MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
www.prisoncensorship.info is a media institution run by the Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons. Here we collect and publicize reports of conditions behind the bars in U.$. prisons. Information about these incidents rarely makes it out of the prison, and when it does it is extremely rare that the reports are taken seriously and published. This historical record is important for documenting patterns of abuse, and also for informing people on the streets about what goes on behind the bars.
A comrade recently sent a grievance petition to the executive director
of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and he refused to answer and
rerouted it to the central grievance office. The entire system is
corrupt from top to bottom. However in order to get them in court via
42 USC §1983 or Birens we have to keep filing. I’ve
had over 20 lumpen file on this fabricated and bogus case-writing
lieutenant and all grievances being returned with same reply: no
evidence found - officer denies allegations - no further action
warranted. We are going to have to seek outside help: ACLU, media,
legislators, etc. I personally have 6 or 7 step 2 grievances pending.
MIM(Prisons) adds: Prisoners in states across the country are
building on the
grievance
campaign to demand our grievances be addressed. In Texas
there
has been some success with this petition, though we know that for
every victory the prison administration will try to take something else
away or implement some other repressive policy. To win in court, as this
comrade points out, you must be thorough in documenting the problem as a
pattern. In addition to using their paperwork, Under Lock &
Key is another way to document patterns of abuse for the masses to
agitate around a cause.
We currently have grievance petitions for many states. Write to us for a
copy and if you are in a state not currently covered by the grievance
campaign, we will send you a template for the petitions and you can look
up citations and policies specific to your state for reference.
I would like to inform you of a small but major win for your comrades
who have recently joined you over at the Jordan Unit. I was on that unit
two years. The entire time I was there I listened to people tell me how
they fought the rec issues there constantly to no avail. This was my
first flaw; I believed we could not win.
I realized this two years later when I was moved to another wing where
the conditions were worse. This prompted a totally different response
out of me. I researched the policies myself along with the prior
grievances others had filed. I learned several things. One was that we
were dealing with tyrants, and two, the people who were filing
grievances had been ill-informed and were not formatting them
appropriately. Their information was jumbled, they failed to utilize
policy numbers, etc. This allowed the administration to play the crazy
card.
Long story short, myself and three others went to different individuals
educating them on what was and had been going on so that they
understood. We got every grievance signed and dropped, and we organized
two demonstrations. In one protest we converged on the rec yard
simultaneously as a show of solidarity, and once told to disperse we
dispersed into smaller groups simultaneously, and once told to disperse
again, we went back to what we were doing.
The importance of these steps is to allow the administration to
understand: 1) We are together, united on this issue, all peoples, all
races; 2) We are structured; and 3) We are willing to follow orders.
This is the reason for converging, breaking down into smaller groups,
and then dismantling.
The second demonstration was an intentional 23-hour lockdown that drew
the administration out to talk to us personally. We learned the policies
they were leaning on, and their intended avenue of grievance, and in
less than 45 days our first wave of grievances came back denied. And as
they said they would do, they took their avenue of defense. But within
one more week our last grievance succeeded, and two years of problems
were settled in less than 45 days with the appropriate initiative.
There were things I felt could have been handled differently when I look
back, but this is the first of many fights to come. The battle cry is
far from over. I’m at a new place now, and we will see what experiences
are to come. The grievance process as we all know is not always a
working thing. How could it be? So in my eyes it is only a method of
exhaustion when applicable. So we use it not only for our benefit but
for the benefit of all those who stand beside us in the fight no matter
what parts they play because they may not be as informed.
The main thing I learned is that the big fight is not our petty battles,
but the fight we wage with ourselves. I met many people who could give
1000s of excuses why we couldn’t win and not one reason we could. There
are those who even believed that they deserved to be treated with no
respect because they are incarcerated. And all I could think is, “Wow!
How do we get to that point in our minds?”
So to all those that stood by in the fight I send one message: The fight
must go on. It must continue even in the face of adversity, partiality,
difference, and wanton tyrannical practices. This is the only thing that
is certain. And that certainty is found in necessity of sacrifice. There
are no exceptions, not for me, not for you, not for anyone. Prepare to
give it all every single time until it becomes practice, and hope for an
inch. Because unfortunately this is usually how it is gained, one inch
at a time. And when we begin to see far enough, we realize that our
fights were not to reap immediate benefits, but an investment in
tomorrow. Our jobs are simply to keep the fight alive so that someone,
anyone, may receive a return on the investment.
MIM(Prisons) adds: We agree with this comrade’s message of the
importance of unity, and the reality that we can only expect to win
small victories through our day-to-day battles. We know that the
grievance
system in Texas and elsewhere is set up to defeat prisoners’
complaints. But the USW campaign to demand our grievances be addressed
is helping with small battles like those described by this prisoner. At
the same time, we must keep in mind that these small victories are part
of a larger battle against imperialism as a system. And we can’t expect
to win that overnight, but we can build, and educate, as this comrade
says “as an investment in tomorrow.”
