F– Tha System!.. Can You Be Radical & Revolutionary & Still Vote?

In recent weeks there’s been a lot of discussion around voting and whether or not its a futile exercise. Much of the apprehension comes from those who see the system as corrupt and the voting process hijack by unthinkable amounts of big corporate money which has made all those who get elected or appointed beholden to them vs the people.

Complicating this issue is seeing many who run for office play a political game which leads to them speaking ‘double talk‘, flat-out lying and over compromising on important issues. Some chalk it up and conclude, that ‘politics is a dirty business and those in the arena are simply doing what they gotta do‘. Others haven’t been so nonchalant and have been livid, especially if they see such actions taken at their expense. If they look on the ballot and see themselves at the short end of political policies by those vying for office, the conclusion is not to vote.

F– Tha System Don’t Vote!  F– Tha system don’t partake in a corrupt process! has been a rallying cry in more than a few circles..It’s more than just a Lupe Fiasco who has uttered this. I’ve heard it all throughout the Occupy Movement.. I’ve heard it amongst those who consider themselves radical or revolutionary-from dead prez to Rage Against the Machine to the Welfare Poets. I’ve heard it amongst those who are simply fed up and have lost all hope or have felt deeply betrayed. Many have concluded that the process is so corrupt and so contaminated that what we’re seeing is elaborate theater.. those gunning for office have already been selected..

Expressing disdain and  attempting to shame people into voting by telling stories of Fannie Lou Hammer and Martin Luther King and their sacrifices does very little to move the crowd especially when its clear that those doing the conjuring don’t adhere to many of the principles that those lauded individuals stood for.. If anything it’s likely to make folks more resolute in their position when they see the stark contradictions in ones rhetoric vs actions and that MLK and Fannie are being used as tools of convenience.

A few years ago during the historic Hip Hop Political Convention in Newark, New Jersey, longtime New York City Councilman  and former Black Panther Charles Barron addressed the convention and offered up some compelling words around being a revolutionary and voting. After his speech we sat down with him for an interview we he expounded upon his points..He talked at length about how and why it was critical we engage this system. The fact that we find it corrupt is even more of reason for those who are revolutionary to engage it.. It needs critical, principled people to intervene.  What Barron spoke on back in 2004 is good food for thought and gave some keen historical and political insight.. We wanted to share that with folks today..

Also since yesterday was National Voter registration Day we wanted to share with you a recent speech given at a Hip Hop Caucus Townhall Meeting around the issue of Voter Suppression.. The remarks by Barbara Arwine of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights need to be heard and acted upon..

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Comments

  1. It’s a massive scam

  2. Yo Davey,…when I read this article About US election, where I woke up by Miami 2000 reasonally,..I must push forward a Britcore classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&v=mlkInI5YiW0&gl=US from friends of Suisse where my Crew member Mr.Seon is the DJ,..but back on that track of demo_crazy fetish a vote by all the trillion deficits capital_ism swings only the lobby Biz and not the people,..that another system change could only well be established by new communication lines like the phenomenon in postfascist Europe has begun by the ‘pirate party’ for an electronic coordination the struggle of whiteness and maleness been apart suicidal.

    Davey,..there the ideology of Ism like Anarchy could swing a lot against uprights beef against and biased for voters detention and Cops simulancees. I have no right link, but google some interesting stuff:http://struggle.ws/election.html – where militancy is an everyday choice of life and likelihood. I wish, that the bluff of the Northern territories of America will learn much more plural_Ism then you have now. My deepest blessings for constitutional progress and of course walking the lines against all financial aif Tax start by 7,5 % for each transaction. My militant cause. Salaam and my Mums eAvangelical bless to ya’all.

  3. I’m a registered Green and I’m voting for Jill Stein, who has made the effort to get Greens on the ballot in enough states to make her a choice for 85% of American voters. That took a huge amount of effort by Jill and Greens around the country and it takes very little effort to honor it by going to the polls. Voting Green is as defiant as not voting and it makes a statement about what you do want, not just how disaffected you are. I’m sure people reading this can find something wrong with her, but compare this to Obama or Romney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8onWkY36xqc

    Also, Harvey Wasserman, who introduced her there, does not, as he says, feel compelled to work for Obama, but he is at the same time concerned that because Obama supporters won’t turn out to defend the vote this time, the GOP will steal it again. So much so that he co-wrote a book about how likely it is.

  4. The Greens as a party like to maintain the club funds with promises of salvation and lobbying work to the traditional topics such as energy and the environment.
    Involved in this government they wake up very quickly in the area of ​​deficit and capitalism have a stick in thier ass just like everyone else. That the American dream remains the presidency, and as commander of the printing presses no matter what candidates already stacked the paper, is the question of money not the assumption that something changes, special when we finally have a rethink regarding the hetero_white_economies
    I think the U.S. is an asshole of homo_national immigration as reflection mankind than construct their own slaughterhouses. Go vegan and enjoy!

    Bel

    http://britcore.radio.de

  5. Not for Obama…We are at War…Know Your Enemy…Hip Hop is under attack…Killuminati.

  6. Yo Ann,..do you know the Inter of Vieth les biens Kingz Kong speech narratives never be prepare the East-Europeans tree_ball Khan in fashion called Gypsee Egypts!

    Salaam Norther territories of America maps! Bel will stay on antifascist sides! What Shokate any male qaeda will do is a father figure of France!

  7. rbgwarrior says

    i am too conflicted about this here very subject. i whole-heartedly don’t believe in the system (capitalism), but, i do recognize my ancestors struggle for liberation and i know they used ‘voting’ as a strategy to attain freedom, however, as conditions changed so must the strategies and tatics. Therefore, i do go vote merely on the strength of me sharing with people the fact you dont have to support these corporate backed parties……i consider myself an independent and most of the time, i’ll write in a name (Malcolm X) or if there is a canidate who i share similar views with like Cynthia McKinnley or this year, Peta Lindsey, i’ll sway my ballot their way.

    • I really do believe that people should stop using the very cliched, worn out, tired argument that they’re voting on behalf of, and out of respect for the struggles of our Ancestors.

      Our Ancestors voted because they believed that voting would empower us as a people.

      It obviously has not. Therefore it is time for a different strategy of empowerment (i.e., liberation) as opposed to casting a ballot for an imaginary ‘lesser of two evils’ candidate who couldn’t give a %^(&^%( for the needs and concerns of AFRIKAN people. Other peoples of color should re-consider their options as well. Impoverished white persons probably want to rethink their needs, too.

      Because who is truly in control of the imperial economy? Old, white, male, rich, genocidal/homicidal 21st century enslavers. They seek to re-colonize the world. Their 13th Amendment to the U.S. constitution makes enslavement of the predominantly AFRIKAN global population mandatory if s/he is incarcerated in any U.S. gulag, and/or in gulags on foreign soil where U.S. trained prison guards are exported. Given this fact alone, it cannot be healthy to vote for a system of ‘non’ government such as this. In fact, were we to be truly visited by beings from other galaxies, they would wonder why anyone in their right sane mind hasn’t ceased to respect this system of imperial death eons ago.

      Thus, it seems to me, that continuing to vote for people who will literally kill you as soon as look at you is a very, very bad idea…

      ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE

  8. I really do believe that people should stop using the very cliched, worn out, tired argument that they’re voting on behalf of, and out of respect for the struggles of our Ancestors.

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