Today is Christmas, but just like the recent years being passed, and if you take off all the delicious food, as if it's gone. Gone is the spirit of christmas when we're young, and ever since I've never felt the "religious character" of this holiday.(tell me the truth, do you feel it?)
I would like to share one of the most unforgettable lectures I have heard since college. From a former seminarian and now a sociology professor.
First, the Bible, being a scripture is factual as a historical document. And it means to say that it also records the events during the life of Jesus Christ and in the land of Palestine (today known as Israel).
And the Liberation Theologists said that, based on the research of the Vatican during the decades 50 and 60s, you can't see in the Bible anything "metaphysical" just like "afterlife". And real persons, places, and events were being recorded in the Bible.
By the way, the word "Meta" in Greek means "Beyond", so the word "Metaphysical" means "Beyond the physical world", and being used to pertain things beyond to man's physical understanding.
So where does this metaphysical thing in the Holy Bible arise?
As we remember, one of the famous writers who wrote about "heaven" in the "afterlife" is St. Agustine of Hippo. To those who remember world history, St. Agustine lived during the last part of the Dark Ages, and the lessons in which the intellectuals at that time being studied (since the church are the educated gentry during the Dark Ages in Europe) are the Greek Philosophers, such as Plato.
So what? Remember that the Greek philosopher Plato is the very first Philospher to create a concept of a "place" wherein the "spirits" go. He's also the person who create the concept of the "soul" so isn't it amazing for St. Agustine to create a concept of "heaven" and of the "soul", for that was what they have studied then! So isn't it mysterious that the writeups written are full of those kind.
But it was a wrong implication, for the church hath disposed off the old teachings, especially of "values" like blind obedience to the authorities and of being contented in poverty, for there is no "heaven" whose basis of entering is of being approved by a "metaphysical" being, and so is no reason for a person to scare in being oppressed by the authorities-especially to those who really felt from it, specifically the masses and not the rebels.
And therefore, "Heaven" is not a place far from the moon, sky or whatsoever, but rather a metaphor for a humanistic society.
And as we think of it, if Jesus Christ lives today, he'll be called as a "terrorist" by the government.
For being Anti-Imperialist for being against the reign of the oppressive Roman Empire against the Palestinians (or Jews according to Anton's original Tagalog work)
For being an organizer and an agitator, roaming every part of Palestine in order to preach, and whose people whom he approached and organized? Fishermen like Simon, known as Peter; Government employees like Matthew, and others.
For being a Feminist, since he accepted women in his own fold like Mary Magdalene.
And think of it, he even said that the rich and poor are equal. For at that time, that phrase was so radical-that back then the nobility and the royalty are ought to be born and be treated as them.
But come to think of it, that idea was and is radical even until today?
PS:
I couldn't amaze that after the birth of Christ is the foundation day of the Communist Party of th Philippines.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
CHRISTMAS EVE RAMBLINGS
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
25, December 2009
Friends, family, and comrades,
We are now celebrating a day in which all people are showing respect to a man whose sacrifice in the cross gave birth to a new chapter in the history of mankind. That person was and is also known for his miracles, his parables, his desciples and perhaps his death on the cross that as if like a sacrificed lamb-cleandsed us from our sins in this sinful earth.
However,
That man is also known for telling us that the kingdom of god is in our hearts, to bring sword not just peace, as well as to love one another same as to love god. And through his birth somehow show us a new path not just towards heaven but a new tommorrow, not just through prayer but through work, not through sermon but through action-for Christ, the man behind chirstmas, tells us to arouse, organize and mobilize for he coming struggle.
But then,
Most people think of it as a mere day for materialist interests. And instead of showing spiritual wealth, bogus charity and of some sort becomes a rampant tradition in our lives, not thinking its real essence of the season-not just sharing and giving, but rather sacrificing for the greater glory not just of humankind but perhaps of god, for Christ himself, being born and raised a humble but regal man, wanted simple that led to his sacrifice: liberating the human race from sin, which is the root of all disruption of friendship and of all injustice and oppression both temporal and in spiritual in this place called earth. Or, just like the Zapatistas, "The people have everything, we have nothing."