This movie is a revival of the Marvel comic characters that have been
part of the media propaganda for generations. It was another case of
white superheros saving the world from villains. What’s a little
different in this movie is the pseryn calling the shots for the unit of
superheroes, the Director, is Black.
The Director is the commander of The Avengers which is a group of six
superheroes. The Director is advised by a shadowy group called “The
Counsel.” The Counsel is a group whose faces are always in the shadows
but they are men and wimmin who are dressed in business suits and so
they obviously represent the ruling class from the boardroom.
The Superheroes include the Hulk, Captain Amerika, Thor, Stark, Black
Widow and Hawkeye. These six Avengers are dispersed all over the world
living their lives when these assassins are activated by the Amerikan
government.
The premise is that aliens invade Amerika so the Avengers are called to
save the country. Amerika is harnessing energy from space at a top
secret laboratory called “joint dark energy” where a portal is created
that opens into the other side of space. It is through this portal that
Amerikans seek to exploit resources from space, but instead a white man
known as Loki comes through the portal. (Loki by the way is a word from
a First Nation language). Loki in this movie is the villain.
This film is set in New York City and has a lot of shooting and blowing
up buildings in it. The one female superhero, Black Widow, is a spy of
Russian descent now working for Amerika. She is of course highly
sexualized and starts off in a skirt beating up a few men.
At one point Loki shape shifts into a viking-like persyn and has a crowd
of people kneel in front of him while he declares rather arrogantly that
humanity was “made to be ruled, in the end you will always kneel!” Loki
is portrayed as an alien with a British accent who wants to rule Earth,
but it turns out Loki and Thor are brothers, in a classic case of
inter-imperialist rivalry fighting over resources that are not theirs.
The aliens invade Earth for a war that takes place in New York City that
has the six Avengers fighting a whole army of space aliens with captain
Amerika at the forefront. It’s interesting to see Captain Amerika
brought back to the movies, originally Captain Amerika was a comic
character used during World War II as a propaganda tool that showed
Amerika saving the world. Created in 1940 the Captain America comic book
initially had him fighting Hitler. More recently, starting in 2005,
Marvel Comics has turned Captain Amerika and its other superheros to
participating in Amerika’s modern wars. During this time Marvel Comics
even created a series of comic books specially for U.$. soldiers in the
Middle East, so the use of comic book characters for the advancement of
imperialist interests is nothing new as this has been going on for
decades.
At one point in the movie The Counsel asks the Director to nuke New York
City, arguing that this is the only way to save earth, but the Director
refuses and the battle continues. The battle has many “foreign”
aircrafts flying into skyscrapers, an obvious allusion to the twin
towers getting destroyed. The movie ends with a nuke being shot into New
York City but it is intercepted by one of the superheroes named Stark
who is also a millionaire who changes into a robotic superhero at will.
Stark grabs the nuke and flies it into space, saving New York City. So
it was finally delivered - a millionaire capitalist superhero saved the
world, and so The Avengers plays out as a classic Amerikan
propaganda film. One thing this movie did get right is there will be a
final battle and Amerika will be one of the participants but the
fighting army won’t come from outer space, rather the fighting army will
be the oppressed on the ground and the result will be much different for
the oppressor.
In this environment (prison), I am a prison activist. I was placed in
high security because I got fed up watching prison officers abuse and
mistreat elderly and disabled prisoners on Estelle Unit. I went to Unit
Classification Committee and I made a threatening “political statement.”
That direct action landed me in high security.
When I came to Estelle in 2011 I had never ever been in any serious
trouble; I was the “model inmate.” But something changed when I observed
the abuse and foul treatment of the most vulnerable prisoners. I became
more politically aware, and my former cellmate gave me a copy of
Under Lock & Key. I was impressed with the cerebral,
scientific, and pragmatic approach to facing these prisoncrats. I
discovered that people listen to me and respect my opinions. I stepped
up my commitment to Islam, giving Katbahs and hosting Tawleem, speaking
more.
On March 14, 2012 I witnessed an officer slam the fingers of an elderly
blind Latino man in a chow hall doorway. I wrote it up, Step 1. I wrote
Senator Whitmire and Mr. Oliver Bell at the Office of the Inspector
General. I was very angry at the injustice. And then the retaliation
began: bogus and fabricated disciplinary cases, threats, and before I
knew it, I had 50 days commissary and recreation restriction. I was
devastated. There was a collusive and concerted effort to shut me up and
set me up. However, instead of breaking a man they helped awaken a
revolutionary! My main focus is to maintain this same passion, energy
and fervor when I am released.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade’s experience speaks directly
to a contriction of oppression: on the one hand, oppression keeps a
certain population down; but on the other hand, the oppression leads
that population to resist and rebel. One of our jobs as revolutionaries
is to tap into that urge to resist and rebel, and to guide it in the
most productive way possible. We need to reach these people and plug
them in to campaigns and strategies that fit into our revolutionary
objectives. Under Lock & Key will always be a medium to
recruit new comrades into the struggle, and to push that resilient
warrior spirit in a direction that will fight oppression everywhere.
