[PEN-L:7691] Re: Re: Re: Re: racism on pen-l

["Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To begin with, be conscious of the danger of system co-optation.
Secondly, be on guard about sophisticated rationalization; make a point of
regularly revisiting fundamentals.
Thirdly, have unshakable respect for the common man and his poorly articulated
views. Understand that one's own accomplishments and positions as part of the
collective tool for the struggle for universal justice.
Fourth, trust one's instincts.  Usually injustice and suffering are highly visible
if one has not been trained to deny them.
Fifth, give victims the benefits of the doubt; if a wounded person says its
painful, it is painful.
Sixth, the weaker side is usually right in any dispute, for why else should any
chose to be on the losing side beside a respect for truth?
Seventh, historical conditions are as important as current facts,; historic make
us, current facts disguises us.
Eighth, be weary of professionalism and arguments such as: "This the not the
proper place to deal with this issue".  The time is always now and the place is
always here and the issue is always real and important.  It is the calculus of
little "insignificant" issues that makes revolutions.
Ninth, permanent revolution must be the only goal. Keep pushing. Make waves.  Make
people uncomfortable about their complacency ans self satisfaction.
Tenth, politics is all and is the business of all.

That is the new Ten Commandments of world revolution.

Henry C.K. Liu


Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:

> At 09:43 PM 6/3/99 -0400, Henry Liu wrote:
> >Between friends, the problem with us intellectuals is that when we see a
> >sausage, we think of Picasso, instead of starving people.  We keep deluding
> >ourselves, with help from the oppressive culture, that if we associate with
> >the more educated, we can protect ourselves from discrimination, whereas in
> >reality, we only move into circles in which discrimination is more subtle and
> >its expression more sophisticated.  Unwittingly, we permit ourselves to be
> >co-opted into the oppressors camp and comfort ourselves by claiming that at
> >least we are still on the left.
>
> Agreed. But what is to be done to change that?
>
> wojtek