Capitalism + AIDS

GENOCIDE

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Reparations
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Revolution?

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By, Kevin "Rashid” Johnson

Capitalism + AIDS = Genocide & Reparations or Revolution? By, Rashid
Capitalism + AIDS = Genocide

No people can wag a sruggle for slf-detemmination and independence fthy sre wiped out of
cxisence. The imperialist ralize ths and 80 shoukd we: his i n the concrete reality that makes
survival programs key organizing work for New Afrkan and Afikan people everywhee. In
addresiog our surviva needs,in Afka, Amerika and elsewhere, we st have comeet Kadership and
draw upon the broadest nterational support a5 well 1 practie slf-reliance.

Our unmet ncds growing outofimperialis and nzo-colonial domiation and oppresion ar many:
lack of adequate basic nutiton and health care, supportof prisoners and thei familics, providing relie.
1o the mulitads ofrefugees and orphaos produced by imperialist. instigaed, rmed bl conflics sd
people being forced o their ancestrl lands for economic reasons in various pars of Afik, the
ravages of West Nile Vinus, Malria and othe diseases—but the greatet single cisis facing Afrkan
peaple worldwide is HIVIAIDS.

Many of s prefer to ignorethis issue and rly on the governments and World Health Organization to
properly address i, But thats ot happening, Wht s happening i genocide! In 2002,ofthe 3 millon
people who lostthir lves 0 AIDS inthat yea, 2.2 mllion were Afikuns, and tat nf countin the
New Afkans in the Diaspora. In the interest o survival, we hd better pay stention 0 tis issu.

Five millon peaple contract AIDS each year. Three millon o mre die from it each year. Nearly 90%
of theseare people in the 34 World. Every day 1,600 children die from AIDS. Two thirds of those
ifected with HIVIAIDS ive in Afika, where some six to ight thousaod people die from it every day.
Thats like two 9-11' every day! Ifhis were happening to white popie, you would hear abou 1t every
day! In some Afrikan counries,like Lesotho, a ullon third f the adut popultion i testing postve
for HIV. Berween 1992 and 200, the HIV-posiive rate ose fom 7 millon t 22 milion. In 2005,
one million Afrikan school children fos hei teachers (o AIDS. In Sub-Saharan Afik alone, tereare
now 12 millon AIDS orphans.

“The discase n spreading in the New Afrikan Nation within Ameriks oo. Ifs now esimaied that | in
50 Black men in Amerika are AIDS iofected, while 0% of ll newly deected HIVIAIDS casesare
Black wimyn. i 1998, Blacks accounted for 9% of AIDS death i the US. Akbough we ar but
13% of th U.S. populaton, we account for 1% of the newly dingnosed HIV case. Black men are 7
times more likely 0 contractthe HIV virs than white men. And Black wimyn are 20 imes more
fikely o contrac it than whie wimyn. Clearly this discase that i devastting Afika i beginning t0
impact New Afikans as well. HIVIAIDS statsticsfor Hit now mirmor those of the most hard-hit
areas of Mother Afeika

According (o the United Nations, some 25 milion have died so far from AIDS. Thisnumber il risc
dramaticaly as those who are infected succurmb tothiskiler isease. An esimated 40 millon people
are HIV infected worldwide, and only 20% of them are receiving any treatment o slow the ifectin,
while less than 1.3 million people with AIDS are receving necessary medications. Moreover, estingis
limited, ad probably 90% who ase HIV positive don'tknow it No one knows how bad te siuation
really s

Decause the first AIDS cases detected in Amerika were male homosexuls, th media sod el
right quickly hyped it 2 a “gay disease,” and even a8 “God'spunisbment.* This sigma bas lef s
continuing impression on publc opinio in this country that runs contrary 10 facs. A east 75% of
‘wimyn who ar infected contracied th diseas throueh hterosexua sexual itercourse. 1V dro usc s
another cause, but the “moral majoriy” continue o frusirae fee ncedle exchanges for drug addics, as
ifthei spreading th virus did not spill over into the general population,
3

‘Some will ook at these statsics s say, “good! Let it Kill ff he nigg”rs, queersand junkes!” There.
can'be 1o doubt that racism, bigotry and homaphobia bave etarded soial and governmental response.
1o thi criss. But even more significan s th fac that from the monopoly capialiss’perspective there
isa surplus oflabo that can't b profiably exploited and 100 many poor people who cait aflord 1o
consume the products they'e seling. Thisis genocide~—for eal—and i i up 0 us 1 puta s10p (0 it

None of the exising policis on HIV/AIDS awarenes, prevention and treatment refcct or address the
eal world needs an crisi o tis global epidemie, which for Affkan an New Afikan people is
ccoming pandemic with genocidal overtones. Activism around his ssue must be builtbeyond the
Fanks of those who have already falen vitim and e dedicaing what emains of their strcngth o
Sering th people. These sisers nd brothers deserve s respectand support, but a much bigger effot
st be mounted and one tht is ot afraid 0 point out th poliical realites rom a revolutonary New
Aftkan perspective.