I have a lot of things to catch you up on in regards to the never ending
struggle against the oppressors who run the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice (TDCJ). I’ve been moved. I have been “mashing the gas!” on these
oppressors: pressing them on their abuse of mentally ill prisoners,
religious discrimination towards Muslim prisoners, and extremely poor
quality food and unsanitary conditions at Estelle High Security Unit.
These folks have sent me to a unit where the food is excellent, known as
“the friendly” Wynne unit. I’m still trying to reconcile the “friendly”
tag with a place that holds an overwhelming number of elderly men who
should be free! Or how “friendly” it is to have humyn beings locked in
cells in which I can touch both walls standing in the middle of the
cell. I’m in a very small dog kennel, but the food is good. This is
still torture and my comrades on Estelle are still being beaten, and fed
slop. I firmly believe this was a ploy to disrupt my operations.
A few of us sent grievance petitions to TDCJ Executive Director Brad
Livingston, Chairman of Texas Board of Criminal Justice Oliver Bell, and
other agencies, including legislators. All correspondences sent to any
TDCJ upper level administrator were re-routed to the risk management
office and central grievance office.
In the streets we call this activity “short stopping.” TDCJ is doing all
they can to thwart our efforts to expose the abuse and injustices being
perpetrated against us. So we had to go around and through them. I
hooked up with a like-minded comrade, he modified the grievance petition
to fit our unique circumstances, and we did a mass mailing to
legislators, media, prison activists, ACLU, and DOJ civil rights.
That was March 18, 2013. Three days later I was shipped. I’m told I may
go back soon. At first I was like “shit.” I hate Estelle and all the
pigs who work there, but I love to fight them and I’ve been lighting
their ass up. And now I have help. So warm the bus up! I’m ready for
round 2, 3, 4 and 5.
On or around March 9, 2013 another comrade of mine attempted suicide on
the Estelle High Security Unit. This comrade, who I have watched
deteriorate mentally, was removed from his cell by Lieutenant Pope. Lt.
Pope beat my comrade half to death, with his fists! My comrade was taken
to a hospital in Conroe, Texas where he was placed on the intensive care
unit as he clung to life. No one wants to hold these people accountable
for their heinous crimes but I get written up for an extra sock!
I also must report, a Texas state representative Dr. Alma Allen (Black
womyn) has proposed House Bill 877 that would create a grievance
oversight committee separate from TDCJ. This is great news but I don’t
think it is going to pass. [As of December 2013, HB877 has been pending
in committee since March 2013. - Editor] The chairman of the Texas
senate criminal justice committee, Mr. John Whitmire, also the most
senior senate member, says he doesn’t want to create another
bureaucratic entity. But the system is fucked up. On the real, he
doesn’t want “outsiders” observing the abuse and lack of accountability
that is so prevalent in TDCJ. It is out of control. The grievance
program is a sham. I have suggested they scrap the entire system and
fire or re-assign every grievance investigator in Texas. These people
are “oxygen thieves” who are complicit in heinous crimes against
humanity. We will never be treated fairly nor have our grievances
addressed in a just manner as long as this cronyistic, nepotistic,
obstruction of justice filled grievance program is in place.
In reference to the
pigs
attacking a mentally ill man, well I’m still waiting! Remember this
incident happened December 28, 2012. It has been 3 full months and no
justice, just coverups and lies. I’ve even challenged the oppressors to
a polygraph. Hell no they don’t want none of that. I guess not.
Strategy for Grievance Petition and Abuse Issues in Texas
Texas hates negative publicity, period. So it is imperative to flood the
media and internet with details of mistreatment, abuse, and serious
brutal acts of violence aimed at prisoners. Always include name, date,
time, who, what, where, when. Who to write:
Concerned Christians for Inmates PO Box 101094, San Antonio,
Texas 78201-9094 210-737-2600
As a rule socialists and communists do not promote religion. However,
these are some “Gangster” Christians why go hard in the paint to address
prisoner abuse. They are going to make somebody answer the tough
questions. And they are going to go the extra mile. They know no
boundaries. If you have been the victim of serious physical abuse by
TDCJ employees, copy all the dirty details and get at CCI ASAP.
Kathy Griffin Grinon - Host The Prison Show! KPFT - 90.1
FM 419 Lovett Blvd Houston, TX 77006 713-526-5738 JAM KPFT,
A pacifica station.
Kathy is a former prisoner. She is super connected in the political
realm and specializes in human trafficking and prostitution issues. She
will expose these oppressors but you have to stay on it. She is super
busy, but if you get her attention, look out.
Austin American Statesman Attn: Mike Ward -
Journalist/writer 305 S. Congress, Austin TX 78704
Mike has written pieces on prisoner abuse and prison issues in Texas for
a few years. Truthfully, he is just one more option. But if your story
is news worthy, he will do an exposé. Media attention is like mothers
milk to me. Learn to use it in your favor.