For sure as time goes by, of calamities and of other crises rising, Christ tells us not just a mere share and give material needs, but rather to give the real essence of this season a chance to be celebrated-simply by serving the people wholeheartedly, of learning from them and help alleviate from their misery.
Again,
Have a liberating Christmas and a promising new year!
Peace, land, and bread in our homes and in the world!
Solidarity,
Paul
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
FAITH AND NATIONAL LIBERATION
People nowadays are tired of perennial poverty both material as well as spiritual. These people, upon experiencing these in every year, are trying to seek for a total alternative. And one of which examples is to go to church and pray, seeking for a miracle.
However,
Not all things are end up through prayers. Since praying does not rally give material support but of a spiritual wealth and guidance to help. That in the end, people were starting to question about themselves, their faith, and event their own fate as working people.
The church, on the other hand, was also questioning about their actions towards people. Especially abouyt their plight and a need for a support. History tells us that the church at that time became tainted with absolute corruption, benefiting from their conservatism, that some of the clergymen are starting to question about it, and even starting to read again their bible and at the same time examining the social crisis.
To a churchman, many reasons regarding their idea arise. Like "we're doing this according to the bible," "we're doing what the lord says," or "we're doing anything according to what Jesus Christ said."
Well...
These churchmen, despite telling anything to the laity in an overspiritualized manner, are still doing a task to alleviate popular misery, of poverty in particular, not just according to the bible-but also through scientific and logical means, or in other words in a materialist perspective.
But anyway,
Anything regarding faith and liberty starts in the scripture being written. People may interpret it "left," "right," or even "center." And one example is:
Matthew 10:34 - "I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword"
And perhaps, people around us may interpret Christ's quotation hardly, stressing much on the word "sword" in that phrase, only to interpret it that Christ wanted not just peace but rather social justice by social revolutionary means; to be lead by the oppressed against the oppressor. And we all know that these people are waiting for a political messiah, but God sent instead a spiritual one, whose message, despite its spiritual rhetoric, lies a political meaning in to it, as well as calling for the liberation of mankind from oppression.
Therefore,
Christianity originally does not meant to be a "religion," or focused much on "faith" and on "spiritual" emphasis, but rather on social action and liberation, or in other words-a "revolution" that makes ever churchman likely to examine and interpret the society scientifically and to revolt against the age old cloister-centric traditions, especially the corrupted policies of the age old hierarchy and so forth.
In my idea, this so-called "revolt from tradition" against a corrupted, apathetic hierarchy lies a call for a "drastic" changes all in the name of faith and of the people. How would you imagine a clergyman or a laity joined in the ranks of the militant struggle, of becoming worker, of becoming peasant, of practising their faith by working along with them, including a right to defend during their strikes and calling for fairness by all means necessary. Since they ought to practise their faith by integrating themselves to the people-all for the salvation of the masses, especially the working class.
As what the segment of the hook "German theories of the corporate state", entitled "Social Catholicism," it says that:
"The churchmen, scholars, publicists, social workers and politicians who became the leaders of Social Catholicism were moved primarily by religious and humanitarian impulses...ways would be found to alleviate the popular misery."
But Social Catholicism at that time seemed to be trying to counter the Socialist movement as they try to negate class struggle although the "Social Problem" that they saw had its roots from working class discontent. Few churchmen perhaps may say that "There is a need to read Marx, Engels and at the same time of the Bible, to organize dialogue with the communists, and to alleviate popular misery through revolutionary means and not of the traditional ones."
Surely, churchmen like Camilo Torres, being "moved" by faith and humanitarian impulses made him a communist rebel, and his analysis about the society made him speak like activists do, of "expropriating" property from the capitalists to the masses, of land to the tillers, of independence- that made him forced to "defrock", but his idea remained still as he moved underground to liberate man from both temporal and spiritual suffering! Or even Martin Luther King Jr. whose sermons in the congregation urges people to stand up for their rights and urges them also for the white Americans to recognize the blacks as equal and at the same time as a community since "separate but equal" politics in the United States at that time was not really "equal" for the blacks and even other minorities in that country. And Martin Luther King Jr's teachings regarding equality were all based both from the bible and from realty.
