My political journey at 16

[Bloody Armalite]

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/ward_1912/west_indies_america_1910.jpg


I will start at Guatemala, hitch and walk to Honduras, hopefully get a moped and carry on to Costa Rica and then to Panama.
At panama i was going to carry on through all the way to Venuzuela but i did not like the thought of going through colombia.
So instead i will be flying from Panama to Cuba (Santa Clara) then head on to cienfuegos named after the cuban revolutionary i admire the most and who is just as loved as che in his country, but somewhat relatively unknown to most for some reason in the UK, and finally finish in Havana.
I will be working and wont take money with me, so i will be taking this trip for a long time, the only money i wiull recieve is the 200 pounds for the flight from panama to Cuba from my lovely mama:).
I am only taking 2 sets of clothes, boots, sleeping bag small tent an ipod that my mate has given me with 1000 songs on it to sell if i am in a emergency where im going to starve.
Also i will be taking 7 books.

Trotsky; prophet armed.(by trotsky).
the revolution betrayed (by trotsky).
the state and revolution (by lennin).
Blood in my eye (George Jackson).
Mini Manual of the urban guerrilla (by carlos Marighella).
Handbook for volunteers of the Irish Republican Army(by Paladin Press).
Communist manifesto(by Marx and Engels). (already read the manifesto)

About a year back my political awareness suddenly rose, which was the only thing that stopped me ending up in strangeways like most of my mates.

I want to embark on my own political journey, i want to find exploitative work and be downtrodden, as it is oppresion that creates the revolutionary spirit of freedom.
I will write about my experiences and hope to publish my book, which will help educate more people my age on the subject of the exploitive nature of capitalism and will show the real workforce of the west, a slave class of men women and children who are kept in continuous labour in name of nike and addidas.
I will go without any luxuries, i will be totally submerged in desperation and will experience the hardship of the proletariat who, us working class in the west exploit by just conforming to capitalism and consumerism, which i have done all my life.
I will finally arrive in cuba, where i hope to stay, and if granted citizenship i will join the Military and may some day help spread revolution and help the working class unite.
My passport is in order, my mum has given me her permision, i will miss her alot, and she has said she and my father will sign the forms which allow me to go on my own on the plane.

I want to know what you think, and i know you may think i am too young, but this is something i feel i need to do, i am working to pay for my flight and i hope you all feel i am not just a romantic idealist, but a young revolutionary who really does want to do the right thing for the proles of this world.
Have any Comrades on here been on a journey like this, let me know your thoughts, even if they are not what i would like to hear.

[Lyev]

Wow man, that's incredibly noble, I wish you the best of luck. Kudos. What about the language barrier though?

[Bloody Armalite]

English to Spanish dictionary:)

[*Red*Alert]

Wow I didn't even walk down the Falls Rd at 16, fair dues to you, a chara.

[Bloody Armalite]

thank you my fenian friend:)

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Be careful you dont get nonced or knifed.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

PS: Yes this is suffering for the sake of it , yes we all know so i am refraining from being rude.

[Manifesto]

At 16?! How are you even allowed to do this? Won't you get held back in school or something? But good luck with that and try to keep a journal.

[Bloody Armalite]

i was expelled from school because my best friend was being bullied by these idiots at school, and i heard them call him a nigger, so i waited til last lesson and i battered both of them.
This happened 3 times and eventually they kicked me out.
So i do not have school to go to:(.

[Manifesto]

i was expelled from school because my best friend was being bullied by these idiots at school, and i heard them call him a nigger, so i waited til last lesson and i battered both of them.
This happened 3 times and eventually they kicked me out.
So i do not have school to go to:(.
Surprised that you are not forced to go to another school but lemme guess what happened you got expelled because of the Zero tolerance program and nothing happened to them?

[Patchd]

i was expelled from school because my best friend was being bullied by these idiots at school, and i heard them call him a nigger, so i waited til last lesson and i battered both of them.
This happened 3 times and eventually they kicked me out.
So i do not have school to go to:(.
Good deed ... but ...


