Palestine and Israel: The Pit and the Pendulum

(image by Carlos Latuff)

Palestine and Israel: The Pit and the Pendulum

(www.raimd.wordpress.com)

The theatrical and the macabre are taking place again in the so-called Middle East Peace Process. Israel still wants to rid the land of the Palestinian Question. And it came as no surprise to those of us who pay attention to that part of the world. Netanyahu is exactly as we expected, a fucking racist pig who hails from the tradition of western imperialism. Israel  is doing what it has from the beginning, demanding what they’ve already taken; Jerusalem (al Quds), the land Israel has occupied since 1967; The West Bank, land the fucking racist settlers continue to steal. Israel rejects the Right of Return for all refugees to Occupied Palestine, “Israel” for the racists.

The first element in this conflict is the land, whether al-Quds Sharif, Jayous, Bil’in or the Golan Heights and Jaffa. The so-called security fence in the West Bank is actually a well-fortified wall with military back-up that has swallowed up the resources that once fed Palestinians. The wall serves to maintain the lavish consumption of the settlers, who, along with Israel’s themselves, are part of the world richest 15%. Israel won’t budge on “Jerusalem.” The demolitions and land grabs continue in al-Quds. The “security fence”, or apartheid wall, continues to swallow up and maintain resources in the West Bank. The arrests of members of resistance groups continue, and Israel has refused to extend the 10-month ban on settlement building in the West Bank, which expired 26 September 2010.

Once again, the negotiations fail, as if anyone is surprised. The power, the capital, the weapons of Israel, serve to oppress, impoverish, and starve the people of Palestine. Israel continues to murder the Palestinians as the imperialist world watches. The only real justice for Palestine is the dissolution of the settler state of Israel and imperialist system it serves. As with any other monster, only those comfortably in the belly will miss it.

(Here’s a classic example of how the narrative works care of the BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11138790

Norman Finkelstein lays down on Zionist tools at University of Waterloo

So….This is why we like Finkelstein. He’s on point and doesn’t back down under intimidation…

UC-Irvine moves to suspend Muslim Student Union

UC-Irvine moves to suspend Muslim Student Union

(www.raimd.wordpress.com)

Members of the Muslim Student Union are facing one-year suspensions for what school officials at the University of California-Irvine claim was an orchestrated violation of campus conduct during a protest of a presentation by Israeli Ambassador, Michael Oren.

The protest, which occurred last February, included Oren being interrupted 10 times by students who walked out while booing and yelling. Oren himself walked off stage and the University Chancellor took the podium to condemn the student protesters. Oren later finished his screed, but the planned question-and-answer session was canceled. The Muslim students claimed they were protesting Israeli policies of genocide directed against Palestinians. “Propagating murder is not freedom of speech,” they yelled. 11 students were arrested for the action.

This is not the first time administrators at UC-Irvine have moved against the Muslim Student Union. In 2009, school officials snitched on the MSU, asking the FBI to look into allegations that the student group was raising money for Hamas, a Palestinian resistance group labeled terrorists by imperialists. As of yet, no action has been taken against MSU in this case.

UC-Irvine and other colleges in the US are bastions of reaction. When they are not teaching students to be spies and pigs, they are teaching them to be promulgators of bourgeois ideology and cogs in the machinery of death called US imperialism. As the recent ruling against MSU indicates, schools in Amerika do not teach students how to fight oppression; they punish those who do.

Righteous students, i.e. those who side with the world’s exploited and oppressed majority in their struggle against imperialism, can only gain so much from Amerika’s piggish school system. Rather than passively accepting what they are told, anti-imperialist students must look deeper to find the truth. Additionally, we must strategically speak out for the truth and the oppressed masses, challenge the most egregious examples of pro-imperialist and First Worldist thought and unite with others who seek a world free from imperialism.

RAIM applauds the righteous students of UC-Irvine for their bravery, both in standing up against Michael Oren and the settler-imperialism he represents and for their struggle with the suppressive backlash their protest has generated. Yet, our struggle, that of such righteous students and even that of Palestinians are but small parts of the global struggle against capitalist-imperialism. Only with the victory of masses and defeat of imperialism internationally can we truly say the world is free.

