Under Lock & Key

Comrades in Indiana have recently celebrated a victory in our campaign against censorship. One comrade in particular diligently appealed repeated arbitrary and illegal incidents of censorship of mail sent to em by MIM Distributors. Ey regularly reached out to us and other organizations, and a comrade on the outside provided support in appealing these incidents on behalf of MIM Distributors. After about a year of censorship of anything with anti-imperialist political content, this comrade received eir first issue of Under Lock & Key this month. We have also been able to send em other political books and get ULK to others.

MIM(Prisons) wants to recognize the comrades in Pendleton Correctional Facility for their efforts and consistency. Victories will not be easy, and often they are few and far between. But with consistency the struggle continues, and as the oppressed are the vast majority of the world, that struggle is destined to win.

In most cases, our mail is censored for completely illegal reasons. Here are some reasons given by Pendleton in the last year for censoring our publications:

1. “5PT STAR ALL SEEING EYE 5” - not only does this make no sense, there was not even a star on the page cited
2. “STG: AMERIKKKA”
3. “HATE SPEECH”

Many Amerikkkans are offended by that spelling, or when we say that they are not exploited by capitalism, or that they are a nation built on white supremacy, or that they they are committing atrocities against oppressed nations. But to censor something because you find it offensive is illegal in this bourgeois democracy that we live under. As our readers know, nothing MIM(Prisons) has ever written promotes hatred of other peoples or mistreatment of peoples because of who they are.

Often, when our mail is censored it is because someone finds it offensive. Therefore, consistent appeals to higher levels of government can work to have the existing laws enforced. But other times the state is behind it. This was the case in our biggest censorship battle of 2022 against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. They had system-wide bans on certain materials that we were sending in across the state because they want to prevent peaceful organizing. This is an example where bourgeois democracy is not so liberal, when even talking about a peaceful protest in prisons becomes illegal. And while we face censorship on the outside, those inside face being thrown in torture cells, and violence by staff or other prisoners.

The connection between free speech and association and this ability to protest and organize power is why we prioritize censorship as a campaign. It’s not just because those of us on the outside are being censored, it’s a strategic decision as far as what battles help create the space necessary for the organizing that we need to change the world.

So we encourage comrades to be diligent in fighting censorship, especially of political materials. And we will do our best to support you in those battles.

VariegatedCrot0n on Reddit: [this was posted on reddit.com in response to the announcement of the founding of the Communist Party of Aztlán] I’ve been researching the debates on Aztlan & Chicano nationalism. It seems to me the line of the League of Revolutionary Workers (ML) and the RCP-USA, and the rest of the NCM (New Communist Movement emerging from the late 1960s) in support of Chicano nationalism was inherited by MIM and now continued by MIM(Prisons). The entire conception of Aztlan and Chicano nationalism has some serious problems, that I hope MIM(Prisons) reckons with sooner, but I think they have been very invested in this idea for quite some time now.

As I understand it, Chicano nationalism draws heavily from Indigenismo – an ideology of the settler colonial Mexican state that says that all the inhabitants of Mexico are indigenous, all are Mestizos, and so on. Such an ideology is fundamentally anti-indigenous as it seeks to indigenize Mexican settlers. The conception of Aztlan is similar – it is a land claim based on the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo – land taken from Mexico during the Mexico-American war. It’s worth noting that the treaty itself distinguishes between Mexican settlers in this territory and Indigenous “savages”.

While it is true that a section of the colonized proletariat of the America is from Mexico, I am convinced that they are not members of an oppressed Chicano nation. They are more often members of Indigenous nations in Mexico displaced from their homelands.

Chicano nationalism is ultimately a form of settler nationalism. It expresses the class interests of mainly Euro-Mexican settlers against Euro-American settlers. It disguises the legitimate claims for decolonization by oppressed indigenous and African nations in Mexico and the American Southwest, by pretending that all Chicanos are descendants of ancient Aztecs. It is extremely unfortunate that this ideology has taken hold in America’s prisons by people who are not connected to Aztec/Nahua people, culture or elders.

I’m not an expert in this, I’m still learning much about it. But I’m just letting you know that the issue is a lot more complicated than it seems from the outset. There’s lots of liberal carry-over on reddit where I see people lumping all POC together and assuming they are revolutionary. Which is just not the case.

Xipe of the Communist Party of Aztlán responds:

On Indigenismo

[email protected] revolutionary nationalism has often been misunderstood. Our belief is that this is due to the Chicano Nation not meeting its responsibility in addressing a correct political line to the ICM (International Communist Movement) on the one hand and in the ICM’s mostly incorrect analysis of the social forces within these false U.S. borders.

To be clear the CPA does not draw heavily on indigenismo – which is steeped in metaphysical trappings. We draw heavily on materialism. As materialists we recognize that not all inhabitants of Mexico are indigenous – although according to Jack Forbes most are! What’s more We disagree with your understanding that Chicano nationalism believes all are “mestizos” in Mexico, the CPA(MLM) believes that the term Mestizo is actually a label deriving from the colonizers agit/prop that strips [email protected] of many features of nationhood. “Mestizo” is anti-materialist, that as Jack Forbes suggests, is better suited to describe many of the European nations such as Italy, Sicily, etc.

Our analysis overstands that the inhabitants of current day Mexico are a combination of bloodlines that include indigenous, Spanish colonizer, African and others. And yet blood quantum don’t define a nation. We draw from Stalin on the national question for what defines a nation and we thoroughly address this in the book [email protected] Power and the Struggle for Aztlán.

On Land

It seems to many that the political line of some [email protected] cultural nationalists is interpreted as the political line of the entire nation, this is incorrect. Our stance on land does not simply derive from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, although we certainly cite this treaty in much of our agit/prop surrounding our struggle for national liberation. To rely simply on the colonizers treaty to validate our struggle for national liberation is akin to anti-imperialists within these false U.S. borders simply relying on the U.S. Constitution to validate its anti-imperialism. Although one can use the imperialists’ words and articles against them, we are not reformists who simply want our class enemies to re-word a document or follow its own law. We want a complete transformation of society and to free the tierra! Our lucha for land is for a Chicano Socialist Government not for permission from the colonizer to own acres of land under an imperialist rule.

Those who confuse Chicano revolutionary nationalism with the settler need to study the development of nations, specifically the book Chicano Power and the Struggle for Aztlán, which includes the political line of the CPA when it comes to a nation. We ask those who are curious on our line to read the [email protected] Red Book ([email protected] Power and the Struggle for Aztlán).

