The older I get and the longer I’m in movement spaces, I
am convinced that most people don’t understand
systems of oppression. Governmental control
and corporate greed are the two main systems
of oppression that often become
indistinguishable. The government becomes the
front man, the bagman and the hype-man for
corporations. We should never get that
twisted. But we do.
As a former cadre of the Congress of African People, one
of the Kawaida teachings that has stuck with
me is to expose the system as corrupt and
unworkable. Fifty years later, we are about to
witness corruption at daunting levels that
will make the lives of many in this country
unbearable.
Most radical groups are fighting for reforms that make
life bearable in this country. We are the ones
who are fighting for the freedoms enshrined in
the U.S. Constitution. That’s us who protect
those freedoms, not the military. The military
is for expanding and protecting American
interests in the form of land and the
resources that come with it. Throughout
history, the military has been used against
its citizens who were fighting for change.
Some of these same groups who fight for transformative
change also engage in electoral politics. They
help elect candidates who promise reform,
transparency and accountability. When those
politicians get swallowed by the swamp, we are
disappointed, but we dust ourselves off and
support another round of promising candidates.
We have found that these elected officials
don’t push reforms as far as they could even
when they can. We are in a merry-go-round
nightmare.
It is time to assess the forces at play on both sides -
ours and theirs. We have some dead weight on
the social movement side who want to be
lenient on their favorite politician or who
put a value on what’s worth fighting for. We
have some folks in our camp whose workstyles
are unproductive and unserious. In 2025, we
must tighten up our ranks and be bold about
our vision.
The enemies of democracy, justice and peace must be
exposed but we must also explain to the people
why they are dangerous and what the
alternative is. We first need to know the
functions and roles in the respective systems.
We waste time with misguided demands and
tactics because we don’t understand the extent
of the power and authority vested in them.
This country has been given plenty notice by trump of his
plans for this country. His first term was an
introduction to government, and he made some
fumbles. Now, he’s not just learned where the
legal and social minefields are, but trump
knows enough to manipulate the systems to his
benefit. This includes putting people in place
to get his ass out of hot water. We have
already seen how the MAGA courts have shielded
him from the legitimate charges he will
probably never face.
I believe we have to be clear-eyed and sober about what we
face in 2025. A known, convicted criminal is
about to occupy the White House. And he’s
bringing his other crazy and criminal cronies
with him. We can’t use past tactics going
forward; they just won’t work.
We who believe in freedom are the opposition. Everyone
will not be up for the challenge and there’s
no shame there. All able-bodied organizers and
freedom fighters who understand the mission
for the next four years are being called to
action: to stop, with peaceful tenacity, the
spread of fascism in this country.
