Was Malcolm X a communist?

[blazeofglory]

well, I admit that I am a 'rookie' in this matter. Malcolm X was an American Black Muslm leader who took to violent means after the opponents did the same

NOW, he did take up arms, and fought for the rights of the blacks BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. But, is he a communist?

In a way, I feel that ALL people who fight against regression and take the working class as his/her biggest concern are communists. I mean there is no separating line but thats the way I feel.

Now people who are OFFICIALLY NOT communists could actually be REALLY communists.

I read somewhere that in the FBI files, Martin Luther King too was framed a "communist" sometimes, it makes me think. Anyone who opposes the American government becomes a communist (for them) and every communist automatically becomes an Anti-american (imperialism) .......


ANYBODY HELP? :)

[Rawthentic]

No, Brother Malcolm was not a communist, though I do hold him in high regard, especially due to the "any means necessary" statement and the concept of international working class solidarity.

To be a communist, you must be a Marxist and understand the class struggle plus its logical conclusion which is the dictatorship of the proletariat. Thats what I think at least, just my opinion.

MLK was also not a communist, even though in his later years he did come to realize that reformism was useless and the root problem lay with capitalism. He was framed as a communist so that public opinion would turn against him and the pigs would have a reason to take him down.

[Hampton]

Towards the end of his life he was moving towards socialism, who knows where he could have ended up. He more than likely understood the clas struggle, you couldn't or can't be after what he went through in his life.

Although I'm sure he would have a problem with the opiate of the masses thing.


MLK is often quoted as saying he was in favor of some form of democratic socialism.

[Political_Chucky]

blazeofglory

well, I admit that I am a 'rookie' in this matter. Malcolm X was an American Black Muslm leader who took to violent means after the opponents did the same

NOW, he did take up arms, and fought for the rights of the blacks BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. But, is he a communist?

Well that is not entirely true. I don't believe I can recall anything where Malcolm actually took up arms, but he did advocate it, at least toward "whites." I think this is a huge misconception that the media keeps trying to perceive Malcolm as and they do exaggerate the truth.



In a way, I feel that ALL people who fight against regression and take the working class as his/her biggest concern are communists. I mean there is no separating line but thats the way I feel.


Malcolm was looking to help the working class, but only that of African or Black Descent. Basically, he had a nationalist view toward his race and was really only interested on that group. So basically he had some leftist tendencies or views, but he denied ever being a communist(and a lot of his actions show that any ways). I'll post that source as soon as a find it(I just remember seeing it in a Playboy article from the internet).


I read somewhere that in the FBI files, Martin Luther King too was framed a "communist" sometimes, it makes me think. Anyone who opposes the American government becomes a communist (for them) and every communist automatically becomes an Anti-american (imperialism) .......

Well you have to remember, this was during the "Red Scare" when communism was at its height(even though it wasn't really communism), and the government would twitch on any movement that had red tendencies. Even the manifesto was banned in the U.S. during the time because of the governments fear, but more or less it isn't as extreme as it was, at least for the government accusing someone of being a communist because it isn't such a bad thing anymore(not that true communism ever was).

[Vargha Poralli]

Malcolm was looking to help the working class, but only that of African or Black Descent. Basically, he had a nationalist view toward his race and was really only interested on that group.

But we must not jugde Malcolm X by that factor alone. Later his views cahnged very much.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Towards the end of his life he was moving towards socialism, who knows where he could have ended up.

Pretty good breakdown...

"A revolution is bloody. Revolution is hostile. Revolution knows no compromise. Revolution overturns and destroys everything that gets in its way." - Malcolm X

"The only way we`ll get freedom for ourselves is to identify ourselves with every oppressed people in the world. We are blood brothers to the people of Brazil, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba -- yes Cuba too." -Malcolm X

"You show me a capitalist, and I`ll show you a bloodsucker." -Malcolm X

"I for one believe that if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them and the basic causes that produce it, they'll create their own program, and when the people create a program, you get action." - Malcolm X

[Janus]

He was a supporter of black nationalism/liberation during much of his political activist period with strong anti-imperialist tendencies. As far as communism goes, he never declared himself to be one publicly (though he did have some sympathies which further warranted some FBI attention) but he did seem to be moving towards socialism like others have said.

