Ward Churchill Speaks at Recreate 68 Rally, End the Occupations

Ward Churchill laying it down. Thanks to Tryworks for the link.

Day 5, DNC Protest

The day began early with an “Immigrants’” Rights protest. The protest was even more pro-amerikan and pro-integrationist than usual. In Denver, there are a number of pro-establishment Chicano groups. These groups often function to channel potential for revolutionary energy into dead-ends like voting for the Democrats or joining community organizations, etc. In this case, they were the main sponsors of the event and printed out hundreds of identical “We Are America” [sic] signboards which they passed out to the crowd. Former Denver Mayor Pena even led the march.

The crowd was large, around 2,000 people. Over half of the crowd was Chicano with a much larger age range. The rest were White and included mainly older “peace and justice” types, a few self-described Marxist organizations, young self-described anarchist crust-punks, and anti-imperialists.

RAIM-Denver does not support integration of small pockets of people into Amerika. We support national liberation for oppressed nations and reparations to those currently under the exploitation of imperialism. We find unity with many in the ’Immigrant’ Rights movement in that we oppose imperialist borders. RAIM was marching in support of the Mexican National Liberation Movement under their banner. The Mexican National Liberation Movement believes in Socialist Reunification of Mexico, meaning “the unification of our people on both sides of the militarily imposed borders” under non-exploitative terms and not subject to the oppression of the United States or any other imperialist power. Earlier in the week we also shared a table with the Mexican National Liberation Movement.

We also passed out agitational “Deporten a los Pinches Gringos” screen-print patches to the crust-punks and kids.

Upon arriving at the park, there was a stage already set up and speakers began. One early speaker endorsed Obama. We stopped listening to the speakers at this point.

By this time, a number of self-described Marxist groups had set up tables. Some RAIMers decided to find out what they were about and socialize generally. As always we met a lot of cool individuals. However, organizationally they were either overtly pro-amerikan or ambiguous about the issue. We don’t waste much time arguing with people who believed in Amerikan Exceptionalism, but we did manage to peak the interest of some of the younger cadre. Before we left we also said hi and handed out literature the more clearly anti-racist, pro-oppressed nation anarchists.

The next and final rally was the march to Invesco Field prior to Obama’s acceptance speech. Interestingly, the anti-war march caught up to the pro-medical marijuana march and from afar they were indistinguishable from another.

Along the route, clear animosity appeared between World Can’t Wait, a liberal front for one or another self-described Communist Party, and more anti-imperialist elements, including Recreate ’68 and RAIM, which supported a banner brought by some Northwest comrades expressing support for Islamic anti-imperialist leaders in the Middle East. World Can’t Wait ending up hanging back to do their own thing. Personally, RAIM-D loved the anti-imperialist banner. Great job Northwest comrades.

RAIM-D passed out a special edition one-sheet to all the anti-war protestors, liberal or otherwise. The page included two articles on Obama, one which offers a analysis found nowhere else; our immensely popular Fuck the Troops; Parasitism, the Economics of Imperialism; and our FAQ.

Upon arriving at the Invesco Field, the anti-war protest split into two with the World Can’t Wait contingent standing at the corner handing out their literature to spectators. Being that they were all wearing bright orange, it distracted the pigs enough so that a large portion of the more plainly dressed anti-imperialist contingent could walk right through the first level of security. A fruitless effort given that the crowd was made up of people who view Obama as a savior, but funny nonetheless.

Before we left we got another group photo, this time with Recreate’68. As before, it turned into a small media spectacle. But we didn’t have time for every so-called “journalistic” outlet. After 5 days straight of protests, 4 miles of marching each day, dealing with the pigs and the media and coordinating different events and actions, we were all ready for a drink.

We’d like to thank Recreate ’68 for all their hard work and openness. Much thanks also goes out to various Northwest comrades whom surprised us with their displays of anti-imperialist solidarity over the week. Most of all we’d like to thank the people who worked with and supported RAIM-Denver not only during the DNC but also in weeks and months leading up to it.

Day 4, DNC Protests

Today was the Rage Against the Machine concert followed by an anti-war march led by Iraq Veterans Against the War. Both were held under the umbrella of The Alliance for Real Democracy, which composed of a number of more liberal groups which split from Recreate ‘68 some months back. We heard the march was being coordinated with Unconventional Denver, and it was announced that some of IVAW was planning on getting arrested, so expecting some action we decided to check it out.

The march began after the RATM concert let out, four miles away from where the Pepsi Center where the DNC was being held. Needless to say it was a long march.

And a slow one too. In the days before, the pigs split marches down the middle where gaps appeared. Using this as a rationale, the march stopped a number of times to keep a tight formation. Even though unpermitted, there was a visible showing of cooperation on the part of the pigs and the marshals. First sign of a typical liberal march, protest marshals in day-glo vests. It is likely that the march stopped so often as part of this cooperation, not as a tactic against police aggression as had originally been suggested. The front of the march stopped for traffic lights also.