Even if the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was never written our national liberation movement would be just. [email protected] developed in what is now the “U.$. Southwest” as surely as Africans developed in what is now Haiti to become Haitians. Our line is not anchored in us believing we are descendants of ancient “Aztecs” – although some actually are! We overstand that the term “Aztlán” was used 50+ years ago within the [email protected] movement as a rallying cry and point of unity for [email protected] of the time and we see the relevance of using it in our struggle today.

The state has once again kidnapped the comrade Jose Villarreal (JV) on trumped up charges. After over a decade in the deepest dungeons of Pelican Bay State Prison’s Security Housing Unit, JV was released to the streets in January 2017 following the historic California hunger strikes and the Agreement to End Hostilities (AEH) between the largest lumpen organizations in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) at the time. This is the second time JV has been arrested since eir release. In addition, ey has faced armed raids by the pigs at eir place of residence.

The first arrest following eir release from Pelican Bay was on 2 August 2020 from an incident where JV may have saved someone’s life, but was charged as an accomplice instead. Eir arrest this winter was almost completely fabricated, with no basis in reality. And due to having been a certified member of a “Security Threat Group” (STG) in Pelican Bay ey faces gang enhancements on both sets of charges. Gang enhancements are a way to punish the oppressed for free association with others in their nation.

While the circumstances of the 2020 arrest are suspect, as are any when a revolutionary leader is targeted, the 2022 arrest is based on fabricated testimony rather than an actual incident. This testimony is coming from someone who presented emself as a revolutionary [email protected] nationalist. If the 2020 incident was a setup, then JV diffused it by eir righteous actions in a dangerous situation. Perhaps the state learned its lesson and decided it must fabricate charges in a he-said/she-said case.

In the six years since eir release from CDCR, JV has become most well known for eir radio program Free Aztlán on Poor News Network’s KEXU 96.1 FM in Oakland, California. Over the years JV featured [email protected] authors, researchers, artists and activists of many stripes. They advocated for the “kids in kages”, the migrant field workers, prisoners, and even did a series on the abuse of young people in spiritual movements targetting [email protected] nationalists. Ey was a regular promoter of the book [email protected] Power and the Struggle for Aztlán and the struggles for national liberation around the globe. JV also was apart of Aztlán Press, which published the second edition of [email protected] Power and the Struggle for Aztlán.
Listen to the CPA(MLM) announcement (starting at 8:00)

On the last episode of Free Aztlán before eir recent arrest, JV hosted the public announcement of the founding of the Communist Party of Aztlán (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist). Eir track record of advocating for national liberation, and eir support of the foundation of the Party in particular, is clearly behind the state’s machinations to imprison JV once again on trumped-up charges.

While MIM(Prisons) recognizes CPA(MLM) as a fraternal organization, it is no secret that we promote a cell structure strategy of organization. We’ve received push back on this in the form of calls for a centralized organization, a movement that spans the country, and a center for training and developing scientific leadership. These are some of the things the CPA(MLM) felt that Aztlán needed. They felt a party was needed to combat/compete with the parties that now mislead the masses under bourgeois political lines.

JV’s connections to various projects, and the connections between different chapters of the Republic of Aztlán are public record on the internet. We do not promote this form of organization. We see the hybrid of online and irl (real life) organizing to favor the strengths of the state over the weaknesses of the masses.

Lest we need reminding, the repeated targeting of JV exposes the lengths to which the state will go to suppress even a young emerging movement like CPA(MLM). JV has been tireless in eir work in the [email protected] community to promote positive change. No proletarian court would convict em of a crime. A socialist justice system would uphold JV as the best-case example of what someone can make of emselves after decades in an oppressive, abusive, torturous prison system.

For years we have offered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s (TDCJ’s) Offender Grievance Operations Manual (OGOM) for sale to Texas prisoners. As we’ve reported previously, the manual has been removed from all Texas law libraries. The OGOM is a crucial reference for prisoners to understand and utilize the grievance process to address staff abuse and misconduct. Yet the TDCJ has deemed it illegal for us to mail it to fellow prisoners at their own cost.

Of the many copies we’ve sent to Texas prisoners in the last two years only one was confirmed received. A third were confirmed to have been censored by the TDCJ. The rest are of unknown fate because almost everyone we sent the OGOM to never wrote to us again.

Since we have been told by the TDCJ countless times that they will not allow us to mail their own manual to prisoners (and since this has not proven an effective organizing tool – almost everyone we send it to never contacts us again) we are not going to mail this publication again until someone can successfully challenge the decision by the TDCJ.

We did have one comrade who requested the OGOM on the premise that they will file a lawsuit once it is censored. The OGOM we sent was censored in November, appealed, and denied by the Director’s Review Committee on 6 February 2023 with the justification of “in contradiction with BP-03.91”. The comrade should be prepared to go to court now that the appeals process has been exhausted per the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA). We will report any updates on this battle in ULK.

Introduction

Revolutionary greetings Raza! The future of our nation relies on us all knowing the political standing of our people and for [email protected] groups and orgs. It’s essential that we keep our finger on the pulse of the people to closely follow our strengths/weaknesses in order to push our movement forward. A national liberation struggle exists in stages. Without knowing what stage we are in, we cannot respond or struggle to meet the demands of a given stage. For those reasons the Communist Party of Aztlán (CPA) has conducted this study and is releasing this Report of the State of Aztlán 2023.

Many years have transpired since a true materialist analysis has been given on the nation. There has been “statements” given by various [email protected] groups but none with political lenses. Political line is key for all that we do as revolutionaries, from our organizing food drives to giving a political analysis. Our political line is our foundation, without a correct line all of our work remains “in progress.” Every project or scientific study done amongst the [email protected] masses becomes efforts in perpetual transition or revision. Although we can expect all matter to remain in motion and in need of adaptation to given responses, we can also limit the need of playing Whack-A-Mole because of an incorrect line. For this reason Maoism plays a key role not just within the national liberation movement of Aztlán, but within the International Communist Movement (ICM) as well.

Our Moral Compass

The [email protected] nation today is engaged in a War for Independence. Make no mistake that within the folds of all the vicarious trappings that a capitalist society can muster there exists a war, a low intensity war but a war nonetheless between Amerikkka (aka the White nation) vs. Aztlán. This war is for the national liberation of our nation. We want land, we want freedom, we want to form our own government that is socialist in nature. But don’t get it twisted, as we used to say in the Barrio, We are communist revolutionaries who overstand that the innate contradictions within capitalism and thus imperialism demands that we strive for a communist future if we are truly for equality of all humyn beings.

One of the challenges that Aztlán faces today is in not enough groups or orgs raising the Communist banner. Today the Communist Party of Aztlán, Republic of Aztlán and ROA Brown Berets are the only unapologetically [email protected] Communist orgs repping communism proudly and openly.