Victory to Palestine!
Death to imperialism!

Sources:

http://forward.com/articles/128818/
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/uci-seeks-to-suspend-muslim-student-group.html
http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/06/14/uci-muslims/

Israel Commits Massacre on Freedom Flotilla to Gaza

Israel Commits Massacre on Freedom Flotilla to Gaza

(raimd.wordpress.com)

ISSrael on Monday attacked an aid flotilla heading to Gaza, killing several international activists.  The flotilla was attempting to break the Israeli blockade imposed since 2007 and deliver 10,000 tons of needed supplies to the 1.5 million people of Gaza imprisoned by the Zionist entity.

Israeli commandos from 14 warships and military helicopters, reportedly 1/4 of the Israel navy, boarded one of the Turkish ships and began shooting.  Recent news reports at least 19 dead civilians.  This was all done in international waters, violating international law.  But as shown before, no international law or condemnation has deterred aggression by the terrorist nation of Israel.

The pigs in the Israeli government and military said they were acting in “self-defense” and the activists attacked them.  This is the typical excuse given by Israel when it uses its occupation military on those who resist.  It has shown in the past that it will use violent force on international activists as well as Palestinians.

Israel is a settler state, formed by terrorist occupation of Palestinian land by Zionist imperialists.  Just like Amerika, Israel is based on subjugation of native peoples and exploitation of their labor, land, and resources.  It is no surprise that Israel and United Snakes are deep allies, as they desperately keep their parasitic way of life going through brutal military force.  This way of life is supported by the majorities of each of these countries.  Although there will be a few in the imperialist countries to voice opposition to these acts, most of these settler citizens will actively and passively support these policies.  The oppressed and exploited majorities of the world should not wait for the imperialist country citizens to wake up.  It is right to resist imperialist occupation, and the struggle is now.

There are protests happening all over the world right now in response to this atrocity.  We encourage all supporters to assist and organize where they are to stand in solidarity with Palestine and agitate to bring the end to illegitimate terror nations like Israel and Amerika.

Down with all settler states!
Israel and United Snakes!

Noam Chomsky “denied entry” by Israel

By Monkey Smashes Heaven

(monkeysmashesheaven.wordpress.com)

Noam Chomsky has been described as one of the most influential living intellectuals. His work revolutionized the field of linguistics in the 1960s. Even today, his contributions in linguistics still play an important role. However, Chomsky is more popularly known for his politics. Chomsky, a Jewish-Amerikan, has been a consistent critic of Zionism, Israel, and U.S. foreign policy in general.

Chomsky was scheduled to deliver a lecture earlier this week at Bir Zeit University, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, in Palestine.  When Chomsky attempted to cross the border, he was stopped and questioned for hours. “Denied Entry,” was stamped on his passport.  The 81-year old professor was told by the border agents, “Israel does not like what you say.” Chomsky compared Israel’s actions to apartheid South Africa’s in the 1960s.

Even though the Zionist state claimed Chomsky was not blacklisted and that the incident was a misunderstanding, they refused to guarantee Chomsky’s entry if he attempted again. For this reason, Chomsky chose to deliver his lecture from Jordan to Israel via video link.

Chomsky is not the first author to be blacklisted by Israel. Norman Finkelstein was also denied entry  iin 2008. The 53-year old professor,  holocaust scholar, and critic of Israel’s apartheid system was deemed a “security risk.” This usually means that a person is barred for a decade. The racist settler state has a long history of barring its critics from entry into either Palestine or lands held by Israel. In 2009, United States Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney and several other activists were stopped by the Israel armed forces when they tried to bring medical supplies, children’s toys, and food to Gaza. Israel illegally seized their property, including their ship, then imprisoned and deported them. These are just a few examples among many. Israel’s systematic apartheid and genocide against the Palestinians is so indefensible that Israel fears the scrutiny of a few First World activists. Israel seeks to defend the indefensible, even if it means clumsily censoring its critics.

