... a well respected boarding 
school for black youth outside of Jackson. [X] was 
set begin this new school when tragedy struck. 
According to police reports, he was riding in a 
car...with a man [Z]..with a past criminal 
background in January 1995.

While cruising around..[Z], ...followed a woman [Y] 
until she pulled into her apartment building's 
parking lot. [Z] got out of his car with a gun and 
forced [Y] to move to the passenger side of her car 
and ordered [X] into the backseat....[Z] then drove 
to the woods,... instructed [Y] to come with him 
and [X] to stay in the car. ....[Z] shot and killed 
[Y].....

...Prosecutors are vigorously seeking the Death 
penalty in a county notorious for its biased 
juries. Most of the area is populated with white 
middle-class families who find ninety percent of 
minorities guilty within its criminal courts, and 
serve out harsher penalties against these groups 
then their own white counterparts.

In fact Mississippi Supreme Court documented in 
1971, clear instances in which Madison County 
officials had systematically excluded Blacks from 
jury rolls especially during capital trials, which 
this practice is still being routinely carried out 
to this very day. Not surprising is [X]'s right to 
receive a fair trial in this racially biased 
community is unlikely.

Even worse, the prosecutor John Kitchens bragged to 
a local paper how he was a force behind getting 
[X]'s trial moved to Madison County from a 
predominately black ... county to increase the 
chances of getting a death penalty sentence. He 
stated, "The death penalty is the only deterrent we 
have in this country to stop these senseless 
murders going on, and I'll defend it to my death."

How ironic being that Kitchens dropped the capital 
murder charges against [Z] without a second 
thought. This shows Kitchen's intentions and how 
justice has gone terrible wrong for [X].If he does 
receive the death penalty and the sentence is 
carried out, he will become one of the many 
children in the United States put to death every 
year. Since 1990, only five nations in the world 
are known to have executed persons for crimes they 
supposedly committed while under 18 years of age. 
These countries are: Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Saudi 
Arabia and the United States..

Of these 5 the U.S. has executed the most, with 66 
percent of those persons sentenced to die, people 
of color. Even more perturbed is this nation 
continues to violate widely accepted international 
human rights standards which expressly forbids 
imposing the death penalty on people for crimes 
committed as children. Steven Hawkins, Executive 
Director of the National Coalition to Abolish the 
Death Penalty in Washington said, "It is terribly 
iron that a child like [X] could survive some of 
the most turbulent years of apartheid, only then 
face the death penalty in Mississippi." That we 
should be critically drawn into his situation 
because it simply not right to be sentencing 
children to death.

The capitalist system with its corruption and 
incompetence, discrimination and poverty is about 
to commit a horrendous crime with complete 
premeditated vengeance against a human being. "All 
in the name of Justice", and all [X]'s family can 
do is watch the state of Mississippi slowly kill 
their son, mentally then eventually physically.

Currently [X] is being housed in ....jail, and 
denied bail.....

--An Iowa Prisoner, Oct. 1, 1996


PRISONER UNITY IN MICHIGAN QUESTIONED


Greetings Comrades!
...I received info about your Maoist International 
Movement through another prisoner. I read a letter 
that you had communicated to him that caught my 
interest enough for me to inquire and consider. You 
presented some real questions in your letter to 
this prisoner. I have no idea if he answered your 
questions or not, and answered them honestly. 
Therefor I would like to take this opportunity to 
answer a few of your questions.

You asked are the other prisoner with whom he can 
start up a study group to discuss MIM Notes and 
other revolutionary literature. The honest answer 
to this question is: There are no prisoners with 
any Maximum Michigan Facility that are serious 
enough and committed enough to come together in a 
Unified manner to discuss or do anything else in a 
sophisticated political revolutionary beneficial 
constructive aspect for self and others alike self.

There is no such thing as a Unified Political 
organized revolutionary struggle in the Michigan 
Maximum Prison system. In an attempt to eliminate 
the corruption deeply embedded into the criminal 
justice system and the Michigan Prison system. If 
there is such a struggle, the struggle is only 
demonstrated on a solo-individual basis....And if 
there is such a ...word as unity, it is the unity 
of ignorance, stupidity and 
foolishness......demonstrated against each other in 
the most destructive and demanding of ways.

