Pictures from Lake Tahoe

Pictures from Lake Tahoe

Support Real(ity) independent (and Revolutionary) Hip Hop!!!!

"The guerrilla fighter needs full help from the people of the area.
This is an indispensable condition" - Che Guevara


X-Vandals (War of Art) is an x-periment in sound and fury. An attempt
to get a real(ity) message out to the masses/massive without sleeping
with the (major/corporate) enemy, or pandering to anyone in any way.
X-Vandals (and it's record label, Resister) is truly independent (in
the way when that STILL meant something) and DIY (do it yourself) like
that used to signify when you really did it yourself (without help or
handouts from "the man") with your own two (or four) dirty hands (and
soar feet) and infinite imagination....

That's the way Hip Hop (and punk) USED to be, and that's the way it
will be again.... But only if the people who (really) want it (and need
it), support it, in real, viable, honest, useful and revolutionary
(yes, i used that word) ways......

Hip Hop ain't dead.... it's just been hijacked.... But we stealin' it
back!

this a stick up, MF.....


Here's some places where you can get X-Vandals The War of Art
(independent for real) debut release in ya clutches. Spread the word:

Resister Records:

http://resisterrecords.com/HOME.html


X-Vandals ifficial web page:

http://x-vandals.com/


amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Of-Art-Explicit/dp/B0019C1OGW/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1215798580&sr=8-1


rhapsody:

http://www.rhapsody.com/xvandals/thewarofart


itunes:

http://www.apple.com/search/ipoditunes/?q=x-vandals+the+war+of+art


beyond.fm:

http://beyond.fm/band_music.asp?id=45


scratching at the signs of the surface,

N4P + X-Vandals

Poems and Rants

Here are some of my poems. I will continue to add more in the future to this entry. For the feds, snitches and haters, (I know you read my blog too :) , don't bite my stuff!

==========

Time is Fading
1/17/05

Time...
We're all made to think of time in the absolute
Not as it relates to me
And not as it relates to you
As it relates to all of us.

In the sense that soon, time will not exist
We only have a certain amount of time in our lives
So in the amount of time in my life I try not to waste it
But only kill it.

I sit, bored, as time makes me
Hoping.
I can't get enough hours in a day to construct the dreams
That my time has given me, in my existence and in my experience

Better yet, I reflect,
That brings me to the present,
Which will take me to the future
I try hard not to fall into the cliche and reassure myself, "That only time will tell."

I rather say
I am my own and choose my destiny
Why wait in my passive killing of time,
When time kills me in my passiveness

I'd rather write the future on the walls and on the chalkboards of abandoned schools
Missing the children who are learning history first hand
As they make it themselves,
And they fight off the authorities who would rather see these youth doing time

I walk my path, trying not to fall off
I didn't realize that time is not linear
In a sudden twist, I saw the darkness approaching rapidly
I've learned not to give in, from the greatest fighters

We won't let it go down like that,
Because if they had it their way, time would fade out!

==============

Us and You
02/05/05

We descend onto you,
Like the future onto history and the present

There will be only us left,
and our dreams will be

The future is uncertain,
Yet we write it ourselves

Written in our blood, sweat, and tears

We are like locust in the Garden of Eden
Destroying traditional morality

So we can live in logic and conscience

=========

How about it, Have a Molotov Cocktail
12/28/04

The smell,
So turbulent
So inspiring
So sweet, the smell

It hits you, hard, fast and smooth
Sounding like a rebellion
In your head and in your hood
Excites all the senses

You'll never experience anything else quite like it

So how about it?
Have a molotov cocktail

Incite your senses
Indulge yourself with class consciousness

Revolt! Now

40 ounces of Freedom

=========

Death to Amerikkka!

We are the makers of history motherfucker,
This is how the story goes

Everybody knows
Yet not everybody knows where their oppression is coming from

We all know things are wrong
So we need to start shooting bullets from our 44's, AK 47's and even our own tongues
Put theory to practice as written by Mao Tse-Tung

We have to train physically, militarily, and politically
Organize the hood, which are the neo-colonies

We learn as we walk, organize where we're at
From the cell bloc to the street block
Otherwise this machine will never stop

We analyze history, we plan, we strategize!
We fight back! We build liberated zones.

