Kasama Project

[theAnarch]

Is this a an organization, an umbrella group, a network of groups?

I love there coverage of Nepal but ive never worked with them nore met anyone that has. Thats not to say that there not doing anything, but I dont know anything about them.

has anyone had any expirience with them?

[Uppercut]

We have a few members on here (chetitz guevara and comrade Alaistar). As far as I know, there are a bunch of ex-RCPers in the party.

I've been thinking about joining, myself. They seem like a dedicated organization that provides information and quotes that are relevant to America's conditions. It bugs me when organizations try to live in the past and recreate revolution in the exact same manner as ones in the past.

[Adi Shankara]

I'm against them because their position on the Khmer Rouge is one of "Pol Pot was a victim of Western imperialism, so his murder of a few million Cambodians was completely justified".

I just can't buy that.

[bailey_187]

I'm against them because their position on the Khmer Rouge is one of "Pol Pot was a victim of Western imperialism, so his murder of a few million Cambodians was completely justified".

I just can't buy that.

Would you mind posting those pictures of killing prisoners to show how clever you are again please?

[RadioRaheem84]

Please do not tell me that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were somehow duped by the West into killing people?

Were they not allies in the late 80s early 90s anyways, after they dropped Communism?

[chegitz guevara]

I'm against them because their position on the Khmer Rouge is one of "Pol Pot was a victim of Western imperialism, so his murder of a few million Cambodians was completely justified".

I just can't buy that.

No.

#1, Kasama is united by shared questions, not shared positions. Even if one or some of us had that position, it would not be Kasama's position.

#2, Posting does not equal agreement. The website frequently posts articles which we may not agree with, but which contain interesting information or are worth discussing or examining. Furthermore, most of the posters on the site are not part of the Kasama network.

#3, I've never seen any one of us express that position.

#3a, Mike Ely wrote an article for Revolution or Revolutionary Worker a few years ago which looked at Cambodia, but did not deny the killings. His piece was largely based on the works of Michael Vickery, who is one of the major experts on Cambodia. The killings are placed in a context, they are not justified. We need to recognize that a lot of the people in Cambodia did so as the result of the American bombing campaign. Also, most of the people who died in Cambodia died of starvation because of poor planning combined with a bad harvest (I'm being very brief). Most of the people executed by the government were, in fact, other members of the Communist Party of Cambodia, particularly that section which had close ties with the Vietnamese communists.


We have a few members on here (chetitz guevara and comrade Alaistar). As far as I know, there are a bunch of ex-RCPers in the party, including Jed Brandt who is in Nepal reporting on the revolution.

I've been thinking about joining, myself. They seem like a dedicated organization that provides information and quotes that are relevant to America's conditions. It bugs me when organizations try to live in the past and recreate revolution in the exact same manner as ones in the past.

There's nothing to join, so to speak. Kasama is a network, not an organization. Participate in the discussion, distribute some of the lit, talk to some of the other comrades. Engaging with us is how comrades have become part of the network. It's organic, not formal.


Is this a an organization, an umbrella group, a network of groups?

I love there coverage of Nepal but ive never worked with them nore met anyone that has. Thats not to say that there not doing anything, but I dont know anything about them.

has anyone had any expirience with them?

See above. I don't see us organizing into a formal group anytime soon. There is a tendency for people to rush into organization. A lot of the comrades came out of the RCP, and they are not in any hurry to recreate that disaster.

You might think of Kasama similarly to the early Bolsheviks (which is not a perfect analogy nor is it something we consciously set out to do) with various circles connected with Kasama engaging in activity: so there's a circle involved with the main website, one involved with the South Asia Revolutions website, and other with the Khukuri website (heavy theory), most of us do local organizing not directly related to Kasama, but influenced by the discussions we have on Kasama (I am frequently surprised to find many local comrades discussing some article on Kasama or even people in the Socialist Party--which is my other organization--discussing and promoting various articles).

It's very interesting to me how much people pay attention to Kasama. Our approach and our methods have tapped into something a lot of Comrades feel is missing on the left, a real dialog, a willingness to put previous dogma to the test (not to throw it out, but not to simply assume it's true, either), the notion that we have to try something new, that unity around questions might be more important than unity around answers, that every comrade is important, that the time for fighting the fights of dead leaders has passed, that we cannot be oriented towards repeating previous revolutions, etc.

[Soviet dude]

Mike Ely and his cronies are flirting with a few different groups to try to push them more toward their RCP-lite line.

This mod destroys shitposts - The Best Mod In Revleft History

[Cooler Reds Will Prevail]

I'm against them because their position on the Khmer Rouge is one of "Pol Pot was a victim of Western imperialism, so his murder of a few million Cambodians was completely justified".

I just can't buy that.