Chomsky’s works contain useful information. However, Chomsky’s criticism does not cut deep enough. Chomsky acknowledges that Israel has waged a genocidal war against Palestinians since its founding. It is a genocide that has been bankrolled by the United States and other Western countries for about half a century. Chomsky exposes the barbarism of imperialism and Zionism. However, Chomsky fails to recognize that the people of Israel, just like the people of the First World generally, have a material interest in supporting imperialism. And it is no accident that Amerikans find common cause with Israel. Israel’s very existence as a settler society is bound-up with the genocide and exploitation of Palestinians. Amerika too is a settler society that is based on the ethnic cleansing of North America and the exploitation of peoples all over the Third World. Genocide and exploitation are at the very core of both Amerikan and Israeli society. In countries like these, where the vast majority of the population is made up of exploiters, there is a degree of responsibility that is shared by society as a whole. These populations as a whole bear collective responsibility for their exploitation and oppression of others. Because Chomsky fails to understand the problem fully, he fails to understand the solution. First World peoples, including  the Israel people, will not voluntarily toss imperialism into the dustbin of history. Rather, they will defend imperialism tooth-and-nail. Imperialism will be smashed by those it oppresses, not by those who benefit from it. It will be smashed through a global people’s war waged by the Third World against the First World. The armies of the Palestinians and the Third World will not be held up by a “denied entry” stamp.

Notes

1. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100518/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictchomskyban
2. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1407232.php/US_political_author_Norman_Finkelstein_denied_entry_to_Israel
3. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/02/cynthia-mckinney-remains-imprisoned-israel-gaza-bound-boat-seized/

Hit squad kills Hamas leader, caught on tape

Hit squad kills Hamas leader, caught on tape
(http://monkeysmashesheaven.wordpress.com)

On January 19, 2010, Mahmoud Abdel Rauf al-Mabhouh, a Hamas senior military commander leader, was assassinated in his hotel room in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. According to reports, he was drugged with a strong sedative that causes paralysis. And, while still conscious, he was suffocated with a pillow.

The Dubai police investigation has revealed that the murder was a coordinated effort that involved several individuals. This hit squad was caught on various video security tapes. These tapes show the hit team marking their target, shadowing him with disguises, and following him to his room where the hit occurred.

Who did it? Mossad is the main suspect.  Mossad is Israel’s intelligence agency. They are also responsible for covert and black ops, including paramilitary operations. More than half of the passports used by the hit squad are linked to Israelis who were born in foreign countries but have emigrated to Israel. For example, 12 British passports have been linked to the hit. However, according to the British Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA), none of the real owners of the passports are suspects. This is an indication that even the British are pointing the finger at the state of Israel. Many countries are upset that Israel appears to have forged their documents. Australian Foreign minister Stephen Smith stated that forging passports were not the “act of a friend.”

More evidence points to Israel. The credit cards used by the hit squad trace back to companies with strong ties to Israel. One of the banks that provided some of the funds has been linked to Payoneer, Inc., which provides prepaid MasterCards. This company is headed by CEO Yuval Tal, a former member of Israeli special forces. Tal is known for his strong racist views. He stated in a 2006 interview, “It’s a war that they cannot lose. … The Israelis have to win this war.” Payoneer, Inc. has a history of ties to Zionist activism.   Payoneer, Inc. is also affiliated with Taglit-Birthright Israel. They organize trips to Israel for Jewish youth to “strengthen participants’ personal Jewish identity.”

Dubai’s police chief Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim states that they are “99 percent, if not 100 percent”  certain that the murder was carried out by Israel’s Mossad. The emerging international consensus agrees that Israel is behind the murder. Of course, the Israeli state denies any involvement. Even so, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, the Israeli Trade Minister, bragged about the operation on Israel’s army radio. He even issued a cryptic-threat by stating that the operation proved that “none of [Hamas’] people are untouchable.” Also, Tzipi Livni, leader of the parliamentary opposition and a former Mossad recruit, said the murder was “good news.”

This assassination is an act in a long series of acts whereby Israel flagrantly disregards international law and standards, yet is not held to account. In the end, there will be no serious repercussions for Israel. Israel is a rouge state that does as it pleases on the U.S.’s dime. The racist apartheid state has waged a continuous war against its neighbors since its founding. It is an imperialist outpost in the middle of the Arab and Islamic world, an outpost used by the imperialists to wage war on its Third World neighbors. It is no surprise that Israel carries out murder operations in the region. Such is par for the course. The only difference here is that the hit squad was caught on tape. Thus the incident has caused a bit of embarrassment for the Zionist entity

Notes.

1. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7044326.ece
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030800095.html
3. https://raimd.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/imperialism-has-blood-on-its-hands-again-in-the-assassination-of-mahmoud-al-mabhouh/
4. http://www.youtube.com/user/KidonBlackOps

RAIM Global Digest Volume 2, Issue 2

RAIM Global Digest Vol 2; Issue 2

Contents:

-In India, forests grow with Naxalite peoples war [cover]

-RAIM-Seattle on the WTO 10 -year anniversary [cover]

-Net-exploitation by the numbers (hypothetically)

-IDF arrests peaceful resistance organizers in West Bank

-Amerika “disappears” migrants into secret detention facilities

-Movie review: Avatar [by Monkey Smashes Heaven]

-Earthquake strikes Haiti; imperialism is a disaster

IDF Arrests Peaceful Resistance Organizers in West Bank

IDF Arrests Peaceful Resistance Organizers in West Bank

(https://raimd.wordpress.com)

In a string of midnight raids, IDF forces have arrested several leaders of ‘civil society’ resistance in the West Bank. On December 9th in Nablus, Israeli forces snatched Wael Fahiq and Ziad Asalaos, both associated with secularism, non-violent community organizing and international outreach against Zionism.

Earlier in the year, Israel aided the Palestinian comprador party, Fatah, in wiping out Hamas and similar armed, Islamic resistance movements in the West Bank. This came after Hamas was elected as the majority party of the interim Palestinian government. Since 1947, the Israeli settler-state has seized most of the land and stripped Palestinians of basic civil rights. Today, Israel continues settlement on Palestinian land. Despite the odds against them, Palestinians still resist.

Revolutionaries support the struggles of Palestinians against imperialism and settler-occupation. This is not a liberal abstraction. Revolutionaries support those waging struggles and unity between various resisting forces. RAIM stands with Palestinians: we don’t see ourselves of having the luxury of a moral high ground. We support those on the ground, striking blows against the common enemy and building for greater resistance.

Israel, in its provocation and repression all Palestinian resistance, is creating a situation which will further unite Palestinians and hasten its own demise. RAIM and all those who support revolution must also work toward this end.

Source:

http://palsolidarity.org/2009/12/9628

Letter by ‘secular humanist’ group, Tanweer, from Nablus: http://www.tanwer.org

RAIM, others wreck Zionist-led war mongering against Iran

RAIM, others wreck Zionist-led war mongering against Iran

On October 28th, Uzi Landua, a hard-line Zionist and long-time high-ranking official in the Israeli state, spoke at the Auraria campus in Denver. Landau was invited by the Zionist group, the Amerikan-Israeli Student Affairs Committee, to discuss the supposed threat posed by Iran. RAIM had other ideas.

Word about the event reached Denver’s activist community less than two days prior. The day before the event, officials from the student government and University of Kolorado asked activist Glenn Spagnuolo to call off a protest, stating it would force the speaking engagement to be canceled because it would create a security bill too large for the school to bear (an additional $3,500 supposedly). Spagnuolo, is a student and organizer from the DNC protest-coalition Recreate ’68.  He was in Israel at the time when Rachel Corrie was ran over by a made-in-Amerika tractor, driven by an IDF soldier and while Uzi Laudau was ‘Security’ Minister of the settler state. Glenn insisted that even if Landau had lunch on campus, which was also scheduled, there would be a some sort of a protest. Eventually, the Israeli embassy (read: Israeli state) footed the security bill.

The day of the event, a snowstorm blew into Denver, causing the campus to be closed 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. Because of the strict security the would-be audience of 25 or so was forced to wait outside, huddling against the door. A small protest of around 10 or so gathered, including some RAIMers. A RAIMer took the opportunity to hand out an special informational flier to everyone waiting to get in, sparking a debate between a hardcore Zionist and those in the crowd.

