Prisoners Join Revolutionary Conversation on New Draft Programme

Revolutionary Worker #1127, November 18, 2001, posted at http://rwor.org

There are many prisoners and political prisoners that need to get their hands on the Draft Programme of the Revolutionary Communist Party. The brothers and sisters behind bars must be a part of this discussion and debate. To do this, we ask all people who see the need to spread the vision of a revolutionary programme, to contribute to the Prisoners' Revolutionary Literature Fund (PRLF).

Greetings,

I finally received the Draft Programme. It's very insightful. I've shared it with a few brothers here. There was a big debate about religion and MLM. The brothers thought MLM means patterning ourselves after Marx, Mao and Lenin to the "T." They call themselves guerrillas yet they oppose protracted warfare. They went on and on with some spiel about how technology is now too advanced, "eyes in the sky" and so forth. They, however, correctly pointed to the fact that there is such a thing as "the right conditions for a revolution," but they mistakenly perceive this to mean that we can't move until Africa moves, until China moves, etc. and that we're doomed without external support. And as far as MLM goes, they thought we wish to import a revolution, just as Mao's, just as was led by Lenin.

I'm explaining to them dialectical materialism and the correct meaning of protracted people's war. I just let a brother read the Shanghai Textbook [about revolutionary China under Mao]. I have Capital volume one and the military writings of Mao. I'm sure these will help some. It's ironic, however, these cats claim to feel George Jackson, yet they have a hang up with the word communism. Scientific socialism is their ideology as if it's different. And as far as religion, they misquoted the Draft Programme, stating it said it would smash religion. I showed them where the DP said it would not suppress religion but would firmly not allow it to organize against the revolution. They countered with some crap about religion is a touchy topic and we should not poke holes in it. But how does anyone call themselves revolutionary, but refuse to welcome the facts (of any issue)? Let capitalism stand up to be judged. Let, as well, communism stand up to be judged. Drag their religion to the table, as well, bring their loves and hates. Bring ours/mine as well. Nothing is sacred... If it stands up after progressive criticism, if any thing is left, by all means keep it. But what fool says don't judge my words, my deeds nor my beliefs? What fool?

Anyway, thought I'd say thanks. You guys are one of the ones to stay ten toes down...

RE: Receipt of Programa Borrador del partido Comunista Revolucionario, Estado Unidos and Mao Tsetung's Immortal Contributions by Chairman Avakian

Revolutionary greetings from the xxx gulag archipelago. I trust this correspondence finds you and all the PRLF comrades well. Please be advised I am in receipt of the above-referenced items and your most welcome communiqué.

I intend to comment on the new Draft Programme at length but, unfortunately, I am the only valid prisoner litigator at this state jail. Therefore my services and assistance for indigent, illiterate and/or non-English-speaking prisoners is greatly in demand--a barefoot lawyer program, so-to-speak, serving the people through empowering the people. Though I have read approximately half of the [new] DP, due to my involvement in these litigations, at present, I have little spare time to comment on such. I do look forward to drafting a comprehensive response to the new DP in the near future as soon as some of my time is freed up.

I will say in brief, though, I have much respect for the RCP and fully support you. I agree, in principle, to the RCP's broad-based unite and fight platform. But history has shown those segments of society not closely related to the international proletariat, when their material conditions are adversely affected via the dialectical revolutionary process, they will capitulate (e.g. the white liberal petit bourgeoisie will revert to white privilege, etc.) So I am skeptical of alliances too far removed from the proletariat.

I also disagree that there is a large proletariat in the U$, especially a large white proletariat. I am convinced U$ workers, via super profits, are labor aristocrats; thus, Mao's encirclement strategy will be the liberated Third World encircling the United Snakes. I will expand this line in my forthcoming commentary.

I am disappointed in the inmates' reception to the new DP here, but not surprised. I have, for the most part, equated Lenin's assessment of the Russian peasantry's revolutionary potential to that of U$ prisoners. They are a retrograde class bereft of the proclivities necessary in advancing complex social theories to practice.

I have 197 days left to serve of a 10-year sentence. I look forward to participating in some of the RCP's activities thereafter.

In closing, please accept my profuse gratitude for your revolutionary literature allocation. I am anxious to progress my political instruction through your provided texts. Should you come across a copy of Das Kapital, it would be gratefully received.

May this letter find you in the best of health, full of revolutionary fire preparing for the total elimination of this unjust capitalist system. As for myself I am preparing and qualifying myself to take part in the worldwide battle for liberation against imperialism.

