The Poverty of Philosophy

[CKFresh]

"Most of my Latino and black people who are struggling to get food, clothes and shelter in the hood are so concerned with that, that philosophising about freedom and socialist democracy is usually unfortunately beyond their rationale. They don't realize that America can't exist without separating them from their identity, because if we had some sense of who we really are, there's no way in hell we'd allow this country to push it's genocidal consensus on our homelands. This ignorance exists, but it can be destroyed.

Talk about change and working within the system to achieve that. The problem with always being a conformist is that when you try to change the system from within, it's not you who changes the system; it's the system that will eventually change you. There is usually nothing wrong with compromise in a situation, but compromising yourself in a situation is another story completely, and I have seen this happen long enough in the few years that I've been alive to know that it's a serious problem. Latino America is a huge colony of countries whose presidents are cowards in the face of economic imperialism. You see, third world countries are rich places, abundant in resources, and many of these countries have the capacity to feed their starving people and the children we always see digging for food in trash on commercials. But plutocracies, in other words a government run by the rich such as this one and traditionally oppressive European states, force the third world into buying overpriced, unnecessary goods while exporting huge portions of their natural resources.

I'm quite sure that people will look upon my attitude and sentiments and look for hypocrisy and hatred in my words. My revolution is born out of love for my people, not hatred for others.

You see, most of Latinos are here because of the great inflation that was caused by American companies in Latin America. Aside from that, many are seeking a life away from the puppet democracies that were funded by the United States; places like El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Columbia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Republica Dominicana, and not just Spanish-speaking countries either, but Haiti and Jamaica as well.

As different as we have been taught to look at each other by colonial society, we are in the same struggle and until we realize that, we'll be fighting for scraps from the table of a system that has kept us subservient instead of being self-determined. And that's why we have no control over when the embargo will stop in Cuba, or when the bombs will stop dropping in Vieques.

But you see, here in America the attitude that is fed to us is that outside of America there live lesser people. "**** them, let them fend for themselves." No, **** you, they are you. No matter how much you want to dye your hair blonde and put fake eyes in, or follow an anorexic standard of beauty, or no matter how many diamonds you buy from people who exploit your own brutally to get them, no matter what kind of car you drive or what kind of fancy clothes you put on, you will never be them. They're always gonna look at you as nothing but a little monkey. I'd rather be proud of what I am, rather than desperately trying to be something I'm really not, just to fit in. And whether we want to accept it or not, that's what this culture or lack of culture is feeding us.

I want a better life for my family and for my children, but it doesn't have to be at the expense of millions of lives in my homeland. We're given the idea that if we didn't have these people to exploit then America wouldn't be rich enough to let us have these little petty material things in our lives and basic standards of living. No, that's wrong. It's the business giants and the government officials who make all the real money. We have whatever they kick down to us. My enemy is not the average white man, it's not the kid down the block or the kids I see on the street; my enemy is the white man I don't see: the people in the white house, the corporate monopoly owners, fake liberal politicians those are my enemies. The generals of the armies that are mostly conservatives those are the real Mother-****ers that I need to bring it to, not the poor, broke country-ass soldier that's too stupid to know **** about the way things are set up.

In fact, I have more in common with most working and middle-class white people than I do with most rich black and Latino people. As much as racism bleeds America, we need to understand that classism is the real issue. Many of us are in the same boat and it's sinking, while these bougie Mother-****ers ride on a luxury liner, and as long as we keep fighting over kicking people out of the little boat we're all in, we're gonna miss an opportunity to gain a better standard of living as a whole.

In other words, I don't want to escape the plantation I want to come back, free all my people, hang the Mother-****er that kept me there and burn the house to the god damn ground. I want to take over the encomienda and give it back to the people who work the land.

You cannot change the past but you can make the future, and anyone who tells you different is a ****ing lethargic devil. I don't look at a few token Latinos and black people in the public eye as some type of achievement for my people as a whole. Most of those successful individuals are sell-outs and house Negros.

But, I don't consider brothers a sell-out if they move out of the ghetto. Poverty has nothing to do with our people. It's not in our culture to be poor. That's only been the last 500 years of our history; look at the last 2000 years of our existence and what we brought to the world in terms of science, mathematics, agriculture and forms of government. You know the idea of a confederation of provinces where one federal government controls the states? The Europeans who came to this country stole that idea from the Iroquois lead. The idea of impeaching a ruler comes from an Aztec tradition. That's why Montezuma was stoned to death by his own people 'cause he represented the agenda of white Spaniards once he was captured, not the Aztec people who would become Mexicans.

So in conclusion, I'm not gonna vote for anybody just 'cause they black or Latino they have to truly represent the community and represent what's good for all of us proletariat.

Viva la revolution!"

- Immortal Technique

[CKFresh]

Hmmmm, I was hoping for some opinions on this...

Anyone?

[buckeyefan78]

Well CK, I've been trying to get this point across in my recent posts to you...

"Most of my Latino and black people who are struggling to get food, clothes and shelter in the hood are so concerned with that, that philosophising about freedom and socialist democracy is usually unfortunately beyond their rationale. They don't realize that America can't exist without separating them from their identity

So there's one opinion.



In fact, I have more in common with most working and middle-class white people than I do with most rich black and Latino people. As much as racism bleeds America, we need to understand that classism is the real issue.

This sentiment drives home the point more.

[CKFresh]

I thought you might like that buck.