[Qwerty Dvorak]

Was he a supporter of repatriation?

[sexyguy]

Don't know. Do you?

[Qwerty Dvorak]

What, do I know or do I support repatriation? I obviously don't know, or I wouldn't be asking. As regards repatriation, certainly not. While I support the right of return for oppressed minorities (just as I would support the right of asylum), I am staunchly opposed to forced, or even encouraged, repatriation.

[Angry Young Man]

Originally posted by [email protected] 03, 2007 01:19 am






well, I admit that I am a 'rookie' in this matter. Malcolm X was an American Black Muslm leader who took to violent means after the opponents did the same

I was talking to a muslim in Liverpool. He even admitted that it was "closer to communism than capitalism". I think Islam is probably the most socialistic of the main faiths, despite my constant claims that piss off christians, that Christianity was originally a socialistic faith. At least some of them (namely Red Menace, Question Everything and a woman I know called Claire) have sense. Unfortunately, like all religions, it can be used as a means of obedience. Also, like other religions, its main means of solving poverty is charity.



In a way, I feel that ALL people who fight against regression and take the working class as his/her biggest concern are communists. I mean there is no separating line but thats the way I feel.

What about Napoleon or George Washington?



I read somewhere that in the FBI files, Martin Luther King too was framed a "communist" sometimes, it makes me think. Anyone who opposes the American government becomes a communist (for them) and every communist automatically becomes an Anti-american (imperialism) .......

It was the '50s and '60s. Everyone was accused of being a communist. They'd've probably blacklisted GW Bush if he wasn't about 4 at the time! Oh my Science! How cool would it be if you saw a 4-year-old commie?! :lol:

[Lenin II]

He definitely understood the insulation between the classes and thus the tensions between them. Of course the right-wingers branded him as a “communist” the same way they brand people “terrorists” today. Under the context of the American bourgeois, communist and terrorist directly translate to, “anyone who does not agree with the United States.” In this sense, he was a communist.

I guess you could call him a quasi-socialist, because even after his trip to Meccawhere he converted to Islam, he said: “No religion will ever make me forget the conditions of our people in this country, (...) No God, no religion, no nothing will make me forget it until it stops, until it’s finished, until it’s eliminated. I want to make that point clear.”

[Pirate Utopian]

I read somewhere that the FBI had files on Malcolm X and targeted him with the COINTELPRO for "Communist influences".

[Political_Chucky]

When asked if he would accept outer help from the Communists:

"Let me tell you a little story. It's like being in a wolf's den. The wolf sees someone on the outside who is interested in freeing me from the den. The wolf doesn't like that person on the outside. But I don't care who opens the door and lets me out."

"Then your answer is yes?"

"No, I'm talking about a wolf."


http://www.malcolm-x.org/quotes.htm

Hmm I could have swore I had read an interview where he denounced communism, but I keep proving myself wrong like in this site....

The Malcolm X project (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccbh/mxp/prisonyears.html)


In spite of his awareness that all correspondence was monitored, In June 1950 Malcolm wrote in a letter, “I have always been a Communist. I have tried to enlist in the Japanese Army, last war, now they will never draft or accept me in the US Army.” Apparently, Malcolm’s identification as Communist in this letter was what first attracted the attention of the FBI.

Trying to find that letter because that is rather interesting that he would proclaim that yet not act on those ideals.

Big Manifesto


I read somewhere that the FBI had files on Malcolm X and targeted him with the COINTELPRO for "Communist influences".
FBI Files (http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/malcolmx.htm)

Also, check out this page for more FBI files(not sure if they the same ones)

More files (http://wonderwheel.net/work/foia/)

[Political_Chucky]

Originally posted by Romantic [email protected] 03, 2007 12:39 pm

I was talking to a muslim in Liverpool. He even admitted that it was "closer to communism than capitalism". I think Islam is probably the most socialistic of the main faiths, despite my constant claims that piss off christians, that Christianity was originally a socialistic faith. At least some of them (namely Red Menace, Question Everything and a woman I know called Claire) have sense. Unfortunately, like all religions, it can be used as a means of obedience. Also, like other religions, its main means of solving poverty is charity.
I actually agree with you on this. Even though I am not personally religious in anyway, Islam would probably the best religion that could compliment Communism and that is only for the fact that it abolishes the idea of race. However modern times have really changed this(ignorance and misconceptions with people relating terrorists with people of islamic culture). I still personally think no religion is good religion, but if it had to be one, Islam would be it.

