Repression Resistance

.ESISTA CE: DOCUMENTS FROM NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLES AND THEIR ALLIES 1. DEBATE ON REPRESSION .............................. Liga Socialista Puertorriquefia (LSP) 2. COLLABORATION AND NON-COLLABORATION: THE FEDERAL GRAND JURY AS AN INSTRUMENT OF POLITICAL REPRESSION. .. Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional (MLN) 3. REVOLUTIONARY NATIONALISTS VIGILENCE AGAINST TRAITORS AND TREASON: THE LESSONS OF SAMUEL (SOLOMON) BROWN, YVONNE THOMAS, PETER MIDDLETON AND TYRON RISON. .. .. NEW AFRICAN FREEDOM. FIGHTER . 4. FIRM IN NON-COLLABORATION . ............ Comite Unitario Contra La Represion (CUCRE) 5. POLEMIC THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN . .... .......... Liga Socialista Puertorriqueiia (LSP) 6. NOTES ON THE REPRESSION PRACTICED BY U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES IN PUERTO RICO ... Carmen Guatier-Mayoral 7. THE LUMPENPROLETARIAT AND REPRESSION: A CASE STUDY .............. Edward E. Lee 8. ANATOMY OF A TRAITOR ........... .... ............................. RESISTANCE 9. A RESPONSE TO "TO APPEAR IS NOT TO COLLABORATE" ............................. ... statement by Oscar Lopez-Rivera, P.O.W. 10. REPRESSION: PHYSICAL DESTRUCTION OF THE INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT AND THE PUERTO RICAN PEOPLE. .. Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional (MLN) DEBATE ON E.EPRESSION Liga Socialista Puertorriquefia (LSP) Introduction formed about the theoretical debates in the left to think that Marxism represents a compact theoret The political repression that yankee imperial ical body that all the socialist currents resort to ism implements against independentism and the without differences; that there is (they say) only sectors of the people in struggle has increased in one Marxism and that the problem of many existing the last few years. This campaign has included poli groups is simply that they can't agree. Nothing tical assassination, incarceration of patriots by the could be further from the truth. This is instead the Federal Grand Jury, .violent repression of the peo idea that the bourgeoisie tries to sell through its ple's struggles, an increase in repressive forces, the medium of "social disinformation." The reality is assignment of large amounts of money by the co that these divisions in the left (as much in the past loniallegislature (PPD-PNP) to the police, the new as in the present) are based on different conceptions FBI guidelines, the projected construction of garri of Marxism and are expressed in different political sons for the National Guard, etc. All this is part of and theoretical projects. The theme of the State the new imperialist strategy that contemplates as and repression (which today is asserted as the much a new economic profile (putting a priority most distinctive characteristic of bourgeois society) on mineral exploitation) as the crushing of the is an old theme which has come back to life under patriotic revolutionary movement with the in the clamor of theoretical debate and the advances tention of preventing it from becoming the alter of the revolutionary movement on a world scale. native for the people at the point in which the Who can doubt that how we understand the State colonial structure breaks down. and its repressive character becomes fundamental The left in Puerto Rico has responded to this at the moment the left is designing its politics and offensive in many ways. The politics, of course, strategy?At this moment of capitalist crisis aren't have been justified by different theoretical ap these debates very productive? proaches to the problem. Thus we find that some For us in the LSP to participate in the theoreti try to make revolutionary and militant politics cal discussion of both elements (State and repres concrete, by denouncing the repression through sion) is interesting, but we think that what is really marches, meetings, trying to mobilize the people, important is to link all this discussion to the problem etc., while other sectors confine themselves to one of political praxis (practice), to look towards con or another declaration of condemnation, once in tributing to the implementation of a politics for a while sending representatives to demonstrations, the left, nationally, that serves to confront the engaging in theoretical polemics as a justification escalation of repression that yankee imperialism for inertia, proposing divisionist politics - or in the imposes on our Nation; repression that has al worSt of cases, as has happened with the PIP, not ready cost our organization one death and three saying anything about the problem. in. prison in these last few years. At the same time, The article which we present here is from our to . work in a revolutionary direction that helps point of view. We base the discussion as a discussion push forward the liberation of our people. In both a'mong socialists about repression and the modern respects we are obliged to contribute as a revolu State, so that in this light we can