If there is one constant in the political universe it must surely be the ongoing necessity for consciousness-raising and political struggle.

Social, economic, and political justice are inextricably linked to attaining real freedom. Without justice there is no freedom regardless as to what personalities might emerge on the political stage saying otherwise. Freedom has not been attained and can never be taken for granted. This demands vigilance and ongoing political struggle.

Those engaged in serious political struggle understand that social, economic, and political justice in this nation and throughout the world are not commodities to be bought, sold, or traded. The attainment of functioning freedom, in addition to being inextricably linked to social, economic, and political justice, is illusive at best. Thus, the necessity for constant and ongoing political struggle.

As the current icons of the U.S. Democratic and Republican Parties [i.e. the Republicrats] present transparent solutions to their self-made superficial issues, the attainment of economic, social, and political justice for the masses of people becomes increasingly ignored. With few exceptions, we are living in a period in the U.S. wherein rhetoric and superficiality are strongly promoted above substance and serious political struggle.

This is an indicator of the internal decay of the U.S. Empire even as it seeks to extend and tighten its global hegemony.

As the vast majority of Black, Brown, Red, Yellow, and White peoples in this nation slip deeper into an economic and social abyss, the Republicrats [i.e. the Democratic and Republican Parties] offer no substantive relief because they are unwilling and unable to bring about systemic change. Therefore, the increased need for ongoing, daily, and serious grass roots political organizing for uncompromising systemic change.

A real people’s movement not beholden to the Democratic or Republican Parties is what is absolutely necessary in this nation if we are to have systemic change. Equating a color or gender switch in the changing of the Republicrat political guards to systemic change is an enormous and dangerous mistake. As the late Amilcar Cabral of Guinea-Bissau so aptly put it, “No matter how hot the water from the well, it will not cook your rice.” [Reference the book entitled, Unity and Struggle: Speeches and Writings of Amilcar Cabral].

It is the 21st Century and the future is beckoning. It is time to pull ourselves and each other from the stagnating “well” of the Democratic and Republican Parties [i.e. the Republicrats].

Real and effective community organizing and political struggle is not governed or determined by corporate Democratic and Republican Party campaign cycles. Freedom’s struggle is constant, ongoing, and dialectical; and it is shaped and determined by we the people.

Onward then brothers and sisters…Onward!

BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board Member, Larry Pinkney, is a veteran of the Black Panther Party, the former Minister of Interior of the Republic of New Africa, a former political prisoner and the only American to have successfully self-authored his civil/political rights case to the United Nations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In connection with his political organizing activities in opposition to voter suppression, etc., Pinkney was interviewed in 1988 on the nationally televised PBS NewsHour, formerly known as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. For more about Larry Pinkney see the book, Saying No to Power: Autobiography of a 20th Century Activist and Thinker, by William Mandel [Introduction by Howard Zinn]. (Click here to read excerpts from the book). Click here to contact Mr. Pinkney.

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