I agree that classism is the real issue. However, I don't think that classism and racism can be separated in our society. I believe they are directly related.

[philabramoff]

I suppose the reason why this didn't get too many replies is because,
for me, anyway, I'd rather hear what you think, CK, not what
was cut-and-pasted from some article. Moreover, this is a long and
laborious article (like, "get to the point, already").

I create long posts, too, myself, but I don't think I've ever cut-and-paste
somebody else's words. It's what I think. Maybe some articles you and
others paste in could be interesting...but I prefer conversing with you.

Lastly, as for the guy who wrote this article (if that's a picture of him
at the bottom), what I see is some goof who's life isn't going anywhere,
so he has to put on some army fatigues, use the F word a few times,
complain a lot about how unfair life is, and preach revolution, instead
of going to school, getting an education, and getting a job like the
rest of us.

[buckeyefan78]

Originally Posted by CKFresh

I thought you might like that buck.

I agree that classism is the real issue. However, I don't think that classism and racism can be separated in our society. I believe they are directly related.

Well, classism is the real root behind racism. That's my whole point. The elites have used race, religion, formal education attainment and a host of other factors to subdue the masses as a way to protect their wealth. Race is the most visible factor to most and the biggest "trait" to overcome if you are poor.

According to the feds, my hometown of Youngstown is officially the poorest city in America. It's about 45% white, 40% black, 10% Latino and 5% other.

Just something to chew on.

[CKFresh]

Originally Posted by philabramoff

Lastly, as for the guy who wrote this article (if that's a picture of him
at the bottom), what I see is some goof who's life isn't going anywhere,
so he has to put on some army fatigues, use the F word a few times,
complain a lot about how unfair life is, and preach revolution, instead
of going to school, getting an education, and getting a job like the
rest of us.

Riiight, because everyone around the world has all the opportunities that we have... Just get an education you lazy bastard!

I wish it were that easy...

According to the feds, my hometown of Youngstown is officially the poorest city in America. It's about 45% white, 40% black, 10% Latino and 5% other.

Just something to chew on.

Interesting. I imagine that is pretty close to the national average in imoverished areas.

[philabramoff]

Originally Posted by CKFresh

Riiight, because everyone around the world has all the opportunities that we have... Just get an education you lazy bastard!

I wish it were that easy...

Actually, you have hit on one of my greatest frustrations. Here in
America, we try very hard to provide education for everybody.
Having taught in an urban high school, myself, I felt the deepest depths
of frustration being in a school that provided everything, materially (rooms,
books, relatively small classrooms, an excellent library, all the printing I
needed) only to have a bunch of snotty, ungrateful, undisciplined 14-year
olds treat me like absolute crap, and do everything possible to
prevent me from doing my job (which is why I left HS teaching and went
back to teaching college).

We do provide education for everyone. Too many of our young
people are pi$$ing it away, and making our schools impossible places to
teach.

[catman]

I have many teachers in my family and this is a common thread of the discussions. Discipline is nearly non-existant in public schools. A brother of mine taught in pubilc schools for 20 years only to lose his job due to a reduction in force. He accepted a job at the State Juvenile Home, teaching business classes and stayed there until he retired 2 years ago. He loved the job, as discipline is not a problem there. Most of the kids are incarcerated for determinate terms and are required to go to class as part of their sentences. If they don't behave, they spend time in lockup, which no one wants to do, then they make up their school work anyway.
A common train of thought is that we are not spending enough money on public schools, but we spend more per student than private school tuition costs for the majority of private schools. And the quality of education is lower in public schools than in private ones (per test results).
This is why I favor vouchers for parents that wish to enroll their children in comparable private schools. Competition in education will make it much better.

[Richard the Lionheart]

Personally, I like the idea of vouchers, but they are unconstitutional...not that unconstitutionality ever stops anyone anymore...

[catman]

What makes them unconstitutional? They only allow parents to direct where their tax dollars will go to educate their children.
Yes the NEA doesn't like them, but they don't like competition.

[Richard the Lionheart]

Primarily the 1st Amendment to the Constitution and the Incorporation clause.

The parents aren't really directing their tax dollars. It's not like they are capped out at what they pay in taxes. It redirects state government funds from public to private/religious schools.

[catman]

Then how is public school constitutional? Its the same thing in my opinion.

[Ellis]

Being for equality, I think everyone should have to go to public schools.

It will kill elitism, which I know so many people dislike. No preppy or religious schools; everyone comes up together-- after all, we are all much more alike than anyone will give us credit for.

Plus, is it fair that a child gets to go to a better school just because his parents have more money? (Wait, I may be forgetting that the kid who goes to prep school's parents worked 100 times harder than Johny Publicschool's parents did. Those hard working and rich parents deserve to be able to send their kids to a school full of other high-class and better kids.)

[philabramoff]

Originally Posted by Ellis

It will kill elitism...

What will kill elitism is everyone has opportunities to any school of
their choice.

Originally Posted by Ellis

Plus, is it fair that a child gets to go to a better school just because his parents have more money?

Answer: no it is not fair. That's why we need school choice
so that lower income children can go to the good schools. Talk about
something that ensures the divide between the rich and poor...it's our
current broken public school system.

And, Cat, you're absolutely right...the main block to school choice is the
teacher's unions. I agree with what the unions do to protect the rights,
pay, and benefits of the teachers, but hate the way they oppose anything
that will correct the unfairness of poorer children being stuck in absolutely
pathetic schools.