Of course we believe that a communist world will not arrive today or in our current lifetime. Today we struggle for a socialist government, where state power is in the hands of the have-nots and led by a proletarian political line. This proletarian political line, the goal of which is a communist future, remains our moral compass.

Historical Materialism of Aztlán: Energy with incorrect line

In order to understand the development of the [email protected] Movement we must first describe a brief political overview of the movimiento. Marx taught us that historical materialism can help us gauge a phenomenon to then respond to it in a way which pushes a given struggle forward. We can learn from history in order to transform the future. For a true materialist analysis of the [email protected] Movement, let us look to the last wave of [email protected] resistance of the 1970’s.

Although there were groups that developed, such as the August 29th Movement, which were essentially communist, the [email protected] movement of the 1970s was for the most part a cultural nationalist formation. A collection of [email protected] groups and orgs that mostly sought better schools, jobs, and housing while fighting discrimination, police brutality and an end to [email protected] in Vietnam. Despite the great energy behind these movements, a push for a socialist government was not yet a topic on the [email protected] “kitchen table” for most groups. Reforms were at the helm.

Besides the student group MEChA, the largest formation was the Brown Berets. The Brown Berets has chapters across these false U.$. borders, it was militant as far as mobilizing against the state, particularly against the pigs and instilling a [email protected] nationalism throughout the Barrios. And yet the Brown Berets of the 1970’s had a political line that could not lead to Aztlán’s liberation and were actually not a socialist organization. They fought to reform the system not replace it with socialism. In fact the Brown Berets of the 1970’s had not one chapter that was openly communist, not a single one openly striving for a socialist government and not a single chapter studying Maoism. This should not surprise us because the inherent flaw in cultural nationalism is that it is reformist in nature and its “Lucha” leaves the settler colonialist economic superstructure intact and merely swaps culture. Brown Capitalism is fine to the cultural nationalist so long as a Brown Massa replaces White Massa on the plantation.

The essence of our oppression lies not simply in a greedy settler who don’t like our skin tone but loves our land, but in an economic system that enriches a minority at the expense of the global majority. A system that strips every drop of humynity from the conscience of a people in order to enrich a few. Capitalism teaches that profit is more important than humyn life.

The 1970’s taught the movement great examples of how to organize in the barrios, how to create a [email protected] student movement and resist the U.$. colonizer military. Many lessons are gleaned but it also taught us that resistance without targeting Capitalism is like having a new sports car without gas, it looks great, and has lots of potential but it cannot drive us to the liberation highway, or out of the driveway for that matter.

The 1970’s [email protected] Movement had the energy but it lacked communist ideology at the helm. Had the Brown Berets, MEChA and other [email protected] groups of the 1970’s been Communist-led, Aztlán may have launched a strong Socialist revolution given the other struggles of the times with the Panthers and others within these false U.S. borders and internationally.

Some correct line; not enough energy

Today’s [email protected] Movement exists and has slightly recovered from the U.$. government’s efforts to neutralize all resistance to colonization. The vanguard of the contemporary [email protected] Movement has identified Maoism as the leading line in the world today. No other ideology has advanced Communist thought as far as Maoism.

We see Maoism leading the struggles today in India, the Philippines, and sprouting in barrios within the U.$. Empire itself. Maoism has blossomed in [email protected] hearts like no other time in our nation’s hystory.

Maoism taught us that a new bourgeoisie develops within the Party itself. This is a great lesson for today’s [email protected] Movement as it would have been for the 1970’s. It reminds us that despite a leadership of any type the possibility exists of a leadership to become corrupt even after a socialist revolution. Many can see this truth play out today in the leadership of their own groups. In the case of both the Soviet Union after the death of Stalin and in China after Mao’s death this proved true.

The publishing of the book [email protected] Power and the Struggle for Aztlán in 2015 was akin to a nuclear missile being launched on the United Snakes. If we look at the political landscape of Aztlán pre-2015 and post-2015 we see a dramatic shift take place within the [email protected] nation. Pre-2015 [email protected] groups, especially the Brown Beret formation were still simply service groups working on reforms, toy drives, free lunches and coat drives. The language was of “Viva la Raza,” “Stop Police Brutality” and “Stop School to Prison Pipeline” which are all good campaigns. Post-2015 1,000 of the [email protected] Power books had been sold and distributed to people inside and outside prison. Revolutionary nationalism became a term that [email protected] re-popularized. Many Brown Beret groups began studying the [email protected] Power book with some making it required reading for new recruits. Many Brown Berets began to identify openly as socialist and communist. Slogans such as “Free Aztlán” became popularized in Aztlán. The idea of secession and independence was revived in Aztlán. The [email protected] Power book was republished by Republic of Aztlán in 2021. [email protected] press, radio and other media was developed promoting Maoism and independence. Online Maoist groups were created for the [email protected] nation. Online Maoist study groups were developed for specific Brown Beret formations in various states. In 2022, the first Communist Party of Aztlán was founded and announced live on the FM dial on an East Oakland [email protected] Maoist Radio program/ YouTube channel called Free Aztlán.

As Materialists we cannot make an analysis subjectively. We can only come to a conclusion after reviewing the data from tests in the field. A review of the above developments helps lead us to our conclusion.

The [email protected] Power book is political ideology created for Aztlán. [email protected] Maoism, it’s what was the missing link, the igniter. The political line that the [email protected] Movement never had in a book written by and for [email protected]

The [email protected] nation has made a leap in consciousness, a development has taken place and the state is responding. It is responding by sending in its agents to employ COINTELPRO tactics to leaders of today’s movement. But it is also inserting agents amongst us to bourgeoisify our revolutionary momentum. These agents will have a group that claims to be revolutionary encouraging its members to vote in the imperialist elections for a U.$. President. That is no longer a revolutionary group, it is a branch of the Democratic Party.

The [email protected] Movement is at a crossroads. There is a revival with some energy. The political ideology exists and cadre have been trained that can push the momentum forward. At the same time we see the state employing a counter intelligence offensive on Aztlán to push it back. Security is needed now more than ever as the state begins to neutralize certain figures. We suspect imprisonment but they will also want to go past that to curtail any bigger leaps in our movement. We suspect the state will assassinate a key figure in the [email protected] Movement. What the state doesn’t know is our leaders realize and walk toward this possibility willingly from the first act of resistance against colonization. If leading the raza onto a real push of liberation means risking one’s life, it is an easy choice. In the spirit of Mao, I would say to die for the raza is heavier than Mt. Popocatépetl.

Conclusion

[email protected] Maoists need to separate the wheat from the chaff, as Mao said. It is apparent what groups are infiltrated by state agents. It’s important that these revisionists not influence the movement.

More study groups need to be launched pushing the correct line. Develop prison outreach because as the lucha heats up, members of your groups will be imprisoned.