[midnight marauder]

Well that is not entirely true. I don't believe I can recall anything where Malcolm actually took up arms, but he did advocate it, at least toward "whites." I think this is a huge misconception that the media keeps trying to perceive Malcolm as and they do exaggerate the truth.


Malcolm was looking to help the working class, but only that of African or Black Descent. Basically, he had a nationalist view toward his race and was really only interested on that group. So basically he had some leftist tendencies or views, but he denied ever being a communist(and a lot of his actions show that any ways). I'll post that source as soon as a find it(I just remember seeing it in a Playboy article from the internet).

Read his autobiography. Listen to his speeches. Read his interviews. A lot of the undertones in this post simply aren't true; in fact, they sound like the same poor understandings and knee-jerk reactions to Brother Malcolm that American media and educators regurgitate. It's almost become so ingrained in our culture that it's nearly impossible to get an understanding of the man from anything other than what he said himself.

As is the fate of many revolutionaries.

He didn't advocate violence toward "whites."

He advocated self defense. Malcolm, especially toward the end of his life and the height of his political career, understood the difference. And that is this: Malcolm wasn't a racist. He didn't hate white people. He didn't advocate violence toward white people based on race. He understood that racism, oppression was something that must be changed by any means necessary. The difference isn't subtle. It's very clear.

Further, the idea that Malcolm was only looking to "help the working class" of Afrikan descent is crazy. I have no idea where you got that from (bourgeois media? cultural demonization?). What Malcolm knew was that his people had been descriminated against for centuries, and that before he could have any type of union with white workers, he had to work to raise class, race, religious, and historical conscienciousness of Afrikans in America. This didn't mean he didn't have any sense of "solidarity" with whites, but rather, in his own words as he often said, "There can be no black-white unity until there is first some black unity."

When we discuss Malcolm, we need to realize several things: first, that although he mentioned multiple times throughout his writings that he called for a united socialist Afrika and things along similar lines, during this time period being openly communist would have meant certain political death for Malcolm. This doesn't at all mean that he wasn't a communist -- nor does it mean he was, and aside from a few quotes advocating communism and socialism, we probably won't ever know for sure. But realize for sure that his ideology was completely consistent with ours. Whether he called it "communism" or not, or advocated the DOTP or whatever your criteria is for being a communist is unimportant. His revolution is our revolution. Without a doubt, his life has inspired thousands of people lead themselves to communism and leftist activism for generations after his assassination.

[blazeofglory]

[FONT=Courier]Reading all this, I guess we could say, he had LEFTIST inclinations in a way, if not communist, atleast a socialist....

THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping me sort this out

[Janus]

Was he a supporter of repatriation?
Yes.


Originally posted by Malcolm X+--> (Malcolm X)One of the things I saw the OAAU doing from the very start was collecting the names of all the people of African descent who have professional skills, no matter where they are. Then we could have a central register that we could share with independent countries in Africa and elsewhere. Do you know, I started collecting names, and then I gave the list to someone who I thought was a trusted friend, but both this so-called friend and the list disappeared. So, I’ve got to start all over again.” (Jan Carew, Ghosts In Our Blood, p. 61)

“The 22,000,000 so-called Negroes should be separated completely from America and should be permitted to go back home to our African homeland which is a long-range program; so the short-range program is that we must eat while we’re still here, we must have a place to sleep, we have clothes to wear, we must have better jobs, we must have better education; so that although our long-range political philosophy is to migrate back to our African homeland, our short-range program must involve that which is necessary to enable us to live a better life while we are still here.” (Interview with Malcolm X, by A.B. Spellman, Monthly Review, Vol. 16, no.1 May 1964)[/b]


