Open letter to KPFA

The following are excerpts from Mao’s little Red Book, which used to be the Panther Bible. It’s probably what held us together for as long as we were despite the heavy duty all out campaign to destroy us by the FBI’s COINTELPRO. Having been a plaintiff in a wiretap class action (settled out of court in Connecticut), I’m well aware of their strategies and tactics.

One was ongoing: the infiltration of media. I believe it was indicated that at least two agents would be working at a given station. This is not to provoke you into paranoia, but to make you aware that there probably are deliberately divisive elements among you, whether employed or just mean or ambitious.

Mao may not have been a great administrator, but he was probably the greatest revolutionary leader in recorded history. He definitely knew how to develop and maintain unity, since he organized the baadest people’s army of his era (at least).

On criticism and self-criticism

“(T)he main task of criticism is to point out political and organizational mistakes. As to personal shortcomings, unless they are related to political and organizational mistakes, there is no need to be overcritical or the [staff] concerned will be at a loss as to what to do ... (T)here is the great danger that ... attention will be concentrated exclusively on minor faults and everyone will become timid and overcautious.”

“(G)uard against subjectivism, arbitrariness and the vulgarization of criticism; statements should be based on facts, and criticism should stress the political [or work related] side.”

“The mistakes of the past must be exposed without sparing anyone’s sensibilities; it is necessary to analyze and criticize what was bad in the past with a scientific attitude so that work in the future will be done more carefully and done better.”

“In treating an ideological or political malady, one must never be rough and rash but must adopt the approach of ‘curing the sickness to save the patient’....”

“We should check our complacency and constantly criticize our shortcomings, just as we should wash our faces or sweep the floor everyday ... If we have shortcomings, we are not afraid to have them pointed out and criticized because we serve the people. Anyone, no matter who, may point out our shortcomings. If he [she] is right, we will correct them. If what he [she] proposes will benefit the people [listeners], we will act on it.”

“As we [alternative/progressive media folks], who base all our actions on the highest interests of the broadest masses ... who are fully convinced of the justice of our cause ... can we be reluctant to discard any idea, viewpoint, opinion or method which is not suited to the needs of the people?”

“Countless revolutionary martyrs have laid down their lives in the interests of the people, and our hearts are filled with pain as we think of them – can there be any personal interest then that we would not sacrifice or any error that we would not discard?”

On unity

“(T)he unity of our people and the unity of our various nationalities ... are the basic guarantees of the sure triumph of our cause. ... The democratic and revolutionary way of solving problems and resolving contradictions among the people is through the formula ‘unity, criticism, unity’; i.e., starting from the desire for unity and through constructive criticism or struggle arrive at a new unity on a new basis. It’s imperative to overcome anything that impairs unity.”

On struggle

“We stand for active ideological struggle because it is the weapon for ensuring unity. ... But liberalism rejects ideological struggle and stands for unprincipled peace ... giving rise to a decadent attitude and bringing about political degeneration. ... Opposition and struggle between ideas of different kinds constantly occur ... a reflection ... of contradictions between classes and between the new and the old in society. If there were no contradictions ... and no ideological struggles to resolve them, then the [organization’s] life would come to an end.”

On liberalism

“To let things slide for the sake of peace and friendship when a person has clearly gone wrong and refrain from a principled argument because (s)he is an old acquaintance ... close friend ... or old subordinate ...

“To indulge in irresponsible criticism in private instead of actively putting forward one’s suggestions to the organization. To say nothing to people to their faces but to gossip behind their backs, or to say nothing at a meeting but to gossip afterwards. To show no regard at all for the principles of collective life but to follow one’s own inclination ...

“To let things drift if they do not affect one personally; to say as little as possible while knowing perfectly well what is wrong, to be worldly wise and play safe and seek only to avoid blame. …

“(T)o demand special consideration from the organization but to reject its discipline.

“To indulge in personal attacks, pick quarrels, vent personal spite or seek revenge instead of entering into an argument and struggling against incorrect views for the sake of unity or progress or getting the work done properly.

“To be aware of one’s own mistakes and yet make no attempt to correct them, taking a liberal attitude towards oneself.”

“No investigation; no right to speak.” I shall be the first to self-criticize herein. That was a slogan Panthers adopted from Mao which I failed to follow recently. In fact, there is no way I could find the time to really investigate all the problems and contradictions among the various personalities at KPFA.

So I have decided to take an unusual position for me, which is to remain neutral in the hope that the above might prove helpful in getting the parties to come together and struggle to work things out for the sake of Pacifica’s mission or, to be more specific, to tell the truth of what’s going on to our listeners in these extremely critical and urgent times – through strong, alternative programming that gets to the roots of the local and global problems and wars and attempts to find creative solutions.

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Black Panther veteran Kiilu Nyasha was heard regularly on KPFA beginning in 1983, when she was a commentator on the afternoon drive-time show, and later as a programmer with Freedom Is a Constant Struggle from 1991 through 1995, when that show was cancelled in a purge of radical programming to make room for now-Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s daily hour-long show. She recommends a process of mediation to resolve the current dissension at KPFA and embolden the staff to struggle together for freedom. Email Kiilu at kiilu1 [at] mindspring.com.

http://www.sfbayview.com/072705/openletter072705.shtml