The Civil Rights struggle was a movement. The Black Power struggle was a movement. The Anti-Vietnam War struggle was a movement. Each of these struggles had definitive goals, objectives and defined demands; they each had representative leadership able to articulate their demands; and justas importantly, they had national organizational development and direction. To date, Occupy WallStreet (OWS) has none of these, but rather a decentralized protest CAMPAIGN that has touched and manifested a sentiment and tendency of mass disaffection with this capitalist system.

Although OWS has identified and struck a cord with a large segment of the U.S. populace, OWS is not anti-capitalist, it is not anti-imperialist, and it is not revolutionary. While these elements and sentiments are within these political campaigns, for the most part, OWS is a social-democratic reformist campaign. However, because OWS has directly challenged the plutocratic reality of corporate America, it is a campaign to be reckoned with. By raising the economic inequality of this government, OWS points directly to the heart of the problem, the disenfranchisement of working people. It is the height of defiance to the system of government, raising consciousness and expression of rebellion.

However, unless OWS gets organized nationally, develops a national agenda, and identifies national representatives, these protest campaigns run the risk of being co-opted, diverted and destroyed by the many-faceted counter-intelligence, counter-insurgency tactics of the government. The greater likelihood is OWS will be influenced by “capitalist” civil rights personages who will get media coverage seeking to articulate the “meaning” of these protest campaigns. They will seek to direct OWS to preserve their long-held agendas of reform and “poverty pimp” economic plans, while keepingPresident Obama on speed dial. They will ensure the OWS protest campaigns evolve into an electoral protest, preserving their own ideals of what America should look like in opposition to racist right-wing legislation and enactments. OWS liberal-reformist protest campaigns offer these “civilrights” personages, organizations and non-profit entities the mass and public strength to influence the national debate under the guise of a participatory democratic process. To OWS organizers and sympathizers—a WARNING, beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing, or in this case, coyotes howling atthe moon.

In this regard, it would be smart if OWS campaigners across the country organized and conducted a“National Poor and Oppressed Peoples’ Conference.” The Conference would permit the development of a national resistance organization with a national agenda, and elected representatives to articulate goals and objectives of a national determination. By doing so, OWS will evolve into a progressive movement capable of forging revolutionary changes.

This movement must become anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and anti-racist, developing national programs such as Universal Health Care; Student and Home Owner/Worker Credit Debt Relief; Employment Enactment and Training Programs; National Wealth Distribution/Tax Program; NationalEnvironmental Preservation Program; Immigration Relief Program; Domestic Security andInternational Anti-Aggression Protection Act; Natural Resource and Energy Commission; SocialJustice and Penal Redemption Program (to include the demand for the amnesty and release of U.S.political prisoners), to name a few of the issues to be made part of a national agenda. The NationalPoor and Oppressed Peoples’ Conference would formulate these issues into a national agenda that would forge organized resistance challenging the system in a mass and popular movement.

I believe it is fair to say the decentralized and undefined OWS is presently a weak expression of poor and oppressed peoples’ disenfranchisement. The government has, under the First Amendment, permitted these protests essentially as a safety valve to grant the release of dissatisfaction. As we witness, the government will use the full force of its police/military tactics to quash any violent opposition to the status quo. It then behooves OWS protest campaigners to recognize its weakness and vulnerability to provocateurs, saboteurs, and being co-opted by opportunists and reformists seeking to embellish their own legacy of civil rights capitalism. OWS protest campaigners must realize the long-term fight ahead if they sincerely seek to challenge and change America. America’s plutocratic and military leaders have absolutely no intentions of relinquishing power, authority or wealth as a result of these protests. The task ahead is formidable, but a New American Revolution is possible; it is needed and necessary not only for poor and oppressed peoples in the United States, but for the billions of poor and oppressed peoples around the world.Resisting Exploitation & Oppression is a Human Right!

In fierce struggle,

Jalil A, Muntaqim

November 5, 2011