Malcolm X
You never will have a foundation in America. You’re out of your mind if you think that this government is ever going to back you and me up in the same way that it backed others up. They’ll never do it. It’s not in them. . . . . By the same token, when the African continent in its independence is able to create the unity that’s necessary to increase its strength and its position on this earth, so that Africa too becomes respected as other huge continents are respected, then, wherever people of African origin, African heritage or African blood go, they will be respected – but only when and because they have something much larger that looks like them behind them. With that behind you, you can do almost anything under the sun in this society . . . And this is what I mean by a migration or going back to Africa – going back in the sense that we reach out to them and they reach out to us. Our mutual understanding and our mutual effort toward a mutual objective will bring mutual benefit to the African as well as to the Afro-American. But you will never get it by relying on Uncle Sam alone. You are looking in the wrong direction. Because the wrong people are in Washington D.C. and I mean the White House right on down . . . . “ (Malcolm X Speaks, p.210-2)

[Political_Chucky]

Read his autobiography. Listen to his speeches. Read his interviews. A lot of the undertones in this post simply aren't true; in fact, they sound like the same poor understandings and knee-jerk reactions to Brother Malcolm that American media and educators regurgitate. It's almost become so ingrained in our culture that it's nearly impossible to get an understanding of the man from anything other than what he said himself.

I have done all those things and more. I'm assuming you have read his autobiography and listened to his speeches, so either your not a very good reader & listener, or you have no idea what you are talking about.


He didn't advocate violence toward "whites."He advocated self defense.

And what the hell is self-defence? Violence! I'm not saying he advocated random violence, but he did advocate defending themselves against the whiteman. He obviously never said," take up arms against the white and black men of the bourgeosie." It was" defend yourselfs against the white devil He did however point out that the rich black man didn't know what he was doing and compared him to the "house slave," of pre-civil war era. Also,(now you gotta make me bust out the book) his rant about the March on Washington, or as he called it, the "Farce on Washington," shows his views very clearly. ( I typed this from the Autobiography of Malcolm X so that people could read this important information for themselves, pages 320-324)