Thank you for mailing me the Draft Programme of the RCP, USA. It is because of liberating knowledge such as this and the RW that I am able to understand the events of the world through objective honest lenses. The RW is vital to the conscious prisoner, and to any human being, especially in this age of state/corporate controlled media and propaganda machines. The RW has kept me informed and protects me from the "necessary illusions" perpetrated by a system hell bent on setting the agendas as well as controlling the thoughts of the masses [Noam Chomsky]

I have not finished reading and critically analyzing the DP. Nevertheless, I will point out some aspects and agree that this present governmental system is unjust and should be destroyed.

To bring down this system is the urgent need of the world's exploited and oppressed. (DP, p. 7) All those people, our people suffering in Latin America because of the "austerity measures" and unjust policies being imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as the World Bank, deserve justice and are needed to bring down this system. Incumbent upon this movement is the social, political and economic consciousness of the proletariat. Consciousness must be fundamental. As the Draft points out, we need a people politically conscious as well as disciplined, prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause. "Acquiring consciousness signifies breaking the chains that tie man to the society in decline. It is equivalent to his full realization as a human being." [Ernesto "Che" Guevarra]

We need to realize as a people that as long as we continue to depend on the mainstream-corporate-owned media for information we will never attain the level of consciousness needed for liberation.

The events of September 11th show us, at home, the effects of globalization. Globalization is another aspect of imperialism. Monopoly capitalism is a disease that has brought destruction across the globe in the forms of deregulation, environmental destruction as well as an attack on working wages. The truth of these global, unjust measures has been hidden by the mainstream media--committing a grave injustice to the masses of our people. Many of our ignorant people have become pseudo-patriots supporting further deaths in the name of Amerika. The same Amerika that houses two million of its citizens in their present day concentration camps leading the world in prisoners.

"Imagine the most violent nation on earth, the heir of Indian and African genocide, the only nation ever to drop an atomic bomb on a civilian population, the world's biggest arms dealer, the country that napalmed over ten million people in Vietnam (to "save" it from communism), the world's biggest jailer..." [Mumia Abu-Jamal, Live From Death Row] Imagine how one could know this history and even think about supporting a government such as this in its plan of war. At a time like this we should be talking about world peace and an end to world war, which can only come by ending global imperialism.

I give thanks to the RCP and the RW because it has helped open my eyes to the world. Because of this liberating knowledge I can say with pride and insight, "Free Chairman Gonzalo! (Our comrade unjustly imprisoned in the dungeons of Peru.) Stop the U.S. military garrisons around the globe and the disrespectful occupation of Palestinian land. Give the Palestinians as well as my Puerto Rican people their right to self-determination. Stop the environmental poisoning and human destructive bombing of Vieques and free all Puerto Rican political prisoners. Stop the economic sanctions and political embargos placed on the people of Cuba, Iraq and Libya! All of these evils are only symptoms of a disease called capitalism and the cure lies in the proletariat revolution."

As a prisoner being held in a concentration camp, I implore all my people to read the RW and get yourself a copy of the Draft Programme. Study it and use it to break away from the psychological chains of slavery imposed on us by this evil system of capitalism.

The same system that is guilty of global famine is the same one guilty of maintaining us imprisoned because of politics and economics. The parole commissioners here are guided by the political climate and not the parole guidelines. They continue to imprison us because of government "informal policy" by hitting us with two years at our initial parole appearance in order to capitalize from our misery. As a conscious prisoner I must cry out and expose this unjust parole commission under the Pataki administration because they are abusing their discretionary powers. All prisoners going before them are being painted with the same "political airbrush" instead of evaluating us on our own individual merits and accomplishments. Rehabilitation went out the window as soon as the prison system got tied into the economy. But what can one expect from a system founded by white-supremacy and corporate greed.

Thank you RCP for responding to my request for a copy of the Draft and also for being the vanguard party needed to educate the masses in preparation for proletariat revolution against this oppressive system. "When tyranny is law, revolution is order." [Don Pedro Albizu Campos]

P.S. I will write again as soon as I finish studying the entire Draft Programme

First of all, I trust that this letter will find you and the other comrades in the best of health and spirits. This is just a short note to let you know that I received your letter and the Draft Programme. What a beautiful piece of work!

I'll be going through the Draft Programme with my class this week. Oh, by the way, if you could assist me on getting a Red Book, please let me know, how much.

Well my comrades in the struggle, take care and always know that the real power is with the people.

Your brotha in the struggle,

I sincerely hope that this letter finds all well. Thank you very much for sending a copy of the Draft Programme of the RCP.

