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Colin Jenkins

The Hampton Institute, Social Economics, Chair

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I'm an interdisciplinary researcher and writer with a B.A. in Historical Studies and M.A. in Social Policy. I founded the Hampton Institute, a proletarian think tank, in 2013.

My academic work includes concentrations in Community & Government, African-American History, and Political Economy, with a focus on structural, Marxist, and anarchist analysis. My online work has been featured at Black Agenda Report, Truthout, Truthdig, Monthly Review, Counterpunch, Transnational Institute, New Politics, Z Magazine, Dissident Voice, Popular Resistance, and Social Justice: a journal of crime, conflict, and world order, among other places. I am the author of "A Fatal Agenda: The Social, Economic, and Democratic Consequences of Neoliberalism" (2006, 2012); and editor of "The 2017 Hampton Reader: Selected Essays from a Working-class Think Tank (Critical Constructions: Studies on Education and Society/ Information Age Publishing, 2019)."

I'm a military veteran, a former world record-holding powerlifter, a former Division III strong safety, a socialist, and a Wobbly (member of the Industrial Workers of the World).

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Papers by Colin Jenkins

Cornel West, the Pitfalls of Bourgeois Politics, and Forging a New Future Among the Rubble

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/cornel-west-the-pitfalls-of-bourgeois-politics-and-forging-a-ne... more

The Question of Hierarchy: An Interview with Colin Jenkins

This is a recent email interview I did with Hampton Institute founder and Social Economics Dept. ... more This is a recent email interview I did with Hampton Institute founder and Social Economics Dept. Chair, Colin Jenkins, on the nature and problems with hierarchical structures, which he discusses in his article entitled Deconstructing Hierarchies: On Contrived Leadership and Arbitrary Positions of Power. Brenan: Some people would argue that hierarchies are needed as people aren't really capable of leading themselves or that if they did, we wouldn't have a stable modern society. What is your response to that? Colin: First, I would ask where this "stable modern society" is? For a majority of the world's population, life is incredibly unstable. For many, life is dire. Even in a so-called "advanced" society like the US, tens of millions of people suffer from homelessness, food insecurity, joblessness, a lack of reliable and affordable healthcare, and with no means to feed and clothe their children. Tens of millions must rely on government assistance. Tens of millions do not receive adequate education. Tens of millions live paycheck-topaycheck and can't pay their bills. And millions are terrorized by

Keywords in Radical Philosophy and Education, 2019

Education as Pedagogy of Possibility: Shedding Dogma through Reciprocal Learning

Like a snake that sheds its skin periodically throughout its life-cycle, the human mind must deve... more Like a snake that sheds its skin periodically throughout its life-cycle, the human mind must develop and shed itself of intellectual skin. Its evolution is characterized by cyclical bouts of learning, reflecting and reconsidering; however, unlike the snake, which is genetically inclined to molting, the mind may not mature and regenerate without being subjected to antagonistic curiosity. This may only be accomplished through frequent and consistent mental cultivation, whereas knowledge is acquired, ideas are processed, and intellectual fruit is born. This process is cyclical in its need for reflection, but most importantly, it is evolutionary in its wanting to refine itself; and it is this constant pursuit of knowledge and validation that drives the mind to absorb substantial information and secrete insignificant data. Human intellectualism is inherently anti-dogmatic in its need for constant reflection. This is not to say that substantive beliefs can't stand the test of time, bu...

Americanism Personified: Why Fascism Has Always Been an Inevitable Outcome of the American Project

The Capitalist Coup Called Neoliberalism

Rich people have always had class consciousness because… they want to stay rich. This collective ... more Rich people have always had class consciousness because… they want to stay rich. This collective consciousness led the "founding fathers" of the United States to set up systems of governance that would, first and foremost, protect them (the wealthy, landowning minority) from the landless, working majority (slaves, indentured servants, laborers). Since then, the rich have had undue influence on every aspect of US life: housing, food production and distribution, education, media, and politics. As capitalism has developed well into its late stages, this has led to large concentrations in wealth and power, and thus influence. In order to maintain control, the rich have learned over time that minimal concessions must be given to the working class to avoid societal unrest. Marxist theorists like Antonio Gramsci and Nicos Poulantzas described this process as using the state to steady the "unstable equilibrium. " This instability is produced by capitalism's tendency to pool wealth at the top while dispossessing the majority. For much of the 20th century, capitalists in the US were successful in maintaining an internal equilibrium, mainly due to their ravaging of the so-called "third world" through colonialism and imperialism. With this massive theft of resources throughout the global South (Africa and Latin America), a robust "middle class" was carved out from a mostly white sector of the US working class. This "middle class" consisted of workers who were provided a greater share of the stolen loot than their class peers, and thus awarded the "American Dream" that was widely advertised. The US "middle class" was a crucial development for the rich because it provided a buffer between them and the masses. Due to the relative comfort they were allowed, "middle-class" workers were more likely to support and collaborate with capitalists, even at the expense of their fellow workers who were left struggling for scraps from below. After all, for there to be a middle class, there must be a lower class. Under capitalism, the lower class is the invisible majority by design. The capitalist class shapes dominant culture from above, the middle class serves as the standard bearer of this culture, and the lower class clings to survival mode in the shadows of society. The key for the rich is to keep the invisible majority in check. The "middle class" has always played a crucial role in this. Despite this balancing act that was maintained for decades, capitalism's internal contradictions became predictably volatile heading into the latter part of the century, culminating into what economist Michael Roberts refers to as the profitability crisis of the 1970s. As the capitalist