Highlight that revolutionaries do not vote for imperialists. The Democrats have long infiltrated “grass roots” orgs to bring them into the fold and they continue today.

We need to continue teaching the next generation in order to keep that drum of resistance beating in the hearts and minds of our youth. Each one, teach one.

Our beautiful movement continues to develop. Do not let the many lives that have been sacrificed be made in vain. When they assassinate one of our leaders use it to push the struggle forward. When they imprison one of our leaders highlight this injustice and use it as a teaching tool for all freedom fighters. When they target and harass, agitate and propagate.

The Road to revolution is painted Brown. Dare to struggle, dare to win!

Viva Aztlán libre y socialista!

In Texa$ we have received more reports from prisoners about the worsening conditions overall behind bars. Multiple reports of increased repression regarding food quality, medical care, lack of respite for Ad-Seg and increased censorship. Much of the staff is not following any regulations laid out for it regarding the grievance process. Many writers have reported guards throwing out grievances. One report from Clements Unit mentions 100% denial of grievances.

The reports from Clements show some of the worse conditions prisoners face in Texas, with people in isolation suffering worsening health conditions and mental health. From Choper’s report:

“In protest fires burn daily on each of the Ad-Seg lines. Prisoners burn any and all items that will burn. So many so often they don’t even react or bother to put them out, consequently we have no mattresses. Waiting list over 18 months to get a mattress. We sleep on steel and concrete. There are no radios for sale on commissary.”

There is some unity in action going on, but without intentional organizing efforts to facilitate further education in proletarian ideology and connecting the masses behind bars to the oppressed nations in and out of the United Snakes, it may fizzle out due to lack of organization. Tactics such as setting fires can also bring about more repression from guards while taking away energy and materials for organizing. We will continue to fight the censorship and prepare for increased repression, and continue to grow USW inside Texa$ prisons.

We’ve also recently gotten a report of a new SPD (Security Precaution Designate) of Self Harm which is a measure the state is likely taking in response to organizing efforts and legal action against solitary. We are still awaiting updates from the court on the Anti-RHU lawsuit Dillard v. Davis, et al. Civil Action No. 7:19-cv-00081-M-BPs.

The most censored units are Allred and Hughes units. Censorship rates for ULK in TX have been increasing. Censorship rates for the last four issues of Under Lock & Key are as follows:

These are confirmed censorships while many are unconfirmed as received at the moment, so rates are likely much higher.

Much of this is in response to increased pushback from the prisoner population regarding the conditions already prevalent across Texa$ and organizing efforts such as the Juneteenth Freedom Initiative which initiated a wave of censorship which has been ongoing since June.

One comrade has been pushing a censorship lawsuit Owolabi v. TDCJ Allred Unit, et al., 7;22-cv-00094-0 which could have massive implication on facilitating further organizing efforts inside Texa$ prisons, however there have been issues with the Courts trying to dismiss the case on payments grounds despite payment being made for legal documents, that has been resolved for now but it goes to show how unwilling the Texas Department of Criminal Injustice is to follow in own procedure if prisoners use it to further progressive interests in making Texas$ prisons into liberation schools.

Regarding the BP 3.91 case Martinez, ET AL. vs. Members of the TExas Board of Criminal Justice, ET AL. #3:21-CV-00337, it is currently pending and the Judge had sided with the defendants and denied to issue summons to the TDCJ board members and director, however further action is being taken, its not over yet. More proof that this system is completely biased towards the oppressor and we cannot let up on any fronts.

On December 16, 13 comrades have unified in the Michael Unit to stop eating in response to ignored grievances, which both step 1 and 2’s have been filed, and hazardous conditions inside the isolation cells, where we’ve gotten a report where an entire row got sick due to improper ventilation. As with some other units, chow is being left out for hours at a time before being served, and people aren’t being let out to shower. We stand with these comrades and encourage other prisoners to find unity through these worsening conditions.

North Texas AIPS has been established and will be working in coordination with other groups such as Texas T.E.A.M. O.N.E. to ramp up more outside support and awareness of the struggle behind bars, and spreading MIM line in and outside of prisons in Texa$. We will continue to expand our efforts in order to bring awareness and strategize on combating the increased repression Texa$ prisoners have been facing

One project we will be working with a number of jailhouse lawyers on is updating the Texas Campaign Pack to include anything we can find to update the grievance information as well as information regarding the new independent Ombudsman for Texa$. Please send us your edits and changes for the Texas Pack so we can make the next edition as complete as possible.

The struggle in Texa$ is growing, as is state repression, our goals to establish institutions of the oppressed nation and facilitate the study of Maoism and peoples war is our path forward. Stand up for your right, don’t give up the fight.

At the end of 2022 we conducted a more in depth end of year review than the last few years, received reports from a number of allied organizations, and held a live group discussion of these reports. This work signaled an increase in our collaboration and communication to develop our support base on the outside. While the reports themselves will not be public, we reported on many of our accomplishments and some setbacks during 2022 in our last issue.

This year we will do a better job of laying out the tasks to achieve the goals we set for ourselves, setting deadlines for those tasks to get done and assigning people to complete those tasks. While we made good progress on most of the goals we set last year, we had set a goal of returning to 6 issues of ULK per year without setting any real plan to achieve that goal. As it turned out some of the setbacks we faced ensured that we did not make any progress towards that goal, so we have removed any timeline from that particular goal until we can build up the forces to support its achievement. We will remain at 4 issues per year for the foreseeable future.

On that note we did make progress in diversifying roles on projects like ULK, the intro study program, and general handling of prisoner mail. We will be focusing on developing this diversification more in 2023, as we work towards our goal of having more locality-based chapters of AIPS to support comrades organizing inside.

This year North Texas AIPS will be working with jailhouse lawyers to update the Texas Pack. Once that is done, probably late 2023, we will release an updated price. If you want to be a part of the committee updating it please let us know ASAP. The current 2020 version is available for seven postage stamps. We get so many requests for legal resources from Texas, we do require that you pay for them.

2022 Financial Report

One piece of our annual report we did promise last issue that we did not have yet was our financial report. In terms of our contributions from prisoners, the chart below shows that donations have been growing over the last 3 years.

Our budget for 2023 is projected to be almost double the budget for 2021. This is primarily due to an increase in costs for bulk mailing of ULKs due to a loss in labor support, secondarily to a general increase in subscribers and associated mail over the last 2 years, and thirdly to a general increase in prices.

We are in good shape to meet our financial needs in 2023 with an expected increase in contributions from AIPS comrades. If we do not see such an increase it will be tight and we will not be able to expand our programs at the rate we would like.