The march was large, numbering several thousands. The Denver Pig Department oinked at between 3000 and 3500 protestors. But we all know that pigs are better at being pigs than counting.

All around it was a more passive protest- and more pro-amerikan too. Several protestors wore Amerikan flags over there faces. Chants about wanting peace, support veterans, and “can’t stop us” were prolific. Lacking were popular chants and expressions of supporting the Iraqis and other victims of Amerikan aggression and imperialism. Nevertheless, RAIM utilized the size of the march, as well as its duration (around 3 hours) to agitate and educate for anti-imperialism.

Marching with us under the U.$.A. Off The Planet banner was an anti-imperialist contingent composed of not just RAIM-Denver, but others from around the country. We got a few popular chants going such a “Number one terrorist, U.S. imperialists” and “Imperialism, tear it down. Capitalism, tear it down.” Less popular was “John Brown John Brown, driver the invaders to the ground,” the throwback “Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh, the oppressed will always win.” as well as a few Spanish slogans. At one point a couple of protest marshals reminded us that this was a march in solidarity with veterans. We informed them that we were marching in solidarity with the people of Iraq. We were trying to be courteous. Prior to the march we had decided not to chant “Fuck the troops.”

We also passed out a lot of literature, including the RAIM ‘Zine, Chapter 8 of Long Live the Victory of People’s War by Lin Biao, and Ward Churchill’s Ghosts of 9-11. In the course of doing so we managed to talk to a lot of people, pressing an anti-imperialist line and analysis the whole time. Many people agreed with us on key issues such as the nature and degree of parasitism. When they didn’t, it was usually in the form of Marxist-sounding dogma or vague general “left” idealist obscurations. As far as we could tell, when it came to the points, no one who disagreed with RAIM had a better, more realistic line or could defend their line as well as RAIMers.

After a number of hours, we finally reached the Pepsi center…and stopped. People started announcing that IVAW was trying to negotiate some sort of deal with the Democrats. At this point, we let out a collective “lame,” and started heading back. This march was hyped as being a major civil disobedience by IVAW, and many people gave up their direct actions to be on this march in solidarity. This having turned into a typical liberal march with protest marshals and symbolic “confrontations” turned many people off, but wasn’t too surprising considering the organizing groups politics.

As it turned out IVAW wanted to read a letter to Obama. Apparently, the letter read in part, “Sen. Obama, millions of people are looking to you to restore our reputation around the world…you symbolize hope for a better America” [sic]. Pro-Amerikan through and through.

However, before heading off we decided get a group photo and invited a few other anti-imperialists to join with us. So we rolled out the USA Off the Planet one more time and started posing for pictures. Before we could finish, exiting delegates and media began snapping picture and it turned into a brief photo op for anti-imperialism.

Tomorrow’s the last day of DNC protest action and we’ll be there.

Update: Just before this march, police attempted to raid the convergence center of Unconventional Action and arrested two people.

Click here for more.

Update 2: Tryworks has their take on this march, and like us, doesn’t hold back. Click here for more. Also, have a response from an “army sergeant” who objected to tryworks recap of the police led parade march:

“Again, my problem isn’t that the march was goofy. My problem’s that it wasted the time of a bunch of people who’ve got better things to do than negotiate with Obama underlings, an act most of us consider about as fruitful as hammering our kneecaps with a ballpeen hammer. There were even some who avoided direct action the whole week, as they considered this would be the highlight of the protests. They feel sold out.

And rightly so. They were sold out. By turning what was supposed to be a protest into a negotiation with Obama lackeys, the IVAW did nothing but reify the illusion that Obama has any intent of pulling the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. They legitimized exactly what it was they were supposed to be opposing.”

More here.

R68, anti-DNC Day 1 and 2 quick reports

RAIM was a participant in the Recreate 68 Alliance formed to organize protests against the DNC. RAIM participated the R68 meetings going back over 6 months, aided with security at the events, and-as usual- did our own thing. Despite differences in politics with the many individuals and groups, and some internal antagonisms within the organizing efforts, people came together as a coalition to create space for events this week. Here is our reporting of the days events.

Anti-DNC Day 1, Sunday

This was the day before the Convention, with the theme End the Wars and Occupations. Several groups had tables at the Festival of Democracy. The Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement and the Mexican National Liberation Movement (MLNM) shared a table all day. Many other groups were present. Along with local activists, national groups like Workers World/Troops Out Now/F.I.S.T., World Cant Wait/R.C.P.-U.S.A., were there. We also ran into or saw members from United States Marxist-Leninist Organization, the Seattle Anti-Imperialist Committee, and Olympia Students for a Democratic Society. Unconventional Denver coordinated various direct actions. Generally, many groups were pro-Amerikan, ultimately wanting to save Amerika rather than eliminate it. RAIM was the obvious exception.