We make ties: Brown, Red, Yellow, Black
We send the honkies home!

No more lies,
telling them to become white allies

From feudalism, to imperialism to communism
We're in a sprial in history

We want to be free!

Our children don't need to suffer,
No more death, no more living in misery

The self-organization of our people's will struck the biggest blow
Learn from the people and serve the people
And if you gotta, then throw stones

If they tripping, then send the motherfucking honkies home!

So it's more than taking a stand
The motherfucking question is about land

Check the contradictions,
It's like someone getting defensive for calling out a white man
Then calling me a reverse-racist
Lets face it,
Who got the institutional power
Lets take it to the streets, no need to struggle from the ivory tower

We're stronger than their institutions and their military
Defend yo' self, so it's a tech-9 and knowledge that I carry

We master self-defense, and they intend to control us through their tricks and their psychology

If I believed in evil, I would have to call it Amerikkka,
If I believed in evil, I would have to call it Amerikkka,
If I believed in evil I would have to say it's the power structure and history of Amerikkka

Take back your community
It's about autonomy and self-determination
All oppressed people liberation
Direct Action as a tactic, taking over their radio and tv stations

Yeah I said it, Revolution!
They might call me a terrorist because they're scared of us
But fuck them, send them our regards from C-Dub Guerrillaz and RAC
I'm talking about self-defense
Buck! Buck!
So if you gotta then throw stones
And bring the motherfucking war home!

People Murdered in 2008 by Law Enforcement in Los Angeles

Rest in Peace victims of Terrorism
Murdered in 2008 by Law Enforcement in Los Angeles


Edwin Arevalo, 22 – February 29
Cypress Park – Shot while Running from police. Never shot at police. Was killed by Metro Division of LAPD

Ruben Walton Ortega, 23 – July 1
Shot in the back by Inglewood police. He had no gun. He was holding up his pants and was shot because police thought he was reaching for a gun.

Kevin Wicks, 38 – July 21
Inglewood police responded to the wrong home for a domestic dispute call. When he opened the door, they thought they saw a gun and shot him. He was killed by Brian Ragan

Byron San Jose, 25 – February 27
Was shot by LAPD after a car chase. He was a passenger in a car that looked like the car that the police were pursuing. They mistook a mic stand that he was holding for a gun.

Roketi Su’e, 46 – May 17
Murdered by Long Beach Police while they were trying to arrest him. He was already subdued after succumbing to a beating. He was shot while he was on the ground. He had no weapons. The 40 + neighbors who witnessed everything were outside and upset, so police called a tactical alert and locked down the neighborhood.

Marco Gomez, 31 – May 2
Shot and killed by Eric Rose and Kevin Raines of Newton Division of LAPD (who also oversee downtown LA). He never shot or threatened the police. He was seated and could not hear their commands to get up.

Ilda Ebe Grasso, 52 – June 10
Was shot when she was pulled over by Highway Patrol in Alhambra. They claimed to have seen a weapon, but it was her grandchild’s toy in the car.

Sergio Sedillo, 26 – April 2
Killed by LA Harbor Police Department in Wilmington. He went out guns blazing.

Jonathan Taylor, 24 – April 11
Shot outside El Segundo Theatres in a shoot out with the police.

Bryan Moore, 26 – June 26
Murdered by Compton police while running away from them. He had no gun.

Michael Byoune, 19 – May 11
Was shot and murdered while riding in the passenger seat of a car. They were in the drive thru of Rally’s in Inglewood when police thought they heard gunshots, so they riddled their car with bullets. No guns!

Jason Geggie, 26 – July 31
He was an off duty LAPD. He was killed by Long Beach police for not putting away his gun.

Maurice Cox, 36 – March 1
Killed after fleeing a hit and run that he was involved in. He fled the police and ran into a bank parking lot where the police shot him to death because they could not catch up. The incident was caught on tape by Alex Alonzo

Glen Boldware, 47 – January 4
He was followed by police in an unmarked car for “stealing lumber from a yard”. When Mr. Boldware stopped his car and stepped out, the police shot at him. He had no gun.

Michael Cho, 25 – January 1
La Habra police shot and killed this unarmed artist after they claimed to have been threatened by a tire iron. Mr. Cho was shot 10 times. He had no tire iron. The man the police were looking for was spotted elsewhere with a tire iron.

