Watching BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS!

“You will begin to see the world as a whole. You’ll begin to start seeing that it’s not about our thing or your thing. It’s about a humanity thing”

August 6, 2018 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

The following are excerpts from interviews at the BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—Nothing Less! screening at a park in South Central, Los Angeles.

Young guy from San Fernando Valley who was among the first to step up to join the rev, put on the shirt, etc

What brought you here today?

Really, honestly, I heard about you guys from the protest—the one that happened awhile back for keeping families together—and ever since then I’ve had this little fire in me and I need to do something. And I don’t know who it was that called me but they called me this weekend and I didn’t answer, but they sent me a text and said that this is happening today. So I drove all the way over here from the Valley just to come because I am so ready just to do something and make this change.

What did you think of Bob Avakian?

He’s amazing, he’s amazing. I agree with a lot of the things he says, like most of the things he says. It’s spot on!

Was there anything in particular that stood out to you?

Well, he was talking about the Bloods and the Crips and how they did all that and the government stopped them. They were trying so hard to be right and they just wouldn’t let them. Honestly, that got to me.

You know Bob Avakian keeps putting out straightforwardly changing things is going to take a revolution, nothing less than that. What did you think of that?

That’s not something you hear every day. That’s what we needed to hear, what I needed to hear because it’s so true. Like that sign says, we can’t reform, we must overthrow it because it was made to be the way it is, you know. So we got to change that completely. And I think this is great that it’s already been here for people like me who want to do this. So the fact that I want to do this and I can come here and this is already set up and we can just go is just great.

What would you say to other people who haven’t seen or heard Avakian?

I would say just look at it. He speaks for himself. I mean I really just heard about him right now and I’m like alright, I’m so ready to just check this out.

Black man who discovered the event while walking through the park

What did you think of Bob Avakian?

Wellllll, first he’s an atheist and I’m a Christian, but his speech was powerful and it was true. I mean you could shorten it up like that. We all need to work together and come to a solution and that solution is first caring for one another. You got to care and you got to love and then you got to work out the problems.

What did you think about him being very straightforwardly about revolution, the need for a revolution?

Yeah, I don’t know nothing about revolution, but I do know about solutions. And if he is a revolutionist, he has solutions and big ideas that we need to work on and listen to. He makes some good points. He really does. And I hope things work out for him. Keep moving, keep doing it!

Latino from the San Fernando Valley, late teens or early 20’s, he is an actor. (His friend stepped up right away to put on the shirt [the BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! T-shirt] and join the revolution while he held back for a bit and finally decided to do the same.)

What did you think?

I didn’t really know what I was walking into. I came over here with a blank mind, which I think is good because I didn’t come with any biased opinions or anything. And I really do believe, I agree with a lot of the things that Bob said and what the movement stands for. To be honest, I think I still need to do more individual research. But for the basis, I really do feel that it’s kind of what we need right now.

In what way?

Well, I think that there definitely needs to be a reform. There needs to be a reform, the way things are going right now it’s very bleak and I feel like it’s only gonna get worse. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat—it’s the system right now that’s very....it’s bad you know. The system is bad. I feel there needs to be a sudden political change too.

With Trump we have a fascist in the White House, the Democrats aren’t doing anything to get rid of it. What do you think is the solution?

Yeah, it’s like going along with the quote “Actions speak louder that words.” And right now there is a—they’re talking about in the film and the members here that there’s a scientific blueprint on how to achieve said goal. So I think that’s a vital difference. A lot of the times with a lot of the movements, they had an idea, a philosophy to say—but they didn’t really have anything laid down, you know, like a guide book. The wonderful thing about this is that it’s right there for us to see scientifically. I feel like it’s going to be a long process but I feel like this movement can make a lot of noise and it can open a lot of people’s eyes and maybe kind of awaken a different opinion or a different perspective.

Man from Refuse Fascism

What made you come here today?

I’m part of Refuse Fascism and we were at the jazz festival today putting out the word for Refuse Fascism which is In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America. And so I support the Revolution Club and Bob Avakian and so the film tonight was part of the day for me.

Was there anything in the film you just saw that struck you pretty sharply?

Well, the fact that he said several times there has to be a particular situation before we begin a revolution, which makes total sense—we’re not exactly there right now but we are certainly moving in that direction as far as with the fascist regime that’s in the White House right now. And people are not paying attention or in denial, whatever the case may be—counting on the Democrats, whatever it is. So that’s what we’re out trying to do—talk to people, struggle with people and hopefully have a basic conversation about what it is that’s actually happening right now. And Bob talks about all that.

Bob Avakian talks about what is happening in society and he also speaks about the need for revolution. What do you think about that in relation to what you are doing? And he talks with people who might not agree with the need for revolution now.

Right! I agree, I agree. And I think that every time you listen to Bob in different periods of time, you know, you look back to what he said 10 years ago or 8 years ago or whatever, the dude was right on as far as what was happening then and even in one of his latest talks he was talking about things that are actually happening now. You know a year or two ago he was talking about something and now it’s happening. So, I agree!

Latino, mid to late 30’s, who knows people around the Revolution Club

What brought you here?