Speakers included: Ward Churchill, Kathleen Cleaver, Cynthia McKinny, Cindy Sheehan, Larry Hales, Mark Cohen, Glen Spagnuolo, Fred Hampton Jr., and others. David Rovics performed to start off the rally. M1 and Stic.man of Dead Prez performed just before the march started. The march proceeded to the Pepsi Center, where the Democrats are scheduled for. Lots of police everywhere, making their presence felt. Despite fear-mongering by politicians, media, and liberals, no incidents happened at this march.

RAIM distributed new literature: An anthology of RAIM articles, works by Ward Churchill, J. Sakai’s Settlers and a set of interviews, Lin Biao’s Long Live the Victory of People’s War!, Mexican National Liberation literature, etc. RAIM distributed a collection of Troublemaker videos, many by Shubel Morgan. Monkey Smashes Heaven materials were also distributed. Sticking to RAIM’s usual policy, RAIM distributed a wide range of anti-Amerikan, anti-White Nation, anti-First World, pro-Third World, pro-revolutionary materials. These range from anarchist to indigenous to revolutionary nationalist to Maoist-Third Worldist literature. People were big fans of RAIM’s t-shirts designs: Great Satan, Deporten a los Pinches Gringos, and Trash Amerika.

There were many tourists who looked on to our table with curiosity, to say the least. Some looked shocked, as they never seen anything like our stuff. Lots of right wing bloggers and tourists photographed booth. Our Fuck the Troops pamphlet was as usual very popular. So was our new banner:

Thanks right wing blogger lookingattheleft.com for our free publicity.

In the after noon, there was a reclaim the streets action. A group of trouble makers fooled the pigs with a diversionary move, causing the pigs to typically overreact and form lines on the west side of Lincoln park. When the pigs had formed their lines, the trouble makers changed directions taking the street on the east side, catching the pigs off guard. Before the pigs could encircle them on the east side, the trouble makers ran down 16th Street Mall, taking several hundred people with them. RAIMD went along, giving some chants including “Hey Hey USA, For Oppression You Will Pay,” and “Dis, Dis, Disarm Amerika.” More on this at dncdisruption08.org.

Anti-DNC Day 2, Monday

At Civic Center park, RAIM was tabling all day with our comrades, the Mexican National Liberation Movement. Our literature was appreciated. RAIM appreciated Food Not Bombs delivering to our booth. RAIM also appreciated the music.

Here are some tidbits at the Civic Center festival: The Democrats tried to send in teams throughout the day. RAIM, working with security, had to kick them out a couple times, for Recreate 68 had the permit for the park. Throughout the day, RAIM witnessed undercover police coming out of police cars. They were dressed like protesters or other civilians. Snatch squads would every once in awhile grab protesters at random. In addition, RAIM witnessed predator drones and helicopters flying above the city.

This Day was in solidarity for U.$. political prisoners. There was a Freedom March and rally for political prisoners from 11am to 2pm at the Federal Courthouse. Ricardo Romero of the Mexican National Liberation Movement (MLNM) spoke. Other speakers included Pam Afrika, Kathleen Cleaver, Fred Hampton Jr., Natsu Saito, and some speakers from the American Indian Movement. A letter from Leonard Peltier was read. A recording from Mumia Abu Jamal specifically for this event was played (available here: http://www.prisonradio.org/audio/mumia/2008MAJ/Aug08/DNC8-20-08.mp3).

At one point, RAIM got into an argument with Alex “bumblefuck” Jones and his tagalong, Jonathan “Blistershits” Elinoff. Alex “bumblefuck” Jones has been lying about RAIM on his radio show for weeks now. Alex “bumblefuck” Jones was exposed as a White populist. Alex Jones complained about RAIM putting the megaphone in his face, but RAIM pointed out how this is his style.

(from denverpost.com)

As Jones has a bigger budget for bullhorning than RAIM, he held out, even admitting he supports Lakota liberation efforts so he’s not a racist. But he blew up at the end before leaving. Expect some whining from Jones on this on his blogs. Were sure we’ll run into him the next few days.

From 3pm to 5pm, RAIM led a confrontation with the Minutemen who gathered at Congress Park. RAIM and others had a sizable contingent in militantly disrupting their rally. The anti-imperialist contingent contained people from across the country. Special props go out to Olympia and Seattle. Slogans included: “John Brown! John Brown! Let’s drive the settlers out of town!”, “Don’t like Mexico, get the fuck out. Down with Amerika, that’s what we’re about.”, and the usual, “Hey Hey, Ho Ho, racist Minutemen have got to go!” One person was offering white sheets and Klan hoods in case any of the minutemen forgot their own. No takers, though. Others told the minutemen that they should go colonize Mars, which began the chant, “Send the master race to outer space.” RAIM comrade Antonio told the minutemen “while you’re all sitting on your lawn chairs here, some Mexicans are stealing your jobs; get off your asses and take them back.” None did. With the megaphone we sent messages about their contradictory stances on migration, like pointing out how the oranges they were eating weren’t picked by white people. In the ultimate of irony, some city workers who were of Latin American descent were servicing the park for the Minutemen rally. They were appreciative of our work.

