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GlobalEyes

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in the Mirror of the World
Spartacus R.
editor of Global Africa Pocket News and author of "Violation" and "The Maat Mystery" takes another look at the world.

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Is This a Game?

I am amazed at some of the comments and statements coming from what would normally be considered the more enlightened members of the Global African community in relation to the Million Youth March which took place in New York on the 5th of September 1998. From some of the sentiments expressed it could appear to the casual observer that we were all watching a world series baseball match or a heavyweight championship boxing match in which we played no active part. The fact that we are all, without exception, participants in the continuing war between Global Africa and Global Europe did not appear to have been taken into consideration by most of these commentators.

There were exceptional comments of praise for Khallid Muhammad's conduct during the organisational planning, the execution and the aftermath of the rally but on the whole many who felt moved to comment on the "March" were scathing in their condemnation of him in particular and the security provisions in general. Some called him "reckless" and "irresponsible". One Sister whose analytical commentary is often on the ball suggested his behaviour was "criminally insane" and went as far as to suggest along with others that he may even be an agent provocateur. Another Sister called for someone to take him out "Drop Squad" style for leading our children into danger.

The Questions

While the debate continues around Khallid's, Farrakhan's or anyone else's ability to lead or mislead the Global African community, I believe there are a few questions we need to be asking ourselves. They include:

1) Who is responsible for our liberation?

2) Is there really a war going on?

3) If we are in a state of war how do our own actions help to bring us closer to victory?

4) And in what way can we act to enhance the work of others who are fighting for the liberation of Global Africa?

The Answers

1) If, as I would expect from any Black Power group of people, you all say that WE are responsible for our own liberation, I would ask: "Why then do we expect other people to think and act for us? Why are we so preoccupied with questionable personalities thrown to us by our enemy as our representatives and others who put themselves up as our leaders?" WE DO NOT NEED LEADERS (those who are interested can read what I have to say on the subject of leadership and self-determination at
http://www.globalafrica.com/Leadself.htm). We need to take more responsibility individually and collectively for ourselves and our destiny. We need to stop blaming others for not doing what we would have done if we were in their positions and start doing what we have to do given our own situations.

2) If we recognise that we are in a state of war, then ANY ACTION which causes our people to become more acutely aware of the situation, even if it means RISKING our lives or their lives, is a vital and necessary action. If we consider that whether we do anything or not our people's lives are at risk it makes sense that we should do something. Some have reasoned that a real revolutionary is a silent warrior. I agree. But a real revolutionary is also a noisy, loud and sometimes obnoxious TruthSayer who speaks out where others fear to mumble. A real revolutionary is also an educator, a teacher who must speak and act openly in order to inspire by being seen and heard by those who otherwise would not know. A real revolutionary is also a troublemaker, an agitator who brings us the score the way it is in order that others may learn and experience the reality of the situation we find ourselves in. A real revolutionary is also a soldier who is not afraid to stand up to the might of an oppressive state machinery, puts her or his own life on the front line of fire.

If we don't recognise that there is really a war going on in which we play either a positive or negative role, then all that we say and do will be just part of a silly game of empty rhetoric and ostentatious self-destruction. We will happily allow ourselves to be led along the path laid out for us by our respective masters. We will be more than happy to scream "anti-Semitic" at any African person who points a finger at those dog-wagging oppressors some folks call Jews. And more than happy to abandon our community and sell out our own youths on a promise of a better future without them.

3) Some say Khallid's verbal attacks against the pigs and their racist overseer Giulliani was irresponsible because he put the lives of our youth at risk. Were not our people's lives at risk when they marched with Martin Luther King? Did he bad mouth the pigs? Each and every day we need to check whether our own actions are not just keeping us alive individually but helping to take us one step closer to freedom. I don't know whether I can live with myself for very long if I knew something which could save the lives of my great, great grand children (or even guarantee their existence) and I said or did nothing for fear that I may lose my job or some other kind of "privilege" or "they" might make life harder for me. Can those of you who sit back and criticise Brother Khallid for being irresponsible, honestly say that you have awakened as many (or any) African people as he has by his "irresponsible" behaviour? I doubt it.

4) Thanks to Khallid and the others who organised this rally (a march is a journey from one point to another), hundreds and thousands of youths, middle agers and even elders will have become more aware of the fact that something is seriously wrong with the relationship between Global Africa and Global Europe. The fact that some of those children who were not even in New York on the 5th of September will start to question their relationship with their environment because of what Khallid Muhammad and his group has done, needs to be commended - regardless what you think of Khallid as a person. The question is, how are we going to enhance that process? How do we ensure that they get some truthful answers? We must now do what we can with those newly angered, freshly awakened. Teach them what we know, give revolutionary guidance, point them in the right direction and they will do the rest. If all we can do is blame others for raising the stakes and risking lives (no disrespect meant to anyone who has inadvertently done so) it means we were/are getting too comfortable with our oppression.

I have nothing against marching but I can see only two reasons why I would want to be involved in any march:
     a) as a show of strength. To mobilise a group, organisation, nation and demonstrate to the enemy that if they mess with us they are in deep, deep shit
     b) to draw attention of our people and others to an issue or a plight which is so crucial to our survival that we will die if it is left unheeded and we can think of no other means by which we can make our voice heard.

In neither case would we require the permission of, nor pay respects to, the objections or sanctions of the enemy against whose actions we protest. In both cases we should know before leaving home that our life is at risk if we march and our future is at stake if we don't march through fear of what the enemy might do.

I may be wrong but having spoken with him a few times over the years, I believe that if it was left to Khallid alone he would not even had asked permission to march.

However if marching is the best that any revolutionary organiser thinks he or she can do at any point in time to focus the attention of our community, I applaud that. They cannot do better than their best. Hopefully they would inform the community of the inherent dangers of challenging the oppressor but let the community make informed judgements as to our participation in such a venture. If we as a community recognise that we are at war and they are prepared to die in that march, I say go for it. If they can't see the war angle and stumble blindly into a rally expecting a day-out-at-the-beach scenario they would soon be awakened by the inevitable attack from the state. That's where we are at now.

Let us gather up some of those who have been awakened and inform them further, nurture their revolutionary spirit, motivate and activate them. Let us take those who have been traumatised by the whole experience and guide them through the healing process in order that they may function not as dysfunctional enemies of themselves but as effective soldiers against our true enemies.

It has been said that life is a game. If it is, it is in fact a deadly serious war game. A game we cannot afford to lose. We are under attack in this game not because we are defenceless. We are under attack because we are the most feared people on this earth. We have the power to be that which we created in our own image but now worship in someone else's image. Our enemies recognise our power. It is now time for us to use it.