The Broader Movement

In this issue we have a couple articles that address some efforts by others to organize around Maoism. We hope these brief commentaries can serve to help us consolidate more forces around the MIM pole of the movement. We may release more in depth papers later in the year.

We look forward to the coming year with optimism, as we see many opportunities for growth and development of our movement.

The U.$. Constitution is a fraudulent and nefarious contract that is designed to maintain the status quo, and has led the oppressed masses in circles. Amerikkka has never – nor will ever – be a “democracy”. Christianity… in all its artful guises, is merely white supremacist propaganda disguised as sacred gospel. When you allow your sworn enemies to choose the rules and tactics by which you fight your battles, you will lose the war.

The commentary in Gunnas Stop, on page 12 of ULK 78, sounds like an emotional appeal that misses the cold hard reality of the “perverts” situation. While it would never – or has not yet – occurred to me to perform a salacious sexual act for a female who had not indicated her consent to the act, and I’ve know some freaky females in my time! My sentiments are as such that anyone who willingly colludes with the new Jim Crow prison/slave system of the U.$. D.O.C. is undeserving of much – if any – consideration. If all the “perverted” – probably insanely stressed out – brother did was to slap the nazi-pawn pig upside her head with his penis, she should count her blessings; he could have used a .45 caliber cannon. I don’t quibble between what is “legal”… and what is pragmatic. This war has been raging for 500 years! WTF?!!

Many years ago, an associate ambushed a law enforcement officer, who was with his family. The officer plied a scheme by which he would set up Black college students on bogus marijuana distribution charges, because he hated the prospect of a Black man obtaining college education and rising above blue collar slave wage status. The associate – presumably with others – massacred the officer and five of his family members, including the officers 8-year-old nephew (or cousin). My initial response was sadness and surprise. Then I thought of the thousands, millions, of innocent men, women and children who are still being enslaved and slaughtered by the state, and I realized that if that pig, or any of his kind, gave a happy shit for me or my children, he would not be in the service of the colonial Nazi Amerikkkan slavery genocidal system. That’s karma. (The irony of it all is that the assassins were white guys)

I have no problems with white supremacy, in Germany or Norway. My Native sisters and brothers don’t want it on Turtle Island. My Dinka and Khoisan peoples don’t want it in Africa, and I’m not having it in my home. I have not allowed christian literature, amerikkkan flags, or any other satanic filth in my home or personal space since 1979. I nearly drank myself to death when I realized that I had to purge my life of friends and family who insisted on supporting the global slave state, as flag waving patriots.

Skin, bones, teeth and hair mean little to me. The value of a thing turns on its ability to exist harmoniously and respectfully in the world. Even from childhood, I learned to admire Malcolm X, Geronimo, and Nat Turner. I also greatly respect Fidel Castro, Ernesto Guevera, Harriet Tubman, Hugo Chavez, Akhenaten and Niccolo Machiavelli. Mao Tse-Tung was nowhere perfect, but in my view he is one of the most honorable people to walk this earth in the last millennium. Commendations too for the Bolsheviks.

Say what one will about Ho Chi Minh, Kim Jong Un, Joseph Stalin, or Nicolas Maduro; These stalwart souls knew when to shit or get off the pot! Its two minutes past midnight, fuck the furniture, save the children!

Wiawimawo of MIM(Prisons) responds: For a 1 paragraph piece, we received some strong positive and negative responses to the article “Gunnas Stop”. Even one critic of the article supported those who discouraged gunnas by other means. It was this general sentiment from the masses opposed to this behavior that led me, as the editor of ULK 78, to include that short piece. I was correct that it was a topic of interest, but as the comrade above points out i was incorrect to print that piece to stand as our position on the topic. The original author is not a regular contributor to ULK.

In the spirit of self-criticism, I want to restate a few reasons why we agree with the critic above. First, we are not here to defend the oppressor, or to tell people to act professional towards them. Maybe that’s a useful tactic, maybe it’s not, but it is not a general position we should promote to our readers. What is moral to the proletariat is what ends oppression, what ends imperialism.

Second, this comrade’s critique is much more in line with MIM gender line than the article I approved in ULK 78. “Gunnas Stop” painted C.O.s as the oppressed in these situations. Yet as early as the first issue of Under Lock & Key we discussed the fact that young Black men were the most gender oppressed people in this country, largely thanks to the oppressive prison system.(1) Later in ULK 6, we focused on the topic of gender, and talked about things like how female staff would watch male prisoners shower. We get reports every week of C.O.s (of whatever biology) sexually harassing and assaulting biologically male prisoners. But as pointed out in the article in ULK 1, a 2007 DOJ report said 58% of staff charged with sexual misconduct were female, and therefore the rate of sexual misconduct of females against males is much higher in prisons than on the streets. In fact being a youth and/or a prisoner is a better predictor of being sexually assaulted than being female.(1)

As one recent example getting some publicity, Gregory Rodriquez recently “retired” from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after an investigation was launched last month into his sexual assault of at least 22 female prisoners in Central California Women’s Facility. This is the rare example of a C.O. getting investigated for such behavior. And it is even rarer to see these cases get any attention in male prisons.

All that is to say, in our battle against gender oppression, appeals for gunnas to stop, is not where our energy needs to be focused.

As another comrade pointed out in response to my self-criticism, Mao Zedong promoted a strategy of treating prisoners of war well to win over enemy forces and promote a sober and scientific approach towards the enemy by the revolutionary forces. But, “Gunnas Stop” was not addressed at revolutionary forces or a socialist state, but rather at random masses under conditions of torture and abuse themselves.

<sup>Notes:
1. MIM(Prisons), September 2007, Gender Oppression in U.$. Prisons, Under Lock & Key No. 1.</sup>

Thank you for Under Lock and Key No. 79 (could just as well be called Under Division and Unity). I could not help but draw a parallel between 2 articles. “Some Discussion on Bad Ideas Pt. 1” and “Show Proof to Build Unity”.

First, in “Show Proof to Build Unity” MIM reminds us that the reintegration policy is a strategy to “displace the big four lumpen orgs”. The divide and conquer tactic is a correct analysis although somehow avoids the subject implied which was/is: Unity with the biggest ‘lumpen group’ (sex offenders) as means to fight the real enemy (CDCR).

Perhaps it is fear that prevents any one sex offender from organizing. Fear of hate, after all hate is scary and dangerous especially when it is NOT justified. What does MIM propose? Does the sex offender boldly call for Unity with the prisoners that hate; or in reality need someone beneath themselves as a means to tolerate their own reflection in the mirror?

Does MIM propose the sex offender organize with other sex offenders? He prefers to keep his commitment ‘offense’ secret because the moment he attempts to unite he lets everyone know that he is the designated scapegoat thus opening himself up for attack, essentially a dangerous invitation.