Despite some provocation by the more trashy of the white nationalist Minutemen, no incidents took place. Overall, we simply make the racists feel like the scum that they are. It was a great action.

From 6:30pm to 9pm, there was an “anti-capitalist” march with a black bloc taking to the streets. The police came down hard, surrounding the whole march, and dividing it into three sections and refusing to let them leave. RAIM comrades were stuck in one of the zones for over an hour. Eventually, after pepper spraying many in the crowd, some of the march was released. Initial reports indicate that there were 100 arrests from this single action.

(photo from cocktailhour.wordpress.com)

Check our blog for future news and events. If you’re in Denver, there’s three more days of action, so come downtown.

DNC Protest Poster and Public Enemy

RAIM’s nifty DNC protest poster:

PDF version

Also, Recreate ‘68 today announced that Public Enemy will be playing a free concert on Tuesday at 2pm at Civic Center Park.

Speaker and Music Highlights for the DNC

Recreate ‘68 released their list for speakers and musical acts during the DNC.

Included are speakers such as Ricardo Romero from the Mexican National Liberation Movement, Kathleen Cleaver from the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton Jr., Pamela Africa from MOVE, and Cha Cha Jimenez from the Young Lords Party. Other speakers include Ward Churchill, Ramona Africa, Natsu Saito, Cynthia Mckinney, Mumia Abu Jamal (recorded in death row), and Ida Audeh.

Musical acts Dead Prez, David Rovics, Blue Scholars, and Rebel Diaz will all be performing.

Check out the full list here.

Recreate ‘68 Film Series for July

From Recreate 68:

Five week film series every Tuesday, benefiting Recreate 68, a coalition organizing events and protests against the Democratic National Convention.
EACH week of film will correspond with the DAYS OF RESISTANCE AT THE FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY, SUNDAY, August 24-THURSDAY, August 28.
We are asking for a small donation for each screening and don’t forget to support HOOKED ON COLFAX while there !!
HOOKED ON COLFAX COFFEE SHOP, BASEMENT
3215 EAST COLFAX

Tuesday, JULY 1st-7pm
END THE OCCUPATIONS DAY
1. Daylight Robbery Iraq: What happened to the $23 Billion (not released in the US)
On Tuesday, June 10, 2008 the BBC in the UK aired this informative program about the estimated $23 billion that was lost, stolen or not properly accounted for in Iraq. Most of this money came from US taxpayers, who aretotally unaware of this story.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/7438372.stm

2. Iron Wall-This documentary warns that a contiguous and viable Palestinian state is becoming no longer possible, and that the chances for a peaceful resolution of the conflict are slipping away.
www.palestineonlinestore.com/films/theironwall.htm

Tuesday, JULY 8th-7PM
PRISONER RIGHTS/HUMAN RIGHTS
1. Mission Against Terror
The Cuban Five are five Cuban men who are in U.S. prison, serving four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being wrongly convicted in U.S. federal court in Miami, on June 8, 2001. They are Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González. The Five were falsely accused by the U.S. government of committing espionage conspiracy against the United States, and other related charges.
www.freethefive.org/
www.atasite.org/calendar/?x=2514

Tuesday, JULY 15th-7PM
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
WETBACK
www.opencityworks.com/wetback/
Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary is an excellent film by Arturo Pereze Torres and Heather Haynes. It shows the issue of immigration into the US from the side of the undocumented worker. We all know the side of the vigilantes. All we have to do is watch anyone on Fox to get that side. But, what do we really know about the other side. The Smoking Gun’s expose of A Million Little Pieces showed us that what we think is true often isn’t.
Wetback shows us the poverty that drives workers across our borders. Poverty that causes them to literally risk life and limb to get something for their family. It also shows the gains to the US and other American countries from the undocumented workers in this country.

Tuesday, JULY 22-7PM
ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS
CRUDE-THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF OIL
www.abc.net.au/science/crude/
From the food on our tables to the fuel in our cars, crude oil seeps invisibly into almost every part of our modern lives. Yet many of us have little idea of the incredible journey it has made to reach our gas tanks and plastic bags. This is a special broadband companion website to this landmark documentary.

Tuesday, JULY 29-7PM
CIVIL RIGHTS
THE MURDER OF FRED HAMPTON
www.shockcinemamagazine.com/murder.html
Fred Hampton was the leader of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. This film depicts his brutal murder by the Chicago police and its subsequent investigation, but also documents his activities in organizing the Chapter, his public speeches, and the programs he founded for children during the last eighteen months of his life.

-R68

Obama, “Black” Messiah for White Amerika

Liberals, even some calling themselves ’revolutionaries,’ have a chronically false ideal of Amerika. Instead of seeing historical injustices carried out by Amerika as part of its overall development, liberals see such things as disconnected aberrations which can be resolved through in a piecemeal fashion through progressive determination. They see Amerika, though flawed, as an unfinished experiment in freedom and democracy.