Not long ago, the black man in America was fed a dose of another form of the weakening, lulling, and deluding effects of so-called "integration." It was that "Farce on Washington," I call it.
The idea of a mass of blacks marching on Washington was originally the brainchild of the brotherhood of sleeping car porters' A. Philip Randolph. For twenty or more years the March on Washington idea had floated around among Negroes. And, spontaneously, suddenly now, that idea caught on.
Nothing since Joe Louis had so coalesced the masses of Negroes. Groups o Negroes were talking of getting to Washington any way they could--in rickety old cars, on buses, hitch-hiking--walking, even ,if they had to. They envisioned thousands of black brothers converging together upon Washing-to lie down in the streets, on airport runways, on government lawns--demanding of the Congress and the White House some concrete civil rights action.
This was a national bitterness: militant, unorganized, and leaderless. Predominantly, it was young Negroes, defiant of whatever might be the consequences, sick and tired of the black man's neck under the white man's heel.
The white man had plenty of good reasons for nervous worry. The right spark--some unpredictable emotional chemistry--could set off a black uprising. The government knew that thousands of milling, angry blacks not only could completely disrupt Washington--but they could erupt in Washington.
The White House speedily invited in the major civil rights Negro "leaders." They were asked to stop the planned March. They truthfully said they hadn't begun it, that had no control over it-- the idea was national, spontaneous, unorganized and leaderless. In other words, it was a black powder keg.
Any student of how "integration" can weaken the black man's movement was about to observe a master lesson.
The White House, with a fanfare of international publicity, "approved," "endorsed," and "welcomed" a March on Washington. The big civil rights organizations right at this time had been publicly squabbling about donations. The New York Times had broken the story. The N.A.A.C.P. had charged that other agencies' demonstrations, highly publicized, had attracted a major part of the civil rights donations--while the N.A.A.C.P. got left holding the bag, supplying costly bail and legal talent for the other organizations' jailed demonstrators.
It was like a movie. The next scene was the "big six" civil rights Negro "leaders" meeting in New York City with the white head of a big philanthropic agency. They were told their money-wrangling in public was damaging their image. And a reported $800,000 was donated to a United Civil rights Leadership council that was quickly organized by the "big six."
Now, what had instantly achieved black unity? The white man's money. What string was attached to the money? Advice. Not only was there this donation, bu another comparable sum was promised, for sometime later on, after the March . . . obviously if all went well.
The original "angry" March on Washington was now about to be entirely changed.
Massive international publicity projected the "big six" as March on Washington leaders. It was news to those angry grassroots Negroes steadily adding steam to their March plans. They probably assumed that now those famous "leaders" were endorsing and joining them.
Invited next to join the march were four famous white public figures: on Catholic, on Jew, one Protestant, and one labor boss.
The massive publicity now gently hinted that the "big ten" would "supervise" the March on Washington's "mood" and its "direction."
The four white figures began nodding. The word spread so fast among so-called "liberal" Catholics, Jews, Protestants, and laborites: it was "democratic" to join this black March. And suddenly, the previously March-nervous whites began announcing they were going.
It was as if electrical current shot through the ranks of bourgeois Negroes--the very so called "middle-class" and "upper-class" who had earlier been deploring the March on Washington talk by grass-roots Negroes.
But white people, now, were going to march.
Why, some downtrodden, jobless, hungry Negro might have gotten trampled. Those "integration"-mad Negroes practically ran over each other trying to find out where to sign up. The "angry blacks" March suddenly had been made chic. Suddenly it had a Kentucky Derby image. For the status-seeker, it was a status symbol. "were you there?" You can hear that right today.
It had become an outing, a picnic.
The morning of the March, any rickety carloads of angry, dusty, sweating small-town Negroes would have gotten lost among the chartered jet planes, railroad cars, and air-conditioned buses. What originally was planned to be an angry riptide, one English newspaper aptly described now as "the gentle flood."
Talk about "integrated"! It was like salt and pepper. And, by now, there wasn't a single logistics aspect uncontrolled.
The Marchers had been instructed to bring no signs--signs were provided. They had been told to sing one song"We Shall Overcome." They had been told how to arrive, when, where to arrive, where to assemble, when to start marching, the route to march. First-aid stations were strategically located--even where to faint!
Yes, I was there. I observed that circus. Who ever heard of angry revolutionists all harmonizing "We Shall Overcome."...suum day..." while tripping and swaying along arm-in-arm with the very people they were supposed to be angrily revolting against. Who ever heard of angry revolutionists swinging their bare feet together with their oppressor in lily-pad park pools, with gospels and guitars and "I Have a Dream" speeches?
And the black masses in America were-- and still are-- having a nightmare.
The "angry revolutionists" even followed their final instructions: to leave early. With all of those thousands upon thousands of "angry revolutionists," so few stayed over that the next morning the Washington hotel association reported a costly loss in empty rooms.
Hollywood couldn't have topped it.
In a subsequent press poll, not one Congressman or Senator with a previous record of opposition to civil rights said he had changed his views. What did anyone expect? How was a one-day "integrated" picnic going to counter-influence these representatives of prejudice rooted deep in the psyche of the American white man for four hundred years?
The very fact that millions, black and white, believed in this monumental farce is another example of how much this country goes in for the surface glossing over, the escape ruse, surfaces, instead of truly dealing with its deep-rooted problems.
What that March on Washing did do was lull Negroes for a while. But inevitably, the black masses started realizing they had been smoothly hoaxed again by the white man. And, inevitably, the black man's anger rekindled, deeper than ever, and there began bursting out in different cities in the "long, hot summer" of 1964, unprecedented racial crises.

I bolded a couple key points, which were his points on why these "angry" revolutionaries were integrating with white people. If he personally did not want violence to occur at this March on Washington, what did he want?


Malcolm, especially toward the end of his life and the height of his political career, understood the difference. And that is this: Malcolm wasn't a racist. He didn't hate white people. He didn't advocate violence toward white people based on race. He understood that racism, oppression was something that must be changed by any means necessary. The difference isn't subtle. It's very clear.

Yes, but during the majority of his political life, he was a racist. He preached that the devil was the white man. He wanted segregation from the white race. And he DID hate white people. You think he called them the devil because he just disliked them? He understood that racism was directly linked with oppression, but did not try and combat this in the way you are explaining. The Nation of Islam is in fact a racist group(if not the one you are use to) advocating segregation from the white race. And you just said it there, BY ANY MEANS NECCESSARY.



Further, the idea that Malcolm was only looking to "help the working class" of Afrikan descent is crazy. I have no idea where you got that from (bourgeois media? cultural demonization?). What Malcolm knew was that his people had been descriminated against for centuries, and that before he could have any type of union with white workers, he had to work to raise class, race, religious, and historical conscienciousness of Afrikans in America.