After the doors were opened, and after the crowd and protesters passed a metal detector wand and bag check, they were greeted to large amounts of pizza and soda. RAIMers helped themselves and made sure that everyone who didn’t get already get a copy of our informational flier, got one. It wasn’t hard. In the end, the audience numbered around 40-45, including the protesters. The Zionists student organizers, Uzi and his entourage were around 15. There were also around 15 pigs and 10 campus and student staff.

Uzi was flanked by a bodyguard who looked like an angry Lurch from the Adams family, with a bad military haircut, a black trench coat and obviously armed. As Uzi walked on stage, most in the audience clapped in applause. RAIMers and other protesters instead greeted him with loud boos.  Boos and hisses persisted and steadily grew more frequent as his Cold War-esque, militarist screed continued. RAIMers occasionally interrupted Uzi’s speech with shouts of “war criminal,” “liar” and “what about Palestinians?” and clapped in applause when Uzi claimed Iran was pursuing nuclear weapon capabilities.

For his part, Uzi was a crude spokesman for the Israeli state, explicitly linking Israel and Amerika’s security and calling for the “free world” to confront the Iran. Whereas many in the audience already found Israel questionable, the information prepared ahead of time by RAIM and protesters’ on the spot agit-prop helped bring out a wider, more visible hostility towards his message. Uzi, feeling the pressure from the unsympathetic crowd, kept his speech short and fulfilled his obligation to field questions.

A RAIMer took the first questions, referencing the fact-sheet and asking Uzi to account for disparities in casualties between Israelis and Palestinians; and if he agreed with the idea that the state of Israel is the fulfillment of a promise by ‘God’ and not in need of further justification. Every question asked of Uzi thereafter was critical of Zionism and the Israeli state. There was no more discussion of Iran. Uzi was forced to fruitlessly defend Israel for the remainder of the event. As he left the stage, he was parted with more and louder boos.

Rather than finding a receptive audience for his militarist cheerleading against Iran, Uzi Landau was met with effective opposition from Denver activists and Palestine supporters, including RAIM. The event, which cost thousands of dollars for both the University of Kolorado and the Israeli state, became polarized with the majority of the audience finding themselves on the side of vocal opposition towards Zionism. Incidentally, RAIM was the only organized group with a presence at the event; we talked with Palestine supporters and handed out a few RAIM Digests. Uzi Landau’s Zionist war-mongering was wrecked.

Check out our informational flier on Israel here: Israel flyer

Pro-Palestinian Rally Confronts Zionist Settler Supporters

Today, RAIM and others again stood with the people of Gaza against Israeli aggression. The local ultra-right group Ameri[kkk]ans Against Terrorism held a “pro-Israel” rally at the State Capital. A crowd of approxamately 1,000 people gathered across from the state capitol to tell the Zionist crackers on the other side that we do not tolerate settler celebrations of mass murder.

It was great to see so many families with young kids, mostly Arabs and Muslims, stand up against a celebration of the murder of innocents. Not suprisingly, there were not many white faces in the crowd, even among the so-called radicals. This is no suprise to RAIM, as the amerikan left is a “settler-left” and has no concern for the colonized people, Palestinian or First Nations, on whose land they tread.

It was also good to see more radical chants, mostly coming from the younger protesters. Chants like “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free,” and “Down with all settler states, Israel and United $nakes,” could be heard from time to time.

Overall, it was a succesful action. We put the oppressors in their place, and stood for Gaza’s victory from imperialist rule.

Friday Rally For Gaza

From the Colorado Palestinian Solidarity Coalition:

“Stop the Attack on Gaza!”

Please come express your solidarity with the people of Gaza,

This is the least we could do!

Friday, January 9, 4:00 – 6:00pm
Capitol Building, West Steps, Denver

Bring signs and flash lights

Please help spread the word – pass this announcement on to your contacts

Protest Israeli Aggression, Today!

An Israeli Consul representative is flying in from Los Angeles to participate in a pro-Israel rally. It is going to be held at the Hebrew Educational Alliance building at 5:30pm today. Join a counter-demonstration in support of Gaza.

