REVOLUTION NOW or REVOLUTION AS A PROCESS?

[Akyeame Kwame]

Peace Afrikans,
In my close circle there has been discussion of revolution. One view is that, similar to Sun Tzu's recommendation of setting a fire to cause confusion (temporary breakdowns in the system) and to take advantage of that confusion, revolutionary acts need to be done now to prevent white world terror domination's tentacles from continuing to stretch out in the various operations it's running throughout the world in general and this country in particular. Others advise that revolution is a long and protracted process requiring the systematic education of Afrikan people citing Omali Yeshitela's 9-11 speech on Pan-AfrikanTV in regards to immediate acts to disrupt white world terror domination that are actually counter-revolutionary.

The first view looks at current plans and acts of genocide being carried out against Afrikan people (concentration camps, schools, churches, ho-lice, chemical/biological warfare etc.) throughout the world and requires some type of systematic offensive.

The second view mentions the futility of the "fire" created if negroes are too brainwashed to take any advantage of it and would kill each other as self-hatred takes its course.

The first view looks at the need to break the system of coerced interactions with the static/dynamic global interlocking system of white world terror domination in the form of everyone, even (and sometimes especially) conscious Afrikans supporting white world terror domination through cell-phone use, use of gasoline, buying/wearing whitey clothes, use of electricity, eating, paying rent, etc. and in function, regardless of ideology, supporting w.w.t.d.

The second view looks at the first view as wanting a (probably ineffective) shortcut out of the intergenerational work and process that is the Afrikan World Revolution.

What do you think? REVOLUTION NOW OR REVOLUTION AS A PROCESS ?

Akyeame_Kwame

[Little95]

Both. I think we must do must & why not? Sell-outs are the only thang to worry bout honestly. Get rid of them, set the peeps in jail free (xcept murders & child molesters, ("I'll off them but, thats just me")), raid the guards buildings fo the heat & po-po stations. shit after that then what they gon do? We put snipes on the roof tops w/ rocket launchers, burn tires, raid food plants, grow food, barter till the system change. If this happens the world will catch on & shit what they go do, blow us all up, but remember the people are the ones who take the orders so if they ain't changed - won't nothing change!!!

[Im The Truth]

What precedes both ideas is that must be a movement for either of these ways to work.

[Akyeame Kwame]

htp,

what do you mean by movement?

the proponents of the first view cite that in Cuba between 10 and 20 people set it off. In Guinea-Bissau four or five, In Burkina-Faso a handful (around 75) toppled the corrupt gov't to put Thomas Sankara in power...so a movement wouldn't necessarily have to have no Marcus Garvey/Nation of Islam sized thing going to start with.

those of the second view are seeing movement as educating Our children, working with the natal family throughout the course of several generations in the (re)establishment of a revolutionary Afrikan culture.

so the question is methodology. can both work together? if so how?

[RecoveringAA]

Greetings again Comrades...


Question Akyeame_Kwame ~ Do either group provide a suggested time frame??

[Akyeame Kwame]

Responses,

a suggested time to begin or to complete (in whatever sense that might be) the first view would actually begin with a core group and a plan of the most effective strategies...to begin to create and control the conditions that can bring about the effects that WE desire
the second view would be that everything that WE (Afrikan people) do and have done to learn, teach, be self-sufficient means that WE have already started

[Kweku_Omowale]

the revoltionary thought process,will occur effectively my friend,the thing is we need to be organized! organize organize! i think the art of war,should be read very carefully by many people among revolutionary circles,you know,i think people are not prepared for revolution,eithera revolutionary process,what we gonna do with the sell outs,that gonna chicken out and the long run and sell us short to the enemy,the art of war,is for people that are already mentally prepared for armed struggle and,needs organization,many here in toronto kanada says we afrikans can noty fight like that because the enemy can outgun us and will wipe us out if we attempt that what are your thoughts on that

[RecoveringAA]

I AM still Joanie, Recovering Afrikan amerikkkan and Rep. from the Voices in the Margins.

In response to the question regarding methodology:
"so the question is methodology. can both work together? if so how?"

eye & I say yes..both can work together based on your last posting here.

they are already at work.

