REVOLUTION: Why It's Necessary, Why It's Possible, What It's All About
a film of a talk by Bob Avakian
Online at: http://www.revolutiontalk.net/
In 2003 Bob Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party USA
delivered an historic talk in the United States. This talk, followed by
questions and answers, is a wide-ranging revolutionary journey,
covering many topics. It breaks down the very nature of the society we
live in and how humanity has come to a time where a radically different
society is possible. It takes us deep into the heart of the horrors we
see around us – from the oppression of whole peoples and parts of the
world to what underlies brutal wars of domination – and why we live in
a world where profound poverty, starvation and exploitation co-exist
with unprecedented wealth. From the American nightmare to a sweeping
vision of a whole new world, he breaks it all down, and shows how and
why a radically different world can be brought forward. This film is full of heart and soul, humor and seriousness. It will challenge you and set your heart and mind to flight.
There is nothing online like THIS talk of Bob Avakian’s: nothing that
answers the questions of why we are in the situation we are in... what
is the source of the problem... and what is the nature of the solution.
Nothing that gets at these questions as deeply, thoroughly and
truthfully as this. Millions of people are searching for the truth, and
watching videos, short and long. Some of these give part of the answer;
but some of them—including some of the most popular—give people
bullshit answers, pointing people in the wrong direction and spreading
poison. Here, and all over the world, people need to see Revolution: Why It’s Necessary, Why It’s Possible, What It’s All About.
“Quite frankly, many people have never heard anyone say the
things Chairman Avakian said, or have ever heard anyone talk about this
world, this social system, this society, and another possible society
and way of living in the way he did before. This talk addressed
questions that literally millions of people all over the world are
agonizing over at this moment.” [A communist artist]
“It’s like we’re in a situation where we don’t know where to go. It
feels like an atmosphere of distrust, fear of the future, instability.
I feel like there are no guidelines or parameters on where to go. But I
think Bob Avakian has a plan full of hope in the face of uncertainty
that weighs on people.” [Comment by a woman after showing of the DVD Revolución in Mexico City]
“In times like these, this clear voice for social change is a welcome
relief from all the confusion and lies. Listen, and you will truly hear
a voice of reason, with sharp analysis and deep understanding, going up
against the tide of injustice and oppression. Of crucial importance is
the fearless opposition to the rise of the Christian right and its
pernicious effect on the political and cultural life in this country.
While you might not agree with everything he says, he will challenge
you with his insights and a clarion call to what must be done. ” [Reverend Earl Kooperkamp, Pastor, St. Mary’s Church, Harlem, NYC*]
“He was showing the kind of system we live in and what it does to all
humanity... he was inviting people to rise up their sights, their views
and look at things at this moment of history we’re in and the need to
transform and change things.” [A young construction worker from Latin America]
“I heard Bob Avakian speak last year on the urgent and timely issue of
revolution: why it’s necessary, why it’s possible, and what must be
done to bring revolution about… His explanation of the workings of the
imperialist system – and how the struggle of the people can get rid of
it and replace it with a just and equitable society – was powerful and
uplifting… This speech needs to be heard by others. It could take many
more people onto the path toward that world liberation.” [Yuri Kochiyama]
A lengthy yet fascinating lecture by Bob Avakian, the Chairman of the
Revolutionary Communist Party of the United States. In his first public
appearance since 1979, Avakian offers an astute critical analysis of
American politics and the Maoist tactics that he believes can bring
about revolutionary change. Although 20th century history has
demonstrated the complications inherent in achieving the Communist
ideal, Avakian puts forth a compelling case that a revolutionary
program is what contemporary America needs (if not necessarily what it
desires). [Facets Multimedia]
“… [Avakian’s] communist analysis is graceful, and he lucidly explains
concepts ranging from dialectical materialism to irony without
condescending to his audience. Like a Richard Pryor concert film,
Revolution cuts between different versions of the same material in this
case, the same all-day lecture given on the east and west coasts in
2003. He's no less sharp when he's answering questions than when he's
outlining his revolutionary program…" [Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader critic, August 20, 2004]
“I highly recommend this talk as a starting place for study or an
update to review the Marxist Leninist Maoist approach. Bob Avakian
hurls an impassioned, articulate challenge to capitalism and US
imperialism. Women’s liberation cannot be achieved without defeating
these forces, therefore Avakian’s presentation is an important
contribution.” [Carol Downer, Founder, Federation of Feminist Women’s Health Centers*]
“Whatever your political orientation or religious background, this
comes across as a challenge that must be heard and wrestled with. There
is great depth and seriousness in Bob Avakian’s analysis of a situation
which most of us have failed to fully recognize. But he is confident
that we can create a viable future for the planet. ” [Reverend George W. Webber, President Emeritus, New York Theological Seminary*]
“Bob Avakian, a thinker and activist of remarkable critical insights,
sums up the lessons he has learned and the conclusions he has
determined during more than thirty years of activism and leadership and
guides present and future activists through a tough course which leads
to the understanding of the imperatives for a new society.” [Dr. Juan Gómez Quiñones, historian and writer, UCLA*]
“It was like hearing Mao speak on the Long March.” [A young Black proletarian woman]
“If my people had a leader like this, we would have been free a long time ago.” [A young worker from the Mixtec national minority of Mexico]
“He speaks from the heart and at the same time with such a sweeping
understanding, with total resolution, and not just with hatred for the
bourgeoisie but confidence in the masses of people.” [a young immigrant woman from South Asia]
“When I first started watching the Revolution DVD it was like a book I
couldn't put down. Bob Avakian is unsparing in shining a light on the
darkest aspects of American history and the capitalist system that
underlies it. No American should allow fear, pride or prejudice against
Avakian because of his communist beliefs, to keep them from facing
these truths about their country. Avakian did not just fall out of the
sky the other day to preach revolution. He was part of some of the
signature movements of the 1960's: the Berkeley Free Speech Movement,
SDS and the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. He has been observing
and studying the decline of the American political system for decades.