And if a prisoner jumps up to make a stand in an 
attempt to bring all the other prisoners out of the 
stages of their ignorance, stupidity and folly 
against each other, in an attempt to unify everyone 
in making a meaningful stand against the corruption 
and atrocities of the system; these prisoner will 
actually turn on and turn against (you) in their 
attempt to destroy you.

The very person whose trying to bring them together 
to fight against their real enemies who seeks to 
keep them incarcerated, oppressed and deprived by 
any means necessary....I have been threatened, 
slandered.. and plotted against by other prisoners, 
simply because of the radical revolutionary stand I 
made against the system. The sad thing is that I 
didn't just make a stand for myself, I made it for 
all oppressed prisoners, and they turned against me 
to side with the system in deviating, blocking and 
frustrating my efforts. The very system that 
doesn't care a damn about any of them. I haven't 
met a prisoner, not one single prisoner who stood 
with me seriously committed in making a stand 
against the system. But I can name more than two 
hand fulls who stood against me.

So I have become solo in my struggle. Because no-
one's really sincerely seriously committed to the 
struggle. This doesn't mean that I stopped caring 
about the oppressed ones who are daily oppressed, 
afflicted, denigrated, assaulted and even sometimes 
murdered. I still care. But I realized that there 
is nothing I can do for the cause and upliftment of 
others if they don't want to demonstrate the cause 
to uplift themselves. Therefore my struggle is in 
vain and is defeated as long as I'm stuck in here 
behind these walls oppressed with the oppressed.

I'm interested in a people and a movement that is 
serious about making some changes. But I have been 
subjected to so many phony people and informants 
and smoke screen organizations that were only in 
disguise to undermine my efforts and anyone else's 
efforts who stood against the system. So how am I 
to know if your movement is real or if its just 
another smoke screen organization that seeks to 
keep me oppressed and in prison?

I say this because I have an experience of 
injustice I would like to share with you and that 
you can make my experience made known to the public 
about the evil and wickedness of this system called 
the Department of Corrections. The wickedness and 
evil that I personally had to endure.

Am I alone in my struggle, or are there really any 
real organized movement groups out there seriously 
committed to the same cause?

PS. Please let me know if you received this 
response. Because of the contents they may 
intercept it.

In the struggle, 
-- A Michigan Prisoner, Aug. 27, 1996

MIM responds: 

You are not alone comrade. Our legitimacy as the 
vanguard of the oppressed should be clear from our 
practice. While your direct observation of our 
practice is limited by the terms of your 
confinement, much can be gathered from the text of 
this newspaper and the fact that month after month, 
we write the stories and raise the funds to send it 
to you.

The letters pages of MIM Notes and MIM Theory also 
make it clear that we are not dogmatists who fear 
criticism. Rather, we thrive in it as without the 
criticism and participation of the masses, we will 
not be able to advance.

It is unfortunate that you have not found other 
revolutionary prisoners to work with and feel that 
there in no political unity in Michigan Maximum 
prisons. Readers, what do you think? MIM hears from 
lots of politically motivated individuals. There 
are some fairly organized and unified 
revolutionaries in prisons all over the United 
Snakes. Please respond to this letter and tell of 
your experiences with political unity. 

***WHAT NON-PRISONERS CAN DO TO SUPPORT 
PRISONERS***

*1. Struggle with, work with, finance and join MIM. 
The best way to support prisoners is to overthrow 
the system under which capitalists profit from the 
exploitation of prisoners. History shows that the 
best way to do this is to build a Marxist-Leninist-
Maoist party. The oppressors will not give up their 
power without a fight.
*2. Finance MIM's prison work. Our biggest bill 
each month is postage. Most of the prison comrades 
who read MIM Notes have no way of paying for it. So 
if you have money, send what you can afford. Every 
cent helps, and stamps are as good as cash to us.
*3. Distribute MIM Notes and Notas Rojas. Bring the 
voices of prisoners and their supporters to as 
large and wide an audience of people as possible. 
Contact MIM for bulk rates and distribution tips.
*4. Start or join a prison support group. MIM can 
provide advice and resources to help you build 
public opinion for prisoners and their struggles.
*5. Fight censorship, beatings, torture and other 
fascist outrages. Under Lock and Key often features 
the addresses of prisoners' friends and enemies. 
Work with the friends and let the enemies know 
you're watching. (Don't expect to win the fascists 
to the side of humanity, however. See #1 in this 
list).
*6. Stay in touch. Keep us informed of pro-prisoner 
work you do. Our readers might find it educational 
or inspirational.