I want to embark on my own political journey, i want to find exploitative work and be downtrodden, as it is oppresion that creates the revolutionary spirit of freedom. ... with all due respect, is being working class not oppression enough? Che had to find oppression because he had lived comfortably and was privileged (not because it was in his material interests), but I assume you are from a working class background?

[GracchusBabeuf]

Unless you plan to time travel, get a proper map (that one's from 1910).;) Anw have a good journey.

[Leo]

Mini Manual of the urban guerrilla (by carlos Marighella).
Handbook for volunteers of the Irish Republican Army(by Paladin Press).

These are not books you should travel with.

[Madvillainy]

Well at least your enthusiastic.

[Bloody Armalite]

no we are like the house negros, because of our conforming attitudes and our willingness to serve our masters, and the people who slave for pennies in the Americas are the field negros who are broken and dismissed when they have been worked till they are rendered useless.

[Bloody Armalite]

and thanks for the kind posts comrades.

[Pogue]

fuck me if you're serious...i don't reccomend doing this alone, definately go with friends.

[which doctor]

I really hope this is just a very subtle troll.

[Random Precision]

Trotsky; prophet armed.(by trotsky)

The Prophet Armed is the first volume of a biography of Trotsky by Isaac Deutscher. :rolleyes:


English to Spanish dictionary

No offense, but unless you're very good with languages this will not help you at all, it won't really do to ask people to repeat each word, possibly spell it, and then look it up, plus it's likely that any dictionary you'll get will match Spanish as it's spoken in Spain, rather than in Latin America.

Also, why exactly do you have to do this in Latin America? Surely you could find some humiliating work in the UK and do that for a year or so?

[Eat the Rich]

The crime rate is really high in all the places you are going.
Centuries of opression by US and Spanish imperialism combined with the super-exploitation by the local landlords and capitalists, have driven many of the youth to crime as a way of survival.

I won't be surprised if you get your organs stolen or end up in a ditch. Especialy because you are going alone and not at the "tourist designated zones".
My comrade in El Salvador (from the BPJ the Marxist wing of FMLN), got stabbed and thrown in a ditch. It was not done by paramilitaries, but by common thieves because he was the branch treasurer.

[Uncle Hank]

Best of luck... seems you'll need it.

[Led Zeppelin]

You'll probably be arrested and sent back to wherever you came from given your age.

I hope I'm wrong though, so good luck.

[#FF0000]

Yeah this seems like a bad idea as i imagine shit will get very real out there.

But best of luck if you're set on going.

[FreeFocus]

I like your enthusiasm, but you need to rethink this, at least at such a young age. Moreover, Cuba won't be spreading a "revolution" any time soon.

Idealism is nice and all, but please get a grip, for your own well being.

[Comrade B]

Dude, I fuckin envy you, I am only a bit older, but still, totally jealous that I decided to take the conventional route instead of actually experiencing life. Hope all goes well, you may be taking a pretty dangerous path.

[black magick hustla]

being a white american 16 year old kid by himself in latin america is kindof dangerous. i am serious. youll stand like a sore thumb bud. this is probably one of the few cases were being brown actually would be better. atleast people wont assume you are a wealthy gringo, or people will try less to nonce you.

[Holden Caulfield]

bad idea.
make a will before you go and leave your stuff to me :) (just in case)

[The Something]

no we are like the house negros, because of our conforming attitudes and our willingness to serve our masters, and the people who slave for pennies in the Americas are the field negros who are broken and dismissed when they have been worked till they are rendered useless.

First things first... I don't think you should be referencing Malcom-X (an Islamic fundamentalist) before disembarking on a "leftist adventure". I think this just hints at how much you still have to learn, and yes 16 is very young.

Do I think having idealism and wanting to jump right into changing the world is a bad thing? Of course not, but why would you have to travel to other countries when one of the biggest perpetrators of these injustices is right at your doorstep?

Hmm... I would defiantly re-think it, if this post is even true. I definitely think going beyond borders is a good thing and international solidarity is essential to any leftist movement, but what you're wanting to do is get your self stuck being broke in some country you can't speak the language of and resented at best.