As a Mental Health Professional, I believe there is a vast resource of "bodies", "minds" and "Spirits" ("the Masses") willing and waiting for direction. If we could tap into other Professionals (Social Workers, therapists) of Afrikan descent (who are culturally and spiritually awake, aware and ready) who have direct and daily contact with "the Masses", formulate a plan of action, say a Mass uprising.....we could just instruct them to sing and dance to the "music" (Roots/Culture Reggae, Positive Rap- dead prez, others) in the streets...teach their children this music....teach them to ELIMINATE CARTOONS, VIDEO GAMES, ETC... from their children's spiritual diet, plan community activies along these lines.....building on the relationships they have with the people. This supports the second view.


This can be going on while......our PROFESSIONAL REVOLUTIONARIES are at work planning thier attack.....in support of view # 1

Representatives from both arenas will need to be in constant contact and planning together....

Does this make sense?.....too far-fetched?.....IMPOSSIBLE?.....or....what?

[Akyeame Kwame]

Some of the first view say that the idea of building up anything before the system of white world terror domination is destoryed is a fruitless endeavor in delusion...citing Armah in his discussion of the need to destroy destruction and the ridiculousness of thinking destruction would not eventually came knocking as a self-sufficient seed of life is planted. therefore view 1 needs to be addressed b4 view 2. they then cite examples such as MOVE, shining path, and even waco on some "if they kill they own folk, whatchu think they gon do to you?"

the "whitey's gon beat us up" thing sounds like fear and lack of understanding that they're exterminating US in every area of time, space and activity

on the other side of the coin isolated acts by some few folks somewhere may be viewed as fear of doing the hard intergenerational work of ReAfrikanization.

[OKULAJA]

Before any type of Military Offensive can be carried out by our Combatants for whatever objective, the stage must first be set. When I say the stage, I'm talking about having the support, or at least sympathy, of the Masses. This is the purpose of The Uhuru Movement. If you check the Battle of St. Pete post it shows the effectiveness of Protracted People's Struggle thru Grassroots Organizing.

Foco Theory is the idea of waging Revolution by Armed Guerrilla Combatants carrying out a Military Offensive without a Popular Peoples Movement being in place first. Foco comes from the word Foquismo which means 'Guerilla Band'. This would lead to suicide because the Guerrillas would have no support from the population.

When Assata got Liberated, People had signs in there windows saying ,"RUN ASSATA RUN" and things like that. She got smuggled out of the country thru an underground network. Combatants need the support of the People for Safehouses, food, provisions, medical care, financing, etc. The People may not act as Combatants, but they can provide some type of support. In a People's struggle you have 1) Cadre 2) Supporters 3) Sympathizers. We need the People to be at least Sympathizers. This is why we need Revolutionary Mass Movement Orgs to do the Community Organizing to win the Hearts and Minds of the People to Revolutionary ideals. If the Uhuru Movement hadn't done this effectively in St. Pete, those in that Branch may be locked down as Political Prisoners right now or worse. As the saying goes, " The Revolutionaries are the Fish and the People are the Water" without the Water the Revolutionaries die.

Again we're talking about an all out Military Offensive, Self-Defense is a different story. If a pig is trying to beat you, you better defend yourself like you would against anyone else.

[OKULAJA]

Battle Of St. Pete...Modern African Guerrilla Warfare In The U.S.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taken from the Burning Spear newspaper. Vol. 21 No. 2 1997

Organized Resistance Shakes St. Pete.

On October 24, a new era of Black Revolution and Resistance was born during the righteous rebellion of African workers in St. Petersburg, Florida.

This rebellion erupted after the shooting of 18-year-old Tyron Lewis by St. Petersburg police after a traffic stop. His hands raised in surrender while policeman James pumped 5 bullets into his body as Officer Sandra Minor yelled, "shoot him, shoot him!"

Brother Tyron died in the ambulance in route to the hospital. In his path, an inferno of African rage consumed the south St. Petersburg as African workers took up bricks, bottles, molotov cocktails, guns and whatever weapons they could get their hands on to drive the murderous St. Petersburg police from the African community.

Hundreds of courageous young African workers were immediately transformed into fearless freedom fighters who fought police in pitched battles in the streets, reduced sections of the city owned by parasitic merchants to ashes and strategically targeted south St. Petersburg police substations and command centers for destruction.

Hundreds of police from law enforcement agencies throughout the state of Florida were deployed to crush our rebellion. National Guard troops at the edge of our community awaiting orders from the white rulers to attack. Unafraid of this arrogant and vulgar display of deadly force, the courageous warriors of African Liberation in St. Petersburg fought them like seasoned urban guerillas/ Armed with makeshift weapons, guns, and unflicnhing revolutionary heroism, these warriors camoflaged themselves in the shadows that landscaped the pitch dark streets, and suffered no casualties while making the oppressors pay a dear cost for their decades of crimes against our community.