When: Today, 5 pm

Where: 3600 S. Ivanhoe (One block east of Hampton and Holly)

Support Gaza and Demonstration

Statement in Support of Gaza

Slick PDF Version –Raim-Denver: Standing with Gaza

Beginning on Saturday December, 27th, Israel once again unleashed a wave of violence against the Palestinians, this time conducting massive aerial bombings of the Gaza Strip. In what is being called the bloodiest day in the Gaza since the 1967 war, Amerikan-made F-16s rained down over 100 tons of bombs on an area of only 139 sq. miles. Since then over 315 have been killed with another 1000 injured. This will forever be remembered as another stark example of the violent and oppressive legacy of U.S. imperialism and it lackey settler-state, Israel.

Like Amerika, Israel is founded on land stolen from an indigenous population. Today, the Palestinian territory is a small fraction of its original size, existing in walled ghettos and two main geographically separated tracts: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the context of this historical situation, these continued attacks on the Palestinian people can be viewed as nothing less than an act of protracted genocide.

Palestinians for their part have resisted. In 2006 the Palestinian people elected, by a landslide, the Hamas movement to Parliament. Supported by the U.S. and Israel, the ruling Fatah Party launched a coup, throwing Palestine into a brief civil war. During the fighting, Fatah regained control of the West Bank and Hamas
consolidated their rule in Gaza. Since then, the U.S. and Israel have enforced a tight embargo upon Gaza, inducing food and energy shortages which some have called a humanitarian crisis.

These most recent attacks were clearly directed towards the Hamas led government in the Gaza Strip. Police stations, civil administration buildings, Hamas offices, official military outposts and even television stations were targeted for aerial bombings. Of the killed, many were functionaries of the state: police, military, bureaucrats and local officials. The real intentions of these attacks are obvious: to cripple Gaza society even further.

Israel claims that its latest actions are aimed at stopping “rocket attacks.” The attacks referred to are mortars and small projectiles shot by small handfuls of mobile combatants. Usually fired from between half a mile and a mile away, Palestinians resisting genocide aim high towards a settlement, often hitting
nothing. Rarely, such acts of resistance kill Israeli citizen non-combatants.

Beyond philosophical questions of ‘parities’ of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, there is the question of survival. For Palestinians, every settlement represents an outpost of invasion. Like the Amerikan invasion of North America before it, the indigenous Palestinians face the real possibility of complete annihilation by Israel. With meager means and an even more desperate situation, ‘indiscriminate’ mortar attacks and even suicide bombings become viable options in fighting for survival. Those who support Palestine’s right to exist must also support their right to resist the ensuing Israeli invasion.

Like the genocide of indigenous North Americans, crude acts of resistance are used to build public opinion for further aggression. The same is happening today in Gaza. While it is hard to say exactly how many in Israel and the West actually support this latest aggression towards Palestinians, it is obvious that there is very little solidarity with Palestinian victims. This should be a lesson to the oppressed masses of the world: the First World does not care if you die.

The Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement joins the international chorus of outrage at this latest attack and mourning for those who lost their lives. Our sincerest condolences go out to the loved ones of those who died in this latest act of U.S.-supported Israeli aggression. We cannot imagine the pain you’ve been made to endure. Moreover, we look forward to the day when you live free, safe from aggression and oppression and in equal standing with the world community.

Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement- Denver

Demonstration in Support of Gaza
Tuesday, December 30th 3-6pm
West Steps of State Capitol Building

Original photos of the apartheid wall in Palestine

The first three photos are from the so-called Israeli side of occupied Palestine, close to Jerusalem. The other photos are from the West Bank, on the edge of Bethlehem. Most of the graffiti are on the West Bank side. Short sections of this horrible wall, but the thing is positively covered with graffiti, mostly political. In photo #6, you can see “MADE IN USA” aptly stenciled in small letters at various points along the base.

Our hearts are very heavy for Palestine.

Rip Down Imperialist Walls!

In the last few days, the Palestinians in Gaza tore down the prison wall of the Israeli occupiers. Essentially turning occupied Gaza into a concentration camp, this was meant to starve Palestinians for the crime of resisting colonization of their own land. But oppressed people don’t sit down and take it, they resist! This wall was blown up! And the people were able to get necessary supplies in Egypt that Israel has been keeping out, so they can live another day. Oppressed people will not be imprisoned in their own land! All imperialist walls will come down!