Much safer to stay quiet, isolated although silence is complicit. Silence concedes that it is somehow ok to hate sex offenders when the reality is; hate for sex offenders is hate of self. Hate for sex offenders is simply a need to place someone beneath self as a means to tolerate ones own reflection in the mirror. It is a self conscious advertisement that the haters’ bad acts are much, much worse than any perceived ‘crime’ of having sex. Mostly because everyone is guilty of having sex. This hypocritical aspect is further proof that hate of sex offenders is really hate of self. The delusion that sex is somehow a crime of the worst nature is paper thin, held together only by silence, fear, and hate.

Silence, fear and hate are powerful weapons that CDCR uses for control. Does anyone wonder how 3 pigs keep control of 200 prisoners? The haters need loom no further than his own reflection in the mirror for that answer.

The delusion that sex is a crime is only a manifestation of one’s ego. An ego that requires someone; anyone to be worse than self. The haters must truly look at themselves and ask if CDCR oppression is great enough to drop their own ego. CDCR knows that haters will not drop their ego and this is how CDCR keeps everyone captive in chains and cages. Cages built out of ego, silence, fear and hate.

The haters must ask themselves if they can unite with the largest group of prisoners in prison because sex offenders are much, much deeper than any one hater knows. It is the silence; the secret, the dirty little secret that has allowed hate to grow into a uncontrollable big monster. The silence that has allowed the pigs to brand even greater numbers of regular, normal people with the brand of sex ‘offender’. The fear of hate that forces silence is the cause of division. Division that gives CDCR so much power and control.

In the article “Show Proof to Build Unity” MIM suggests unity with sex ‘offenders’. Perhaps by inherent necessity, it is the sex offender that must call for unity with his haters. The oppressed that must call for unity with the oppressor. Here I see the parallel in the other article “Some Discussions on Bad ideas Pt. 1.” The call for unity with the ‘White Worker’ seems to be a suggestion that oppressed nations call for unity with the oppressor nation by inherent necessity. Because certainly the haters have no desire to escape oppression thru unity.

Forgive me if I interpreted notes of doubt on fear of hate or outright hate for the haters in your article “Bad Ideas.” For instance, the hypothetical paragraph about a white person referring to the masses as “white worker” seemed to label that white person as a “former neo-nazi” isn’t that a little harsh considering the demographics here in 1st world USA?

[Wiawimawo notes: This is a misreading of the article, the article assumed a comrade was a former neo-nazi as an example of when someone’s past or identity might be relevant to a political criticism. But this was just an extreme example, as any Amerikan can show favor to the white workers without being a neo-Nazi, so in that sense we agree.]

The paragraph that “communists have failed the masses for 400 years by supporting the ‘white workers’ and putting the nation contradiction beneath”white worker interests" seems to refer to 3rd world nations rather than the demographics of national 1st world USA. Global perspective would provide clarity because this article was written and provided to and for 1st world USA. Prisoners who only know 1st world demographics, most of whom have never been outside the country.

I found the theme of ‘identity politics’ otherwise correct and intriguing for instance the paragraph about how it is wrong to be enemies with the MASSES for their bourgeois ideas when under oppression, such as patriarchy, homophobia, racism etc… I liked this whole analysis regarding friends being those who have the correct line on xyz and enemies being those who hold reactionary views as an incorrect communist stance.

I like the correct stance specified being “Mao’s method of finding out who our friends and enemies [are] by looking at a group of people’s relations to the means of production, relation to consumption, and relations to other classes.” That word class seems to me to be a definition of economics therefore the only color of class is green. Thus for revolutionary purposes 1st world USA is obviously enemies and 3rd world is friend. But Revolution from within 1st world begs a different question of who are friends and enemies? Who are the MASSES of 1st world USA?

Which brings on the question of “cause of racism” I get it (I think). I can certainly identify with extreme frustration even outright hatred of the haters although I think racism is caused by individual thinking as evidenced by my statement above “Hate for others is really hate for self”. It only seeks justification by blaming others therefore racism is caused by individual thinking and not necessarily by “Feudal European aristocrats (a class of people)” on “the white worker”.

In the same way hate for sex offenders is not perpetrated by any one (class of people) rather it is hate of self and sometimes that hate manifests itself as hate for others. The unavoidable truth however in that cause is individual thinking. Sometimes it only feels like hate when it is nothing more than an individual desire to fit in with all the other haters. Conformity like the Holocaust.

I think it gets a little confusing when we are discussing who the masses are in relation to revolution from within the 1st world USA or from a global revolutionary perspective. Does the author regard emself as american? or a global citizen? Its relevant to eir view of who the masses are. MIM seems to subconsciously realize that hate is in fact caused by individual thinking in the last paragraph “The sub-culture problem” Here ey writes “Line struggle turns into flame wars with no purpose of uniting with others, but exist only to express ones individual self for the cathartic feeling of having the correct line.” Here the people are seeking unity through the correct line even if that line is in reality incorrect, whether that line be a reactionary bourgeois idea on unity with the white worker.

MIM dismisses the unity of “300 college students with a Stalin portrait in their dorm room who thinks the white worker is a friend” however, at least that unity is not grounded in hate and fear, or doubt but conformity in the least and revolutionary at most.

Unity is key to revolution although revolutionaries must decide who are friends and enemies. Revolutionaries must distinguish where to wage revolution from. From the 3rd world against the 1st? or revolution from within the 1st world? MIM conceded conditions within the 1st world are unique, the follow up then is that revolution from 1st world the masses are in fact the white worker. Revolution from 3rd world only against 1st world may see the white worker as enemies. That is historically of course, considering the demographics of the 1st world today which only reinforces mass method of determining enemies and friend on class, class defines the only enemy color as green.

I want to thank MIM for calling on the haters to “Show proof and Build Unity” in ULK No. 79. I echo that sentiment to all that claim to dislike CDCR oppression. Show proof of opposition to imperialism (CDCR). Unite with the largest group of political prisoners, unite with sex offenders, we have a common enemy. Unless anyone really believes that any one ‘crime’ is somehow better than another.

I will give some thought to stepping outside of my self-imposed isolation, my shadow of safety. I think of a way to unite with those that hate me after all someone has to lead and haters obviously have no desire to escape their oppression through unity.

Wiawimawo of MIM(Prisons) responds: We appreciate this comrade’s thoughtful response to ULK No. 79. It brings up a number of issues i will try to address here with suggestions for further study.