“The buslding of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party (NABPP) must take place inthe thick of sirugge.
around the mst important ssues fTcting our people. Survivalisucs are of highest priority. We must
Sirvive inorder 10 fesist—in order 1o overcome —and in oder 0 create a bighter fuure for urure
senerations.

Tensof millions have died alrady, and many more are dying and will di, and ltrally bilions ae in
danger. While the big nane imperalis foundations and governments usin the feet nd procrastinae,
e infctin i spreading. Action is needed! It s ime to build the survival programs out people nesd
“with our own hands and resources, mobilzing a0d uoleashing the power of the people 10 sct n their

A vanguard party and mass organizaions ae needed 1o lead and organize the people’s struggle. These.
won' fal from th sky. We have 2 buid them in th course o sruggle!

Capitalism + AIDS = Genocide! Power 0 the People!

Reparations or Kevolution? (2007)
INTRODUCTION

During the weekend of June 22, 2007, the National Coaltion of Blacks for Reparaiions in America
(N'COBRA), sponsored » gatherng in Philly. The am of the confercace was o buildand chanael
broad base of mass caergy towards wisaing reparaions for Blacks in Amerika; 1o repai the ongoiag
suffring a2d negaive ffects weve soffered a a resultof slavery,segregation and racim.

1 lightofthe amount of work put nto this confereace and the oveallcampaign, we thought it
mportant 0 say few words o the queston of reparations, o chalenge th focus of thiscncrgy and to
Conras it with working towardsrevolution. As revolutonary nationalsts and inermatonalsts, we fel
working towards revolution should be e main focus of the New Afikan Nation in Amerka.

No ooe can argue that the pastexplitaion of Blck people in Amerika did not enich the white
capialissor that it layed an isignifican pat in making the U.S. today's soe impeiais saperpower.
Morcove,th capitais ruling class contnues to super explot and oppress Black people i the USS.
and inernaionaly. The pot and the solution, however, is ot 1 beg for monetary snlement but o
Senle sccounts by puting an end 1o the system of capitalist imperalism atogether:

This means revolution, nd we believe that his should be the focus of our energy and what we arc
‘down with organizing. It s ot a simple sk, but i i pure idealisn to belice dht the U5,
overnment s going 0 pay ou ilions of dollars 0 Black people simply because we make a
compeling moral argumen that they should. At bestall they will give i acarfully worded spology:

‘What wesee within tis falk about Keping money i the Back commity s 5 plea by aspirng Black
capitaliss 10 et a bigger piece of the profits made off the explittion of the Biack masses. There s
nothing new about a section of the Black community profiig in tis way. It s th same old peo-
colonal rickery that was use 10 derail the revolutionary sruggles of peopl of color throughout the
20% cennury.

(Capitalsm s the probiem,and there were Disck peopleal long who profited rom our explition
soing back t0 our ancestors’ cnslavement back in Alrka. There were Black overseerson the
platations aod even some Black save-owners. Historcally, Black businessmen and gangsiers have.
fromed for white businessinen snd gangsters n e Black community, and this is sull the cae. Black

illegalcapitaiss™ are big part ofthe problem in the Black community, but 0 100 are the
“respectable” Black bourgeoise

W notsaying thatthere s not some room for maling acical llances in furthersnce of buikding a
umited froatagainst capitaist imperialis, bt this class cannot lead vs o iberston. Thei cass
interests dontgo that way. These Black bourgeoisie and bourgeois nationaliem cannot lead o the
iberation of Biack people in Amerika anymore tha they have in Afrka

The Nation of New Afikans in Amerikais in & uigue situation. We cannot achieve our ntional
fiberation by separuting from the whie supremacist United Staes nor by ntegrating with t—only by
overthrowing it and puting an cad 10 captalis imperialism. S0 ong g this system exst, it will
maneuver ts money and power and is miltary force and neo-colonis agents o keep us down and
exploted. Divided,th coloaized people who have sruggled or nationalibertion could ol cseape.
the bonds ofneo-<olonial economic and political domination.