By Friday morning, October 25, more than 33 well-chosen buildings were burned, including two police substations, a bank and other white-owned businesses were hit.

Three weeks later, the people again exacted a price from the oppressive city governemtn with a new and powerful intensity. On the night of November 13, following the grand jury's exoneration of killer cop James Knight and the assault by the police against the headquarters of the African people's Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement, African workers again rose up with brilliance and courage.

Before noon that day police arreated Uhuru Movement member David Willard. The police told him that they were doing a sweep of Uhuru Movement memebers to get us off the street in anticipation of the verdict.

At about 3:30 PM, 27 memebrs of the Green Team, a special weapons assault team notorious in the African Community for its brutality, charged the Uhuru House to arrest Mtundu Diallobe - an organizer for the Uhuru Movement who they fear because he is a populat leader among the militant young African workers in St. Petersburg.

After Arresting Brother Mtundu, the police assaulted Chairman Omali Yeshitela and local NPDUM President Kinara Zima with pepper spray and captured Uhuru Movement memebr Lenzy Williams. At this point hundreds of Africans stopped in the middle of traffic, came out of their houses and approached the scene of the confrontation. The police ran away.

Obviously this was an attempt to provoke a confrontation with our movement and justify a deadly military attack against us. But something totally different happened.

After this cowardly assault by police, masses of Africans stood guard on both sides of the avenue where the Uhuru House stands, waiting for the police to attack again.The Uhuru House stands, waiting for the police to attack again. The Uhuru Movement distributed hundreds of fliers condemning the grand jury verdict and inviting the community to discuss our next move at our regularly shceduled 6:30 PM mass meeting which takes place very Wednesday.

By 6:30PM, an army of police clad in riot gear, armed with shot guns and tear gas, blocked off both sides of the street in fornt of the Uhuru House, and declared our meeting an unlawful assembly. Helicopters and low flying airplanes swooped overhead, as police from throughout the state were being deployed into our community.

Over 100 people were already packed inside the Uhur House. Then, over a loud speaker, the police announced that we had five minutes to disperse. In less than 30 seconds they began shooting tear gas from each entrance into our building where there were children and babies. They didn't intend for people to get out.

This attack on the Uhuru Movement was similar to the government attack on the Black Panther Party in Chicago on December 4, 1969 that resulted in the brutal assassination of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, and the murderous May 10, 1985 police attack on the MOVE Organization in Philadelphia.

But their deadly plans were smashed by the ferocious and brilliant counter attack launched by African workers on the streets armed with bricks, molotov cocktails and gunfire.

Organized in small combat units of three and four, armed with bricks, molotov cocktails and sometimes guns, African workers struck with lightning force and speed. They ambushed squadrons of police which sat like sitting ducks in the middle of the streets. Then swiftly retreated into alleys, faded intot eh darkness.

Driven by revolutionary ingenuity reminiscent of the guerrilla fighters in Viet Nam, the same African workers of St. Petersburg who are forced through sheer poverty to ride bicycles instead of driving cars turned this poverty into an ingenious weapon against the police. Molotov cocktail- and gun wielding African combatants on bicycles attacked police cordons then raced passed the returning gunfire of the police- quickly ducking into sidestreets, alleys and backyards.

Unlike, the October 24th uprising, this time the warriors covered their faces with ski masks and bandannas like the Zapatista guerrillas in the jungle war zones of southern Mexico.

The police were paralyzed with fear as they were hit from all directions by invisible attackers.

"If need be, take the troops out!" one scared officer screamed over his radio. "They can't take the heavy gunfire out there!"

That night, two police were shot, a police helicopter was shot from the sky and 35 more buildings burned to the ground.

On the other hand, the African freedom fighters suffered no casualties. Most of those arrested did not participate in the resistance but were unwitting victims ambushed by demoralized and frustrated police.

It was the heroic resistance of the African workers which saved the lives of Uhuru Movement leaders and participants in the meeting...

The Uhuru House in St. Pete has since been referred to as "The Embassy of the Black Community". This title was given to it by the City Administrators themselves, not some title we gave ourselves. Thats called respect. Not respect because they like us, respect because of POWER.