Faith lies freedom, and faith with struggle leads to freedom. Faith, through its scriptures, lies total social action, including a call for reform the church and an active support for people's emancipation. For, as members of the faithful, we identify much of people's suffering, and as we read, listen, or speak what comes from the scripture lies a curtain call to participate into the people's struggle; the commitment to the struggle for national liberation and international revolution is a once expression, and a vocation to help build god's kingdom and a paradise we wanted to do. And using Christ and other martyrs, saints and activists as an example, of offering our lives for redemption lies in resurrecting the struggle of oppressed peoples, for sure in fulfilling these tasks also give flesh and blood to our faith, and also to the people we support.
Marc Hall jailed for angry 'Stop-Loss' Hip Hop song
By Courage to Resist.
Updated December 22, 2009
"Stop Loss" by Marc Hall (aka Marc Watercus)
Marc Hall is the self-professed "first Hip Hop President of the World", with the issue of ending the Army's "Stop Loss" program being at the top of his agenda. On a music website, he explains, "I am a political artist. I rap about real issues in life in hopes to recover a solution. Life is based on decisions we make. So we should make decisions that will make us better in the future and fully aware in the present."
He was shipped off to jail after talking to to his Ft Stewart, Georgia commander Captain Cross about not wanting to redeploy. The military currently intends to keep Marc in pre-trial confinement until they court martial him months from now for a violation of Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which covers "all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline" and "all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces." In other words, for an angry song entitled "Stop Loss" that artistically expresses some of his frustrations.
Send letters of protest to Marc's commanding officer:
CPT Cross, Commander, B 2-7 INF BN, Fort Stewart GA 31314.
Marc is being represented by civilian Washington DC lawyer Jim Klimaski.
On a posting on his website (http://marcwatercus.com/stoploss.html), Marc co-authored and published the following statement regarding his situation:
"Specialist Hall is a soldier in the US Army Schedule to leave the ARMY February 27th 2010. He is in a Unit that's deploying back to Iraq some time in November, December of 2009 or early next year. That's right before he get out. There's a possibility that the ARMY want's to have its cake and eat it too. With the ARMY all ready meeting its numbers the ARMY don't want to let go used troops. After explaining Specialist Hall's situation with Congress and the Pentagon , and his company commanders and Sergeants at 1st BRIGADE B-CO "2-7 IN" and 1st BRIGADE F CO BSB at Fort Stewart Georgia about his inability to perform this deployment operation this time around-- showed little encouragement; But once again they don't take heed to the warning signs of soldier's morale when it came to them being effected in dangerous ways when it came to the "Stop Loss", "Stop Movement" and or "Fenced In" policies. The Army can call the Stop Loss Policy a different name But it all means the same thing--"Stop-Loss". Specialist Hall's wish is to get out the ARMY on time like his Active Duty contract states- Three years and 28 weeks of Active Duty. His ETS Date is as stated "February 27th 2010". By the will of God he said to our editors he shall be release back to his life as a civilian and a father. The way a Father should be there after serving the people of the United States of America."
*this writeup was originally posted from www.couragetoresist.org
STALIN - OUR BANNER OF FIGHTING!
December 21, 1879, 130 years ago, Joseph Stalin (Dzhugashvili) was born - the greatest statesman and political figure, the greatest military leader, a prominent theoretician of Marxism-Leninism, the student and the continuer of great Lenin, the head of the world's first multinational state of workers and peasants –the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the leader of the working class, workers, the oppressed and dispossessed masses throughout the world. Stalin went down in history as a leading politician of the twentieth century, as the creator of the first ever multi-ethnic state of the dictatorship of the proletariat.
