Street Gangs & The Revolution

[Pirate Utopian]

i am curious about your opions on the street gangs during and after the revolution.

do you think that street gangs could be changed into revolutionary militia's of sorts?
what will happen with street gangs after the revolution?
what is a street gang's role in the revolution?
what marxist class do gangmembers belong to?

i'll post my opion later after some replies

[Fawkes]

Originally posted by Big [email protected] 09, 2007 05:11 pm


do you think that street gangs could be changed into revolutionary militia's of sorts?

It's possible I suppose.


what will happen with street gangs after the revolution?
They most likely will not exist because there will not be a need for them. People join street gangs because their socio-economic standing forces them to do so, they have grown up in a capitalist society where it's deemed acceptable to do anything possible to get to the top, the ghettos are dangerous and they want/need protection, and they feel that they are viewed by the outside world as being just a number or commodity and thus feel the need to belong to something, (i.e. a gang).


what is a street gang's role in the revolution?
I can't answer that one, sorry.


what marxist class do gangmembers belong to?
I guess they would be consider lumpen-proles.

[The Grey Blur]

This has come up a few times, you should try search and read those threads.

Basically, in my opinion, gangs are a working-class reaction to the dehumanising capitalist system. It is a way of restoring pride or giving people something to feel part of. Their activities such as fighting over turf and dealing drugs are reactionary though. Despite this, the Black Panther Party in the 60's were able to attract gangs to a revolutionary viewpoint, along with other lumpen groups of the Black community - drug addicts, prostitutes, the homeless. Gangs are...complex - they are an extremely deep psychological social creation...

I feel my response is not only uninformed but rather superficial, sorry. I think my point on the BPP is interesting though and if you look up some of their stuff you might find out more. Good luck on the topic.

[Janus]

do you think that street gangs could be changed into revolutionary militia's of sorts?
Possible but somewhat doubtful. But it's definitely possible for individual members.

what will happen with street gangs after the revolution?
There's really no need for them unless you're talking about gangs as a more general term in which case some may exist. However, most gangs operate like clans; they're for connections, loyalty, and in order to establish bonds in general. Once capitalism is abolished, I would think that a major cause of the needs for such bonds will be eliminated.

what is a street gang's role in the revolution?
As a unit in of itself, none.

what marxist class do gangmembers belong to?
Depends on whether they're employed or not. Gang membership isn't always a full-time thing.

[JKP]

You have to keep in mind how these street gangs formed.

This is back when J Edgar Hoover's Cointelpro was waging a campaign of terror against the Black Panther Party, and bugged the conservations of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. In the case of the Black Panthers, the end result was that a movement that seeked to educate, feed, and empower the black community was now smashed, but worse; gangs came to fill the vacuum. The perpetuation of gang warfare is another tool for the ruling class to keep workers divided and fighting each other. When the Crips and Bloods were ready to sign a peace treaty during the late 70's, an FBI raid of mysterious nature occurred, the end result being more infighting and continued warfare.

So to answer the thread's question, there is definitely a progressive history to this, but as of now I'd have to that gangs only exist due to the ruling classes whim. Could it backfire and turn the other way in a time of revolution? Perhaps, but I wouldn't plan on it, and even if it did, I don't think it would be very significant, as gangs are only a small portion of urban communities. We need other organizations and infrastructure for the revolution.

[Pirate Utopian]

1. i think that gangs can become revolutionary, if you remember the Young Lords Party that was orginally a gang who later turned into a latino rights group in chicago.

2. i believe the gangs wont necassrly stop because it's more then economics to a gang and i think they will be hanging out together, not per se robbing peeps or anything.

3. i think it depends on their revolutionay ability if we get gangs political they might have a bigger role, but otherwise i dont see them do much.

4. mostly lumpen-proletariats, but also proletariats


question, do you think gangs could be a (small or big) threat to the revolution?

[Fawkes]

and i think they will be hanging out together, not per se robbing peeps or anything.
If you mean just people hanging out with each other, I don't see how or why a revolution could/would stop that.

[Rawthentic]

I have many friends that are gang members. I live in Salinas, CA, a place with heavy Mexican immigration. We have two major gangs here: the Nortenhos, who are those who were born in the U.S. and for the most part have farmworking parents and hate the Surenhos, who come from Mexico and are born there. The reasons they join gangs have been correctly outlined here.

Now, if this gang mentality can be pushed into a revolutionary one, there's a victory. For their gang membership is to find some importance and acceptance in their life.

[JC1]

Im down with a set, and I work at a call ceNter. How am I a Lumpen Prole ?

RTN/Down to tha last comrade.

[JC1]

Oh and BTW streets gangs are some sorta urban legend. Don't exist.

[Question everything]

if gangs join the revolution, it would be dangerous, after beating the gouvernement they might turn on us...


i think that gangs can become revolutionary, if you remember the Young Lords Party that was orginally a gang who later turned into a latino rights group in chicago.

doesn't mean that after the revolution they will all disband, they would try to get power, they would probably try to keep money in circulation, and fight over it... we could not trust them... they're are many of them who would drop their guns when offered a chance to quit, but they are probably worse than corperations, all they want is money, and they will do anything for it...

[Ultra-Violence]

There is this group in L.A There the black riders and they get ex blood-cryps and turn them intoo revolutionarys they also work with chicano gangs too so ya they have revolutionary potential its just that many of them just have misguided anger

[cb9's_unity]

Many gang members have a stong allegiance to there particular gang so it may be hard to have them uite with the rest of the proletariat. Gangs may percieve a revolution as a threat to there particular interests and there way of life.

The gangs themsleves will not join the revolution but some class-concious members may leave and become loyal revolutionaries. Gangs will wither during the revolution and dissaper shortly afterwards.

[Hate Is Art]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10, 2007 05:32 am
Oh and BTW streets gangs are some sorta urban legend. Don't exist.
Ur, yes they do?

[Janus]

question, do you think gangs could be a (small or big) threat to the revolution?
To the revolution itself probably not. But depending on how the post-revolutionary society is structured they can present a problem if economic and political conditions deteriorate or don't improve.