[OKULAJA]

We have discussed this topic on several threads, but I'm down to engage in it again and again. Like others have said, we must ORGANIZE. Get involved in an organization. There are several Mass Movement Organizations out there that work to politicize and organize the Masses. Before there can be Armed Struggle, we must have a Popular Peoples Movement in place. Our People, the Masses, must be provided with an accurate analysis of what our conditions are, why they are, how they got to be, and what must be done in order make Revolutionary change.

Our People must be part of active membership or Cadre of Revolutionary Organizations OR Supporters OR at the least Sympathizers. This must be done through active Above-Ground Mass Organizing in order to build a strong Community Base, through Block Organizing(going door-to-door which there is a thread on), Distributing Propanda (revolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and flyers), Community Development Programs (ie Survival Programs: Feed the People, Youth Programs, Public Safety), engaging in Campaigns to defend the Democratic Rights of African People (Police Terrorism on the streets as well as in the Prisons; Indecent Housing; Miseducation and Mistreatment of African Children in the Colonial School System; Injustices in the Colonial Court System, just to name a few).

Once the Masses are politicized and organized to a sufficient point, once the Underground formations are adequately trained and organized, then the Stage would be Set for the next Phase of Revolution. Armed Combatants, the Guerrilla Freedom Fighters, must have the support of the Masses for they are their Lifeline. Without the support of the Masses, the Guerrillas would be going on suicide missions.

Lets say a band of Guerrillas went and blew up a Police Substation in retaliation for Police Terror. In the state of confusion and disorientation the Masses of Our People are in right now, many would be duped by the colonial media into believing that the assault was a 'terrorist act' by a bunch of 'terrorists' seeking to usurp their freedom and way of life instead of knowing that the so-called 'terrorists' are actually fighting for their freedom against the oppressor colonialists. Or lets say a Freedom Fighter just had a run in with the Colonial Police and was running through the streets and alleys trying to evade the enemy. He/she would need to be able to seek refuge in somebody's basement, have his wounds tended to if any, and to be fed and supplied until the 'heats off'. If the Above-Ground Mass Organization hasn't done the work of establishing a strong Community Base, a Popular Peoples Movement, then the Guerrilla would more than likely be turned in and reported to the Enemy. But if a viable Popular Peoples Movement is in place with leadership through Revolutionary Mass Above-Ground Organizations with a connection with the Underground Armed Element, the People wouldn't be able to be duped by the colonial propaganda apparatus we call the media.

What I'm saying is not just Theory, it is an Applied Revolutionary Science which has been proven successful in many Freedom Movements throughout the globe. I'm with the International Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement, and there are several other Organizations with representation on this board such as A-APRP, POCC, Drum Collective and others. The first step in Armed struggle is to first get actively involved in its preparation. Help build a Popular Peoples Movement, a strong Community Base. To see the practical effectiveness of this check out the thread on the Battle of St. Pete and others under the Liberation Strategy Forum. The Revolutionaries are the Fish and the People are the Water, without the support of the People the Revolutionaries DIE.

Consistently train in an effective Martial Science, get in shape, eat right, get a gun and learn how to disassemble/reassemble, clean, and properly shoot it, and most of all Arm your Mind with Political Education, your Spirit with the Strength, Guidance, and Wisdom of Our Ancestors, and your Heart with Courage and Love for Our People and the Future of Our Children.

UHURU!!!

[OKULAJA]

Little95 said, "...remember the people are the ones who take the orders so if they ain't changed - won't nothing change!!!"

Simple and Plain, Comrade

Things popped off in Cuba how they did because the People were in support of it. The Objective Conditions are in place for Revolution right now. By Objective I mean State Repression through Poverty, Police Terrorism, the Prison Industrial Complex, Political Prisoners, etc.

However the Subjective Conditions are not. By Subjective I mean a Conscious Colonial Population committed to struggling for our Liberation, guided by a correct Revolutionary Philosophy, a correct Line and a Revolutionary Party rooted in the Masses and steeled for Combat by its day to day struggle in the interests of the toiling Masses.

Toppling International White Power, "Is in the Hands of the African Working Class, its just not in the Heads of the African Working Class" Omali Yeshitela addressing the PAC, in Azania (South Africa) 2003.

We must raise the Revolutionary Consciousness of a significant amount of the Masses.

[Akyeame Kwame]

Originally Posted by OKULAJA

Before any type of Military Offensive can be carried out by our Combatants for whatever objective, the stage must first be set. When I say the stage, I'm talking about having the support, or at least sympathy, of the Masses. This is the purpose of The Uhuru Movement. If you check the Battle of St. Pete post it shows the effectiveness of Protracted People's Struggle thru Grassroots Organizing.