Juxtaposing Anarchy

Capitalist Immiseration, the Trump/Biden Effect, and the Fascist Tide

While the transition from capitalism to fascism is already here in many respects, the capitalist ... more While the transition from capitalism to fascism is already here in many respects, the capitalist class is still not fully prepared to cement the move. To them, Trump was both ahead of the game and too loose to oversee the final transition. That — with the help of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the Democrats — will come in the relatively near future, as a more polished version of Trump waits in the wings to accept the torch in this perpetual, right-wing slide of lesser-evilism that has dominated bourgeois politics for the past four decades.

Read online here:

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/marxs-immiseration-thesis-the-trump-biden-effect-and-the-fascist-tide

The Capitalist Coup Called Neoliberalism: How and Why It Went Down

After a groundswell of liberation movements that formed during the 1960s, which was fueled by a w... more After a groundswell of liberation movements that formed during the 1960s, which was fueled by a wave of (working) class consciousness from below, the rich decided to organize and weaponize their own (capitalist) class consciousness to protect their assets, collectively, from the threat of democracy.

What followed was a full-blown capitalist coup.

Read online here:

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/the-capitalist-coup-called-neoliberalism-how-and-why-it-went-down

Late-Stage Capitalism and the Pedagogical Resurgence of Anti-Fascism

Keywords in Radical Philosophy and Education: Common Concepts for Contemporary Movements (Edited by Derek R. Ford), 2019

As American capitalism reaches its late stages, systemic contradictions are coming to a head. The... more As American capitalism reaches its late stages, systemic contradictions are coming to a head. The system's built-in fascistic tendencies are becoming more pronounced in this era of neoliberalism, globalization, and hyper-imperialism. Within the United States, these tensions have materialized into widespread economic insecurity and the formation of various political extremes attempting to seek and destroy those who they deem responsible. A sudden resurgence of socialism has formed in response to these times. A much-needed pedagogical resurgence of anti-fascism is now in our midst. Its effectiveness will determine what comes after capitalism's inevitable demise.

Read online here:

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/late-stage-capitalism-and-the-pedagogical-resurgence-of-anti-fascism

Prisoner Prophet: Uncovering George Jackson's Analysis of Systemic Fascism

The term "systemic fascism" may seem redundant to some, but the redundancy has become necessary t... more The term "systemic fascism" may seem redundant to some, but the redundancy has become necessary to combat the individualistic modes of thinking that have trapped much of the American public. This framing tendency has never been more evident than in the liberal obsession with Trump, the individual. Even among sectors of the Left, who have joined in the liberal chorus, everything has become about Trump - Trump the racist, Trump the fascist, Trump is destroying America, Trump is an embarrassment to the highest office in the land, our problems are due to Trump. These sentiments are the result of a collective myopia that is produced by capitalist culture and its hyper-focus on the individual - a key propaganda tool that is used to not only obscure the reasons that most of us struggle, but also to avoid any sort of collective solution to our problems. Uncovering George Jackson's insightful analysis of fascism has never been more needed.

Read online here:

https://mronline.org/2018/11/17/prisoner-prophet-revisiting-george-jacksons-analysis-of-systemic-fascism/

https://www.blackagendareport.com/prisoner-prophet-revisiting-george-jacksons-analysis-systemic-fascism

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/prisoner-prophet-revisiting-george-jacksons-analysis-of-systemic-fascism

Exposing the American Okie-Doke: Russiagate, Corporate Propaganda, and the Historical Obstruction of Class Consciousness

Corporate media and propaganda in the US is centered within a cultural hegemony that is shaped by... more

Learning from our Elders: Kwame Somburu and Scientific Socialism

Longtime revolutionary activist Kwame Somburu made it a point throughout his life to stress the "... more

The Question of Hierarchy: An Interview with Colin Jenkins

An interview I had with Brenan Daniels in February of 2017 regarding my essay, Deconstructing Hie... more An interview I had with Brenan Daniels in February of 2017 regarding my essay, Deconstructing Hierarchies: On Contrived Leadership and Arbitrary Positions of Power. We talk about social and economic hierarchies, both in and out of the workplace, and how their interconnecting nature must be understood and dismantled.