What brought me here? Well, because I honestly believe in the direction that this organization is trying to lead the people.

Which is what? How do you see this?

Okay, what I see is that this system that they’ve created has given the whole society a sickness, a disease, of this system is created to benefit all peoples when in reality the system was only created to help Trump’s peoples. You know, not necessarily Trump himself, because Trump is just a name. What he represents has always existed that this country...

That’s a sickness that old America, which is not a country for everybody, they’ve put chains in people’s minds, believing in the 20’s, from the 40’s to the 60’s movement to the 80’s believing that progress is possible. Just be patient and believe in the system. But it just repeats itself over and over again proving to the people that it is not true. It’s not true! Therefore that’s a sickness. If you keep believing in something that repetitively proves to be not true, that’s a sickness. And like Bob says, we gotta take the antibiotics away from those who hold it. And I don’t only take when he says antibiotic, I don’t only take that as the diseases.

There’s a sickness in our mind to believe in a system that is not made for everybody. So therefore, the only antibiotic to break free from that type of slavery, whether you’re Black, white or Brown, if you believe in a system that ain’t created for everybody and it just continuously shows you that, that’s a sickness. And the only antibiotic for that is knowledge and truth. So therefore, the only thing is to take that knowledge and spread the antibiotic to the mass, the majority, is to learn and know what they know. And instead of keeping it to ourselves... like, okay, there was this thing. You had the Republicans and the Democrats sitting at a table and the conservatives were making fun of the Democrats. Hey, why do you take the Negroes and give them jobs and stuff, you know. Why are you helping to elevate them. And the Democrats tell them, well you’re missing the whole picture. We have to do that because then they start growing hate and anger and want to revolt. So therefore, we take a few and help elevate them and that will show and give them some kind of hope that if you work hard enough, then you can be something. And the Republican goes, yeah but that’s crazy. Why would you want to do that? And the Democrat goes, yeah but we only pick the smart ones. And the Republicans say that’s even worse, why would you pick the smart ones? And the Democrats say, well if we leave them in the hood, if we leave them in the ghettos, that smart one is going to teach all the other ones. Therefore, he’ll form an army. So we want to take those smart ones, manipulate them into our beliefs and then brainwash him and make him hate his identity so that by the time people realize he’s truly smart, his people will already hate him because they’ll look at him as a traitor.

How did you hear about this event?

I heard about it through Instagram and I have friends involved in it. I’m always out there with you guys...

Have you seen works by Bob Avakian before?

Yeah, I’ve seen a few videos and went to something at a church in Hollywood.

What would you say to people who don’t know about Bob Avakian, haven’t seen these films or read these books.

About his ideology or the man himself?

Both.

Well, about his ideology, because me being Brown and identity politics at the moment (laughs) which Bob kind of....okay, put it like this. If you’re into identity politics you believe for your peoples. Bob has—and I believe it’s number 8 in BAsics [BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian]—he mentions that once you start paying attention and want to be a revolutionary, it’s only a matter of time before you realize the only revolutionary that matters is a Communist, the Communist revolutionary, because you will no longer see the world through your immediate world. You will begin to see the world as a whole. You’ll begin to start seeing that it’s not about our thing or your thing. It’s about a humanity thing and that we need to begin uprooting. And the only way to begin uprooting is to realize that if you focus on just Brown people, you’re just pulling the weeds on the left side of your garden and you still have weeds in the center, and weeds in the right. So, the only way, once you become a Communist revolutionary you understand that you need to start pulling the weeds throughout the whole garden. So you no longer focus on the left side of the garden because if you just focus on the left side of the garden, you’re defeating yourself already.

So now that you’ve talked about all that, let’s talk about Bob Avakian.

What I thought about Bob is that he’s a man filled with knowledge I am willing to accept. That he speaks in a way that is a little offensive but humorously because if you believe in religion you’re like “Oh, what the fuck”. But then he comes back and tells you that in the same way we’re atheists. We don’t believe in nothing but, this is why we don’t believe in nothing but just because we think that way doesn’t mean that we must disregard everybody else. We can’t disregard it. Our ideology and our main goal is to unite everyone and accept everyone for their ideologies. But our agenda is to wake them up and understand that the only way for a true revolution is to destroy the system that’s been created. I mean that’s just what it is. Like I said, if you want to continue living in the system we’ve been living in you’re sick in the head. You know what I mean, plain and simple. You don’t want the antibiotic.

What you say to people who have never heard about Bob Avakian, never heard about the revolution he is talking about?

Okay, look, first of all—listen to a member of the Revolution Club speak and how passionate she is as she speaks because what she is speaking is what Bob is preaching. So therefore, like I said, if you’re into identity politics, she’s a Brown woman—watch her. And then once you hear her speak that identity shit goes away. You know what I mean? Plain and simple, listen, there’s this book BAsics. You read the BAsics, embrace the knowledge but don’t just read it. It’s not a one time book. It’s like the Bible, you have to dissect it. Cross out what you don’t like, dissect it—I don’t mean cross out, I mean highlight what you like, then dissect it, break it down, keep going, keep going and once you take the time to enter the mind of Bob you will see a future that is unbelievable.