analyze our na tionary organizatiot4t. We think it is most appro tional reality and the current strategy of imperial priate to begin by identifying the theoretical pro ism, concluding with criticisms of other analyses blems of both concepts, State and repression (for and politics and a special part dedicated to the seeing that it will be useful to the discussion later polemics surrounding the independentist position on about repression in Puerto Rico). The best way in the face of the Grand Jury. We are sure that these to do this is by going back to the Marxist classics. brief words, a product of collective discussion, will For Marx, as well as for Engels and Lenin, the positively contribute to clarifying the debate about phenomenon of repression is closely linked to the repression and will stimulate independentism to problem of politica:l . PQwer in all societies divided redouble our efforts in the struggle against the into classes, in which repression is planned (and put enemy of our people, yankee imperialism. into practice) through the organisms of domination, the State. I. THE MARXIST POLEMIC ABOUT THE According to the foupders of historical mate- . STATE AND REPRESSION riallsm, from the beginning of the history of hu It is a very common idea amongst people unin- manity, of society divided into classes, the need of the dominant classes for a coercive apparatus has begins. It is the impediment to the development ot been established. From that point on, repression one's capacities, of one's conscious will. This is has been used, as class violence, as a mechanism or why one of the priority tasks of socialists is, pre measure destined to guarantee domination over the cisely, to carry and spread true class ideology to exploited classes. This coercive apparatus, which the proletariat and the rest of the workers exploited appears to us as "a whole made up of institutions by capitalism. and objective structures" that centralizes in its But this way of understanding the State-repre hands all power, is what we call the State. The ori ssio n phenomenon, as a problem of coercion gin of both phenomena are intimately related. cloaked by (and l~gitimized by) consensus, is one · In Manist literature this is a position that is of the substanti\e points of debate betwe-en Marx LOnstantly repeated. For example , Victor Serge, ists. For so me tendencies, like social democracy in his extraordinary work , What Every Revolu and eurocommunism, the conclusions made about tionary Should Know About Repression, points the reflections of Marx and Lenin are wrong, and out that: "Repression is one of the essential func on more than one occasion question the Marxist tions of all political power." Lenin (to cite only theory of the State. In the first place, those ideas two authors) in his work State and Revolution, alreac. y ",:luded to do not seem to be those appro says: "The State is the special organization of priate to lind ::rstand the modern State - the reali force, the organization of violence for the repression ty is that in these times (they say), capitalism of any class. ." This is how" classical Marxism" (mainly in the developed countries) depends on understands the phenomenon of repression, as a consensus for power, through ideological domina product of power politics (of class violence) that tion, than on repression. For this reason, the strug the dominant classes practice over the rest of the gle for socialism (they believe) shid be centered society that it suppresses. It is the State which in on the- ideological aspect. Therefore, '.::\ ~ry victory troduces it in this political reality and that rlefines in this camp should become a real loss :' Jr bour it according to the course of the class struggle. Re geois power. And what worse can bour~eois demo pression is a constant factor and its character cor cracy . 'f~r than more favorable terrain for this responds to the power relations of the period. kind ot ~:iUggle? Soml?!imes they go even further But Marxist theory also recognizes that in and openly propose that ~ocialism will be arrived spite of the fact that coercion (or repression) is at as a product of the expansion of bourgeois de a principal element that class repression depends mocracy (freedoms); they ask, aren't there social· on, it is not the only mechanism the dominant ist characteristics in modern democracy (free ..\!du classes have resorted to in order to produce a base cationJ health, etc.)? So then, let's dev~QP them! of support for their domination. Throughout his The eupehmism begins to consider democracy as tory, under different social systems (slave, feudal subversive. or bourgeois) there has been an ideology that But are these correct sta.tements? For us in the attem pts to legitimize the existing order, its accep Liga Socialista Puertorriquena, we are convinced tance and internalization by those dominated. Marx that they are not. The point of departure. that calls the product of the first, ideological domina these people have -- whether or not a Marxist tion, and the second alienation.

Load more