That's not our position, that's your interpretation of Mike Ely's position. Mike is a respected, leading figure in Kasama, but his opinion is not somehow automatically our line. All of us have, and express, our own views within Kasama Project, and we are not a democratic centralist grouping. Our site moderators post articles and essays from many different viewpoints: we have posted pieces from International Socialist Review, Monthly Review, both FRSOs, Revolution Newspaper, A World to Win, Alain Badiou, Slavoj Zizek, Jose Maria Sison, Immanuel Wallerstein, Larry Everest, etc. ad infinitum, along with pieces submitted by our comrades both inside and outside the Project. Just because we post something doesn't mean that we all agree, or that even most of us agree with its perspective. It simply means that we find it valuable for study.

[Saorsa]

I'd see Kasama as more of a tendency within the international communist movement than as an organised group. Even though I live on the other side of the world to most Kasama members, I draw a lot of political influence from the site.

My advice to anyone wanting to get involved would be to contact some of the Kasama members they know, and find out how they can help build the project from there.

[Homo Songun]

It's very interesting to me how much people pay attention to Kasama. Our approach and our methods have tapped into something a lot of Comrades feel is missing on the left, a real dialog, a willingness to put previous dogma to the test (not to throw it out, but not to simply assume it's true, either), the notion that we have to try something new, that unity around questions might be more important than unity around answers, that every comrade is important, that the time for fighting the fights of dead leaders has passed, that we cannot be oriented towards repeating previous revolutions, etc.

As far as what you are saying about "dialog", "unity", "previous dogma", etc. within the Kasama Project as a whole, I have to take you at your word. That said, on the website itself, it is quite clear to me that their is a distinct editorial line. And that editorial line is basically that of the RCP circa 2004-2005. Excepting the twaddle about der Fuhrerprinzip, of course :laugh:

[chegitz guevara]

Comrades have opinions and they are quite willing to share them. The difference is that they are willing to engage with different ideas in a respectful manner, instead of just ignoring them or dismissing them outright. As most of the comrades are former RCP, it's understandable that Kasama seems to share that general line, but it's a individual line, not an organizational one.

[Wanted Man]

It's an interesting blog, nothing more, nothing less.

[Adi Shankara]

It's an interesting blog, nothing more, nothing less.

A blog is all it is. it's not a "movement". it doesn't even enjoy broadbased support. their "leadership" consists entirely of rejects from RCP's Avakian cult.

[chegitz guevara]

Wow, do you think you could be more of a sectarian asshole?

[Adi Shankara]

Wow, do you think you could be more of a sectarian asshole?

how can you be sectarian when most of the mainstream communists do not consider RCP or Kasama a revolutionary movement?

Kasama isn't an ideology; it's just how if you insult the Avakian cult, it's not sectarian because Avakian isn't an ideology.

please know the definition of the word you use before you use it. (unless Kasama is now another useless sect to add to the long wall of failed workers movements that seem to keep popping out of the ground here in the USA)


Even though I live on the other side of the world to most Kasama members, I draw a lot of political influence from the site.

no wonder you're such a loon.

[Barry Lyndon]

how can you be sectarian when most of the mainstream communists do not consider RCP or Kasama a revolutionary movement?

Kasama isn't an ideology; it's just how if you insult the Avakian cult, it's not sectarian because Avakian isn't an ideology.

please know the definition of the word you use before you use it. (unless Kasama is now another useless sect to add to the long wall of failed workers movements that seem to keep popping out of the ground here in the USA)



no wonder you're such a loon.

Are you just looking for a fight? Calm down!

[Saorsa]

Don't you love it when obviously new and inexperienced people like Tommy Sank-Dogg try and talk down to people far more experienced and knowledgeable than them? It's so cute :)

[Adi Shankara]

Don't you love it when obviously new and inexperienced people like Tommy Sank-Dogg try and talk down to people far more experienced and knowledgeable than them? It's so cute :)

if you are talking about thanked posts and reputation points rewarded to you from revleft users, then you're truly laughable.

but enough of this crap--I'm sick of fighting with Maoists on everything. on the other hand, I seen your posts against pedos and I applaud you.

so there. something nice :)

[Saorsa]

Actually I was talking more about real life revolutionary activism, the stuff that takes place away from your computer screen. You may have encountered this concept before.

And furthermore, I wasn't talking about me. You do it to everyone. Try and be a bit more humble - you need to learn before you can lecture.


but enough of this crap--I'm sick of fighting with Maoists on everything. on the other hand, I seen your posts against pedos and I applaud you.

Frankly I'd rather you didn't. I have no idea about how to deal with paedophilia or paedophiles - what I do know is that it takes more than anger and threats of violence or castration to deal with them.

I've made posts on the subject fueled more by emotion than reason. Rape and paedophilia is something that I've seen the effects of, I've seen the pain and devastation it causes. It fucking infuriates me to see anyone make excuses for it, downplay it or joke about it. But that doesn't mean we can fight it effectively by letting personal desires for revenge define our approach.

[The Red Next Door]

A blog is all it is. it's not a "movement". it doesn't even enjoy broadbased support. their "leadership" consists entirely of rejects from RCP's Avakian cult.

