With a determined if small group of zealots insisting that we all know his name and understand his ideas he just might one day soon become "the next big thing" and I suspect that this post will get many visits over tome, As far as I know though, his name still brings a shrug here at the General Grant Houses where a big push has been on for a couple of years.
There's a bunch of stuff about the thoughts of chairman Bob "BA" Avakian and the importance or lack thereof attached to them that I apparently slept through. Back in the day, 1976, Bob got arrested in a demonstration against the ascendent faction of the Chinese Communist Party. Here is what wiki has about that:
"In 1976, shortly after the death of Mao Zedong, the followers of Mao (known as the "Gang of Four") were arrested and new leadership took over the Communist Party of China. Among communists both within the U.S. and internationally there were major differences on how to understand what had happened in China. Within the RCP, after a process of internal study and debate, the issue came to a head in a meeting of the RCP's central committee, where a majority of the leadership, led by Avakian, in reaction to the events, took up the position that what had occurred in China was a coup that overthrew socialism and was in the process of unleashing capitalism in China. This led to a major split in the RCP with a significant minority who supported the new leaders in China leaving the Party.[32]
In January 1979 a demonstration was held in Washington DC on the occasion of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's meeting with Jimmy Carter to expose what the RCP and Avakian viewed as Deng's "reversal" of the revolution in China. There was a confrontation and the RCP claimed that the police attacked the demonstration, resulting in many in the demonstration injured and many arrested, including Avakian.[33] The federal government brought serious multiple felony charges against seventeen people, including Avakian.[34] The charges against Avakian were dropped in 1982.[35]
While fighting these charges, Avakian went on a national speaking tour in 1979 and while in Los Angeles, gave an interview to an L.A. Times reporter. In her article, the reporter attributed statements to Avakian that were distortions, which the Secret Service then used as a pretext for an investigation. After being threatened with a lawsuit, the L.A. Times printed a partial retraction. The Secret Service investigation was challenged in court, and nothing ever came of this investigation.[36]
In 1980 the RCP faced many arrests and other suppression.[37] At the same time Damián García, who was closely associated with the RCP and who had raised a red flag on top of the Alamo a few weeks earlier as part of building for RCP-sponsored demonstrations on May Day 1980, was murdered in Los Angeles.[38] According to Avakian's memoirs, within this same period there were growing reports of death threats against him from various quarters.[39]
Citing the history in the U.S. of political assassinations of revolutionaries (including Malcolm X and Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton), and the increasing attacks and threats against Avakian, in 1981 Avakian left the country and went into self-exile in France.[40] He has continued to be the Chairman of the RCP.[41] "
Avakian has popped up a few times on the US but these are rare appearances. There are rumors that he still resides in France, so rarely is he seen in public.
Activists who accept his leadership join or else support the Revolutionary Communist Party, and the RCP has been involved in a few actions and campaigns that I agree with such as demonstrating against the NYPD's stop and frisk policy and protesting inhumane treatment of US prisoners. These actions are not of great impact and as far as I know Avakian himself is not involved in any of them.
Now, people who call themselves Marxists, or Socialists, or Communists come in a breathtaking variety of schools of thought and action. The Avakian group, the RCP, has a long history of saying it supports "Communist Revolution" and then opposing the ultimate outcomes of these revolutions. Hence Avakian was arrested in a protest against the leadership of China, and not of the rulers of the USA against whom he supposedly wants to lead a revolution.So, Bob has been put of sight for the most part, appearing in youtube videos and disks, and in a lot of script. Back in 2007 someone named Oppenheimer wrote and got published an article in The "Boston Globe mocking Bob (BA) because a group of people including well known personalities like Chuck D, Cindy Sheehan, Cornel West and others had signed an ad in the New York Review of Books urging everyone to "engage" with the thoughts of Bob Avakian, and calling for the government not to suppress his freedom of speech.
I WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY THAT BOB AVAKIAN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK, WRITE, STAR IN MOVIES, WHATEVER, AND THE THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LEAVE HIM ALONE.
My problem would be spending hours on end listening to and reading his ideas. Why would I want to do that? I live a pretty occupied life. I wake up six says a week at around one or one thirty in the afternoon, I spend an hour or two blogging and reading the news and talking with my wife, then I head out to an endless night of work, finish that and do it again. I would have to be quite impressed with Mr. Bob Aaakian in order to spend hurs poring over his thoughts. I'm more interested in how he maintains his grip on some few hundred people's minds, I'm sort of a student on what I consider one topic: fanaticism, hypnotism, pimping, and religion. I have a theory that it's all the same thing. That the BA zombies outside my door can't think fast is a sign of what I mean.
In my talking with the streetcorner Avakian crew Never did any of them tell me that around two hundred personalities would like for me to engage the thoughts of Bob Avakian.
Sit and watch a seven hour movie of Bob Avakian talking? Come on why would any sane person want to do that????
Mar 10, 2013
The Avakian Cult-- COPS, MAOISTS AND WHITE PEOPLE IN HARLEM. I've covered the Avakian cult's foray into the area of the General Grant Houses, and the adventure continues. That I live in General Grant projects si an ...
Jan 20, 2013
But they didn't want to be interviewed or viewed which to me is odd as they stand out there time after time trying to talk to people. Do they imagine that after years on this corner that they haven't been photographed many times ...
11 hours ago
The Avakian Cult-- COPS, MAOISTS AND WHITE PEOPLE IN HARLEM. I've covered the Avakian cult's foray into the area of the General Grant Houses, and the adventure continues. That I live in General Grant projects si an .
Jan 17, 2013
Some Maoists (Avakianites) have staked out the corner near my bus stop almost every Saturday for the past couple of years or so and once in a while I pause and chat with them as I wait for the Bx15. I think this Saturday I'll ...