Revolutionaries see Amerika as a product of unending injustices carried out upon oppressed peoples. Revolutionaries see Amerika and all the decadent elements which constitute it as something that needs to be destroyed as part of the global struggle to build a better world. While revolutionaries hate Amerika, liberals love Amerika: they are always trying to save it, to reform it, to make it realize its so-called historic potential.

To this end, an Obama presidency marks a major step. White liberals are projecting their own hopes and aspirations regarding Amerika onto Obama. Having a Black man lead a nation founded on the slavery of Blacks is for many a confirmation that Amerika is still the land of hope. An Obama presidency represents evidence that even into the 21st century, Amerika is still becoming a better, more perfect democracy. Because of this, the historical narratives spun around Obama are endless. For much of Amerika, Obama is a near-messianic figure.

Within the liberal paradigm, by electing Obama, Amerika can go from a country shamed by the Bush administration to one reformed, made better. An Obama presidency proves that Amerikan democracy works. Amerika can arrive as a more pluralistic open society whose legitimacy as the leader of the world is reaffirmed. An Obama presidency represents the continuation of Amerikan supremacy without Bush’s overtly hee-haw element. Obama represents a form of imperialism which liberal Amerikans can be proud of.

But liberal love-amerika types are not the only force driving the Obama campaign. Within the imperialist camp, many view the overly belligerent Bush administration as a disaster. Over the last 8 years, Amerika’s actions have rightly inspired hate and resistance the world over.

Loosing the iron fist and taking up the velvet glove is understood by many to be a more effective approach to imperialism. Within much of the imperialist camp, a popular Obama presidency is seen as more conducive to their own long term interests. Obama is seen as a figure who can recover what power Amerika has lost over the last 8 years.

Obama, and the forces behind him, are not revolutionaries. They are not trying to end Amerikan imperialism. Rather, for those who benefit from imperialist exploitation, Obama is seen as savior, a messiah who can bring the return to Amerika’s power and so-called greatness. These are the social forces that will, in all likelihood, drive Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States.

Obama Shocks Arab World, Touts Imperialist Credentials

Obama Shocks Arab World, Touts Imperialist Credentials

Released by RAIM-Denver, 6/12/08

Hours after he secured the Democratic Party nomination, U.S. presidential contender Barack Obama spoke before the Amerikan Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).  “We will never compromise when it comes to Israel’s security… Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and must remain undivided,” he said, receiving standing ovations before the influential lobbying group’s annual meeting.

Israel captured and occupied 85% of the city of Jerusalem during the 1948 war. After successive years of forced relocations of Palestinian residents, Israel seized the remainder of the city, East Jerusalem, in the 1967 war. Israel continues to this day to push Palestinians into an ever-shrinking, un-occupied territory. Palestinians recently recognized the sixtieth anniversary of the 1948 event, which they call al-Nakba, or the Catastrophe.

Although Obama has thus far received much attention because of his proclaimed message of change, recent comments have left many puzzled and angry. Mahmoud Abbas, the pro-Western leader of the Palestinian Fatah Party, rejected Obama’s pro-Israel pandering stating, “We will not accept an independent Palestinian state without [East] Jerusalem as its capital.” “That should be clear,” he continued. (1)

Obama described the bond between Israel and the U.S. as “unbreakable today, unbreakable tomorrow, unbreakable forever… Those who threaten Israel threaten us.” Saying he would bring an “unshakable commitment to Israel’s security,” he promised to ensure Israel’s “qualitative military advantage” over its neighbors.

Israel has long been the largest recipient of U.S. direct foreign aid. Obama, if elected, said he will increase the amount to 3 billion dollars per year over the next decade. He highlighted the hegemonic imperialist aspect of such aid by summarizing it as “investments to Israel’s security that will not be tied to any other nation.” (2)

In the First World, the ‘green’ movement is rather large. The Democratic Party has announced that this year’s Democratic National Convention will be the first green convention of its kind. Speaking to the Zionist crowd, Obama tied his environmentalism directly to Israel and Amerika’s security and proposed joint green ventures: “We must free ourselves from the tyranny of oil. The price of a barrel of oil is one of the most dangerous weapons in the world. Petrodollars pay for weapons that kill Amerikan troops and Israeli citizens… It’s time for the United States to take real steps to end our addiction to oil. And we can join with Israel, building on last year’s U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act, to deepen our partnership in developing alternative sources of energy by increasing scientific collaboration and joint research and development.” ‘Progressive’ indeed.