Christian Portillo, 35 – July 23
Murdered by Sherriffs in front of his home in Lennox. He was waiting in his car for his girlfriend when the sheriff crept up beside him. Sherriffs claimed he reached down for something when he was shot, yet he was shot point blank in the heart. No gun, no drugs were found anywhere near him. Sherriffs also claimed that he was wanted drug dealer, yet everyone knew he was not.


Eddie Felix Franco, 56 – August 31
Was a homeless man on Market St. in Inglewood. When police attempted to “sweep” him off of Market St., he refused. They asked him to put his hand in the air, but he refused. He never acted violently, or had a weapon, hut he was killed for not obeying orders. The many bullets from the Inglewood police hit a passerby and Mr. Franco’s dog.

Eric Liebowitz, 35 – August 5
Mr. Liebowitz was killed at his home in Encino. Police claim he had a shotgun and attempted to shot at them.

Richard Dale, 54 – April 19
Torrence police reported to his home for complaints of loud music two times in one night. When they arrived the music was off. On the second trip, they claim that Mr. Dale came out and attempted to shoot them.

Carlos Castillos, 22 – February 16
He was killed by Rampart division of Los Angeles police. After being profiled for a crime, police asked him to drop his gun, but claim that he pointed it at them. He was killed at 3:30 pm on an intersection near MacArthur Park when children are walking home from school.

Mohammad Usman Chaudhry, 21 – March 25
Was murdered by police in Hollywood. He was a sleep by some bushes on the street in Hollywood. When police approached him, they claim that he produced a knife and stabbed one of them. Mr. Chaudhry was shot to death. Police did not report if they had beat him before he was shot to death.
Deshoun Torrence, 18 – July 12
He was injured by homeowners during a residential robbery. When Long Beach police arrived they placed him in the back of the squad car rather than in an ambulance. Mr. Torrence died in police custody due to the injuries before his arrest.

Glenn Patrick Rose, 25 – May 13
Killed by CHP in Pomona after a car theft. He was shot as he was trying to flee. Police claim to have been threatened by the car.

Daniel Leon, 22 – February 21
Was killed by Los Angeles police in Highland Park. He was said to have shot a man walking with his 2-year-old daughter. According to police, when police stopped Leon, he pointed an AK-47 at them

Edwin Rivera, 20 – February 7
Was killed after a stand off with police. Mr. Rivera was mentally ill and killed his family members.

Ryan Gonzalez, 26 – March 5
Mr. Gonzalez intervened on an argument that was turning violent between and off duty police officer and his wife off of Melrose avenue. When he tried to stop the abuse, the off duty officer shot and killed him.

Samuel Om, 21 – May 13
Mr. Om was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. When he was stopped, he got out of the car and was shot by the CHP. The police claim he got out and pointed a gun at them.



This information was compiled by artist Ami Motevalli for her art installment in:

http://www.18thstreet.org/futureofnations/WarAsaWayofLife/index.html

Here's a picture of her installment with faces of people murdered by the police carved into it:
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/copwatchla/artinstallment.jpg

The opening night will be Saturday, September 27th, 2008 with a performance from Aztlan Underground

Some Principles of Anarcho-Communism

ANTI- CAPITALIST AND ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN.

Anarcho-communism is a revolutionary idea where communities, workplaces, and
societies can organize themselves autonomously and from the bottom up under a federation where people govern, manage and decide for themselves in worker councils, mass assemblies, and delegate in the federation council


Federalism-

Anarchists (libertarian-socialists) and
Anarcho-communists (Libertarian-Communists) argue that we do not need a centralized state (government) to manage ourselves, our communities, and our resources.
We feel we can do much better than
representative/republican democracy, we don't want a handful of people making decisions (usually in their own interests).

Direct-Democracy is the practice of people engaging political decision making themselves, and its just about creating new ideas, as it is as agreeing on them. Federalism and direct-democracy works through delegation not representation. A delegate is elected, when it is necessary to communicate with other regions, as a mouth-piece and holds no authority what so ever. He can be recalled instantly, if he is not carrying out the delegation process, or if he's not doing his job correctly. The delegate communicates with other regions in terms of what the collectives, councils and mass assemblies decide on.