National Liberation and Anti-Imperialism

By Nick Brown

The Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement- Denver is a movement for global equality. We stand for the end of the imperialist system: the system whereby a handful of powerful nations exploit the peoples of the world. We see the termination of imperialism as a necessary first step to a world of lasting peace and real equality.

Anti-imperialism is foremost a fight for national liberation. Most broadly construed, national liberation is the struggle to not be exploited by outside oppressors, but to exist as a self-determining, free nation.

National liberation struggles happen throughout the world on a variety of levels. Venezuela is an example where a progressive section of the ruling class is now leading a campaign for national salvation; providing much needed reforms for the masses while challenging U.S. supremacy on a regional level. There are the numerous armed groups in Mexico, numbering in the mid-teens (not just the Zapatistas), who are fighting a comprador government. Hezbollah, the patriotic Islamic party in Lebanon, has challenged Western influence in the country, provided social welfare for the people and aligned with various Lebanese parties [including Christian ones] in their struggle against Amerikan/Zionist aggression. And we cannot forget the heroic Iraqi resistance.

These forces, taken together, form a worldwide movement against Western imperialism. These diverse individual movements, insofar as they are challenging imperialism, should be supported by freedom and peace loving peoples everywhere.

If Third World anti-imperialist struggles are capable of cutting vital lifelines [of wealth and resources] to imperialism, national liberation struggles internal to the U.S. are capable of delivering blows from within. In the grand scheme of things, within the worldwide movement towards anti-imperialism, these national liberation movements represent a mighty ally, behind enemy lines, within what is geographically called the United States. Because of this, and because these struggles are so close to home, national liberation for internally oppressed nations hold a special significance for us.

While national liberation is not currently the dominant trend amongst oppressed nations within Amerika, national struggles themselves are part of the dialect of everyday life. These struggles manifest in a variety of ways but carry common themes.

For Mexicanos, Indigenous Peoples and Blacks, theirs is the struggle not to be criminalized and disproportionately held captive in White-Amerika’s prison system. It is the struggle to not have their cultures mocked, repressed, co-opted and whitewashed. It is the struggle to not have the lowest life expectancies within the United States. It is a struggle to practice one’s national culture with pride; to be treated as equal members of society; to exist free from the oppression leveled on them by Amerika.

Typically, national struggles take one of two routes: one, the route of liberation as a nation, and the other, integration into the imperialistic, Amerikan oppressor society.

The latter, integration into the Amerikan oppressor society, is the main trend today. This is the path favored by poverty pimps, white chauvinists and the state. The integration route was made widely available through the widening and deepening of exploitation abroad while given impetus by the explosive successes of national liberation struggles during the 1960s and 70s. The reformist integrationist route, while also a national struggle, is antithetical to revolutionary national liberation. Ending oppression through integration means being absorbed into Amerika’s “multi-cultural” oppressor society. It is the democratization of imperialist privilege and the diversification of the labor aristocracy. Integrationism is not revolutionary and is not in the least bit anti-imperialist.

For oppressed nations inside Amerika, the struggle for national liberation is mainly tied to the struggle for a territory on which a free nation can exist. Without such a land, oppressed nations are doomed to live within White-Amerika–forced to suffer oppression while at the same time being lured by trickle-down imperialist privilege. While the goal of national liberation struggles is the creation of sovereign national territories, the planting of seeds for such political power is a necessary first step.

While full-blown national power will not develop quickly or easily, national liberation movements themselves are of utmost importance today. The strengthening of national liberation movements, the expansion of networks and the creation of independent spaces from which these networks and broader movements can operate is a task for which the outcome will weigh heavily on the future.

As success for peoples of the Third World build up, national liberation struggles inside the U.S. can become a destabilizing force within the heart of imperialism. This will make the prospects of revolution greater. At the same time, national liberation struggles will be a focal point of revolutionary gravity within the First World. In the long term, successes made today in creating the basis for independent national power [for oppressed nations within the U.S.] will translate into much wider successes for all people oppressed by U.S. imperialism further down the road.

It is with these considerations in mind that we champion national liberation struggles within United States. We do so not to advance ourselves or to look edgy. We do so from our general anti-imperialist perspective. For us, any single movement for national liberation here is part of the broader international revolutionary struggle to end oppression once and for all.