I could be wrong though. Doubtful, but whatever your decision is: goodluck.

[Guerrilla22]

I will start at Guatemala, hitch and walk to Honduras,

Bad idea. Guatemala has an extremely high crime rate. It is not a good idea to go there and wonder around alone. You'll present an easy target. This is coming from someone that spent a month there a few years back. It's just not a good idea, trust me.

[red cat]

Bad idea, if all of it is not a joke.

1) Do not expect that the oppressed classes will welcome yuo with open arms. They will suspect you to be a rich gringo.

2) The genuine revolutionary forces, if present, might mistake you for a government informer.

3) The cops might think that you are a revolutionary.

4) If you are really interested in witnessing exploitation, the factory nearest to your house would be a far better resource for you.

5) We remember Che for his contributions to the Cuban Revolution and the theory of guerrila warfare.

6) You should complete your basic education first. It is required to build the new system after the revolution.

Quite a spoil-sport, ain't I?:)
Best of luck anyway....

[Bloody Armalite]

i understand your problems with my journey, but i just felf that the working class in the uk are very apathetic and do not have it as bad as the poor in the Americas.
I live in salford and my ncousin lives in mosside and i have a mate in ordsell and its not exactly horrific is it, because we are the ones who reap the gains of capitalism in contrast to the starving of people across the poorer nations.
Also Eric Blair wrote of his journey as a down and out in the north, i dont want the same journey, i want a wider journey spanning different countries with a much deeper sence of unbreakable proletarian instead of his crushed serf outlook;)

[Bloody Armalite]

and malcom x did not say that, i did, i just found using house negro and field negro a good way to describe our relationship with capitalism.

[Post-Something]

If you actually do this, I don't know what would kill you first; a knife to the throat, or a pin to your inflated ego. Be careful, it's not the same world that you're from, nor is it the world you fantasize it to be.

[Bloody Armalite]

comparing myself to eric blair was joke you miserable git;)

[eyedrop]

It's no really like the rest of the world outside of the UK is just a big hellhole waiting to rob and kill you. i don't see why you need to seek out exploitaition though, working in the UK is probably enough exploitation anyway.

I felt way more unsecure while travelling in eastern Europe than in Central-America. Travelling around in local buses in El-Salvador everyone was extremely friendly, just stay out of large cities and favelas.

I don't see how a brit, who presumable don't know spanish, is supposed to find any work to sustain yourself though. Be sure to have some backup plan. Most of the gringo sentiments is usally mostly confined to touristy places.



I won't be surprised if you get your organs stolen or end up in a ditch. Especialy because you are going alone and not at the "tourist designated zones".
My comrade in El Salvador (from the BPJ the Marxist wing of FMLN), got stabbed and thrown in a ditch. It was not done by paramilitaries, but by common thieves because he was the branch treasurer.

It's not like no one has ever been assaulted, raped or robbed in Western Europe. I got a friend who managed to get robbed trice while in Cuba and he's still fine.

[ZeroNowhere]

That is what is known as masochism. Some people would recommend that you see a psychiatrist. That is what is known as sadism.

I mean, seriously, if one is out of school, why the hell would you want to waste your time proving the size of your amazingly enduring wit?

Also, Much Ado About Nothing is a good play.

[OneNamedNameLess]

I have lots to say on the matter but I think my thoughts have been covered by other users. However, I am just curious to know why you have not gotten a basic grip of the Spanish language before you go? It would make things a whole lot easier.

[NecroCommie]

Having multiple survival hobbies from the age of 15, I'd say you are taking this a bit lightly. During a time of depression jobs will not be readily available, this goes especially to latin america where unemployment can be pretty high for one used to living in the first world. Prepare to be jobless at least for a month, to which couple of hundred pounds will not suffice. I have also learned at all times have a back up money for safe return. If you run out of other money, then use the spare back up to return home before starvation.