As the largest proletarian revolutionary, J.V. Stalin was one of the main organizers of the struggle of the proletariat against the tsarist Russia, the landowners and the bourgeoisie, the preparation and implementation of the socialist revolution in Russia. Great is his role in the fight against the White Army and interventionists during the Civil War, in the implementation of industrialization and collectivization of agriculture in the struggle to build socialism and the independence of the Soviet Union, the strengthening of world peace. Much of the credit belongs to the J.V. Stalin in the ideological struggle with the enemies of Leninism - the Trotskyites, right-wing opportunists and bourgeois nationalists and various revisionists. In his theoretical works that have enduring value, J.V. Stalin, defending Leninism creatively developed the Marxist-Leninist theory in relation to the construction of socialism in the USSR. This has been important for the international workers' and communist movement. His most recent theoretical work, “Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR "(1952) had a great influence on the development of the Marxist foundations of the political economy of socialism. J.V. Stalin, stressing the objective nature of economic laws under socialism, formulated the basic economic law of socialism: "To ensure maximum satisfaction of the constantly growing material and cultural needs of society through the continuous expansion and improvement of socialist production on the basis of higher techniques. "Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR" are testament J.V. Stalin, the new generation of builders of communism in the USSR.
J.V. Stalin has always emphasized the need to strengthen the Soviet state, the intransigence of class enemies, and vigilance against counter-revolutionaries, saw the potential threat to socialism in the USSR. Now, more than half a century after the death J.V. Stalin, you see the justice and the vision put forward in his position that the Soviet state as we move forward in building socialism, the class struggle in the country will be increasingly exacerbated. Rejecting of this thesis, a mocker of his disdain in the Khrushchev and Brezhnev times, opened the gates of creeping counter-revolution, was a prelude to the downfall of the cause of building communism in the USSR.
Indisputable is the colossal role of Stalin as military leader of the Soviet people in the defeat of German fascism in the Second World War, in the formation after the end of the war of a powerful world socialist camp.
In the work of the party, the Bolshevik Party and Soviet State in strengthening the defence capabilities of the country in connection with the "cold war" against the socialist camp, started by former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition in the construction of missile and nuclear capabilities of the USSR is an enormous role in person J.V. Stalin. Creating on orders of Stalin and the test in the Soviet Union in August 1949 of the atomic bomb prevented the possibility of unleashing a World War III by the imperialists with the use of nuclear weapons.
The outstanding work by J.V. Stalin was highly appreciated by the Soviet government. He was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labour (1939), Hero of the Soviet Union (1945) and the Generalissimo of the Soviet Union (1945). He was awarded three Orders of Lenin, the Order of Victory of the Red Banner, Suvorov 1-st degree and medals.
The death of J.V. Stalin (March 5, 1953) interrupted the rapid movement of our country forward - towards communism. Then came to power petty-bourgeois neo-trotskyite group of N.S. Khrushchev that rejected the Stalinist strictly scientific and inextricably linked with the practical needs of society plans to move to communist construction, slandered the leader and laid the foundations for the gradual drift of our country back to the capitalist slavery. Degeneration of the Communist Party and the proletarian state, the gradual displacement of the working class from power, the introduction of capitalist elements in the socialist economy created economic, ideological, socio-political conditions for the bourgeois counter-revolution, carried out under the flag of Gorbachev's perestroika and led to the temporary defeat of socialism, the destruction of the socialist camp and of our great Soviet homeland.
At present the Soviet people, divided by national quarters is experiencing a real tragedy.
Interethnic conflicts and wars, multi-million mass unemployment and poverty, drunkenness at the hopelessness of life, massive drug use, months of unpaid salaries, pensions and scholarships to starvation, constant and rapid increase in food prices and essential commodities, the growth rates for housing and transportation services upsurge of crime and prostitution, family disintegration and child neglect, and as a result - the rapid extinction of the population. Here are the main satellites of capitalism restored in our country as a result of the victory of the counterrevolution and the destruction of the USSR.