Race Traitors Wanted: Apply Within (A Review of David Gilbert's 'Looking at the U.S. White Working Class Historically')

A review of David Gilbert's 2017 re-release of 'Looking at the U.S. White Working Class Historica... more

Americanism Personified: Why Fascism Has Always Been an Inevitable Outcome of the American Project

As a settler-colonial project steeped in white supremacist domination and capitalist ideals, Amer... more As a settler-colonial project steeped in white supremacist domination and capitalist ideals, America is and always has been an ideal fascist breeding ground. The current rise of Donald Trump, the "alt-right," neo-Nazism, and white nationalism is nothing new, it is merely Americanism becoming further personified through the vulnerabilities opened by the failures of capitalism and the weakening of liberal democracy - systems that were constructed on shoddy, hypocritical foundations to begin with.

The Pedagogy of Hip Hop: Underground Soundtracks for Dissecting and Confronting the Power Structure

Underground hip hop provides us with a soundtrack that is laced with historical context, deep ana... more Underground hip hop provides us with a soundtrack that is laced with historical context, deep analysis, and valuable knowledge - all of which should be applied while moving forward. The "psychic fuel" that Mumia Abu-Jamal points to in his brief commentary on Revolutionary, Volume 2, which "generates the anger that seems endemic in much of the music and poetry" is far from misguided, and extends far beyond cathartic release.

While in the mainstream, the Black Radical Tradition continues to be tragically mocked by identity politics , activist-celebrity tweeters pimping corporate brands , black liberation-themed credit cards , high-dollar-plate events, non-profit organizations, and the Democratic Party, its torch remains lit through the lyrics burning on underground hip-hop tracks. And this underground reflects the pulse of the streets, where tens of millions experience daily life in the underbelly of instability - not on Twitter, Facebook, or fundraising dinners at the Marriott.

Gangsters for Capitalism: Why the US Working Class Enlists

Throughout this history, the US government, which has directly represented and acted upon the int... more Throughout this history, the US government, which has directly represented and acted upon the interests of capital and economic elites, has required the participation of many millions of its working-class citizens to join its military ranks in order to carry out its missions by force.

For many generations, the US working class has answered this call to serve as what US Marine General Smedley Butler once deemed, ‘gangsters for capitalism’. Millions upon millions have lost life and limb to clear the path for new global markets, steal and extract valuable natural resources from other lands, and ensure the procurement of trillions of dollars of corporate profit for a privileged few.

Why? Why does the working class willingly, even enthusiastically, join to serve in a military that bolsters the very system which undermines and alienates them in their everyday lives?

Deconstructing Workplace Hierarchies: On Contrived Leadership and Arbitrary Positions of Power

The totalitarianism inherent in corporate structures is defined and preserved by the hierarchy, a... more The totalitarianism inherent in corporate structures is defined and preserved by the hierarchy, and these structures stretch far beyond for-profit, private enterprises. In an attempt to justify arbitrary positions of power, organizations often portray them as "leadership" positions, deploying corporate doublespeak like "team leaders" or "officers" in their hierarchical arrangement. The problem with this is that leadership, in any true sense, is an absolute contradiction from power; and especially from arbitrary power. The acquisition of money and idleness that becomes synonymous with climbing the ladder makes leadership roles impossible for those who fill these positions to obtain.

Violence, Counter-Violence, and the Question of the Gun

There are arguably three main types of violence which are premised in this analysis: state violen... more There are arguably three main types of violence which are premised in this analysis: state violence, group violence, and revolutionary violence. The first two forms of violence, coming from the state and groups empowered by the status quo, are designed to oppress. The third form, coming from revolutionaries and the systematically oppressed, is designed to strike back at this oppression for the purpose of liberation. The first two types (state and group) are violent, or offensive, by nature. The last type (revolutionary) is counter-violent, or defensive, by nature.