***WHAT PRISONERS CAN DO TO BUILD MIM***
*1. Start a study group. This is the best way to 
share materials and ideas. In groups, prisoners can 
better benefit from the limited resources MIM has.
*2. Get MIM Notes and MIM Theory into your library. 
This allows one copy of the paper to be seen by 
many comrades.
*3. Contact people on the outside. MIM needs 
comrades and allies everywhere. Maybe you know 
people on the outside who want to subscribe to MIM 
Notes or distribute it.
*4. Share materials. If MIM sends books or 
periodicals, please make sure that as many people 
as possible get a chance to read them.
*5. Write MIM at least every three months. 
Otherwise, you will be dropped from our mailing 
list. There are many cases where your keepers throw 
out MIM Notes, so we need to know that you actually 
get it.  Also, comrades are moved around a lot, 
especially those who are known to be political. 
Please let us know of any address changes as soon 
as you know them.
*6. Make MIM Distributors an official distributor. 
Many prisons require registration before MIM can 
send books or other materials. Usually we can 
comply with these bogus rules. It helps immensely 
to have someone there do the reasearch and send us 
the proper forms.
*7. Send money or stamps. Our biggest bill each 
month is postage. Most of the prison comrades who 
read MIM Notes have no way of paying for it. So if 
you have money, send what you can afford. Every 
cent helps, and stamps are as good as cash to us. 
Please make all checks payable to "MIM 
Distributors."
*8. Write for MIM Notes or Notas Rojas. Prisoners 
write almost all of Under Lock & Key.  We don't 
care if you know how to spell or write good English 
or Spanish. Write on any topic you like, it does 
not have to be a prison story.
*9. Translate. If you can read and write English 
and another language fluently, let us know.  Any 
translation work you do will help us make Maoist 
ideas accessible to more people.
*10. Fight censorship. When you know of censorship 
of books or newspapers, investigate.  Write to MIM 
to confirm what has happened, then see what you can 
do about it.
*11. Keep in touch after your release. Many 
comrades stop doing political work after their 
release.  Write to MIM as soon as you know where 
you'll be so we can hook you up with comrades on 
the outside.


* * *


BLACK PANTHER PARTY REMEMBERED

In October, marking the 30th anniversary of the 
formation of the Black Panther Party (BPP), the 
Harvard Film Archives hosted a showing of the 
Murder of Fred Hampton. The film's director, Mike 
Grey, introduced the film as "a record of state 
murder." This documentary--focusing on the Chicago 
branch of the BPP, and the state repression and 
ultimate murder of Illinois state chairperson of 
the BPP, Hampton--was followed by a panel 
discussion involving Kathleen Cleaver, Charles 
Pinderhuges, Bobby Seale and Mike Grey. 

Cleaver began by reminding the audience that Bobby 
Rush, one of the key figures in the film as a BPP 
leader alongside Fred Hampton, is now a Democratic 
congressman for the state of Illinois. This was a 
good introduction to the politics that the panel of 
ex-Panthers would represent. They all said some 
very radical things, but these statements sounded 
like well-rehearsed but empty rhetoric in the 
context of their current activities. Many former 
Panthers who are not still being held as political 
prisoners have given up on revolutionary politics 
and instead have turned to electoral work. 

Cleaver said "I think our revolution was aborted. 
It was artificially killed. What happened to Fred 
Hampton is what happened on a larger scale...." She 
disagreed with Rush who thinks the revolution was 
not aborted but instead was co-opted by the 
Democratic party. It was not clear how Rush could 
be saying this without also seeing himself as party 
to that co-optation. 

Charles Pinderhuges, a Panther leader from New 
Haven, CT opened his comments by saying that he had 
always considered himself "an ordinary member of 
the BPP" and was honored to be on a panel with 
those he had so admired as the leaders. He went on 
to say that he thought the revolution was both 
aborted and co-opted. The FBI used as many tactics 
as it could come up with to murder or buy off as 
many Panthers as it could. This analysis is closer 
to reality than either Rush's or Cleaver's 
insistence that the demise of the Panthers was due 
to just one or the other cause. MIM had hoped 
Pinderhuges would give more details on his views 
about the BPP history as someone who may not have 
sold out, but he seemed unwilling to take stage 
time away from Seale and Cleaver and they made no 
attempt to encourage him to participate (instead 
cutting him off the few times he began to answer a 
question) so the first few minutes of opening 
comments were practically the only words he said 
all night. 