Regions, and chapters of the federation choose delegates to be part of the federation council (which is where regions and chapters discuss, develop new ideas, communicate, share resources). No final decisions can be made until, the delegates take the information back to their own regional chapter of the federation.

A federation is united usually under a
constitution, guidelines, bylaws -- and share unity in goals, tactics, and responsibilities.

Syndicates -

Syndicalism is a political and economic ideology which advocates giving control of both industry and government to labor union federations. Syndicalisme is a French word meaning "trade unionism".
A model syndicalist community is as follows. The local unit, the syndicat, would communicate with other syndicats through the bourse de travail (labour exchange). The bourse would handle management and the transfer of commodities.

It believes, on an ethical basis, that all participants in each organized trade internally share equal ownership of its output and therefore deserve equal earnings and benefits within that particular trade, regardless of position or duty.
Instances of syndicalism in power, during the Spanish Revolution or the 1956 Hungarian Revolution (wikipedia)

Mutual Aid-

In political economy, mutual aid is a term which describes a principle central to libertarian socialism or anarchism, and is used to signify the economic concept of voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services for mutual benefit.

Kropotkin proposed a system of economics based on mutual exchanges made in a system of voluntary cooperation. Kropotkin's thesis was based on the premise that scarcity was unnecessary, and it was possible to produce enough wealth to satisfy the needs of everybody by working only five hours a day during adult life (leaving the rest of the day to satisfy desires for luxuries, if so desired). (wikipedia)

Autonomy -

Autonomy means self-government or self-management. It means a community, region, workplace, is free to make their own decisions without a national beuracracy. This is one of the ressons why anarcho- communism is different from state-socialism

Reasons: Decision making is localized and unaffected by outside regions. This does not mean that the communities, syndicates, and regions are isolated, his will lead to our revolution failing eventually. The autonomous regions have to work together, in cooperation, sharing goals, resources, abundance, and vision. This is why we organize under federations to keep our autonomy, and anti-authoritarian principles, while being self-sustainable, and building collectivity and unity througout different regions.

Autonomy is the indigenous people in Chiapas ending dependency on the state. It is Argentinian workers ending their dependency on their boss, and foreign interests. It is a land-less peasant in Brazil, Bolivia, Africa, and elsewhere fighting against privatization of land.
Autonomy can enable oppressed nations and cultures to build indepence from imperialism and oppressive states, this is why autonomy is important, it is crucial in the struggle for equality and solidarity
overall. note: this is the reason why we need to support national liberation struggles, and struggles for equality.


Anti- Capitalist
"But owing to our wage system, this increase of wealth -- due to the combined efforts of men of science, of managers, and workmen as well -- has resulted only in an unprecedented accumulation of wealth in the hands of the owners of capital; while an increase of misery for the great numbers, and an insecurity of life for all, have been the lot of the workmen; the unskilled labourers, in continuous search for labour, are falling into an unheard-of destitution. And even the best paid artisans and skilled workmen labour under the permanent menace of being thrown, in their turn, into the same conditions as the unskilled paupers, in consequence of some of the continuous and unavoidable fluctuations of industry and caprices of capital." (Kropotkin)

Anti-Authoritarian:

Insights from the Enlightenment show us that people need to exist in free association with others -- not in isolation, and not in relations of domination. There is a need to replace social fetters with social bonds. Therefore any social structure that involves relations of domination -- whether it's the family, a transnational corporation, gender relations -- has a very heavy burden of proof to bear. It must demonstrate that the benefits it provides outweigh the restrictions it imposes on human capacities. If it can't demonstrate its legitimacy, it should be dismantled. (Chomsky)

"Does it follow that I reject all authority Far from me such a thought. In the matter of boots, I refer to the authority of the bootmaker; concerning houses, canals, or railroads, I consult that of the architect or engineer. For such or such special knowledge I apply to such or such a savant. But I allow neither the bootmaker nor the architect nor the savant to impose his authority upon me. I listen to them freely and with all the respect merited by their intelligence, their character, their knowledge, reserving always my incontestable right of criticism censure. I do not content myself with consulting authority in any special branch; I consult several; I compare their opinions, and choose that which seems to me the soundest. But I recognize no infallible authority, even in special questions; consequently, whatever respect I may have for the honesty and the sincerity of such or such an individual, I have no absolute faith in any person. Such a faith would be fatal to my reason, to my liberty, and even to the success of my undertakings; it would immediately transform me into a stupid slave, an instrument of the will and interests of others." (Michael Bakunin)

co-authored by Eugene Nulman and Joaquin Cienfuegos

Some Thoughts: Fascism and Capitalist Crisis

Fascism and Capitalist Crisis

Some thoughts...

