The False Belief in Revolution Happening in a Settler Colony

Richard Oaks and other Indigenous activists after the 1969 takeover (not occupation - the Europeans are the occupiers) of Alcatraz in the San Francisco, California, U.S., Bay

This is a concept that originates and is maintained by so-called European (white) revolutionaries.  People who are supposed to be friends to humanity.  They have spent the last 100 years advancing a concept of revolutionary change (that they see themselves as leading of course) that's supposedly going to be taking place in the U.S.?  Or maybe Australia?  Or Azania as African people call it while everyone else calls it South Africa?  This is even a thing in occupied Palestine?

We have to clarify first what we mean when we say revolution because that word is used so often and in ways of utter confusion that its always necessary to clarify what you mean when you advance the concept.  What we mean is an ultimate class struggle between the masses of working people - both industrial and service, the revolutionary intelligentsia, and the peasantry, against the bourgeoisie (ruling classes) for control of the means of production e.g. the food, water, and all resources we use to maintain and develop.  This class struggle has bloody components, but primarily, its a battle over ideals.  Its the overthrow of the elite class by the masses of humanity.  Revolution is uncompromising change from one existing social order to another.  From capitalism to socialism.  Some people may say anarchism instead of socialism.  We don't argue.  We merely suggest that our choice is to be socialists because our ultimate goal in our present world vision is communism which is a society where class structure has been completely obliterated.  Where state apparatus no longer exists.  The anarchists say they want no class apparatus also, but they have yet to explain how we go from capitalism, where the state is the dominant instrument of suppression of the masses, to no class structures whatsoever.  For us, that bridge is socialist construction.  So, that's what we mean when we say revolution.

The problem we have with these so-called first world revolutionaries or socialists is that socialism is a system of justice that is based on the principles of humanism.  As Sekou Ture explains, socialism reflects the will of the masses of people to construct a society where people's dignity is valued above all else.  With those values defining socialism - at least for us - its impossible to consider valid the contradictions about socialist revolution that drip regularly from the corroded walls of European culture.  For example, any number of nazi and neo-nazi formations have always considered their movement a movement for socialism.  We just discussed our principles for socialist construction.  Its impossible to accept those principles while also acknowledging legitimacy for a movement that is rooted in white supremacy and the theft of Indigenous people's lands as a socialist movement.  Its also impossible to accept the claim of many from the zionist occupation of Palestine who claim their zionist state is based on any type of legitimate socialist model.  Its also impossible for any socialist party in Azania - whether the historical "South African Communist Party" or any of the current manifestations of the white left in Azania (The Metal Workers of South Africa, etc.) to legitimately pursue a socialist agenda in that country.  And, yes, so-called white revolutionaries attempting to bring about revolution within the U.S. outside of any movements led by Indigenous peoples is nothing except a new age settler colonial movement.

The above examples are not viable because you cannot build socialism on someone else's land, period.  Socialism must seek to address injustices by removing barriers of oppression.  If your socialist system isn't doing that, it ain't socialism.  So, I would need someone to explain to me how any socialist revolution can be led by Europeans who are the descendants of settlers who violently stole the land these Europeans claim to be championing revolution on without any redress of that theft of land and how it impacts the people who had it stolen from them?

This is a problem you won't even see white left circles even talking about.  Most of them see absolutely no contradiction in them advocating for system change while holding their position on the lands where the native inhabitants are being viciously oppressed in their favor.  They will tell you that their socialism seeks to alleviate this problem, but that's like someone who has stolen your car telling you to accept and ignore that because they are going to be making other cars available to you.  Only sammy sausagehead would accept that type of nonsensical logic.

This is why you never hear us talking about revolution in the Indigenous people's lands because our struggle is based on those principles of justice.  So, the first thing out of our mouth is that the Americas belong to the Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere and Africa belongs to us.  We even have a march chant to that end - "America is the Indigenous people's land, Africa for the Africans!"  Our talk of and for Pan-Africanism is rooted in the reality that our revolution is based on bringing revolution to the only  land base we have any legitimate right to - Africa.  The Indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere have been overwhelmingly gracious hosts to us for over 500 years.  They have shared their neighborhoods, schools, communities, and prison cells with us.  We can ask nothing more of them. Now, its time for us to liberate our mother - Africa - with one unified socialist Africa.  As for the Indigenous people of the West?  They have the options of deciding what type of system is best for them and whatever they decide, we will support them to the fullest extent of our capabilities.

This talk scares white people.  Even so-called revolutionary white people because they don't see a place for them in the vision I articulated above.  The reason they don't see it isn't because it doesn't exist.  They don't see it because despite what they say about justice their definition of it really never includes a cold hard look at settler colonialism.  It never actually acknowledges that settler colonialism has to be destroyed.  These people - even the so-called revolutionary ones - freak out at any suggestion of land reclamation.  There are no white revolutionaries in Azania acknowledging land reclamation.  They oppose it at every turn.  There are certainly no white revolutionaries within the U.S. talking about returning U.S. lands to the Indigenous peoples and you already know that isn't happening in occupied Palestine.  

This is why we so aggressively promote our African dominated solution of Pan-Africanism and we encourage all other colonized people to do the same.  Those white "revolutionaries" can't stand talk of Pan-Africanism, not because they can challenge it ideologically, but because they just don't like the fact that it doesn't cater to them and center them in this struggle.  Well, later on for that now.  Its past time for us to define the parameters for our forward movement.

What genuine white revolutionaries need to be doing is talking about themselves redefining their identity as European descended settlers who are fighting against settler colonialism, capitalism, and oppression for socialism, etc.  That should become the identity for every white person who is truly concerned about revolutionary consciousness and development.  There is no revolution without addressing land reclamation and the reason why we can come into any area dominated by white revolutionary organizations and instantaneously recruit more Africans than they ever can is because our people understand that.  We know that no one is going to resolve our problems except ourselves and we also know that justice cannot be built on a platform of injustice.  

So, when you are looking for a revolutionary organization, especially if you are a colonized person, the first question you have to ask them is what their position is on settler colonialism and land reclamation.  And, when the answer is whiteplaining this and that you know immediately that you are dealing with pirates, not revolutionaries.