Bobby Seale spent a lot of time talking about his 
own and Huey Newton's educational backgrounds when 
they formed the Panthers--both had college 
educations and were not gang members. Seale 
attacked the film ** Panther **, by Marvin and 
Mario Van Peebles, for doing just about everything 
wrong in portraying the history of the BPP. Many of 
Seale's talks these days are spent building up his 
own and Huey's educational backgrounds and 
attacking others' histories of the BPP. MIM is all 
for historical accuracy and this is especially 
important when we are dealing with our 
revolutionary predecessors' history. But Seale has 
fundamentally revised the reason for the Panther's 
existence, and has been making money off of 
misrepresenting the BPP. MIM talked to a few people 
after the event who thought that Seale's attack on 
** Panther's ** misrepresentation of the BPP 
founders' educational backgrounds was misplaced. ** 
Panther ** does not make them out to be random 
thugs but instead places them in a context of men 
who had their roots in the Black community and who 
retained this contact. 

Seale was pretty honest that some of his criticisms 
of ** Panther ** were based in his personal 
finances. He is currently trying to make "a good 
film about the Party." He also implied that he had 
a $25 million contract with Warner Brothers when 
the Van Peebles made a "cheap" film, suggesting 
that they undercut his market and destroyed his big 
project. At the end of the discussion he came back 
to this point again, this time saying he was now 
trying to raise $40 million to do a documentary 
film about the Panthers, soliciting the audience's 
help in finding sources for the funding. Getting 
money from the bourgeoisie to make good films is 
fine, but MIM would not criticize the Van Peebles 
because they were able to produce the film at a 
lower price. Those working on progressive issues 
frequently have very small budgets and it is not 
the case, as Seale clearly implied, that to make a 
good movie you need lots of money. This was a 
particularly ironic line of attack given the 
context of the panel: a showing of a very low 
budget film that does an excellent job documenting 
the history and politics of the Black Panther 
Party. 

At one point in the question and answer period, 
Seale started to say that an anti-slavery clause in 
the Declaration of Independence would have 
significantly changed the history of Black people 
in Amerika. But Cleaver correctly jumped in and 
pointed out that the Declaration of Independence 
did not cause oppression in this country, this and 
other documents were interpreted and used to 
support oppression but were not causal. Seale then 
backed off and said he agreed with Cleaver. Several 
incidents like this that made it seem that Seale 
had to be reminded he was supposed to be putting 
forward a radical analysis. 

One young person attending the event asked "How do 
you continue the revolution?" Seale responded that 
in those days they had lots of organization across 
the country that were radical, naming the 
Democratic party among others. He went on to say 
that the BPP was about "organizing the political 
electoral community vote so we could take over the 
city councils" and other elected positions. "By the 
end of the 1980s there were 12,000 duly elected 
Black politicians, so that phase is over." He went 
on to say "Now we need more elected in the second 
phase. But the real third phase, we have to see the 
interconnected relationship of it all." What is 
this interconnected relationship we need to see? 
Well Seale then pointed out that his Bar-B-Que 
cookbook is on CD Rom and that to make a 
documentary on the BPP "40 odd million dollars I 
need to produce a major feature film." To see him 
wearing a "Seize the Time" shirt and "Seize the 
Time" beret, presumably to promote sales of this 
second edition printing of his historical account 
of the early years of the Panthers, it sounded like 
this whole thing has turned into a question of 
making money for himself. 

Probably realizing that telling the youth of today 
that devoting themselves to raising $40 million for 
his movie was not a good way to maintain his 
legendary image, Seale went on to say that it's 
also about grassroots programs and unifying the 
people around them and education about history. The 
question, he said, is the ballot or the bullet. He 
answered it by saying that Malcolm basically 
preferred the ballot and "we preferred the ballot" 
too, suggesting that Panthers only carried guns 
because they had to defend themselves in this 
electoral work they were doing. This is the 
revision of Panther history that cannot be 
tolerated. Fortunately, in his rush to make money, 
Seale is reprinting an excellent documentary of the 
early history of the Panthers that dispels this 
myth that they were all about electoral organizing. 
MIM will continue to uphold the BPP of the late 
1960s as the vanguard in Amerika of their time. If 
we are to move forward with revolutionary 
organizing in Amerika, we must understand that the 
Panthers did not stand for electoralism. They were 
revolutionary Maoists and nationalists and MIM will 
struggle to publicize their genuine history and 
carry out their political legacy.
 


