On prison abolition and the appeasement of slaves: strategies for resistance.

Prison abolition & resistance take many different forms. I’d like to discuss alternative, unpopular, and even unknown strategies that have long range positive effects, and strike at the causes of prisoners’ oppression. In a lot of ways the culture of resistance and anti-imperialism starts with-in the individuals making up the group or class/population. This movement is a “war campaign” and our effectiveness depends on the personal perfection, discipline and overall character of those participating in their liberation. These are unconventional tactics for long term, protracted guerilla resistance. They must be embraced as the core of our training and preparation. I’m talking about the education of the will and the cultivation of Noble Character traits through asceticism, self-sacrifice, and various austerities.


Of course the utilization of think tanks studies of history economics law social justice, civil rights, etc. are important. But the will has to be trained to live out the ideas & principles one has embraced and studied. Plenty of drug addicts embrace and agree with the idea and theory of being drug free, but can’t practice it in their lives because of untrained, weakened wills. This is the ultimate form of resistance and rebellion because we advocate renouncing the very culture and civilization (and its values) that oppress us.


Through our studies of the effects and symptoms of imperialism, colonialism, oppression and prison, we’ve learned that their coercive nihlistic natures create particular combinations of characteristics in their victims. Shame, self-hate, self-destructiveness, self-& group alienation, sociopathy,self-medicating, indolence, enervation, fear, etc. These are just a few that come to mind and they must be annihilated.


The propaganda, social institutions, norms, cultural trends and other societal elements that reinforce these psychological diseases must be resisted while also creating new ideas, principles and institutions to organize around that serve our interests. This culture’s media radio television politics, economics etc are all opiates and surrogates to keep us distracted, placated and numb so we’ll forget the pain of living in environments with no hope or values.


Once our wills are trained we can resist the DOC’s attempts to pacify us with concessions of more cable channels, fund raisers and other “incentives” that only further hinder our ability to evolve and maintain dignity. Only a disciplined self-mastered person who stands on principle can see past the concessions and stay focused on the Grand Vision, stay the course, and honor something in themselves worthier than their need for immediate sensual gratification.


Conjugal visits, larger food portions, more channels, getting pronography magazines back, more recreation time, fancier clothing have nothing to do with liberation or reaching our potential as human beings living a meaningful life or being self-determined. If all the privileges and pacifiers were given to us, we’d still be slaves. Sometimes these so-called “achievements” & “victories” that make us feel good cause us to accept our shackles and identify with our conditions of socio-economic & political impotence.


You can’t improve the concept and experience of incarceration. Let’s keep the revolution on the level of civilization- building, new values and human-centeredness. Focus on character-building, changing public opinion and advanced education as core strategies for resistance. These strategies will depopulate prisons, long term; they will build independent capable individuals & communities; they will discredit the state and its socio-political ideologies. We resist and defy tyrranical authority by forming our own support networks, fasting from & renouncing television, frivolous games, & conversation, pop culture and drugs, and by not forming relationships with guards.

By even embracing poverty & hardships to stay sharp and focused so that we can’t be bribed, compromised or coerced, we’ll slowly wean ourselves off this culture’s alluring indulgences and our attachment to imperialism’s methods for destroying our humanity & potential. These strategies will get us closer to our goals than any work stoppages, hunger strikes, violence or lawsuits. Remember: “Long Range Vision” for overall change.


In struggle, solidarity, & Peace,

herukhuti