We are talking about Malcolm X? The same Malcolm X who had formally been part of the Nation of Islam? The same Nation of Islam that brainwashed him into believing a ridiculous religion. From wikipedia(thank god I don't gotta type this)

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_of_Islam)


The Blackman is the original man. From him came all brown, yellow, red, and white people. By using a special method of birth control law, the Blackman was able to produce the white race. This method of birth control was developed by a Black scientist known as Yakub, who envisioned making and teaching a nation of people who would be diametrically opposed to the Original People. A Race of people who would one day rule the original people and the earth for a period of 6,000 years. Yakub promised his followers that he would graft a nation from his own people, and he would teach them how to rule his people, through a system of tricks and lies whereby they use deceit to divide and conquer, and break the unity of the darker people, put one brother against another, and then act as mediators and rule both sides." (Elijah Muhammad, Message to the Blackman in America, Muhammad's Temple No. 2, 1965 & Dorothy Blake Fardan, Yakub and the Origins of White Supremacy, Lushena Books, 2001)
In an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Louis Farrakhan said the following in response to host Tim Russert's question on the Nation of Islam's teachings on race:
"You know, it’s not unreal to believe that white people—who genetically cannot produce yellow, brown or black—had a Black origin. The scholars and scientists of this world agree that the origin of man and humankind started in Africa and that the first parent of the world was black. The Qur'an says that God created Adam out of black mud and fashioned him into shape. So if white people came from the original people, the Black people, what is the process by which you came to life? That is not a silly question. That is a scientific question with a scientific answer. It doesn't suggest that we are superior or that you are inferior. It suggests, however, that your birth or your origin is from the black people of this earth: superiority and inferiority is determined by our righteousness and not by our color."[1]
Pressed by Russert on whether he agreed with Elijah Muhammad's preaching that whites are blue-eyed devils, Farrakhan responded:
"Well, you have not been saints in the way you have acted toward the darker peoples of the world and toward even your own people. But, in truth, Mr. Russert, any human being who gives themself over to the doing of evil could be considered a devil. In the Bible, in the Book of Revelation, it talks about the fall of Babylon. It says Babylon is fallen because she has become the habitation of devils. We believe that that ancient Babylon is a symbol of a modern Babylon, which is America."
While Malcolm X was a member of the Nation of Islam he also preached that black people were genetically superior to white people.
"Thoughtful white people know they are inferior to Black people. Even Eastland knows it. Anyone who has studied the genetic phase of biology knows that white is considered recessive and black is considered dominant." (The Playboy Interview: Malcolm X, interviewed by Alex Haley, Playboy Magazine, May 1963).
Obviously, he first needed to fix his own ideas before he could fix others. Of course, after he came back from his visit to Mecca did this happen(though short lived), but none of your points are even valid.



This didn't mean he didn't have any sense of "solidarity" with whites, but rather, in his own words as he often said, "There can be no black-white unity until there is first some black unity."
This was after his findings of True Islam and even so, he really didn't live long to make an effect to make any black-white unity.


When we discuss Malcolm, we need to realize several things: first, that although he mentioned multiple times throughout his writings that he called for a united socialist Afrika and things along similar lines, during this time period being openly communist would have meant certain political death for Malcolm.
Throughout his book he recounts various attempts at his assasination. Malcolm would not afraid to come out and exclaim himself a communist. Shit, he even went as far as to applaud the JFK assassination when no other media face would. If he would have exclaimed himself a communist, he would have.

And don't get me wrong, Malcolm X was a great man who had an intelligent mind, but he was brainwashed and there is nothing wrong with saying......HE WAS WRONG AT TIMES.


This doesn't at all mean that he wasn't a communist -- nor does it mean he was, and aside from a few quotes advocating communism and socialism, we probably won't ever know for sure. But realize for sure that his ideology was completely consistent with ours.
Not likely. His views on race, nationalism, and even some of his reformist ideals weren't something a leftist would neccessarily praise. He did have some, but it was not "complete," as you say, aligned with ours.


Whether he called it "communism" or not, or advocated the DOTP or whatever your criteria is for being a communist is unimportant. His revolution is our revolution. Without a doubt, his life has inspired thousands of people lead themselves to communism and leftist activism for generations after his assassination.
My criteria for being a communist is the same criteria out of the manifesto. You should read it sometime, along with Malcolms real views.