It is sad how modern day imperialism and capitalism make low-cost traveling hard, even if you do take off all but the most essential things. For your hope however, I can tell you that the prices in the third world are alot cheaper. I once lived in thailand for a month with my cousin, and I could easily afford it with a salary of one month (approx. 2000 euros). EDIT: hmm... Now that I write that last sentece in that way, it does not seem so wonderful. It is cheap however, believe me.

The other thing is language. Don't take it lightly, no-one will ever hire you if you do not grasp even the basics of the local official language. Even people who would otherwise help you will find it hard to assist without common language. Even if you only learn the basics and use a dictionary, it will make a world of difference. The most important thing is to be understood.

Otherwise your plan sounds doable. I myself have a dream of walking from gibraltar to Vladivostok. I am about to start my courses on russian, after which it's only a matter of money and bureucratics to fullfill my plans. Considering however that most of the europe is quite expensive to live, I will either need a shitload of money, or a mobile income source.

I'd love to see you pull this off succesfully, but for heavens sake plan it properly before the actual trip.

[NecroCommie]

That is what is known as masochism.

That is what we call the yearn to adventure. This dude has the same idea of cool as mountain climbers and hikers for example. Yeah, and me.
Yet you do not call out masochism in mountain climbers or hikers... Or me?

[Pogue]

I think this is a case of young adventurism. I had ideas like this when I was a bit younger, at 14. It all seems so wonderful and simple and enjoyable but really its stupid and unworkable. To plan out an adventure like that is totally unrealistic, especially at 16. You wont be able to work, you will find it nearly impossible, you will encounter problems. Its not bravery or adventurism or being a bold revolutionary, its naivity that makes you think it'll work.

Settle for something simpler like visiting Mexico in with friends or something more workable because your plans are utterly ridiculous.

[reddevil]

I think it's a nice idea but utterly unworkable. Latin America is a violent place, especially for the wealthy, with whom you will likely be mistaken. Furthermore, you make the assumption that you will automatically be able to find work. Keep in mind we are in the midst of a global recession here, and many millions will be out of work in the countries through which you plan to travel. How are you going to live? Don't imagine that poverty is the way you imagine it to be. It's like the loss of a child, a spouse or a close relative. You think you know how it will feel if it happens but when it does you realise you had absolutely no idea. Should you by some miracle acquire a job (despite your age, lack of training and no knowledge of the Spanish language), the locals will likely be resentful, especially when they find out you are not in need of it (as they are) but simply decided to partake on your adventure out of romantic idealism. I can't see them being grateful for your observations of their daily lives. Indeed they may find it quite patronising.
But all of this is irrelevant. What will likely happen, as a result of your age, is that you will be denied entry and sent on the nearest plane home.

[ComradeOm]

Do you have any idea how much seven books weigh when you're walking all day? Not to mention the space they'll take up. You want two books max (and small paperbacks at that) and a total luggage weight of no more than 12kg if you're planning on doing much walking

Of course that's probably the least of the flaws in this plan


I myself have a dream of walking from gibraltar to Vladivostok. I am about to start my courses on russian, after which it's only a matter of money and bureucratics to fullfill my plans. Considering however that most of the europe is quite expensive to live, I will either need a shitload of money, or a mobile income sourceNow that would be impressive. Not that expensive if you rely on hostels/albergues but a major time commitment. You're talking around six months just to reach the Russian border alone and then a very long and tough trek across Siberia. Now I love walking as much as the next person (especially over long distances) but that's a tall order and a significant chunk of your life

[NecroCommie]

Now that would be impressive. Not that expensive if you rely on hostels/albergues but a major time commitment. You're talking around six months just to reach the Russian border alone and then a very long and tough trek across Siberia. Now I love walking as much as the next person (especially over long distances) but that's a tall order and a significant chunk of your life
I have thought about that too. Considering that my average hiking speed with all my gear, pauses, sleep and food thingys, is somewhere around 100km per week easily, and with a moderate effort I think I could squeeze 150km/week. The math is quite simple from there on forwards.