Historically, in the CDCr, and elsewhere, New Afrikan communists and revolutionary nationalists have joined hands with neo-Nazis to unite around common interests as prisoners. These united fronts represented different groups with different interests (for example, white prisoners and New Afrikan prisoners) that had an overlapping interest that came to the forefront. This is similar to the unity of the Communist Party of China with the bourgeois Nationalist Party to fight the Japanese imperialists. After joining forces for a period, many Nationalists went on to fight the Communists, though some joined them. To join in a united front may represent a stage of struggle and not a permanent alliance of interests.

If a group of New Afrikan revolutionaries can join forces, in a principled way, with white Nazis, then certainly the divide between general population and sex offenders can be bridged. The sex offender issue is very persynal for many, but so is the nazi issue for New Afrikans.

We can point to the example of Lucasville, Ohio, outside of CDCr, where the unity between nazi’s and New Afrikans became permanent, however, despite the work of key leaders, the masses of white prisoners did not follow suit. In the case of sex offenders we believe the contradiction is less antagonistic. In other words it is more resolvable.

To an extent we agree with the author about the form hatred takes towards sex offenders being in peoples’ heads. But we don’t agree that it derives from the ideas of the individual. As Jean-Paul Sartre wrote in Anti-Semite and Jew:

“Underneath the bitterness of the anti-Semite is concealed the optimistic belief that harmony will be re-established of itself, once Evil is eliminated. Hist task is therefore purely negative: there is no question of building a new society, but only of purifying the one which exists.”(1)

In Under Lock & Key 55 i contrasted our approach of dialectical materialism to that of metaphysics, that sees things as having an unchanging essence.(2) To many people, the sex offender is evil that must be eliminated and cannot be changed. Yet in prison, these same people will often preach for rehabilitation and parole for other prisoners who have committed crimes. As Sartre points out with the anti-Semite, their views are advantageous in allowing for laziness. There is no need to figure out how to make society better or transform ourselves as the solution is easy – eliminate others.

Above i acknowledge the persynal motivation of hating sex offenders. A very high percentage of people in the criminal injustice system were abused as children, often sexually.

Now where we strongly disagree with the author is with eir implications that sex cannot be criminal because everyone does it. On the contrary, we say under patriarchy that all sex is rape. We also say that all of us in the imperialist core are reforming criminals, whether we are in maximum security in the concentration camps or on the streets in minimum security. Where the author seems to think there is nothing wrong, we think there is something gravely wrong that can only be resolved by changing the whole system. We might call it overthrowing the patriarchy.

The author above is correct to note the difference between the national question internationally and within the United $tates. It is only the delusional who see people in this country as having the same interests as the masses of Central Africa, South Asia, the Andes Mountains, etc. It is much more reasonable to claim that New Afrikans or [email protected] have the same interests as Amerikans. The minimum wage laws apply to all U.$. citizens after all. However, other statistics on wealth, health, segregation, as well as history indicate great divides that still exist and in some cases are increasing.(3)

Therefore, it remains MIM line that the principal contradiction in the world is around nation (oppressed nations vs. imperialism), and the principal contradiction in the United $tates is around nation. Again the author is correct to recognize these as 2 separate, though parallel, contradictions.

One point of argument in favor of the MIM line is you can actually find a lot of support for Amerikan so-called workers from the Third World proletariat and their fighting organizations/communist parties. Yet it is the internal semi-colonies in the United $tates where we find more sober assessments of the role of the euro-Amerikan nation. If there is anything unique that the internal semi-colonies have to offer the International Communist Movement, it is this.

The author refers to sex offenders as the biggest lumpen group. There are currently about 20,000 sex offenders out of about 96,000 prisoners held by the CDCr, so this is not off-base. We have written plenty on the need to unite across these divisions. But this comrade brings up the important topic of how to do so. While this was the topic of ULK 55, which we recommend comrades check out, this is not a question with easy answers. The examples of uniting with nazis mentioned above focused on finding unity around key struggles.

We must recognize though that often those who are the most oppressive towards sex offenders are those who are most friendly with the cops. See the recent grievance response received from a Nevada comrade, where the pig responded with,

“Stop Sniveling! Child molestors have no rights and will get no help from me… If you send me anymore kites I’ll make your life a living hell, do you want to be… labeled a snitch? Maybe I put your charges up on every bulletin board in the quad, or PREA your ass.”

So in response to a request to be returned to the appropriate housing level this pig threatened to falsely label this persyn a snitch among inmates, publicize eir sex offenses to other inmates or to create a false charge against em claiming ey sexually assaulted someone (Prisoner Rape Elimination Act). The pig is openly demonstrating how the state uses these divisions to control the population, especially those fighting for prisoner rights. As long as other prisoners play along with this, unity will require a lot of creativity and looking for opportunities.

In the long run, teaching dialectical materialism and promoting MIM gender line can undercut the deep held beliefs behind these divisions; if not in the old-guard, then in the youth. We know there are many “sex offenders” (whether actual or labelled) out there, we get your letters. Real solutions come through struggle, so we challenge you to join the struggle and find the answers yourself as this comrade is challenging emself to do – and then share them with us in the pages of ULK. As the saying goes, “real recognize real.”

<sup>Notes:
1. Jean-Paul Sartre, 1965, Anti-Semite and Jew, Schoken Books: New York, p.43.
2. Wiawimawo, March 2017, White Nationalism and the prison Movement, Under Lock & Key 55.
3. see “Who is Lumpen in the United $tates?” for our analysis.</sup>

The world has become extremely subjective with Kyrie Irving’s posts of a documentary of someone else’s views and opinions of the Holocaust, and other Jewish history. The world thereafter vilifies him for not conforming to their way in apologizing and admission of his anti-Semitism. He however lets the world know that he embraces his complete Afro-Black history, and reposes the question to him asked on how could he then be antisemitic?

The jew of antiquity I believe Kyrie refers to in debate of his non “anti-Semitism”, were either the black skinned Falasha of Abyssinia and/or, the Chinese Jews of Kai-Feng and/or, Jews of the Berber tribes located in the African Sahara [many colorful shades of Jewry]. So the real underlying question to Kyrie was not if he was “anti-self-metic”, but did Kyrie learn the truth and now possibly hate the modern caucasian Eastern European Jew who adopted his ancestors way of life as their own.

