UPDATE: What is Looting?
Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matters co-founder, in an interview with Jared Ball of the Real News Network said:
The first thing, I think, is that we actually do have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia in particular are trained organizers. We are trained Marxists. We are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories. And I think that what we really tried to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many, many black folk. We don't necessarily want to be the vanguard of this movement. I think we've tried to put out a political frame that's about centering who we think are the most vulnerable amongst the black community, to really fight for all of our lives.
And I do think that we have some clear direction around where we want to take this movement. I don't believe it's going to fizzle out. It just gets stronger, and we see it, right. We've seen after Sandra Bland. We're seeing it now with the interruption of the Netroots Nation presidential forum.
What I do think, though, is folks -- especially folks who have been trained in a particular way want to hear certain things from us, that we're not sort of framing it in the same ways that maybe another generation have, has. But I think it's important that people know that we are, the Black Lives Matter movement doesn't just live online, although there's many people who utilize it online. We're in a different set of circumstances, a different generation that -- social media may feel like it's diluting the larger ideological frame. But I argue that it's not.
This certainly throws a new light on Alicia Garza's comment that "no candidate who is really about this werk would break a sweat in response to a question in the form of 'Do Black Lives Matter?' The simple answer should be 'Yes' not some weirdo populist economic determinism." Those untrained populist weirdos must be made to bow down to the ideologically super-versed Marxist vanguard! What Adolph Reed Jr. described as "visceral and vitriolic anti-Marxism" could conceivably be visceral and vitriolic "trained Marxist" sectarianism.
In all fairness, the comrades "don't necessarily want to be the vanguard of this movement." Indeed, humility and reluctance are admirable qualities in self-appointed leaders. But seeing as how they "actually do have an ideological frame" and "some clear direction around where we want to take this movement," they really have no choice but to accept the mantle of leadership, do they?
There's one thing that puzzles me though. Is it customary for trained Marxist cadre to publically announce that they are trained Marxists?
 |
| "We are not reasonable!" |
Well bow down is not as bad as bend over. #NotAllWeirdos
ReplyDeleteI am a trained Marxist. Toilet-trained at least.
ReplyDeletePavlov's cog.
ReplyDeleteThe context matters. And here's what prompted the comment about being trained organizers ("Ball" is the interveiwer):
ReplyDeleteBALL: Some people, including--you know we have, a number of people have reached out, including political prisoner Jalil Muntaqim, who has written from behind the prison walls trying to reach out to Black Lives Matter activists and others. And one of the critiques that he shared--a loving critique, as I would want to point out, by the way--is that he was concerned or is concerned that there's a lack of perhaps ideological direction in Black Lives Matter that would allow it to be, to fizzle out in, as he said, in comparison to Occupy Wall Street.
They aren't better than other Marxists. They are better than Occupy Wall Street. And, of course, that is true. They are.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't trained Marxists be happy to hear a response based on economics?
ReplyDeletejohn c. halasz said... "I am a trained Marxist. Toilet-trained at least."
ReplyDeleteThat's lesson #1.
Lesson #2: https://youtu.be/YTHL0y6xvLE
I went in for training but was thrown out of obedience school. But if you give me a biscuit, I can learn new tricks.
ReplyDeleteYou are already a Trickster, Max.
ReplyDeleteWell I do think it's true that BLM ideology is actually being organically molded. I'm sure Patrisse Cullors and her co-founders are listening to the voices of the street.Black Lives Matter means what it says. Defund the Police, means what it says And these concepts are resonating with a vast majority of Americans.. What will the street say next? I'm not sure. But I am sure that whetever it is, it will be an expression of the collective unconsiosness of America, liberated and exposed to the light of day. We faced with what we knew all along but just didn't see. That's all changed now. The genie is NOT going back into the bottle. So I give tremendous credit to Patrisse, igniting the flames of liberation and justice around these two huge social issues. And now, we know that BLM has the support of at least 66% of the population. Since we are a country of laws and institutions and since laws and institutions must serve the common good, BLM will help elect law makers and leaders who will reform, pass laws and staff institutions that will make America into a fair, equitable and healthful, 21st Century multi-racial, multi-cultural Democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe amateur, untrained marxists are always giving the professionally trained marxists a bad name.
ReplyDeleteSomeone in the seattle defund-the-police movement is telling me that BLM are NOT pro-communist marxists, even though I showed her the video of her explaining they are Marxist Trained and even though I showed her 4 occasions where protestors espoused their communist world view, even using the word Communism. She gave herself 3 hours to reply to me then came up with "she didn't say she was a Marxist, just that she was Marxist trained".... Am I missing something here or is she??
ReplyDeleteBetter than Occupy Wall Street? First off that is a done deal within 5 years so buckle up.
ReplyDeleteSecond, if occupy wall street were to continue at least we are free to innovate, create, and seal our own personal fate, make our own decisions and be culpable for what we do and don't do.
I would rather be in control of my own life than have some Supreme Leader run me into the ground working like a slave for the we are one ideal. We all know power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I want choices for me my kid and their kids, no one person should be the authority for any population, no checks and balances and absolutely no protesting. Anyone remember Tiananmen Square?
No Communism is not the answer, why does it have to be a choice of one type of government over the other? We need a new form of government that aligns with respect of each other, and caring for each other, if we could obtain that then America would explode with riches like never before.
A 'Marxist.' is a Marxist. Is a marxist. Having a communist ideology equates to being 'Marxists'. On the face of it Garza does a great many constructive things in her efforts to bring social justice to the black community and should be justly applauded for same. And cuddos for being anti trump.It is her underlying commitment to the Marxist ideology that is troublesome as it likely drives a hidden agenda. BLM now seems to have been hi-jacked by either a violent external faction that rides on BLM coatails or from within BLM itself. When I hear Alicia Garza verbally repudiate her marxist ideology and the violent faction seemingly within BLM, then I shall believe that she is not a threat to America's democracy and upholds our Constitution.
ReplyDelete