*Edit*

Here is some more information that debunks your statements, but is not the one I was searching for from the beginning.

Malcolm X documents (http://www.malcolm-x.org/docs/int_almus.htm)


AL-MUSLIMOON: Africa seems to have captured most of your attention and eager concern. Why? And now that you have visited almost every part of it, where do you think Islam actually stands? And what, in your opinion, could be done to save it from both the brainlessness of many, or rather most of those who are considered to be the champions of its cause, and from the malicious, resourceful alliance of Zionism, atheism, and religious fanaticism against Islam?

MALCOLM X: I regard Africa as my fatherland. I am primarily interested in seeing it become completely free of outside political and economic influence that has dominated and exploited it. Africa, because of its strategic position, faces a real crisis. The colonial vultures have no intention of giving it up without a fight. Their chief weapon is still "divide and conquer." In East Africa there is a strong anti-Asian feeling being nourished among the Africans. In West Africa there is a strong anti-Arab feeling. Where there are Arabs or Asians there is a strong anti-Muslim feeling.

These hostilities are not initiated by the above-mentioned people who are involved. They have nothing to benefit from fighting among themselves at this point. Those who benefit most are the former colonial masters who have now supplanted the hated colonialism and imperialism with Zionism. The Zionists have outstripped all other interest groups in the present struggle for our mother continent. They use such a benevolent, philanthropic approach that it is quite difficult for their victims to see through their schemes. Zionism is even more dangerous than communism because it is made more acceptable and is thus more destructively effective.

[Hampton]

People make it sound like Malcolm talking about helping the black man and women to be a bad thing. Like there is a stigma of focusing on them before he preaches the uplift of all people in general, which he did anyway.

Self defense is violence, but did Malcolm preach love thy oppressor? And it wasn't just against the "whiteman", it's always funny when someone is talking about Malcolm they have this way of saying good things but in reality it's mostly bad things. Like Malcolm was right about capatilism being a bloodsucker, but he hated white people. Huh?

And you can't just blame the NOI. Think about why did he say the whiteman? Who were in the positions of power? It wasn't those who looked like Malcolm, so it wasn't just this "brainwashing" if you want to call it that it was him looking around in reality and realizing this.

But what's the point of using quotes of Malcolm made years before his deaths about white people when the year before he died his views changed drastically? Are we supposed to judge him by the last year of his life when, no doubt, his politics were evolving, or by speeches he made when he "drank the kool aid" or was "brainwashed" by the prophet to say that he's a racist?

And why would you have a quote by a racist who hated white peope in your sig?

[Political_Chucky]

People make it sound like Malcolm talking about helping the black man and women to be a bad thing. Like there is a stigma of focusing on them before he preaches the uplift of all people in general, which he did anyway.

I'm not saying it was bad, because he did give the African-Americans some conciseness about what was going on, but his views weren't just black and white. He had good ideas and he had bad ideas. The reason why I criticize his earlier views (from around 1950 up until 1965I think) is basically because of his intentions. He obviously knew how corrupt the government was, but before he was preaching a unity and uplift of all people, he was discussing the segregation of blacks and whites, and a divided America. I mean, obviously there was racial hatred against blacks, but did this mean he had to exclude the rest?


Self defense is violence, but did Malcolm preach love thy oppressor? And it wasn't just against the "whiteman", it's always funny when someone is talking about Malcolm they have this way of saying good things but in reality it's mostly bad things. Like Malcolm was right about capatilism being a bloodsucker, but he hated white people. Huh?
I'm not exactly sure if your directing your comments at me, but I never said he did preach that. I did say he advocated violence against the Whiteman, but never actually took up arms. Also, no one is bigger then the revolution. Just because Malcolm was a great revolutionary doesn't mean he wasn't without his mistakes. He did say capitalism was a bloodsucker, and I agree with him 100% on that, but doesn't mean I have to agree with everything else he discussed. Besides, like you said and which I have already pointed out, he did change his views and I’m not in anyway trying to say he was not a great man, but to say he wasn't without his faults is ignorance.


And you can't just blame the NOI. Think about why did he say the whiteman? Who were in the positions of power? It wasn't those who looked like Malcolm, so it wasn't just this "brainwashing" if you want to call it that it was him looking around in reality and realizing this.