* * *


AMERIKA AGAINST THE BLACK NATION: GENDER AND 
NATIONAL OPPRESSION

The Tulsa County District Attorney recently 
dismissed charges of inciting a riot against a 
Black businessperson who had jumped bail while 
awaiting trial 75 years ago. J.B. Stradford was a 
wealthy hotel owner in the Greenwood district of 
Tulsa, Oklahoma in May, 1921, when a riot took 
place outside of the Tulsa County Courthouse where 
a Black man was being held for allegedly assaulting 
a white womyn.(1)

The rioting charge demonstrates the tenuous 
position of the Black petty bourgeoisie and 
national bourgeoisie in Amerika. Unlike the 
imperialist bourgeoisie, whose interests the law 
serves by definition, the Black wealthy and 
exploiting classes live as the upper echelons of an 
oppressed group. 

This group can flourish and prosper to the extent 
that imperialism allows it to do so. But in the end 
its interests do not coincide with imperialism and 
the imperialists will act against it. In this case, 
a rich man whose relatives say he tried to prevent 
a riot, was forced to leave his home permanently by 
charges of violence against white Amerika. 

Secondarily, this case shows how an oppressed 
nation man can be gendered female in relation to 
oppressor nation wimmin and men. The riot J.B. 
Stradford was accused of inciting started with a 
white lynch mob waiting to punish a Black man for 
supposedly assaulting a white womyn. Black men in 
Amerika are not in control of their own sexuality 
when it comes to white wimmin.

Statistically, it is more likely that the white 
womyn who was said to be assaulted in this case 
would have been sexually assaulted by a white man 
than by a Black man.(2) But protecting wimmin from 
abuse within the white nation is not a high 
priority for the patriarchy because white men 
assaulting "their" wimmin do nothing to upset the 
patriarchal order. But white Amerika is very clear 
that Black men have no business having sex with 
white wimmin and will seize any opportunity--real 
or imagined--to enforce this message. 

MIM organizes from the perspective of revolutionary 
nationalist proletarian feminism--from the vantage 
point of nation, class and gender oppressed people. 
We support the struggles of oppressed nations to 
liberate themselves from imperialism, because only 
from the basis of national self-determination can 
they proceed to eradicate class and gender 
oppression within their nations.

NOTES: 
1. New York Times Oct. 26, 1996, p. 7. 
2. MIM Theory 2/3: Gender and Revolutionary 
Feminism (available for $6 from the address on page 
2).


* * *

BAD AS I WANNA BE
Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown
NY: Delacorte Press, 1996

This autobiography of basketball star Dennis Rodman 
covers all the most titillating aspects of Rodman's 
life--sex, fame and money. He has a chapter about 
his romance with the music star Madonna and speaks 
freely about many famous people in basketball.

We at MIM do not find Dennis Rodman so very 
unusual. He is simply right about all the stupid 
conformity in basketball and life in general. With 
the huge sums of money infused into professional 
sports we find that the management of the San 
Antonio Spurs and the National Basketball 
Association (NBA) generally value conformity, and 
safe messages for its audience, more than winning 
the game or playing it with greater athleticism. As 
such, Dennis Rodman becomes a symbol of how ruling 
class demands for conformity stifle sports and the 
economy (through analogy).

We find that public attention to Rodman's supposed 
antics is in fact a means of control by the owners 
of basketball teams set on delivering non-
controversial family entertainment--even if that 
means the sport of basketball should be damned. 
What we end up with is not the best basketball, but 
the basketball that generates the most revenue 
according to the guess of conservative 
entrepreneurs. Rodman spells it out that big money 
goes into hyping players such as Michael Jordan, 
Shaq and Grant Hill. The referees also know what 
entertains the public and they cut certain kinds of 
players slack to do certain kinds of thing in the 
game if the public will be more entertained. One 
job of the referees is to call fouls--to make those 
subjective judgments which nonetheless make and 
break careers. 

Also important are the fines imposed by the 
organization of the league. Fines and bad press 
from owners are the ways in which basketball 
players come to go along with the charade of 
competitive sport. Dennis Rodman may not play any 
differently than anyone else, but he can be ejected 
from games, called crazy, have his capitalist 
lifestyle cut back and get condemned in the press. 
If a player gets ejected from the games or fouls 
out of the games, that player still gets his 
guaranteed salary but he may lose out on other 
perks and his next contract may be impossible to 
obtain. Meanwhile, players such as Shaq and Grant 
Hill who the NBA thinks will bring in the 
entertainment money have the way cleared for them 
to be stars before they leave college and join the 
NBA. Such is the influence of money on sport.