Senate Committee on Criminal Justice PO Box 12068 Austin,
Texas 78711 512-463-0345
House Committee on Corrections PO Box 2910 Austin, TX
78768 512-463-0796
Hit these two simultaneously. The briefer you are the better. But pack
your letter with details and heinous acts of abuse. Give it to them raw
and uncut but use your intellect to articulate the wrong and ask for an
investigation and accountability.
Have family or loved ones file formal citizens complaint with
TDCJ-CID Ombudsman 936-437-6791 Find online: tex.gov.org
You can’t file a formal citizens complaints with the Ombudsman, but your
friends, comrades, and family can file on your behalf. Make sure to have
details (who, what, where, when, how) and by all means include the pig’s
full name and rank. Ask to be kept abreast of the investigation and
notified when resolution is achieved. This is important, be sure to
follow up.
Lastly any serious civil rights issues that have to do with prison
conditions physical abuse by guards vs prisoners and religious
discrimination, don’t hesitate to write:
DOJ-Civil
Rights U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Special
Litigation Section PHB 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington DC
20530
Currently all group segments here in the SHU at Pelican Bay are
preparing mentally and physically for the upcoming peaceful hunger
strike/work stoppage scheduled for July 8th of this year. From what I
gather, most are committing to ten days for now, although the Short
Corridor Collective wrote a letter to the governor declaring an
indefinite hunger strike until all five core demands are met. I’ve read
that San Quentin’s death row “adjustment center” is on board and even
many female prisoners in California. So this one should be even bigger
than the last two combined with all outside the walls brothers and
sisters even more prepared than before.
Basically the prison administrators did not follow through with the
positive changes that they said they were going to do during the hunger
strike negotiations. Yes we were given beanies, allowed to order sweats,
and we are allowed to purchase art supplies and take one photo per year
if we remain disciplinary free. Plus they added a few food items to the
canteen list. Those were all positive changes. However, besides that,
the only thing that has changed is that they created the STG/SDP
[requiring prisoners to go through a Step Down Program (SDP) to get out
of STG, among other changes], which is not beneficial to anyone besides
the gang investigators and the prison administrators. It’s counter
productive for us as it gives the prison administration an even broader
range of prisoners who they will now be able to validate and place in
the SHU. These are prisoners who before were not validated due to it
being harder to tie them to a prison gang, like the whites and Blacks
for instance.
The vast majority of us did not participate in the hunger strike simply
to receive a bunch of miscellaneous crap, and since the prison
administration did not follow through with their end of the hunger
strike negotiations, the Short Corridor Collective has decided that
another peaceful hunger strike/work stoppage is necessary in order to
force CDCR to the table and make them follow through with their promises
of positive changes. This peaceful hunger strike/work stoppage is to
continue until they have met the five core demands or until the Short
Corridor Collective has negotiated terms that are satisfactory and/or
beneficial for all.
As far as the new STG/SDP is concerned, it’s a straight joke that CDCR
is actually attempting to push it out to the public that these are
positive changes when they are in fact not. They are trying to go on a
media campaign saying that seventy something people have been released
and so many admitted into the step down program, but it is nothing but
smoke and mirrors. It looks and sounds good to the public but in reality
it’s business as usual for the pigs.
Nobody is acknowledging the so called “SDP” so anybody that they say is
in it is actually not participating in anything. Nobody has been
transferred yet for step three or four to Corcoran SHU or Tehachapi SHU.
They have not raised the limit on canteen for anyone or given anyone a
phone call or anything. All they did was dedicate one channel on the TV
for a bunch of fake rehabilitation videos that are old and outdated and
that nobody even watches. So there is no step down program in our eyes
and in reality, just the prison administration’s story of one.
In regards to the so-called reviews that they say they are doing, and
the prisoners who are being released back out to the mainlines, this too
is a sham, a way to sugar coat the story and make it look as if they are
making changes when they are not. There is no reviews taking place here
in Pelican Bay SHU, where I’m at, it’s all just for show. All they are
really doing is conducting the inactive reviews/gang status updates for
those who have already been in the SHU for six years, that’s nothing
special. That’s something that we all already have coming to us no
matter what we do once we’ve been back here for six years.
The only thing that has changed is that Institutional Gang
Investigations is now approving more people for inactive status instead
of mysteriously coming up with bogus confidential memorandums. In my
immediate vicinity I’ve seen around six or seven people get approved for
inactive status, all southern Mexicans. I’ve also seen about four of
them get denied as well so not everyone is getting kicked back out to
the mainline. Those that were denied were given a new inactive review
date six years down the line, so that means that they have to be in the
SHU for six more years before they can again be reviewed for release
from the SHU. So where is the change in that?