Obama vowed to continue George Bush’s policy towards Hamas: “We must isolate Hamas… There is no room for terrorists at the negotiating table.” In early 2006, Hamas, an anti-Western Palestinian liberation movement, won a large majority in Palestinian parliamentary elections. The Bush Administration refused to recognize the new government, retained communications only with the comprador Fatah Party and placed sanctions on Hamas-controlled areas of Palestine. Reacting to Obama’s speech, a Hamas spokesperson remarked, “These recent statements slash any hope of any change to U.S. foreign policy.” (3) (4)

Obama singled out Iran as the greatest threat in the region. “There is no greater threat to Israel or to the peace and stability of the region than Iran… the danger from Iran is grave, it is real and my goal will be to eliminate this threat.” He promised to use “aggressive, principled diplomacy… backed by real leverage.” Elaborating he said, “I will always keep the threat of military action on the table to defend our security and our ally Israel.” One can only assume that there are numerous regional threats which Obama feels should be dealt with in the same manner. (5)

Adding weight to Obama’s threats towards Iran were hints that U.S. military involvement in the Muslim world would not be ending anytime soon. Earlier in the evening during his acceptance speech for the Democratic Party nomination, Obama said that leaving our troops in Iraq was not an option, “especially at a time when our military is overstretched, our nation is isolated, and nearly every other threat to America is being ignored.” (6) At the Zionist AIPAC assembly later in the evening, Obama proposed a “phased redeployment” of the troops “from Iraq.” (7) In the past, Obama has stated that more troops are needed in Afghanistan and that incursions into Pakistan are possible. ( 8 )

Despite his hawkish language, the anti-war movement has largely rallied around Obama. Much of his campaign thus far has been focused on “change” and a “new way of doing things.” Obama has stated he is against the war in Iraq and thinks of it as a failure. Likewise, throughout his campaign he has promised to enhance the role of dialogue in foreign policy while also making token statements about issues dear to ‘progressive’ Amerikans: the environment, healthcare, education and the Amerikan economy. For these reasons, Obama has picked up the support of many anti-war progressives and even so-called radicals.

But what kind of change is Barack Obama really about? Does Barack Obama really want to create a new world based on equality and mutuality of interest, or would his presidency merely herald in years of marginally different tactics towards the same end? What is the actual change Obama wants to bring?

From Obama’s AIPAC speech: “Contrary to the claims of some, I have no interest in sitting down with our adversaries just for the sake of talking. But as president of the United States, I would be willing to lead tough and principled diplomacy with the appropriate Iranian leader at a time and place of my choosing — if, and only if, it can advance the interests of the United States.”

On Iran, Obama continued his diatribe about ‘dialogue,’ “We will present a clear choice. If you abandon your dangerous nuclear program, support for terror, and threats to Israel, there will be meaningful incentives… If you refuse, we will ratchet up the pressure.” As earlier referenced, Obama pledged to keep the threat of military intervention on the negotiating table.

What becomes clear is that Obama remains faithful to the paradigm of bullying nations into subordination, and that he maintains the right to use military force against those who resist. The change that Obama will bring is merely a difference in how to pursue such an imperialist imperative.

Particularly, Obama declares that he will find the “appropriate leaders” to talk to. While the tactic of splitting movements and nations through selective diplomacy and incentives is not new, it has not been widely or as effectively used by the Bush Administration.

Going further into the issue, Obama says he was against holding Palestinian elections in 2006, “with Hamas on the ballot.” Obama stated, “I will strongly urge Arab governments… to fulfill their responsibility to pressure extremists and provide real support for President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad.” He also said he would urge Israel to improve conditions in the Fatah-controlled West Bank as a way of further isolating Hamas.

While clearly stating he is not opposed to the most aggressive of actions, Obama presents himself as making Amerika stronger through such one-sided, bullish ‘dialogue.’ In terms of foreign policy, Obama is simply promising to be a better imperialist.

Speaking again before AIPAC he himself summed it up, “My presidency will strengthen our hand… [I will bring] change that restores America’s power and influence.” Such a message, combined with his token ‘progressive’ promises about further improving conditions for the parasitic Amerikan “working” and “middle” classes, has made Obama a candidate who garners support from both hawkish Zionists as well as Amerikan so-called anti-war ‘leftists.’ (9)

It is our sincerest hopes that those who truly seek radical humanist change will recognize and reject Obama and what he represents. Instead of embracing promises of a more effective, ‘peaceful’ imperialism, with presumably a more equitable distribution of the profits within Amerikan borders, we urge real progressives and radicals to make a complete break with imperialist politics. We urge people seeking true change to instead embrace the struggles of those actively resisting U.S. imperialism and working to build a new world. Only through the destruction of imperialism and similarly oppressive and exploitative structures can a world of true equality, mutuality and peace exist.

Notes.

1. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/018DB5D0-3C59-46D9-97AE-3F7BB909CD4F

2. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91150432

3. http://www.demconvention.com/

speaker-pelosi-dncc-announce-green-delegate-challenge-for-2008-democratic-national-convention/

4. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/93FE247B-452D-4022-8374-088D8704C1DE

5. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91150432

6. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/98FEB6B7-E363-4AD7-A5F8-200415B9924F

7. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91150432

8. http://www.ogpaper.com/news/news-0821.html

9. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91150432

Huey P. Newton: “In Defense of Self-Defense”

(In light of ongoing and continuing debates and discussion of nonviolence, and the principle of self-defense, we present an essay written by Huey P. Newton, founder of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, the most influential revolutionary national liberation organization of recent times. The essay was overly optimistic in terms of the potential of revolution by the Black masses, as the U.$. has since this time bought off much of the Black nation into the labor aristocracy. Nevertheless, Newton gives an uncompromising statement for the right of self-defense of oppressed peoples, and shows the opposition to this is rooted in hypocrisy and white privilege by “progressives” who de-facto support the status quo. - RAIMD).

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"In Defense of Self-Defense" 

Huey P. Newton

June 20, 1967

Men were not created in order to obey laws. Laws are created to obey men. They are established by men and should serve men. The laws and rules which officials inflict upon poor people prevent them from functioning harmoniously in society.   There is no disagreement about this function of law in any circle the disagreement arises from the question of which men laws are to serve.  Such lawmakers ignore the fact that it is the duty of the poor and unrepresented to construct rules and laws that serve their interests better. Rewriting unjust laws is a basic human right and fundamental obligation.

Before 1776 America was a British colony. The British Government had certain laws and rules that the colonized Americans rejected as not being in their best interests. In spite of the British conviction that Americans had no right to establish their own laws to promote the general welfare of the people living here in America, the colonized immigrant felt he had no choice but to raise the gun to defend his welfare. Simultaneously he made certain laws to ensure his protection from external and internal aggressions, from other governments, and his own agencies. One such form of protection was the Declaration of Independence, which states: “. . . whenever any government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such forms as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

Now these same colonized White people, these bondsmen, paupers, and thieves deny the colonized Black man not only the right to abolish this oppressive system, but to even speak of abolishing it. Having carried this madness and cruelty to the four corners of the earth, there is now universal rebellion against their continued rule and power. But as long as the wheels of the imperialistic war machine are turning, there is no country that can defeat this monster of the West. It is our belief that the Black people in America are the only people who can free the world, loosen the yoke of colonialism, and destroy the war machine. Black people who are within the machine can cause it to malfunction. They can, because of their intimacy with the mechanism, destroy the engine that is enslaving the world. America will not be able to fight every Black country in the world and fight a civil war at the same time. It is militarily impossible to do both of these things at once.

The slavery of Blacks in this country provides the oil for the machinery of war that America uses to enslave the peoples of the world. Without this oil the machinery cannot function. We are the driving shaft; we are in such a strategic position in this machinery that, once we become dislocated, the functioning of the remainder of the machinery breaks down.

Penned up in the ghettos of America, surrounded by his factories and all the physical components of his economic system, we have been made into “the wretched of the earth,” relegated to the position of spectators while the White racists run their international con game on the suffering peoples. We have been brainwashed to believe that we are powerless and that there is nothing we can do for ourselves to bring about a speedy liberation for our people. We have been taught that we must please our oppressors, that we are only ten percent of the population, and therefore must confine our tactics to categories calculated not to disturb the
sleep of our tormentors.

The power structure inflicts pain and brutality upon the peoples and then provides controlled outlets for the pain in ways least likely to upset them, or interfere with the process of exploitation. The people must repudiate the established channels as tricks and deceitful snares of the exploiting oppressors. The people must oppose everything the oppressor supports, and support everything that he opposes. If Black people go about their struggle for liberation in the way that the oppressor dictates and sponsors, then we will have degenerated to the level of groveling flunkies for the oppressor himself. When the oppressor makes a vicious attack against freedom-fighters because of the way that such freedom-fighters choose to go about their liberation, then we know we are moving in the direction of our liberation. The racist dog oppressors have no rights which oppressed Black people are bound to respect. As long as the racist dogs pollute the earth with the evil of their actions, they do not deserve any respect at all, and the “rules” of their game,
written in the people’s blood, are beneath contempt.

The oppressor must be harassed until his doom. He must have no peace by day or by night. The slaves have always outnumbered the slavemasters. The power of the oppressor rests upon the submission of the people. When Black people really unite and rise up in all their splendid millions, they will have the strength to smash injustice. We do not understand the power in our numbers. We are millions and millions of Black people scattered across the continent and throughout the Western Hemisphere. There are more Black people in America than the total population of many countries now enjoying full membership in the United Nations. They have power and their power is based primarily on the fact that they are organized and united with each other. They are recognized by the powers of the world.

We, with all our numbers, are recognized by no one. In fact, we do not even recognize our own selves. We are unaware of the potential power latent in our numbers. In 1967, in the midst of a hostile racist nation whose hidden racism is rising to the surface at a phenomenal speed, we are still so blind to our critical fight for our very survival that we are continuing to function in petty, futile ways. Divided, confused, fighting among ourselves, we are still in the elementary stage of throwing rocks, sticks, empty wine bottles and beer cans at racist police who lie in wait for a chance to murder unarmed Black people. The racist police have worked out a system for suppressing these spontaneous rebellions that flare up from the anger, frustration, and desperation of the masses of Black people. We can no longer afford the dubious luxury of the terrible casualties wantonly inflicted upon us by the police during these rebellions.