Bob Avakian has much that is relevant to say to us. Watch this DVD!” [progressive democrat]
“A journey to be savored.” [a veteran communist]
“I loved everything about it, including its presentation and its
factual basis. In this talk, Bob Avakian says, ‘White supremacy is
built into the foundation of this country.’ I agree with that and I
think it’s impossible to remove under the current system of government…
“When Emmett Till was murdered for whistling at a white woman in 1955,
we were devastated and felt the same concern. As young Black men, we
didn’t know whether they would come after us or not for playing
basketball in the south. Our team was the first integrated team to play
at the college level in the south. When we played in Oklahoma, the fans
called us ‘N....,’ and yelled, ‘Get those n..., off the court!’ They
threw nickels and quarters at us while we were playing and called us
Globetrotters. The Black players weren’t allowed to stay in the hotel.
Our team met and decided that we were all going to stay together, so
the white and Black players stayed at the University of Oklahoma
university dorms. When we won that game, we celebrated by ourselves in
the empty dorm... The attitude of the fans and the white society
overall was that we shouldn’t be playing in the first place. Not only
were we playing, but we beat everyone we played against…
“This experience of oppression for Black people is going to continue
and it will get worse, unless there’s a change. I believe a revolution
will have to come about for it to change.” [Hal Perry, (1933-2009), former basketball player, on listening to "They’re selling postcards of the hanging”]
“Avakian, speaking in public in the U.S. last year for the first time
since 1979, offers a full plan for revolutionary transformation, and he
gets the attention of Black Americans right away on these four DVDs in
his passionate discussion of lynching, police brutality, racial
profiling and issues pertinent to African Americans.
"Recalling the vicious assaults on Claude Neal, Mary Turner and Emmett
Till, Avakian provides a brutal and bloody outline of tragedy, and does
it with a fervor that is far too uncommon coming from the mouth of a
white man. I can think of only Tim Wise who comes close to genuinely
evoking white sympathy as he assails racism and white supremacy." [The Revolution may not be televised, but it's on film by Herb Boyd, The Amsterdam News, August 5, 2004]
* for identification only
INDEX
DISC I - Session I
1. “They’re selling postcards of the hanging”
2. Police: Enforcers of oppression and madness
3. 1960’s: Racism and oppression challenged head-on
4. A world of rape and sexual assault
5. “Traditional” values - tradition’s chains
6. U.S. expands through conquest and exploitation
7. Youth deserve a better future
8. Not fit caretakers of the earth
9. A history of genocide and war crimes
10. As long as you don’t say nothin’
11. Why do people come here from all over the world?
DISC 2 - Session 2
1. What is capitalism?
2. A lopsided imperialist world
3. How the world got this way
4. A better world is possible
5. Today, societies are divided into classes
6. The proletariat and communism
7. Imagine ... a new society Healthcare, work, education, science, etc...
8. The dictatorship of the proletariat, and what it’s for
9. The “voting trap” under capitalism
10. Democracy and dictatorship during socialism
11. Overcoming wounds and scars from capitalism
12. From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs
13. It’s not “Make them suffer like we suffered”
14. Carrying forward the revolution under socialism
15. “Two sides” to globalization
16. A vampire system with “NUKE-ular” weapons
17. International class-world-wide struggle
DISC 3 - Session 3
1. How could we actually make revolution, in a country like the U.S.?
2. Uniting all who can be united for revolution
3. Iraq war resistance—what was accomplished?
4. Learning while leading, leading while learning
5. The “solid core” of the united front, and ending national oppression
6. How a revolutionary situation can come about
7. It’s not just “The Corporations”
8. Why not bring about change peacefully?
9. Isn’t the problem “human nature?”
10. Dialectical materialism, historical materialism
11. Religion
12. Does communism equal “totalitarianism?”
13. Valuing dissent in socialist society
14. The people need leadership ... a communist vanguard party
15. A challenge and call: get with the party
DISC 4 - Questions and Answers
1. Smoke weed in socialism?
2. Difficulty for proletarians to get active?
3. Change for women in a new society?
4. Another war for election purposes? (pyramid)
5. What made you not believe in god?
6. First thought on 9/1I?
7. How to reach the proletariat?
8. More on 9/1I?
9. When will people fight for a different future?
10. How does the party keep its goal of revolution?
11. Is communism a European ideology?
12. Reparations for African-Americans?
13. Breaking down borders under socialism?
14. A new generation of revolutionary leaders?
15. Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party?
16. Favorite band, favorite movie?
17. We need a revolutionary people.
18. Involving more minority youth?
19. At 89, I want to see change.