I think it would help if white activists would get more involved in community activism, which isn't as dominated by political parties that re-enforce the activist ghetto. I had a falling out with comrade anti-capitalists here last summer. Combine that with unemployment that kept me in my neighborhood and I ended up doing more work with neighborhood activists who tend to be Latino.
Chuck0
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Just to add re-enforcement to the obvious. Yes this is exactly where to make the link between local issues which in most urban areas means black, latino or asian issues, and those of capital, labor, anti-globalization, anti-war, environment, etc, etc.
Funny isn't it? There is simply no substitute for poverty to get your head screwed on right. Low paying part time jobs also help. Works like magic. Pretty soon you become a major food critic and hopefully a researcher of jalapenos, black beans, rice, bbq'd marinated flank steak, stuffed chilis----not enough cumin, didn't burn the chilis, and so on...
Trading food recipes for solidarity. Everybody's got a home recipe for black beans. Here's mine:
1 lb dried black beans 1 lb smoked bacon ends 3-4 red onions 1/2 stalk celery 4-5 jalapenos fresh 2-3 cups red wine 1/4 cup soy sauce (for salt) 1/2 clove garlic 1/4 cup hand ground cumin seeds 1 tbls hand ground ground black pepper 2-3 tbls Grandmas chili power
Plus several large pinches of: thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt and a bay leaf. Clean the dried beans and soak for about four hours, wash, add to a pot covered with about an inch of water or broth. If you don't like bacon use bbq'd chicken or beef and if you don't like meat, substitute olive oil and bbq'd egg plant or squash cut in small junks. Fry the smoked bacon ends and drain some fat then brown the onions and celery in that, then separately fry the cumin and jalapenos (with seeds) with garlic and chili power. Pour it all into the same pot and simmer for about four or five hours and add the wine late to keep some of the wine flavor. Serve with steamed rice. This is pretty hot, so cut back on the jalapenos and black pepper for a lower scoville rating.
You don't need a social connection, you don't need racial demographic analysis, you don't need to be any good in Spanish if you've got a killer pot of beans. The anarchist cookbook like most radical tracks was completely mis-guided. You make friends with food, not bombs. If you're near the ocean, fishing works almost as good as food, sort of the same idea.
Chuck Grimes