Mch fes could we secede from the U, and form our own republic inthe Bck Belt South. Such
dreams and schemes ar a diversion rom what must be done. We must pullthe system down. Black
people are no the only oncs exploited and oppressed by capialist imperialism—the whole world is
“Thi comes down unevenly—with some people being more oppressed and more exploited than others
—but almst cverybody stands (o gain from proletaian socialist revoluton and sweeping capitalist
imperiatism ont the trash hesp of history.

‘WITH THE U.S. ECONOMY IN CRISIS, WHERE WOULD REPARATIONS COME FROM?

The U.S. government and economy is beaded towards baskrupty. In sc t s running on borrowed
moncy now! Whercas the U.S. used to be the #1 lender naion,f i nowthe #1 deblornaton. AS the
natonal debt grows, more and more of the GNP must be channeled towards sevicing that debt. The
US. uling clas s doing 10 the U.S. cconomy wha thas done o the 3% World. It s cannibalizing it.
How wil i et out of the risis t i creating? 1t woni

No wonder lading rulng class figures are tlking sbou the "End Times" 10d “Revelations.”
Imperilism is th laststageof capitalisn, and globalization bas only sped up th decline . So n the
fac of this growing economic criss, how can any sane persyn imagine tha the U.S. goverment would
borrow illons more 0 pay for the past explotaton of Black people? And who would be the
carctakersof ths vast sum of moncy? This s Just pandering 10 the Black captalitelement with dollr

185 diversion fom the real necd of h cBlack masses (0 end thir exploittion and oppression by
organizin o make a revoluton when a ruly revolutionary sitation presens tself—s i will Since
1987, when N'COBRA was founded, e situation fo the masses o Black people n Ameriks bas
seadily declined. Unemployment hs isen, and 5o has incarceration for millons of Black and other
oppresed people. Socia srvice programs have been dramaicaly cut, and social problems have.
dramatically worsened.

Butinstead of rebuilding the Vanguard Party and mass movements of the 60s nd 705, many Black.
activists shifted towards accommodaion with capitalist imperialism and the U.S. government.
Stipped of s ationalisti rhetoric,that i just what thi reparations movement is about.

IMPERIALIST PAYOFFS AS CLASSIC NEO-COLONIALISM
“deb forgiveness” or“reparations,” large sums
approved: eaders of oppressed people it a clasic neo-colonialist
tactc. 1 serves purpose—nainely tha of propping up theirconirol over the oppresed people and

counris. The aspiring capialistsof oppressed nationaliss serve to hol i check snd divert the
oppressed masses from the sruggle for their liberation from al oppression and channel ther energy
o subsiuting one master for another—a master thiough whor the imperialistscan ul indirecty.

This has happened acrossthe 3# World,from Afka t Palesin, o Latin America, o Native Americ;
rom Cape Town o Harlem. The native bourgeois act s front men in the exploftation of “thir own”
oppressed masses. Is tis mationa iberation? We think not! 1 i clasic neo-colonalsm, which s the
prefered means of domication by the U.S. Empire. It an then tlk about promoting “Democracy” and
“Independence,” while reserving the “ight” o ¢fect“regime changes” whenever i suts i interests,
and dollarsare more cost eficient and e obvious means ofcontrl than calonial administrators

1 the oppressed people choose leaders the U.S. doesa't approve of it cancut offpaymens, a5 th U,
id when Hamas wasclecicd last year by the Palestnians. And then there i the option ofsanctons and
US. invasion and occupation s n Afghanistan and lrag

Indin unde Briih rle was an caly archetype of neo-colonial domination, and the USS. leamed from
this model. Under Briish domination, India was adumioisered by ndiaas for 200 years, This “Jewel of
the Britsh Empire” was primarily admiistered by a Indian el and garsoned by bruta Indian
sokdiers wbo oppressed th Indian people.

Even under Aparteid in South Afika, it was Black soldiersand police who did mostof th diry work
of oppressing th people. But mare revealing i that afe the fl of Apathed, nsive Black clte whs
substitued for the white colonial stler regime and given a cutofth profts rom the explotaion of
the still miserably poor Black masses while, the loal whit e nd imperialists contnse 1 control
the economy.

‘This neo-colanial process s how the LS. keeps Latin America under is thumb and conrols ts weslt
Of esources. These countrie are run by imperilistagents who receive U, "economic aid” and
depend upon a miliary system that props p the locl e snd allows U.S. economic explotation of
their oppressed masses. The poor are kept poor and in lie.”