Like I said, it’s all just for show, the only reviews that they are
doing are the ones that they have to do and that’s the six years
inactive reviews. As far as Contraband Surveillance Watch, aka “potty
watch”, they are still using this unconstitutional method as a means of
torture and intimidation. However, from what I’ve been noticing they
have been utilizing it less than normal in the last year or so. I’ve
only seen one or two people here and there when I pass by C Facility and
D Facility “potty watch” cells while en route to the law library so
that’s better than them being overflowed at least. Although it shouldn’t
be allowed at all, because it is wrong and degrading. I speak from
experience having been through it myself with my celly back in February
2011.
From what I’ve recently heard the “agreement to end hostilities” is
holding here on Pelican Bay A and B yards and everybody is programming
with no incidents of violence in a while. Yard visits, canteen and
everything else is up and on track and each group segment is giving each
other their respects. As a matter of fact northern Mexicans are starting
to go to A yard now. After about a five year period of not being placed
there by the prison administration, they are being housed in A3 from
what I heard.
One more thing in regards to the peaceful hunger strike/work stoppage,
you have to refuse food for at least seventy two hours before you are
even acknowledged as being on a hunger strike and you’re added to the
statewide count of those who are participating. Also you can’t order
food nor coffee from canteen in July, only hygiene and stationary
because if you accept food or coffee then you won’t be counted as being
on a hunger strike.
I acquired my GED and then enrolled in college and studied economics;
macro economics, micro economics, public speaking, business
administration and small business management. This is when such were
free to Tax-us inmates. Then Klinton passed the laws in 1995 to pull
Pell Grants, and further punish us by implicating behavior modification
level I, II, and III programs.
When I got released from TDC I was transferred to another cage called
ISF, a mini-prison Inner Sanction Facility in a distant desert city in
Texas. Then they placed me on a program called SIPS (Super Intense
Parole Supervision) with a leg bracelet and electronic monitoring, and
they imposed the rule that I couldn’t meet or talk with any [groups of
men, i.e. lumpen organizations] or they’d violate me. They completely
isolated me.
I became gainfully employed after 9 days of being at the ISF and I saved
all monies earned. They charged me 25% of my weekly check to be harassed
and fed a cold bologna sandwich. I petitioned District Parole for
permission to obtain my residency. They kept me on SIPS so I had to pay
for a land line so that the security company ADT could monitor my
whereabouts.
I worked approximately 2.5 years as a laborer and applied for grants to
attend college. I graduated with a 3.95 GPA and I went on to become a
sub-contractor and parole detested that I was finally beyond minimum
wage earnings. They imposed guidelines claiming that, due to being a
possible terrorist, I should be kept in one location. So I had to quit
jobs where I earned more than poverty level, and had to find a job in a
non-relevant industry to satisfy their requests.
I was rearrested 9 times for faulty batteries in the bracelet monitor,
which were not my doing or fault, but marred my record as a recidivist.
I only have been arrested two times but they use the technical arrests
to further discredit me to make me look like a dangerous re-offender.
I was brought back to the Texas Department of Corrections in 2009 and
was immediately placed in the security housing called Expansion Cell
Block High Security (ECBHS). I, like other comrades here, have been
stripped of all earthly possessions and marked as a threat for what we
believe. But our minds are ours to control.
MIM(Prisons) adds: As we described in an article on
overcoming
release challenges, there are many hurdles facing prisoners who are
released from prison, even for those not faced with restrictive parole
supervision. MIM(Prisons)’s
Re-Lease on Life Program attempts to help prisoners prepare for life
on the streets with the goal of keeping our comrades political active
once they are outside of the structured environment of the prison. Get
in touch with us if your release date is coming up within a year so we
can start planning and preparing.
According to Article IV of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
(N.P.T.), all signatory member nations possess the “inalienable right”
to “develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes without discrimination.”(1) As a signatory nation, the Islamic
Republic of Iran is entitled to this most basic right, just like any
other nation. However, the United $tates and its allies are seeking to
infringe upon and limit Iran’s right to produce nuclear energy for
civilian purposes, asserting that the Iranian government is using its
civilian nuclear program as a smokescreen for an alleged covert nuclear
weapons program.(2) These assertions are backed by no credible evidence,
just the assurances of the U.$. and Israeli governments respectively. It
is further insinuated that once Iran develops nuclear weapons, it will
certainly use them to “wipe Israel off the map of nations,”(3)
presenting an existential threat to the Jewish people.