We at MIM believe in amateur sports over 
spectating. Too much energy of spectators goes into 
sports like football, baseball and basketball which 
the masses should be playing themselves instead of 
watching. That is not to say we oppose professional 
efforts at human achievement. Stalin believed that 
all kinds of sporting, science, art and other feats 
should be publicized and backed with state funding. 
For instance, the feat of trekking to the North 
Pole or climbing a mountain was something that 
Stalin believed in giving media to. This was 
Stalin's way of leading the people to understand 
their own capabilities in a concrete way.

Such feats can be organized and massively supported 
with resources without the spectator craze we have 
in the profit-mad entertainment industry in the 
imperialist countries. Currently the money and the 
sexual rewards for athletes and other famous 
entertainers take on a life of their own, as Rodman 
himself explains of both the case of basketball 
players and music stars like Madonna. Rodman 
correctly believes there are many sick aspects to 
such fame and fortune.

Rodman himself is cashing in on the decadence of 
imperialist society that leaves people searching 
for stars in sports and music to fill a gap in 
their boring lives. We do not believe there is 
anything particularly radical about anything he 
says about being bisexual-minded or wanting to play 
his last NBA game nude. He is just making himself 
more of a commodity with that and his colored hair 
and female clothing stunts. (We do applaud his 
speaking out against homophobia.)

However, he is astute in calling himself a "sports 
slave" and comparing himself to prostitutes and 
models (p. 81). In the imperialist countries, we 
have this phenomenon of the Madonna and the Rodman. 
While biological females dominate the modeling and 
prostitution businesses, biological males dominate 
the sports. In both cases the body is the center of 
attention for entertainment and in both cases the 
stars are selected for their unique or dramatic 
physical characteristics.

It takes the free time that goes with money in 
order to have physical characteristics become 
sexual privilege. Somewhere in our leisure-time 
culture Rodman goes from being a 220 pound 6 foot 8 
Black man to being a sex symbol. Rodman and Madonna 
are not sexploited, but in fact they hold 
privileges connected to their own exceptional 
bodies and the imperialist system of gender 
oppression. The issues of able-bodiedness and 
access to the human body are important parts of 
leisure-time life that form the bulk of what we 
call gender oppression. Men in prison may have 
similar physical characteristics to Rodman, but 
they are gender oppressed because their access to 
sex and the human body is completely controlled by 
the state.

Other so-called communist parties shy away from 
saying that having a harem like Rodman or Madonna 
is sexual privilege. They talk about "bourgeois 
feminism" all the time without ever talking about 
gender oppression. For example, most phony Marxists 
side with the players in the sports strikes and 
believe Madonna is sexploited because she is a sex 
object. In fact Madonna is part of the ruling class 
in the sexual hierarchy; she has access to the 
human body in leisure-time and the means of 
production, both to the utmost degree.


* * *


THE RULES: TIME-TESTED SECRETS FOR CAPTURING THE 
HEART OF MR. RIGHT

by Ellen Fein & Sherrie Schneider
174 pp. 1995

According to USA Today, ** The Rules ** is 20th on 
its best-sellers list. The book has sold over 
455,000 copies and constitutes a statement about 
the realities of gender in a system incapable of 
real progress. 

There is not a single fact in the book about the 
subject of romantic relationships. It consists 
entirely of 35 rules of dogma concentrating the 
nature of the romance culture. Among the points of 
advice -- never ask men out, never stare at men or 
otherwise indicate attention, never return phone 
calls, never spend more than 10 minutes with a man 
on the phone and always be the one to end a date. 
These kinds of pseudo-power games are a reflection 
of the fact that power is considered sexy, that we 
adjust to the fact of domination in society more 
generally and find it pleasurable thanks to the 
culture of the dominators. 

There are about two rules that MIM agrees with: 1) 
Men don't change. 2) Don't talk about the book with 
your therapist. 

MIM knows that men don't change, because that's the 
system we live in. Efforts of individual biological 
wimmin to get individual men to change are indeed 
futile. Men as a group are in a constant flux, but 
they do not change on account of individual 
efforts.