by Joaquin Cienfuegos



As the Revolutionary Autonomous Communities study an anarchist analysis of Marxist Economics, facilitated by John Imani, we are able to understand the capitalist crisis that is unfolding internationally but especially in Wall Street a little better. Personally, I hope that this system crumbles to the ground, but I know that things aren't that simple and these people will not give up their power that easily. Also, as the crisis worstens, so will the clamp down on the people and the movement.

When Lehman Brothers, a global investment bank serving the financial needs of corporations, institutions,governments and high-net-worth investors worldwide, collapsed it sent global stocks into a downward spiral. It has affected commercial banks like Washington Mutual and the ones who hold the actual money, investment banks. AIG (American International Group), an insurance giant that is worth a trillion dollars a year, had to be bailed out by the u.s. government for 85 billion dollars, in return they would have complete control of the company. Russia suspended stock market trading, and Asia panicked as the Nikkei dropped 260 points. Central banks and governments had to pump billions into the system keeping it from falling apart.

Capitalism is full of contradictions, the only reason why it didn't collapse years ago is because of the state (as we see today). The Federal Reserve, is used to pump money into a system that is doomed when they're in crisis to bail out these investestment banks and corporations. Where does that money come from though? It comes from the labor of the people, and in the globalized economy, it comes from the third world mainly, from theft of resources and land from colonized people in the world. It comes from the theft of the people from what they produce. Capitalists are always in search of a larger profit, which means the worst working conditions and the worst exploitation of workers in the "third-world." When one works for a capitalist, he produces his own wage, but every other hour he works for free and that surplus is accumulated by the capitalist. It is only a subsistence wage, only enough for us to go back to work, and to reproduce ourselves (our children and family). On the other hand, the inner-third-world or the neo-colonies within the u.s. empire, does not produce anymore. The only jobs accessible to the colonized people are service jobs that are super-exploiting and we can see that those who work in these jobs are people of color. The professional jobs are made up of those who already come from wealth, mainly the white settlers in the empire. The economy which is based on credit, which equals debt, will sooner or later create this type of crisis because it's not based on anything that is real, only imaginary money. Another aspect of monopoly-capitalism and imperialism is the need for it to consolidate and centralize it's wealth to survive in periods of crisis. This is the reason why during the depression people like Rockerfeller continued to flourish. An example of that today is why Merrill Lynch was swallowed by Bank of America. (Bear Stearns by J P Morgan, Lehman Brothers by Barclay's of London). What we're seeing today is part of the nature of capitalism.

We are also seeing the true role of the state in maintaining the power of the capitalists and the colonizer at whatever means. People will look more for a different way of life when this system shows that it is bankrupt and cannot provide a future for us and this planet. The government is also preparing for this type of historic rebellion and revolution from the people, so the fascist movement will grow, and these capitalists will rather die first than give up their privilege and life of luxury. One small example is the reason why the Los Angeles Police Department is attempting to hire 1,000 or more new officers, especially targeting recruits from the oppressed communities, to prepare for the rebellion. The movement must not only exploit the weaknesses of the system to create change, we must also prepare for attacks from the state. We must also prepare for a much larger crisis as Latin American nations in particular continue to resist u.s. imperialism and end their dependency on the empire. On the one hand we must build the infrastructure in our communities for change, of mutual aid; on th eother hand, we must also begin to build the infrastructure for self-defense to safeguard our autonomous community councils or people's institutions from the state. That is what the Food Program in McArthur Park represents, it's a process of building those relationships in the community where people start organizing themselves and stop relying on the state while building for a popular revolutionary movement. Cop Watching is a tactic to build self-defense people's organizations and units in the neo-colonies. The popular movement needs to grow on all levels and alliances based on revolutionary principles need to be built.

Power through the people!