Black people must now move, from the grass roots up through the perfumed circles of the Black bourgeoisie, to seize by any means necessary a proportionate share of the power vested and collected in the structure of America. We must organize and unite to combat by long resistance the brutal force used against us daily. The power structure depends upon the use of force within retaliation. This is why they have made it a felony to teach guerrilla warfare. This is why they want the people unarmed.

The racist dog oppressors fear the armed people; they fear most of all Black people armed with weapons and the ideology of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. An unarmed people are slaves or are subject to slavery at any given moment. If a government is not afraid of the people it will arm the people against foreign aggression. Black people are held captive in the midst of their oppressors. There is a world of difference between thirty million unarmed submissive Black people and thirty million Black people armed with freedom, guns, and the strategic methods of liberation.

When a mechanic wants to fix a broken-down car engine, he must have the necessary tools to do the job. When the people move for liberation they must have the basic tool of liberation: the gun. Only with the power of the gun can the Black masses halt the terror and brutality directed against them by the armed racist power structure; and in one sense only by the power of the gun can the whole world be transformed into the earthly paradise dreamed of by the people from time immemorial. One successful practitioner of the art and science of national liberation and self-defense, Brother Mao Tse-tung, put it this way: “We are advocates of the abolition of war, we do not want war; but war can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun.”

The blood, sweat, tears and suffering of Black people are the foundations of the wealth and power of the United States of America. We were forced to build America, and if forced to, we will tear it down. The immediate result of this destruction will be suffering and bloodshed. But the end result will be the perpetual peace for all mankind.

Upcoming Dead Prez Shows

Dead Prez has two shows coming up. Proceeds from both are going to Tent State University and Recreate 68 to support the ‘Festival of Democracy’ and other peaceful protests against the Democratic National Convention.

Tuesday, May 6, 8 pm at the Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder
Wednesday, May 7, 8 pm at Cervantes, 2637 Welton St., Denver

As it turns out, last February Dead Prez played at show at Evergreen College. What began as a peaceful protest when campus police arrested a concert-goer, turned into a “riot” only after the Olympia Pig Department ran in brutalizing the growing crowd.

Here’s a short documentary on it.

Here’s more footage, doesn’t include any “riot” footage

Part 1

Part 2

Fuck the Pigs

Recreate ‘68! Community Meeting

From R68

The Recreate 68 Alliance (www.recreate68.org) will be hosting a community update meeting about all the incredible work that has been done to make the events around the Democratic National Convention historic.

Come and get your questions answered.

Learn:

about all of the National groups who have joined the efforts

Events planned before and during the week of the convention

legal issues including information on the permits

how you can help

how this effects your organization

There will be additional information covered.  If your are not working with R-68 this meeting will share information that will help your efforts also, so please come down.

Where & When:

Sunday April 13 from 11 am - 1 pm

CU Denver Auraria Campus

Room 440 at the Tivoli Building

Parking is free on Sundays, but please consider taking light-rail!

Join the Recreate 68 Spy Camera Hunt

Recreate 68 presents:

The Great Easter Spy Camera Hunt. Forget the Eggs. Join a Team to Find and Tag Surveillance Cameras in downtown Denver And Then Join a Pre-Festival of Democracy Pot-Luck Picnic in Civic Center Park.

SATURDAY, MARCH 22 12:30 PM MEET AT SKYLINE PARK, SIXTEENTH AND ARAPAHOE HUNT FOR CAMERAS FROM 1 – 3 THE TEAM THAT FINDS THE MOST CAMERAS GETS A PRIZE POT-LUCK PICNIC AT CIVIC CENTER PARK AT 3:00 PM

The city of Denver has installed and is installing surveillance cameras in anticipation of the DNC. Big Brother is watching You. Now Watch Him.

R68 Next Meeting, Thursday 6:30pm

From the Recreate68 Organizing Committee -

NEXT WORKING MEETING:

Thank you to all the folks who came to the last working meeting. As we discussed, we would love to see you come to the next one and bring a new friend. For those who have not made one, it is time to put the active back in activist. Help plan the largest progressive event Denver has ever experienced.

WHEN: Thursday, March 6th at 6:30 pm

WHERE: The Gypsy House Cafe 1279 Marion Street, Denver

R68 Postcard flyer

Here is the new R68 two-sided flyer:

Recreate ‘68 Meeting

From Recreate ‘68

R-68 would like to thank everyone who attended our Jan. 19 community consulta. We have received many e-mails asking how to get involved. To help with the work of creating a new future, we need you to come to the R-68 Working Meeting. Without you, this will not be possible. Come down and get invovled. See You There and Hey, Bring a Friend!

WHERE: Gypsy House Cafe Basement

1279 Marion Street, Denver

WHEN: Feb. 25, 6:30 pm