Despite the belligerent public tone of the U.$. government, however, its
intelligence community has consistently reported to Congress that Iran’s
military strategy is strictly geared towards “deterrence,
asymmetric retaliation, and attrition warfare” (emphasis
mine).(4) Even the U.$. National Intelligence Director, James Clapper,
recently admitted to Congress that “we do not know if Iran will
eventually decide to build nuclear weapons” and implicitly confirmed
that Iran is not presently seeking to do so because if it were, such
activities would certainly be discovered by the “international
community.”(5) In spite of all this, President Obama maintains that “all
options are on the table” to thwart Iran’s nuclear program, with a
military attack on Iran taking place as early as June 2013.(6) As we
shall see, the United $tates is merely using Iran’s nuclear program as a
pretext to justify further military intervention in the region in a
larger effort to redesign the landscape of the Middle East in order to
secure the continued global hegemony of the U.$. empire. After the
collapse of the Soviet Union, the United $tates remained standing as the
world’s lone superpower. In 1991, President Bush declared the
establishment of a “New World Order,” that is, a unipolar global system
completely subjected to the imperial dictates of the United $tates and
its junior partners.(7) Foreign policy experts and government policy
think tanks immediately began mapping out blueprints for a new century
of what can be called trilateral imperialism (the United $tates, Western
Europe and Japan).(8)
To this end, the Bush I administration called for “the integration of
the leading democracies into a U.$.-led system of collective security,
and the prospects of expanding that system, [to] significantly enhance
our international position and provide a crucial legacy for future
peace.”(9) Within this collective framework, the United $tates would act
to “preclude any hostile power from dominating a region critical to our
interests, and also thereby to strengthen the barriers against the
reemergence of a global threat to the interests of the United States and
our allies.”(10) In other words, the First World should unite under the
leadership of the United $tates to dominate and exploit the resources of
the Third World (cheap labor, oil, cobalt, etc.), while preventing any
other power from emerging which could disrupt this neocolonial
relationship.
At the time, Russia was deemed to be the only military power capable of
potentially deterring U.$. imperialism. Thus, during the late 1990s
Council on Foreign Relations member and Clinton foreign policy advisor
Zbigniew Brzezinski advised that Russia “ought to be isolated and picked
apart” in order to extend “America’s influence in the Caucasus region
and Central Asia,” both formerly under Russian control.(11) In doing so,
the United $tates could secure its domination over Eurasia, long deemed
to be the strategic “heartland” of global power.(12) The NATO-led
“humanitarian intervention” in the former Yugoslavia during the late
1990s must be understood in this light.
The Middle East has long been assigned a very narrow role within the
imperialist world system, being seen as “a stupendous source of
strategic power, and one of the greatest material prizes in world
history.”(13) This is of course only because of the region’s massive
natural gas and oil reserves, which the United $tates considers to be
vital to its national interests. U.$. foreign policy in the Middle East
in the post-war period has been geared towards three main objectives: 1)
securing and maintaining “an open door” for Western companies to the
region’s vast oil and gas reserves; 2) maintaining a “closed door” for
potential rival powers (i.e., Russia and China) to Middle Eastern oil;
and 3) preventing Middle Eastern “radical and nationalist regimes” from
coming to power that might use their oil and gas resources for the
“immediate improvement in the low living standards of the masses” and
development for domestic needs.(14)
In the bipolar world of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was able to
counter U.$. ambitions in the Middle East, supporting various secular
nationalist regimes relatively hostile towards U.$. imperialism. After
the collapse of the USSR and the subsequent isolation of Russia,
however, the United $tates was in a position to fundamentally alter the
political map of the Middle East so as to “ensure that the enormous
profits of the energy system flow primarily to the United States, its
British client, and their energy corporations, not to the people of the
region” or potential rival powers.(15) It is in this light that we must
view the recent wave of “humanitarian interventions” conducted by the
United States and NATO in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as
the current confrontation with Iran.
In 2000, the Project for a New American Century published a report
entitled “Rebuilding America’s Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources
For a New Century,” which was extended and adopted as official national
security policy in 2005. Drawing on the themes of the first Bush
administration and Brzezinski, the report recommends that U.$. military
forces become “strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries from
pursuing a military build-up in hopes of surpassing, or equaling, the
power of the United States.”(16) As noted above, there was nothing new
in this goal of American hegemony per se, but what was new was the
emphasis placed on “transforming” the political landscape of the Middle
East. Due to the rise of Islamic terrorism and the stubborn existence of
“rogue states,” the “stability” of the Middle East, North Africa, and
their oil reserves were deemed to be essential objectives of U.$.
national security and foreign policy.
Using the 9/11 terrorist attacks as a pretext for this grand imperial
project, the Bush administration outlined a list of seven “rogue states”
targeted for regime change in order to secure de facto U.S. control over
global oil supplies. Those seven countries were Iraq, Syria, Lebanon,
Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.(17) Of course, Iraq was invaded,
occupied and “democratized” by the United $tates in 2003. The threat of
Hezbollah in Lebanon has been satisfactorily neutralized as a result of
Israel’s 2006 invasion, the Jamahariya government of Libya was utterly
destroyed by NATO and Al Qaeda in 2011, the Assad regime of Syria is on
the verge of collapse today as it is under attack from NATO and its
Islamic mercenary forces, while there are ongoing covert military
operations being conducted against Somalia and the Sudan. Only Iran
remains intact as a nation-state out of the seven countries targeted by
the U.$. imperialists for regime change.