It's because of the siberia part that I would like to do this. The europe part of that hike is just in case I find out something I ignored in my plans, so I could bugger off before russia. I'm primarily worried about my dropping speed in siberia. Long distances between settlements means more food to carry and increased weight slows stuff down. Slowing down on the other hand means more food to be carried... Get the point?

But hey, this is still on a level of "things to do in life". My only steps taken towards this awesomeness are my language courses and the theoretical planning (which I have thought of right to the details like visa's and stuff)

Honestly, I think the OP idea is quite doable with some precausions. If one gets some contacts in organizations of target countries, getting a job should become possible. It's not still gonna be easy though. Also a backup plan is required and language or two to be learned.

EDIT: I just calculated the amount it would take to walk from Gibraltar to Kaliningrad. With the speed of 125km/w, it would take a bit under 23 weeks. Ofcourse Kaliningrad is not Russia proper, but hey!

[ComradeOm]

I have thought about that too. Considering that my average hiking speed with all my gear, pauses, sleep and food thingys, is somewhere around 100km per week easily, and with a moderate effort I think I could squeeze 150km/week. The math is quite simple from there on forwardsI assume that you've some experience in this but don't forget that at these distances you'll very much have to pace yourself. Your main danger on the road will the sheer strain on your body. Based on my experiences I'd say five weeks to do 900km... assuming a light load and no rest days. In reality you'd be well advised, with your distances, to schedule a rest day every week. And, as you note, your progress will slow down dramatically

Best of luck though. It'd be great to do but, as I said, the time commitment is considerable

[KC]

I have a friend that motorbiked from coastal China to Pakistan, although I have no idea how it went or if he actually made it, as I haven't had the chance to talk to him since he got back.

I don't really see anything wrong with these kinds of trips, provided you plan them properly, fully realize the implications of what you are about to do and don't have unrealistic fantasies about how it will be (which this kid definitely has).

[ComradeOm]

I fail to see what could possibly be considered unrealistic about going to Cuba and "joining the Military and... help spread revolution and help the working class unite"?

[KC]

I fail to see what could possibly be considered unrealistic about going to Cuba and "joining the Military and... help spread revolution and help the working class unite"?

What's so unrealistic about that? Isn't that what Radical ended up doing?

[Pogue]

What's so unrealistic about that? Isn't that what Radical ended up doing?

No one really knows, last thing we saw him parachuting from a plane just over the border into Peru, heard nothing since.

[spiltteeth]

Well, in the off chance you turn out to be the next Lenin (or Stalin) I will wish you much luck and good travel.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Your gonna get shanked.

[Bloody Armalite]

No one really knows, last thing we saw him parachuting from a plane just over the border into Peru, heard nothing since.

Whats that about:huh:

[Pogue]

Radical used to post here before he set up an armed insurrection in Peru. Go join him if you want?

[Il Medico]

It's no really like the rest of the world outside of the UK is just a big hellhole waiting to rob and kill you.
The UK isn't a big hellhole waiting to rob and kill you?:tt2:


Anyways, I would recommend against this. If your serious, then you should learn Spanish and make some actual plans. Also, wait until your an adult.

[Bloody Armalite]

you serious about the peruvian iserection thing.
I f so why havent any of you gone:(

[Bloody Armalite]

i just found radical on here, he is from blackpool, a revolutionary from blackpool:D.
Class

[LeninBalls]

you serious about the peruvian iserection thing.
I f so why havent any of you gone:(

We suffer enough, thanks.

Ridiculous thread.

[LeninBalls]

Bad news, turns out Radical has been captured by the Peruvian police.

[Pavlov's House Party]

If you want to live with the downtrodden working class, travel to regions torn by civil war and have adventures, join the army:rolleyes:

[gorillafuck]

If you do this you have a good chance of dying.

[Luís Henrique]

If you plan to go to Latin America, learn Spanish. Really well, me compreendes, muchachito?

If you can't figure out how to be a revolutionary where you are, I doubt that you will be able to do it elsewhere.

Don't travel with books.

Luís Henrique

[RedAnarchist]

Closed as OP is banned.