Oh yea definitely. His whole life he was abused by people of "white" origin, but you can't say its not the NOI's fault for instigating his hatred for white people. I don't know, it’s a really touchy issue I think. Like on one hand, without the NOI, I don't think he would have been enlightened to where he was and educated himself. But on the other hand, for a good ten years, he was under Muhammad's(the nation's leader)command. It even destroyed his relationship with his brother and with friends when the Nation felt they weren't committed to their cause. But yea, once he came under the NOI's membership, he started reflecting back in his childhood years and kind of thinking how ignorant he had been.



But what's the point of using quotes of Malcolm made years before his deaths about white people when the year before he died his views changed drastically? Are we supposed to judge him by the last year of his life when, no doubt, his politics were evolving, or by speeches he made when he "drank the kool aid" or was "brainwashed" by the prophet to say that he's a racist?

Well I’m not exactly sure when that quote was used, but even if had been used before his death, that quote does reflect a lot of truth. Whether or not he was a racist at the time is irrelevant because that does not mean he wasn't right on other issues. Whether or not you want to judge him on his previous years or afterwards is up to you. Those are my opinions on the man, but he did make an affect on the civil rights movement. Its just not what I would have personally done in his position. I hope I’m not sounding like I do not appreciate him because I do respect him for what he has done. I am only trying to state the facts. Blazeofglory asked some questions, so I’m just trying to give him an unbiased truth. Just because he was a great man does not mean I will ignore his faults. Just means I’m going to learn from them. ;)


And why would you have a quote by a racist who hated white peope in your sig?
Well, are you communist? If so, why do you follow Marx? Supposably he had made racist remarks and was even sexist at some points. Just because a person has faults in their political career does not mean they are totally irrelevant to the movement. But, this is explained in the previous paragraphs. ;)

[Floyce White]

Malcolm X was a religious fundamentalist. Don't be a liberal racist and condescendingly say that his religious fundamentalism was "good" because he had dark skin.

[KC]

Malcolm X was a religious fundamentalist. Don't be a liberal racist and condescendingly say that his religious fundamentalism was "good" because he had dark skin.

Uh, that's like saying the Black Panthers were racist.

[Hampton]

Yes, we're saying Malcolm's religion is not a problem because he was black.

:rolleyes:

[Raj Radical]

Malcolm X was a Muslim.

Islam has a completely different economic system from Capitalism and Communsim (although it is closer to Socialism than Capitalism).

After Malcolm left NOI, which was a bigoted extremist group, and made Hajj, he was much less of a militant nationalist and I'm sure identified with the more internation messege of Socialism. (As indicated by his speechs after NOI).

"It is impossible for capitalism to survive, primarily because the system of capitalism needs some blood to suck. Capitalism used to be like an eagle, but now it's more like a vulture. It used to be strong enough to go and suck anybody's blood whether they were strong or not. But now it has become more cowardly, like the vulture, and it can only suck the blood of the helpless. As the nations of the world free themselves, the capitalism has less victims, less to suck, and it becomes weaker and weaker. It's only a matter of time in my opinion before it will collapse completely."

-Malcolm X

[Chicano Shamrock]

Originally posted by [email protected] 03, 2007 07:45 pm



Malcolm, especially toward the end of his life and the height of his political career, understood the difference. And that is this: Malcolm wasn't a racist. He didn't hate white people. He didn't advocate violence toward white people based on race. He understood that racism, oppression was something that must be changed by any means necessary. The difference isn't subtle. It's very clear.

Yes, but during the majority of his political life, he was a racist. He preached that the devil was the white man. He wanted segregation from the white race. And he DID hate white people. You think he called them the devil because he just disliked them? He understood that racism was directly linked with oppression, but did not try and combat this in the way you are explaining. The Nation of Islam is in fact a racist group(if not the one you are use to) advocating segregation from the white race. And you just said it there, BY ANY MEANS NECCESSARY.
Yes but during the first 20 or so years of his life he was just an idiotic thug. I think the big thing to remember is how he progressed. Let's not dwell on what he was wrong about. It is obvious that he was wrong when he was in the NOI. He conceded that he was wrong about "white" people and what he had said to white people who wanted to help his cause.

I personally don't think he was a communist but a revolutionary fighter is a revolutionary fighter.