Cornel West, the Pitfalls of Bourgeois Politics, and Forging a New Future Among the Rubble

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/cornel-west-the-pitfalls-of-bourgeois-politics-and-forging-a-ne... more

The Question of Hierarchy: An Interview with Colin Jenkins

This is a recent email interview I did with Hampton Institute founder and Social Economics Dept. ... more This is a recent email interview I did with Hampton Institute founder and Social Economics Dept. Chair, Colin Jenkins, on the nature and problems with hierarchical structures, which he discusses in his article entitled Deconstructing Hierarchies: On Contrived Leadership and Arbitrary Positions of Power. Brenan: Some people would argue that hierarchies are needed as people aren't really capable of leading themselves or that if they did, we wouldn't have a stable modern society. What is your response to that? Colin: First, I would ask where this "stable modern society" is? For a majority of the world's population, life is incredibly unstable. For many, life is dire. Even in a so-called "advanced" society like the US, tens of millions of people suffer from homelessness, food insecurity, joblessness, a lack of reliable and affordable healthcare, and with no means to feed and clothe their children. Tens of millions must rely on government assistance. Tens of millions do not receive adequate education. Tens of millions live paycheck-topaycheck and can't pay their bills. And millions are terrorized by

Keywords in Radical Philosophy and Education, 2019

Education as Pedagogy of Possibility: Shedding Dogma through Reciprocal Learning

Like a snake that sheds its skin periodically throughout its life-cycle, the human mind must deve... more Like a snake that sheds its skin periodically throughout its life-cycle, the human mind must develop and shed itself of intellectual skin. Its evolution is characterized by cyclical bouts of learning, reflecting and reconsidering; however, unlike the snake, which is genetically inclined to molting, the mind may not mature and regenerate without being subjected to antagonistic curiosity. This may only be accomplished through frequent and consistent mental cultivation, whereas knowledge is acquired, ideas are processed, and intellectual fruit is born. This process is cyclical in its need for reflection, but most importantly, it is evolutionary in its wanting to refine itself; and it is this constant pursuit of knowledge and validation that drives the mind to absorb substantial information and secrete insignificant data. Human intellectualism is inherently anti-dogmatic in its need for constant reflection. This is not to say that substantive beliefs can't stand the test of time, bu...

Americanism Personified: Why Fascism Has Always Been an Inevitable Outcome of the American Project

The Capitalist Coup Called Neoliberalism

Rich people have always had class consciousness because… they want to stay rich. This collective ... more Rich people have always had class consciousness because… they want to stay rich. This collective consciousness led the "founding fathers" of the United States to set up systems of governance that would, first and foremost, protect them (the wealthy, landowning minority) from the landless, working majority (slaves, indentured servants, laborers). Since then, the rich have had undue influence on every aspect of US life: housing, food production and distribution, education, media, and politics. As capitalism has developed well into its late stages, this has led to large concentrations in wealth and power, and thus influence. In order to maintain control, the rich have learned over time that minimal concessions must be given to the working class to avoid societal unrest. Marxist theorists like Antonio Gramsci and Nicos Poulantzas described this process as using the state to steady the "unstable equilibrium. " This instability is produced by capitalism's tendency to pool wealth at the top while dispossessing the majority. For much of the 20th century, capitalists in the US were successful in maintaining an internal equilibrium, mainly due to their ravaging of the so-called "third world" through colonialism and imperialism. With this massive theft of resources throughout the global South (Africa and Latin America), a robust "middle class" was carved out from a mostly white sector of the US working class. This "middle class" consisted of workers who were provided a greater share of the stolen loot than their class peers, and thus awarded the "American Dream" that was widely advertised. The US "middle class" was a crucial development for the rich because it provided a buffer between them and the masses. Due to the relative comfort they were allowed, "middle-class" workers were more likely to support and collaborate with capitalists, even at the expense of their fellow workers who were left struggling for scraps from below. After all, for there to be a middle class, there must be a lower class. Under capitalism, the lower class is the invisible majority by design. The capitalist class shapes dominant culture from above, the middle class serves as the standard bearer of this culture, and the lower class clings to survival mode in the shadows of society. The key for the rich is to keep the invisible majority in check. The "middle class" has always played a crucial role in this. Despite this balancing act that was maintained for decades, capitalism's internal contradictions became predictably volatile heading into the latter part of the century, culminating into what economist Michael Roberts refers to as the profitability crisis of the 1970s. As the capitalist

Juxtaposing Anarchy

Capitalist Immiseration, the Trump/Biden Effect, and the Fascist Tide

While the transition from capitalism to fascism is already here in many respects, the capitalist ... more While the transition from capitalism to fascism is already here in many respects, the capitalist class is still not fully prepared to cement the move. To them, Trump was both ahead of the game and too loose to oversee the final transition. That — with the help of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the Democrats — will come in the relatively near future, as a more polished version of Trump waits in the wings to accept the torch in this perpetual, right-wing slide of lesser-evilism that has dominated bourgeois politics for the past four decades.