The current U.$. propaganda campaign would have us believe that the
United $tates is targeting Iran because it is seeking to develop nuclear
weapons with which it will destroy Israel. As we have seen however, U.$.
intelligence – that is, the agencies responsible for obtaining such
information – does not have strong evidence to prove that Iran is
pursuing nuclear weapons. Further, in its assessment, Iran’s military
strategy is not geared towards aggression or the offensive, but strictly
deterrence and defense. Therefore, there must be some other reasons why
the United $tates is gearing up for war against Iran.
In light of U.$. policy objectives to dominate global oil supplies and
to subvert or overthrow “nationalist regimes” that seek to use their
natural resources to benefit their domestic populations or to promote
independent development, it should be fairly obvious that Iran is a
target because its oil is nationalized and it pursues a program of
independent development. Indeed, when Iran first nationalized its oil in
1953 under Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, the CIA and British MI6
quickly organized a coup d’etat to overthrow Mosaddegh and reprivatize
Iranian oil.(18) The oil industry wasn’t nationalized again until the
1979 Islamic revolution, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, which quickly set
Iran on a path of independent nationalist development.
Also of grave concern to the United $tates is Iran’s growing commercial
and economic relations with Russia and China. Iran exports 22% of its
oil exports to China,(19) while it has cultivated a strong economic
relationship with Russia on various fronts, especially in military
equipment and nuclear infrastructure.(20) The Iranian regime’s
independence from Washington has afforded Russia and China a foot in the
door of the Middle East, which hinders the ability of the United $tates
to completely dominate the region and prevent the rise of potential
rival hegemons in the world system, perhaps the greatest threat posed by
Iran.
Iran itself is deemed as a threat to U.$. interests in the Middle East,
as it is devoted to “countering U.S. influence” and becoming a regional
dominator.(21) To this end, Iran has been fostering political, economic
and security ties with other actors in the region, appealing to Islamic
solidarity and resistance to imperialism. Iran has become influential in
both Iraq and Afghanistan, undermining U.$. objectives in those
countries, and has maintained its support for the Assad regime in Syria,
thwarting NATO’s efforts there.(22) All of these factors make Iran a
formidable obstacle to U.$. objectives in the Middle East, halting
Washington’s ability to totally redesign the political landscape of the
region.
Iran also gives financial and military support to various
politico-military organizations in the region. As the United $tates
considers many of these organizations “terrorists,” Iran is then a
“state sponsor of terrorism.” Most of its support is channeled to
Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Both of these groups
are opposed to the Zionist colonization of Palestine and to U.$.
imperialism in the region more generally. Through Hezbollah and Hamas,
Iran is able to exert its influence in the Middle East, creating
political “destabilization” in Lebanon and Palestine.(23) The continued
existence of such armed groups is considered a threat to U.$. objectives
in the region and is another main reason why the United $tates is
seeking to attack Iran.
When we place the current threats towards Iran in their proper
geopolitical and historical context, it becomes clear that Iran’s
nuclear program is not the real reason why the imperialists are gearing
up to attack it. In fact, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that
the alleged threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program is merely a
propaganda fabrication designed to garner popular support for the
immanent invasion of Iran, similar to the lie that Saddam Hussein
possessed “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq. In truth, Iran was
targeted for regime change at least ten years ago, but because of its
resistance to the “Washington Consensus,” its economic nationalism, its
growing commercial and economic ties to Russia and China, its potential
to become a regional authority, and its support of politico-military
organizations opposed to the United $tates and Israel, not because of
its nuclear program.
The drums of war are now beating in the United $tates as Washington
prepares to launch the final phase of its grand strategy to remake the
Middle East. This plan is merely one component of a much larger plan to
maintain the world system of trilateral imperialism. In order to
maintain the global supremacy of the West, the United $tates and its
junior partners are determined to prevent the rise of Russia and China
to hegemonic status. Thus, an attack on Iran will surely be viewed as an
indirect attack on both Russia and China. A war on Iran may very well
quickly escalate into a global military conflagration, consuming other
states in the region, as well as Russia and China. To prevent such a
scenario from unfolding, academics and intellectuals must dispel the
propaganda about Iran’s nuclear program and expose the imperialist
ambitions behind the U.$. government’s agenda to the Amerikan people.
There is a saying, A dog with a bone in his mouth don’t bark or
bite. Will you sell your soul or continue to fight? They give
handouts to tame the wolf, They set the trap when most don’t
look. An addict of the state give me all I can take. You stay in
the projects, I’ll stay in the White House, You spend your food
stamps until they run out. We’ll exploit the Third World, we’ll be
alright A dog with a bone in his mouth don’t bark or bite.
The example set by those who went on food strike in California was like
Rosa Parks refusing to sit in the back of the bus. They weren’t the
first to do it, and they didn’t single-handedly change the system, or
even significantly reform it. But they did serve as a prime example that
continues to inspire those struggling for basic humyn rights behind
bars. Since 2011, MIM(Prisons) has been in dialogue with USW leaders in
Pelican Bay and across the state about those historic events, and how we
can push that struggle forward.