They been very active in the movement before you and i was born, so yeah, you fail. I talk to Mike, sometimes. he a good guy and i have learn somethings from him. I think he is very experience and have a good solid working class background, he was a miner in west Virgina and jed brandt, was on the ground in Nepal, and I had talk to him too. What have you done? please tell us. You don't know anything about them, so stop insulting them.

[Saorsa]

Mike was involved in the wildcat strike movement that swept the West Virginia coal mines in the 70s. He was involved with the Black Panther Party, with the New Communist Movement and SDS, with the anti-Vietnam War struggle, with a whole bunch of stuff.

Kasama have developed a detailed set of criticisms of the RCP, and are trying to build in a radically different way to not just the RCP but most other left projects. It'll be fascinating to see how it turns out.

Kasama doesnt have 'leadership'. Their still in the process of formation, and are not rushing to define themselves in opposition to other groups and form a pseudo-democratic centralist party.

No investigation Tommy, no right to speak.

[Raúl Duke]

Kasama project is the only sane Maoist-orientated organization, IMO, that I know. Any Maoist in the U.S., etc that wants to get active should get involved with Kasama.
While I do think that some members are "RCP rejects" who left the RCP, I see that as a good thing (that they left Bobby's cult).

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

Without trying to get anyone riled up, I can't resist asking this basic question of the participants in the Kasama Project we have here:

Whereas, by your testimonies, Kasama is 1) not an organization, but simply a network, 2) not united by any political line, 3) not united around any political action, and 4) features no distinguishable leadership...what exactly is the practical difference between the Kasama Project and, say, RevLeft? Why even have a such a project at all when there are places like this already?

To provide what, in my opinion, is the answer to above inquiry, the standard "cult" myth aside, I personally think Thomas actually hit the nail on the head with this statement: "Kasama isn't an ideology; it's just how if you insult the Avakian cult". Opposition to the RCP and its leadership is the only real basis of unity I can observe in the Kasama Project. (This has been my now-failing attempt to avoid using the word 'opportunist'.) But I'd like to read a more official answer.

[Barry Lyndon]

To provide what, in my opinion, is the answer to above inquiry, the standard "cult" myth aside, I personally think Thomas actually hit the nail on the head with this statement: "Kasama isn't an ideology; it's just how if you insult the Avakian cult". Opposition to the RCP and its leadership is the only real basis of unity I can observe in the Kasama Project. (This has been my now-failing attempt to avoid using the word 'opportunist'.) But I'd like to read a more official answer.

I think the word you were looking for is 'heretic'. :D

[chegitz guevara]

Opposition to the RCP and its leadership is the only real basis of unity I can observe in the Kasama Project.

To use Mike's phrase, "we have no interest in being a cold moon orbiting a dead planet." The vast majority of material Kasama deals with has nothing what so ever to do with the RCP. As it fades further into our rear-view mirror, it becomes less and less a topic.

Let's see if I can summarize a positive point of unity around which most of us agree. We look back at the wreckage of socialism in the 20th Century, both in the failed attempts, the successes, the successes which were betrayed, and we think, we don't want to repeat those mistakes. We recognize there are valuable lessons to learn, both positive and negative, but we are on new terrain, and we cannot simply mimic the revolutionary successes of the past and hope to succeed. Going back to a purer Marxism, Leninism, Maoism, Troskyism, etc. isn't giong to solve the problem.

Every revolution that succeeded did something new, it did not repeat previous revolutions. To make our own revolution, in the 21st Century, in the belly of the most powerful empire the world has yet known, we have to do something new. We are in entirely uncharted territory.

[chegitz guevara]

Whereas, by your testimonies, Kasama is 1) not an organization, but simply a network, 2) not united by any political line, 3) not united around any political action, and 4) features no distinguishable leadership...what exactly is the practical difference between the Kasama Project and, say, RevLeft? Why even have a such a project at all when there are places like this already?

You know, I missed this at the time, but I actually think these are very good questions.

First, I think, unlike RevLeft, Kasama is purposeful.

RevLeft is mainly a place for comrades to meet each other, vent, get into fights, etc. It's kinda like a bar, minus the booze. It's primary purpose is to be social.

The purpose of Kasama is to try and rescue the socialist project. We need to step back and analyze how we got to where we are today. For you younger comrades, I don't think you can imagine the enormity of the defeat we suffered twenty years ago. One third of humanity was under the red banner. Forty years ago, capitalism was under siege and in retreat everywhere. Today, only a few isolated outposts are left, and most of them are socialist in name only.

Clearly, something went very wrong. We cannot simply blame it on revisionist leaders betraying everything when we were on the verge of victory. What did these revisionists gain by betraying the movement at its height? We need to look beyond pat answers.

We need to really struggle with this reality, re-examine what happened, and what we can do to change the future, so that next time, and there will be a next time, comrade, we win.

Many groups already claim to have the answers, but Kasama says, have we even asked the right questions? That's what Kasama is doing right now, trying to figure out the right questions to ask, and then how do we go about answering them. If we succeed at these seemingly modest goals, the movement will have advanced.

[RadioRaheem84]

So far I really like Kasama.