Foco Theory is the idea of waging Revolution by Armed Guerrilla Combatants carrying out a Military Offensive without a Popular Peoples Movement being in place first. Foco comes from the word Foquismo which means 'Guerilla Band'. This would lead to suicide because the Guerrillas would have no support from the population.

When Assata got Liberated, People had signs in there windows saying ,"RUN ASSATA RUN" and things like that. She got smuggled out of the country thru an underground network. Combatants need the support of the People for Safehouses, food, provisions, medical care, financing, etc. The People may not act as Combatants, but they can provide some type of support. In a People's struggle you have 1) Cadre 2) Supporters 3) Sympathizers. We need the People to be at least Sympathizers. This is why we need Revolutionary Mass Movement Orgs to do the Community Organizing to win the Hearts and Minds of the People to Revolutionary ideals. If the Uhuru Movement hadn't done this effectively in St. Pete, those in that Branch may be locked down as Political Prisoners right now or worse. As the saying goes, " The Revolutionaries are the Fish and the People are the Water" without the Water the Revolutionaries die.

Again we're talking about an all out Military Offensive, Self-Defense is a different story. If a pig is trying to beat you, you better defend yourself like you would against anyone else.

I gotta add to yr rep power for your comments. You have woven the two views together beautifully. And your suggestions about things to do personally are not by any means optional for anyone serious. You are correct about the support of the people...history has shown that in revolution after revolution. One issue that Nana Kwame Ture mentioned in his discussion of the difference between organization and mobilization is that it is much easier to mobilize people against a common cause, but much more difficult to organize people FOR a common cause...and this lack of common goals eventually causes disintegration of many movements when the opposition seems more amorphous, less threatening or even friendly.
One point made on the side of the first view is that conditions need to be created wherein things become less optional in the sense that everyone regardless of what they are about contributes to Our enemies in some way shape or form whether they want to or not...is there a way to create the conditions/environment where support of white world terror domination is not even an option. Is there something that could cause people to fight other than WE're against what the police did. Or WE're against how Our enemies happen to be treating US at this particular second?
Question...what is the life blood of this country...the common denominator depended upon in their every action that if disrupted would cause a breakdown in the social order?

[OKULAJA]

Originally Posted by Akyeame_Kwame

I gotta add to yr rep power for your comments. You have woven the two views together beautifully. And your suggestions about things to do personally are not by any means optional for anyone serious. You are correct about the support of the people...history has shown that in revolution after revolution. One issue that Nana Kwame Ture mentioned in his discussion of the difference between organization and mobilization is that it is much easier to mobilize people against a common cause, but much more difficult to organize people FOR a common cause...and this lack of common goals eventually causes disintegration of many movements when the opposition seems more amorphous, less threatening or even friendly.
One point made on the side of the first view is that conditions need to be created wherein things become less optional in the sense that everyone regardless of what they are about contributes to Our enemies in some way shape or form whether they want to or not...is there a way to create the conditions/environment where support of white world terror domination is not even an option. Is there something that could cause people to fight other than WE're against what the police did. Or WE're against how Our enemies happen to be treating US at this particular second?
Question...what is the life blood of this country...the common denominator depended upon in their every action that if disrupted would cause a breakdown in the social order?

The life blood of this country is Africa and her Resources and Children at home and aboad. We are the pedestal which Imperialist White Power with the U.S. as its Vanguard rests upon. Free Africa and her Children and you Free all the Worlds Oppressed and Colonized People.

There is a policy that we (The APSP/Uhuru Movement) implement called Scorched Earth.

"Its an old tactic practiced for centuries by Guerilla formations. Its purpose is to make the enemy-invaded territory uninhabitable by the enemy, generally through the use of fire as the name implies.

Scorched Earth is our Organization's organizing policy and African Internationalism is the flaming ideological weapon used to frustrate the enemy's ideological and politcal invasion. Chairman Mao Tse Tung, who was a master of Guerilla Warfare and the Scorched Earth Tactic, correctly stated that Politics is War without Bloodshed and War is Politics with Bloodshed. Our Scorched Earth policy was begun as War without Bloodshed.

It is our responsibilty to organize, educate, and agitate in a fashion which makes it impossible for alien oppressive ideologies and politics to stand up, to survive the fury of our Scorched Earth policy."

Everywhere they go the enemy must find evidence of our Organizations presence and influence. They must see a poster, or leaflet, or Burning Spear newspaper, etc.