One change that has been proposed by comrades in Pelican Bay this time
around is that prisoners develop their own demands locally and hold the
CDCR/state to the demands that they think are most pressing. While,
ideally we would all unite around one set of demands, we agree with this
tactic at this stage. There were many who came out to propose changes to
the
five
core demands for many different reasons. So this approach allows
those who had critiques to put their ideas into action.
In practice this means each prison could have their own demands focused
on conditions specific to their location, building unity within the
prisoner population at that facility. We caution people though that the
broader our unity behind core demands the more pressure we can put on
the criminal injustice system to make change. As much as possible,
prisoners should try to come together around common demands within each
prison.
MIM(Prisons) is working to unite United Struggle from Within (USW) in CA
around some goals that are strategic for the anti-imperialist prison
movement. These are goals that could be won within the realm of
bourgeois democracy and will strengthen our cause and more long-term
goals.
Please note that neither USW nor the statewide councils are able to
operate on the basis of democratic centralism through postal mail. So
while this draft incorporates the ideas of the California Council of
USW, it is principally authored by MIM(Prisons) and does not/will not
necessarily represent a consensus among council members or USW in
general. However, the two principal points are points that MIM(Prisons)
has long held to be strategically important in expanding the ability of
the oppressed to reach the medium-term goals of organizing for
self-determination. So we do not believe that they will be very
controversial within our circles. We do hope they will push the limits
of what is possible more than what has been proposed so far.
If there are already demands in place where you are, we’d encourage you
to push for an inclusion of more focus on these goals. If not you may
still need to adjust the document below to meet your local conditions
for various reasons. But we should all be able to agree on what the
major issues are here, and the more we can speak as a united voice with
a united mission, the more successful we can be. There is very little in
here that is specific to California, so comrades in other states can
also use this as a model.
Here are our demands:
An end to torture of all prisoners, including an end to the use of
Security Housing Units (SHU) as long-term isolation prisons.
Basic humyn needs are centered around 1) healthy food and water, 2)
fresh air and exercise, 3) clothes and shelter from the elements and 4)
social interactions and community with other humyns. It is the SHU’s
failure to provide for these basic needs that have led people around the
world to condemn long-term isolation as torture. Therefore we demand
that the following minimum standards be met for all prisoners:
no prisoner should be held in Security Housing Units for longer than 30
days. Rehouse all prisoners currently in SHU to mainline facilities.
interaction with other prisoners every day
time spent outdoors with space and basic equipment for exercise every
day
healthy food and clean water every day
proper clothing and climate control
an end to the use of and threat of violence by staff against prisoners
who have not made any physical threat to others
access to phone calls and contact visits with family at least once a
week
timely and proper health care
ability to engage in productive activities, including correspondence
courses and hobby crafts
a meaningful way to grieve any abuses or denial of the above basic
rights
Freedom of association.
As social beings, people in prison will always develop relationships
with other prisoners. We believe positive and productive relationships
should be encouraged. Currently the CDCR makes it a crime punishable by
torture (SHU) to affiliate with certain individuals or organizations.
This is contrary to the judiciary’s interpretation of the First
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We demand that prisoners of the
state of California only be punished for violating the law, and that
there be:
no punishment based on what books one reads or has in their
possession
no punishment for jailhouse lawyering for oneself or for others, for
filing grievances or for any challenges to conditions of confinement
through legal means
no punishment for what outside organizations one belongs to or
corresponds with
no punishment for communicating with other prisoners if not breaking the
law
no punishment for tattoos
no punishment for what individuals of the same
race/nation/organizational affiliation do unless you as an individual
were involved in violating a rule or the law, i.e. no group
punishment
no punishment for affiliation with a gang, security threat group, or
other organization - in other words a complete end to the gang
validation system that punishes people (currently puts people in the SHU
for an indeterminate amount of time) based on their affiliation and/or
ideology without having broken any rules or laws
The above goals are very similar to the original five core demands.
However, you’ll notice that they boil down to two main points, an end to
torture of prisoners and freedom of association. Until both of these
goals are fully achieved, the struggle continues.
Over the coming months, comrades behind bars need to focus on setting
goals, setting deadlines, strategizing, studying and networking. The
comrades in Pelican Bay are sticking to similar tactics used in the 2011
food strike. But there are other ways to demonstrate for our goals in a
peaceful way that is long-lasting and can have great impact, just like
Rosa Parks. One comrade last year suggested
campaigns
that affect the prison staff directly and financially, and there may
be other tactics to consider. As the comrades in California have
stressed, networking to break down divisions between prisoners must be a
focus by implementing the peace protocol across the state. And as USW
leaders have reiterated,
study
is instrumental in raising the consciousness of participants and allies
to provide for a stronger base as the struggle advances.
We’ve heard from comrades in
Washington,
New Jersey and South Carolina who are organizing their own actions for
July 8 or modeled around that struggle. Comrades in
North
Carolina and
Texas
have launched peaceful protests of their own in just the last couple
months. As we address local conditions and petition institutions at the
state level, we build unity around the common demands of the imprisoned
lumpen class across the United $tates.