MIM thinks that people shouldn't talk about this 
book to their therapists because no one should be 
talking about this book to anyone, which is less 
useful than toilet paper. The authors do not want 
psychologists to challenge their book, recognizing 
that even though psychotherapy is about convincing 
women into being happy with their gender roles in 
relationships, even therapists find their drivel 
manipulative beyond the pale.

Most of MIM's readers will immediately scoff at ** 
The Rules ** and some will wonder why MIM takes it 
seriously. We answer that this book has sold more 
copies than any MIM book; it has received serious 
reviews and is in no way meant as a satire of our 
culture. The book is written by the Archie Bunkers 
of the gender aristocracy and the authors mean what 
they say; they spend much of their book talking 
about the need for determination to follow ** The 
Rules ** to the end.

Even the richest of people are no exception in 
their culture. In fact the romance life of Charles 
and Di or Donald Trump is the poor example that the 
ruling class sets for the people in the capitalist 
system. Indeed, following the romances of the 
ruling class is itself a multi-million dollar 
tabloid and television industry in itself. We 
cannot be surprised that the media conglomerate 
Time-Warner -- which is also the money and power 
behind pseudo-feminist leader Gloria Steinem -- 
published ** The Rules. **

In an interview with USA Today, famous imperialist 
wimmin's author Erica Jong could not find the 
strength to condemn the book and admitted she had 
ambiguous feelings about it because she believes 
"it works" in finding Mr. Right and that men have 
always been "predators." Erica Jong should have 
developed this excellent point about the book: it 
sanctions men as predators. This would not be very 
important to MIM in itself, because dating culture 
is not inherently a life-and-death issue. It's a 
subject of leisure time activity. (But somehow our 
romance culture has managed to become the single 
largest cause of murder as defined by the FBI.) Of 
course, relative to other kinds of imperialist 
murder through starvation, war and environmental 
destruction, "relationship" murder is unimportant, 
but MIM still does not sanction it. MIM is 
concerned with toppling the patriarchy, not with 
making dating more fun or productive under 
capitalism. What should not be at all important 
involves antagonistic contradictions between the 
people and an enemy that is very difficult to pin 
down -- all men and the biological wimmin 
socialized to be men.

According to Fein and Schneider, men who really 
love their wimmin will chase them with dogged 
determination, and they should be forced to prove 
that obsessive determination or they are not worth 
wasting time on. The marrying kind are the ones who 
seek a "challenge" -- the "impossible" womyn that 
is "hard to get." 

MIM translates: don't bother dating anyone who 
isn't stalking you.

We must state firmly that these Feins and 
Schneiders of the world should be busy working to 
overturn the laws against stalking passed this 
year. They won't, because to them it's the men who 
will risk crossing the pseudo-feminists and other 
p.c. fascists that are the most determined suitors 
worth settling down with. Instead of working to 
dismantle the patriarchy, Fein and Schneider are 
holding seminars on The Rules so that they can 
provide personal instruction to wimmin desperate 
for a "real" relationship. All the women 
participants interviewed for a Washington Post 
article Style section (Oct. 21, 1996) refused to 
give their names for fear that their potential 
dates would find them out.

Capitalist romance culture teaches people that love 
is worth risking stalking/being stalked and 
killing/being killed over. That is the reason this 
book has sold so many copies. There are tens of 
millions of people so lacking in any absorbing and 
worthy goals -- thanks to the profit-mad 
capitalist-system which sets people's sights so low 
-- these people actually go out and buy books like 
** The Rules. **

The wimmin who buy into ** The Rules ** tend to be 
gender privileged -- so gender privileged they 
won't rock the boat on even the smallest points, to 
the point where they can't even ask men out. The 
petty nature of these concerns combined with their 
doggedness reminds MIM of the labor aristocracy and 
its outlook against the proletariat and lumpen-
proletariat.

Tens of millions of people absorb books like ** The 
Rules, ** but these same people are no where to be 
found with such a passion attacking the causes of 
disability preventing romantic life. Physically 
disabled and diseased people have their sexual 
privilege curtailed. Other millions of people 
wrongfully imprisoned also have their "rights" to 
access to the human body for leisure time 
drastically cut back. These are the kinds of people 
who want to change the patriarchy. Children (or 
young adults) who are owned by their parents until 
they are 18 are also an especially important 
vehicle of change under imperialist patriarchy.