"6 plus hours can impact 6+ billion lives"
March 10, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
From a young man in high school in the SF Bay Area who has watched the rough-cut of BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS!
What stood out to you?
"When BA gets into pornography, the whole thing about porn how it really degrades women. When you get into that industry—if there's no job and you're in a desperate situation you end up getting into that because you're desperate to make ends meet. Also, this country makes clear—BA talks about the culture of patriarchy promoted for so long it's hard to know how far it goes back. When I was introduced to BA, I understood that patriarchy going on, but he gave more clear light in simple manner how it's going on in this country and how we need to bring an end to it. He makes it visual—if someone didn't know anything about what patriarchy is, he makes a very clear understanding in five minutes and you get an understanding.
"Overall the movie—like the book BAsics itself—is basic. Some parts are hard to comprehend but most of it was easy to understand and captures and things make you laugh—it's true you say—things about Obama. Interesting he points out these things—the detailed things that a lot of people are missing—without making it too heavy and complex. Even though the film is six hours, it fits in your brain, it goes in there easily. It's not six hours of reading like Marx or something.
"What I've noticed is it makes things clear to people who don't know anything about revolution and communism, and getting out to all variety of audiences. With revolution and communism, the ideology, he answers—I'm not saying he answers everybody's questions—but different audiences, like intellectuals, people who said look what happened in the past, he speaks to them. He put 40 years into it. You couldn't find anybody else who could answer questions like he does it. Not a long answer—look up some of his videos about what is capitalism, the unchanging human nature crap. He has a good way of addressing things—not answering everybody's problems (in sense of individual problems), but giving answers to those things.
"This country has a lot of different kinds of people with a lot of different ideas about revolution and especially communism—and lies are being told. There's Set the Record Straight which is really awesome. Recently I had an argument about the Great Leap Forward and what happened with the three million who died. BA and the rest of the Party helped—they're together on this mission to move for revolution, to make revolution and get stuff out plus tell people what really went down in those previous revolutions. He's not saying they're perfect, he's summing up the positive and the negative and learning from it. There will always be mistakes he says, but he talks about what happened back then and how to improve on it. This country is known to lie and push down the history of communism and socialism and what happened in Russia and China."
What jumped out at you?
"The end part—toward the end. It doesn't matter what age you are, we need more youth. He's giving confidence to everybody it doesn't matter what age they are—encouraging the youth this is their future—this system has no future for the youth but revolution does."
What do you say to people about the film?
"Holy shit this was good! Better than all the Lord of the Rings put together. 6 plus hours can impact 6+ billion lives. What is it about? I really can't answer it for you—you have to see it for yourself. You've just got to see it for yourself. It's incredible—you've got to see it for yourself and then judge. This premiere can make a big difference because afterward people will have a lot of strong reactions.
"When friends ask about the film, I say he speaks the truth about Obama and why things can't be reformed, but there's an alternative. Then people say, well this movie sounds like something I might want to go to. Even if you're not clear who this guy is, I say, he makes strong case for revolution, even if you don't agree with all of it, it's excellent. Personally, I saw it and I loved it, and thought it was very well executed. If you've never heard of BA—go see it. If you have questions—go see it anyway."
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