There are several points that I personally agree with, namely the fact that there must be a "single multinational class-conscious proletariat." This shows an evolution of the communist philosophy, including the changing of the homophobia that has stymied the struggle.

The other aspect, I am not sure how to address, other than trying to say it. The communist philosophy fails to consider the power and motivating factor of religion. I personally agree with the "religion's role in instilling a sense of powerlessness in the masses and discouraging" the proletariat. This is a given fact, however considering the events that have taken place (September 11) we can see the power religion has on the uneducated. What we see in the current media is a pandering to the cheap seats, so to speak, with capitalism's use of Judaic/Christianity to build the fire of patriotism. This is a very effective tool of the bourgeoisie.

What I feel must happen before a true revolutionary movement takes place is an amalgamation of the communist philosophy and a spiritual philosophy by which the class-conscious proletarian whole is factored into one's own self-development for the cause of the whole. We can teach and show the crimes against humanity by the capitalist regimes, but we cannot build empathy and altruism towards the proletariat unless we can contribute their human suffering to a violation of all of humanity, and more importantly against the collective core of the movement. This can be done by showing that we, the human, is a power in and of itself. I am not powerless and have the ability to control all personal aspects of my life, on a spiritual level, I am a God or Goddess responsible only to the collective whole.

Until this happens and there is a complete change of view towards religion, there will never be a complete revolutionary movement. Humans will not "rely upon education, persuasion, and debate" to show the uneducated that their philosophy is unsound and harmful. I mean in the face of rational science you can show that all religious writings, Bible, Koran, and the Torah are man-made tools to control the lower classes, yet you will never convince a believer for the simple fact that you are calling into question the one thing which cannot be fully explained and that is the hope of a hereafter.

By having a teaching that applies the basic understanding that we are wholly in control of our inner (spiritual) self, including our thoughts and that we are part of a larger collective whole, dependent upon each member of the whole body. Then the philosophy of communism will thrive by itself. By factoring this type of self-realizing philosophy, the elements of greed, selfishness and harm to others can be shown to be fatal to the whole collective body and destructive to the harmony within self.

First and foremost, I would like to send revolutionary greetings to you and the rest of our sisters and brothers in struggle. I received the new RCP Draft Programme, however before I exchange thoughts on the new Draft Programme, allow me to explain the obstacle I had to overcome to receive this spectacular literature. Upon this literature arriving here at the prison, prison mailroom staff denied me the Draft Programme for allegedly jeopardizing safety and security of the institution. However, specifics were not given to me on how this literature jeopardized security.

Here in California prisons, we have at our disposal what is called an administrative 602 inmate appeal system. I was given 15 working days to formally write an appeal (602) or the prison would dispose of the revolutionary literature. Being a true revolutionary believer, my only option was to fight for the literature. I based my (602) on the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, article 1, section 2(a) in which it states, "every person may freely speak, write and publish his or her sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of this right. A law may not restrain or abridge liberty of speech or press." I further added the California Code of Regulation Title 15 3135(b) in which it states, "disagreement with sender's apparent moral values, attitudes, veracity or choice or words will not be used by correctional staff as a reason for disallowing literature." This regulation pertained to mail regulations. The denial of the revolutionary literature was in direct violation of my due rights.

I explained in the administrative (602) that I have the freedom to choose my political party of interest without interference by prison officials and in no way did the revolutionary literature incite violence on prison officials or promote inmate disturbances. Therefore in no way did the literature jeopardize safety and security of the institution. I further added that the true facts of the case are that the mailroom staff disallowed this literature due to their own personal hostile feelings toward communist philosophy and ideology.

Yesterday I received the new (RCP) Draft Programme along with my administrative (602) via institutional mail stating that my 602 was fully granted at the informal level of review. Let this be an example to all those behind the prison wall who find themselves being denied our literature of political interest. A small but essential victory was won here today in the belly of the beast. Without revolutionary literature to guide us through our struggle, we would surely suffer a major setback. I am proud to say that it is political parties such as the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA that inspired me to not lie down and accept this injustice but rather fight for what we truly believe in, the revolution will triumph!!

In regards to the coast to coast, border to border conversation on the DP, I fully support and stand behind the RCP and their efforts. I believe that the new Programme of the Revolutionary Communist Party USA, once finalized will be a Programme to march to. From all of us behind the prison wall, we would like to salute the RCP, USA and their allies for their contributions to the proletarian struggle and for all the oppressed people around the world. Thank you for the literature and I will be in touch once I have fully grasped the new Draft Programme.

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