The so-called Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), established on the ruins of the Soviet Union, has shown its complete failure and incompetence. Bourgeois rulers of former Soviet republics faithfully serving thieves of oligarchic capital, in order to distract working people from the real cause of all their calamities and misfortunes - the revival of capitalism, a policy of disengagement and hostility towards people, inciting and pitting nations against each other and in the first place -- the great Russian people.
Transnational capital, American and Western multinational corporations and banks have become the real masters of the so-called "Sovereign" and "independent" states of the former Soviet republics, dictating the ruling political regimes of its own will, imposing financial and economic policies conducive to maximizing profits from the brutal exploitation of our people and plunder our natural resources.
"Colour revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine, the scenario of Western puppeteers and funded by hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars, brought to power in these republics puppets of U.S. capital, conducting anti-Russia policies of open confrontation of fraternal peoples - Georgian and Russian (Mikhail Saakashvili, the 5 day war of Georgia against South Ossetia in August, 2008), pitting against each other of the two half-Slavic peoples - Russian and Ukrainian (Yushchenko) , etc. And all this - for the sake of the interests of U.S. imperialism, Zionist capital of the world struggling for world supremacy and the extension of the existence of past exploitative system in the world - capitalism at its highest, imperialist stage. The struggle for the extraction of excess profits due to ruthless exploitation of cheap labour, plunder of natural resources and wealth in the first place - Russia, other republics of the USSR, through violence and the organization of the local bloody wars in the Middle East, as well as against other countries and peoples, not part of the so-called "golden billion" - this savage face of modern world Zionism and its practices through policies adopted by the United States.
Crushed by the need to survive and rabid anti-communist propaganda in all media, domestic and foreign, workers of the USSR did not want to put up with the pathetic plight of modern slaves and begin to rise to fight for their rights. There is a growing scale of the strike struggle in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Central Asian republics and the Baltic. While this struggle is not organized and cohesive, the bourgeois regime still manages to divide and separate the fighters for their social and political rights. The reason for the weak activity of confrontation - is in the degeneration of society in the period after Stalin. During the years of Khrushchev and Brezhnev, the working class, working people of our country lost much of its revolutionary character, the revolutionary spirit, to a certain extent became philistine and become a man in the street, waiting for the mercy of the powers that be and who believe their empty promises. Modern bourgeois harsh reality destroys illusions. The working people are increasingly aware that the parliamentary and presidential election campaigns only strengthen the power of capital and the ever-worsening situation of human labour. This is particularly evident in the current deep financial crisis that has engulfed the whole imperialist world. Output from the system of world crisis, the bourgeoisie, the big business trying to exercise only at the expense of workers, ruthlessly driven out on the street, and left without a livelihood and of themselves and their families.
The working class, working people has the only correct way, one weapon - the inflexible, firm and decisive struggle for their rights, solidarity, unity and organization in this struggle, class solidarity, mutual help and mutual assistance.
The working class, working people, referring to the experience of the Stalinist period of construction and protecting the gains of socialism, a period of struggle and victory, make the right conclusions for themselves. Public opinion is gradually unfolding in the direction of Stalin, to realize the greatness of deed of his life and activities devoted to improving the lives of working people.
The truth can not be killed or hidden. True stories swept away from its path by foul lies and slander of every kind of renegades, perjurers, corrupt lackeys of world imperialism and the enemies of socialism and the Soviet people, more than 50 years maliciously slandering Stalin, smearing the light of way, trying to erase or erase the memory of the Soviet people and all progressive humanity of Stalin.
Last year, the forgers of history in Russia decided to ascertain the impact of its malicious and slanderous anti-Soviet and anti-Stalinist propaganda, organized a television opinion poll "Name of Russia". The survey results led the organizers to a state of shock: in the first place came Stalin! Organization of double voting, disconnecting the phone number for votes in favour of Stalin, cutoff (theft) of one million votes in favour of Stalin, the servants of the current criminal capitalism, Russia has to remove the name of Stalin in the first place.