The bulk of today’s Jewry isn’t of Palestinian but of Caucasian Origin, and Yiddish is shockingly a mix of Hebrew, medieval German and Slavonic. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, in the 16th century there was about 1 million Jewish people and the majority were Khazar [located in the eastern confines of Europe between the Caucuses and the Volga] a substantial part was from Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, and the Balkans who founded the Eastern Jewish Community. This was the dominant majority of the world Jewry. If Kyrie delved even further he would discover that in the dark ages commerce in western Europe was monopolized by the Jews, including but not limited to the slave trade. Albeit, the “Jews” became a motley crew of humanity partly due to Abraham cohabiting with Hagan [an Egyptian]; Joseph marrying Aseneth [an Egyptian]; Moses marrying Zipporah; and King Solomon who loved many strange women, and had a Hittite mother of dark-complexion, the original tenets of the Jewish faith was practiced by Africans long before the “Jews”. [Thus making Africans possibly not the creator of the Jewish brand but, originators of the Jewish Faith.] “The religious belief in sacrifice for the remission of sins was an African belief and practiced at least 2,000 years before Abraham”, and “Practically all of the Ten Commandments were embedded in the African Constitution ages before Moses went up Mt. Sinai in Africa in 1491 B.C.” Chancellor Williams, The Destruction of Black Civilization p.135 (Third World Press) (1987)

“The large majority of surviving Jews in the world is of Eastern European– Thus perhaps mainly of Khazar–origin. If so, this would mean that their ancestors came not from Canaan but from the Caucasus, once believed to be the cradle of the Aryan race; and that genetically they are more closely related to the Hun, Uiger and Magyan Tribes than to the seed of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Should this turn out to be the case, then the term”anti-semetism" would become void of meaning, based on a mis-apprehension shared by both the killers and their victims." Arthur Koestler, The Thirteenth Tribe (Last Century Media)(1976)

I do not agree with murder of innocent people especially children. Hitler and his cronies did massacre countless human beings for nonsensical reasons of “race, color, and creed.” He orchestrated the genocide of over 6 million human souls of the Jewish Faith. But in all objectivity Adolf Hitler killed people of his own race and color, who centuries ago adopted a different creed from a migratory people of African/Semite descent. In all reality Hitler may not have even been a real racist and/or even knew the trajectory of the true African/Semite Jew in order to be authentically “Anit-Semite.” Hitler was merely a desperate white privileged capitalist, colonialist, imperialist wannabe, who would murder and oppress anyone within range, even his own country-men [for a man who hated the “Jews” so much he never waged war on a predominately Jewish State [Coward]. Hitler was an opportunist who made innocent people his opportunity] in the end the outcome of this inhumane genocide called the holocaust was real. But, the falsity may be in its premise. Did Hitler kill over 6 million “Jews” because he hated “Jews”, or did he kill over 6 million people because he hated LIFE! He died by suicide as a coke head, evidence that he too hated his own

Free Kyrie

MIM(Prisons) responds:

“Where do correct ideas come from? Do they drop from the skies? No. Are they innate in the mind? No. They come from social practice, and from it alone; they come from three kinds of social practice, the struggle for production, the class struggle and scientific experiment.” - Mao Zedong (Where Do Correct Ideas Come From?)

Just like how the above quote mentions, correct ideas come from the social practice of class struggle, the struggle for production, and scientific experiment. We extend this claim of knowledge coming from class struggle to bad ideas as well. Reactionary ideas among the masses also don’t drop from the skies nor are they innate in the mind.

A popular cultural phenomenon that is being widely reported on television is New Afrikan celebrities like Kyrie Irving (mentioned by the comrade above) expressing the idea that New Afrikans here in the United $tates are the original Hebrews described in the bible alongside sharing a documentary on social media which further elaborates on this trend. On top of similar sentiments, popular rapper Kanye West expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler, and claimed that he is going “death con 3” on Jewish people.

The reason why we would like to emphasize the above statements on correct ideas coming from social practice is because as chauvinist and strange these claims may be, they didn’t drop from the sky either. We can see a similar type of chauvinism against Asian national minorities from the masses of New Afrikans/[email protected] as well highlighted during the LA riots of burning down Korean petty-bourgeois establishments, and the sensationalized attacks of New Afrikans assaulting Chinese nationals during the earlier years of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city centers of this country.

In no way does this responder claim that anti-semitism and chauvinism in general is a correct thing, nor that all Jewish/East-Asian people are petty-bourgeois so they deserve what’s coming to them in times of crisis such as an uprising or a global pandemic. Communists who hold these ideas shouldn’t even hold that label in the first place. However, there should be a deeper and more scientific study of these contradictions and to recognize common reactionary ideas in the masses in the historical context. On top of this, to have the oppressed nations (particularly New Afrikans in this case) being the media’s face of modern anti-semitism is a ridiculous chauvinist idea as well in a country where the oppressor nation Amerika is one of the strongest contenders in the world of turning fascist in world economic crisis.

Many religious/cultural nationalists in the oppressed nations particularly share this attitude of New Afrikans being the real Hebrews described in the bible alongside the line that the common Jewish people we see in Europe/North Amerika today are pretenders. This particular trend of nationalism can be traced back in the late 1800s by Frank Cherry and William Saunders Crowdy who respectively founded two different Black Israelite churches in 1886 and 1896 respectively after both claiming to have had revelations that New Afrikans are descendants of the Hebrews in the bible. Both men were from the southern black belt territory still suffering from sharecropping at its height. In a region where almost semi-feudal conditions still reigned for a semi-colonial nation, religious ideas entrenched in a nationalist trend isn’t surprising.

In the modern setting, the contradiction between New Afrikan masses that live in the ghettos and Jewish petty-bourgeoisie can be exemplified in the Crown Heights riots of 1991 where a Guyanese child was murdered in an accident where a motorcade of Chabad (A Hasidic Jewish movement) carrying the famous rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson struck Gavin Cato to the child’s death. This led to several Jews being attacked on the street by New Afrikan youth.

While some comrades might be quick to condemn these ideas as anti-semtiic, we should see the prejudices of the masses (in this case anti-semitism) as a historical process that emerged in a specific time of class society (particularly in the United $tates). A scientific understanding of this problem would first lead one to recognize that the frustration the oppressed nation masses might have with prominently petty-bourgeois religious/national minority groups such as Jewish Americans (or certain demographics of Asian Americans) as based on the masses frustrations against their class enemy. One would also recognize that conspiratorial and chauvinist ideas should be eliminated through mass political education. Jewish communities of Russia of the Middle East/North Africa to the United $tates all have different relations to world imperialism from many belonging to both friend and enemy classes. Conspiratorial claims of Jewish elite are reactionary, but that is often what the masses think during times of oppression where they have not yet grasped scientific thinking.

In the United Struggle Within, there are many Black Hebrew Israelite tendencies along with other religious nationalist groups that might vary in terms of anti-semitism or conspiratorial thinking like the comrade above. The key point in all this is to properly assess unity-criticism-unity and to what point do some tendencies of nationalism have more good than bad. Ultimately, it’s these masses of the oppressed nation whose historical duty is to create a revolution and society where ideas such as anti-semitism will be gotten ridden of, and to put these groups as the leading cause of anti-semitism in the United $tates is classic settler-chauvinism.