Mumia Abu-Jamal on 'The Occupation'

The Occupation

Recorded by Mumia Abu-Jamal

In Lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park, the cast of thousands swell in rebellion against betrayals by the banks, Wall Street’s relentless greed, the plague of joblessness, and the craven servility of the political class, both Republicans and Democrats, to their money masters. In short, the central focus of their protest is capitalism- greed at large, especially since the economic tumble of fall of 2008. Begun mostly by unemployed youth, it has drawn the presence and support of public workers, urban youth, students, teachers, and a considerable number of gray-hairs. That’s because social discontent is so wide-spread that it is spreading like wild-fire. Wall Street, and then days later, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Francisco and beyond.

Demonstrations springing up like mushrooms after a storm, in protest of the crony capitalism brought to us by the professional sell-outs called “politicians.” And speaking of, like vampires at a blood bank, politicians are descending on Wall Street to try to suck the life out of a movement that could threaten their monopoly on power. For politicians’ only interest in this protest is to exploit it, to weaken it, while they continue to serve the very bosses the protesters oppose. You can count the number of politicians who truly oppose Wall Street on one hand and still have a few fingers left.

Perhaps America’s greatest white revolutionary, abolitionist John Brown, had little regard for politicians. He told his family, “A professional politician, you never could trust, for even if he had convictions, he was always ready to sacrifice his principles for his advantage.” Think about that. Now think about every politician you know.

This is people’s power, sparked in part by the mass protests in Cairo and Wisconsin. Other sparks were the Troy Davis injustice, the assault on several demonstrators by New York cops, the repression on the poor and working class by the political class, and discontent with the long wasted years of war abroad. This is people’s power. May it remain so. From death row, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Recorded by Prison Radio

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