The television poll of opinion "Name of Russia" clearly demonstrated that despite continued for more than five decades of unbridled anti-Stalinist campaign of lies and distortions of history, recently re-assuming the character of anti-Stalinist hysteria, the name, and the cause of Stalin is alive in people's memory. Today, there is an unlimited demand, for each more or less truthful book about J.V. Stalin and the Stalin era. There is a growing stream of people coming to his modest grave at the Kremlin wall, to pay tribute of respect and love to J.V. Stalin.
We Bolsheviks can say with justifiable pride that since its inception on Nov. 8, 1991, our Party, the AUCPB held and now holds a clear and precise position on promoting the personality of J.V. Stalin, of enormous historical significance of his ideological and practical activities in world history. The evidence of this are our books, articles, Stalin conferences, rallies, demonstrations, pickets. The return of opinion recently in the direction of Stalin, the growth of interest in his personality and activities, we refer to the merits of our party - the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. If the 90-ies of the last century, our fellow travellers in the communist movement, shied away from us, bearing in demonstrations portraits of Stalin, they are now (RCWP-PKK), represented by their leaders to adopt the plenary meetings of their party statements to remember Stalin on special dates like fervent Stalinists with the slogan - "Glory to Comrade Stalin!". Or another obvious example - the leader of the Communist Party of the Social-Democrat Zyuganov, now stands as a ... zealous advocate (!) of Stalin in the TV show the Round Table. Head of Communist Party cells in Minsk - in the very recent past, an outspoken anti-Stalinist is now positioning itself as a "true Stalinist".
Leaders are forced to shift position by their party ranks who do not share the ideological position of their leaders.
Stalin prophetically once said, "... many of the affairs of our Party and people would be distorted, and spat upon, especially abroad, and in our country - too. ... And yet - no matter how events developed, the time will pass and the eyes of new generations will be converted to the cause and victories of our socialist motherland. Year after year, new people will come. They once again raise the banner of their fathers and grandfathers. And they will give due in full. This time - the respect and admiration for the heroic deeds of our grandfathers and fathers, who defended and build socialism under the leadership of the great Stalin, is already knocking at the door.
"Stalin - our banner of fighting!" - Now, as before, -- is the
slogan of our party!
NA Andreeva
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist party of Bolsheviks (CC AUCPB)
Translated by Kevin Cain
For Bolshevism-AUCPB
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
BEING A SKA, PUNK AND OI LOVER (FOR NOW)
by Katleah Iskre Ulrike
In fact,
Upon listening to these kinds of music, it mirrors somewhat a colorful-like side of my life, since I ought to be in a shade of dark as I listen to Metal and Goth as some may expect to me, and secondly, a good alternative to the common music being played in the radio-being sick and tired of the repeating tunes of Korean Pop and of other musical "for sake" crap, unlike Oi and other songs, specifically of the redskin and other anti-fascist and anti-racist kind that bear good message for the struggle.
And as for the Nazi ones, of white power ones, I remember my high school days of listening to their songs via the internet, and having MP3 files coming from bands such as "Rahowa", "Skrewdriver", and others whose Oi! Music seemingly too violent rather than radical on what being said-especially in calling for a racial holy war; but then, it also made me to create some poetry, stories full of extraordinary revolutionary violence, but not against other races but rather against a rotten system who exploits the common man and calls for justice-for I am against the right-wing tendencies the neo-Nazis wanted in their music.
But still,
Listening to Ska, Punk, Oi! And other "working class" music gives enough color to the scene. Somehow I, being a listener of industrial, metal and goth does not mean I am justly stuck in it, but rather to listen in other types of music and get the message rather than the tone and the name of the band who's playing, for just like the writeups I have made, of using music as a revolutionary tool and represents the people and the promises being said; same as their dreams and heritage being spoken using a variety of genres as long as it shows the people rather than useless words unjustly being said and instead being broadcasted for the sake of profit as the mainstream scene usually do.
Well...
In short:
I love listening to them same as goth and metal
For there's a figment of struggle unto them.
ACHILLE STARACE'S "GOING TO THE PEOPLE"-WITH A MAOIST ANALYSIS