The same would be the case with New Afikans, i we did mansge to convince the US. Goverament 0
pay us eparations. It would go ito the hands ofth Black bourgediie el for srvics rendered o
the Empire. But they don't need 10 do that. Not when sright p explotation and oppression are doing
just ine.
There ar thosc who waat (0 protst and seek o reform hs roten system and hose who was 10 ad i
overhrow and by i, and move on 10 buikd 3 new, radically differat Kind o sysem based upon £
Serving peoples eeds through socilist ownership ofth basic means of roduciion and peoples
powes. The New Afikan Black Panther Paty-Prson Chaptcr and our alis re quite clear where we
Sand aod o0 the absohte need for revolution. That is what ouridological and politcal orientaiion

Yes, we will ad do prtes the many outrages perptrated by his system, and we do demand cerain
{eforms, but ot a5 ends n themselves and not o each any accommodation with mperialism. We do
<o iy to build atrly revoluionsry movemeat and o creaie more avorable condiions o struggle.
e need 10 agiae,educate aad rganize (o this end.

To make revolston, we musthave a revolutonary vanguard party tha s secld i sruggle, a mass
movemeat tht builds mass revolutonary consciousoess, aod a revolutonary uaited fron that is both
i and niemationl. The Party ous be guided by the most advavced revolutonary thary nd
organized alon tried nd proven revolutionary lines to faciliae the maximum amount of democratic:
discussion aoduaity in action.

m@s: :Wum?me

ster of Defense, z? >?r== Black

ther Party (Prison Chapte) | 5

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THE DEBT WE OWE

A ation is & coninum, It includes those who bave passd on and those yet (0 b born. As nation,
the most fudamental question we New A(rkans should be sking s: “What o we owe out ancestrs
a0d 10 fuure generations?™

o those whose boneslcat e botiom o the Atlantic Ocean and under th black il ofhe Souh, (0
those who il come ater us bearing our DNA, we owe our ' blood. We owe the determination to

cary the sruggle againstcxplotation and oppression forward 1 victoy, 50 ha out progeny wil not
{abor fo explotes o suffer cruel ppression because of thecolor of theis skin

Beyond e Nation, we ows it 0 ou lass—1o all who labo for hei dily bresd—here and around the
world—io break the chaius of servitude and subjugation—o bring 1o an end the Epoch of Exploiation
—and to advance humyn socialevolution t a igher Stag.

“The syscm of capialism—which arose with e kidnappiag and enslavement of our sncestors fom
Alika—will only perish when we New Afrikansrie 0 lead the workd proltarian revolution. Ca
anyone puta price on thr?

Capitalist imperiaism i the finalstage of capitlism. 1t s capialism in it most roin and decadent
form—roten ipe o revolution. It imposes poverty on the masses workdwide o serve the enrchment
of a smallclass of social prasite. It desroys the natural environment and wastes precious resource.
i devalues humyn lfe, destroys families and communites, and promotes alcnation and shallow.
individualism and consumerism.

the final stage o he ong Epoch of cxploicaion that began with th averthrow of Mother Right
and the impositon of Patriarchy. Slavery was thousands of years od before it broughtour scesiors (0
Amerika. S0 who owes the descendents o he slaves of Afks, Asis and Europe reparations? The
evoluiion f clas cxploitation with al s sllering—wars, s, torures, hunper and poverty——the
suffringof slaves,sefs, enant amers and wage slaves—has brought s o hs point % ime when it
can be fnally ended once and for sl

“The possbilty o social justicefor all s now a ralityif we but dae 10 SEIZE THE TIME and take.
historyinio our own hands. The gobalizaton and socalizaton of producton and advances in
techaology cry out for beration rom private ownership o serve the needs ofll ummaniy. The
possibiltyof providing evryone on the planet with s decent standard o iving, with decentheslh care
and persyol iberty exists now.

Al tha i necded i the courage and conviction 1 ake the power o our hands o do . The Nation
of New Afikans in Amerika bas the mora responsiilty 1 stand up nd lead this revolution. We who.
live withia the “Belly ofthe Bess,” the solc imperalis superpower that was bt upon e backs o
our ancesors, we owe i them, 1 our posteity and fo ourselves ot 0 seck scsommodation with
capitalist imperialism but to dig. s grave and bury

nthe words of our e comrade, Hasan Shakur, an innocent man murdered by the sat of Texss
because of the colorof bis skin: “The sooner begunthe sooncr donel™

Al Power o the eople
Dare 0 Strggle Dar o Win!
oSl Kevin Johnson 1859887
Clements Unit
9602 Spur 591
SOUTH CHICAGO ABC ZINE DISTRO Amarillo, TX 79107

0.80X 721 / HOMEWOOD, IL 60430 http://rashidmod.com