Read online here:

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/marxs-immiseration-thesis-the-trump-biden-effect-and-the-fascist-tide

The Capitalist Coup Called Neoliberalism: How and Why It Went Down

After a groundswell of liberation movements that formed during the 1960s, which was fueled by a w... more After a groundswell of liberation movements that formed during the 1960s, which was fueled by a wave of (working) class consciousness from below, the rich decided to organize and weaponize their own (capitalist) class consciousness to protect their assets, collectively, from the threat of democracy.

What followed was a full-blown capitalist coup.

Read online here:

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/the-capitalist-coup-called-neoliberalism-how-and-why-it-went-down

Late-Stage Capitalism and the Pedagogical Resurgence of Anti-Fascism

Keywords in Radical Philosophy and Education: Common Concepts for Contemporary Movements (Edited by Derek R. Ford), 2019

As American capitalism reaches its late stages, systemic contradictions are coming to a head. The... more As American capitalism reaches its late stages, systemic contradictions are coming to a head. The system's built-in fascistic tendencies are becoming more pronounced in this era of neoliberalism, globalization, and hyper-imperialism. Within the United States, these tensions have materialized into widespread economic insecurity and the formation of various political extremes attempting to seek and destroy those who they deem responsible. A sudden resurgence of socialism has formed in response to these times. A much-needed pedagogical resurgence of anti-fascism is now in our midst. Its effectiveness will determine what comes after capitalism's inevitable demise.

Read online here:

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/late-stage-capitalism-and-the-pedagogical-resurgence-of-anti-fascism

Prisoner Prophet: Uncovering George Jackson's Analysis of Systemic Fascism

The term "systemic fascism" may seem redundant to some, but the redundancy has become necessary t... more The term "systemic fascism" may seem redundant to some, but the redundancy has become necessary to combat the individualistic modes of thinking that have trapped much of the American public. This framing tendency has never been more evident than in the liberal obsession with Trump, the individual. Even among sectors of the Left, who have joined in the liberal chorus, everything has become about Trump - Trump the racist, Trump the fascist, Trump is destroying America, Trump is an embarrassment to the highest office in the land, our problems are due to Trump. These sentiments are the result of a collective myopia that is produced by capitalist culture and its hyper-focus on the individual - a key propaganda tool that is used to not only obscure the reasons that most of us struggle, but also to avoid any sort of collective solution to our problems. Uncovering George Jackson's insightful analysis of fascism has never been more needed.

Read online here:

https://mronline.org/2018/11/17/prisoner-prophet-revisiting-george-jacksons-analysis-of-systemic-fascism/

https://www.blackagendareport.com/prisoner-prophet-revisiting-george-jacksons-analysis-systemic-fascism

https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/prisoner-prophet-revisiting-george-jacksons-analysis-of-systemic-fascism

Exposing the American Okie-Doke: Russiagate, Corporate Propaganda, and the Historical Obstruction of Class Consciousness

Corporate media and propaganda in the US is centered within a cultural hegemony that is shaped by... more

Learning from our Elders: Kwame Somburu and Scientific Socialism

Longtime revolutionary activist Kwame Somburu made it a point throughout his life to stress the "... more

The Question of Hierarchy: An Interview with Colin Jenkins

An interview I had with Brenan Daniels in February of 2017 regarding my essay, Deconstructing Hie... more An interview I had with Brenan Daniels in February of 2017 regarding my essay, Deconstructing Hierarchies: On Contrived Leadership and Arbitrary Positions of Power. We talk about social and economic hierarchies, both in and out of the workplace, and how their interconnecting nature must be understood and dismantled.

Race Traitors Wanted: Apply Within (A Review of David Gilbert's 'Looking at the U.S. White Working Class Historically')

A review of David Gilbert's 2017 re-release of 'Looking at the U.S. White Working Class Historica... more

Americanism Personified: Why Fascism Has Always Been an Inevitable Outcome of the American Project

As a settler-colonial project steeped in white supremacist domination and capitalist ideals, Amer... more As a settler-colonial project steeped in white supremacist domination and capitalist ideals, America is and always has been an ideal fascist breeding ground. The current rise of Donald Trump, the "alt-right," neo-Nazism, and white nationalism is nothing new, it is merely Americanism becoming further personified through the vulnerabilities opened by the failures of capitalism and the weakening of liberal democracy - systems that were constructed on shoddy, hypocritical foundations to begin with.

The Pedagogy of Hip Hop: Underground Soundtracks for Dissecting and Confronting the Power Structure

Underground hip hop provides us with a soundtrack that is laced with historical context, deep ana... more Underground hip hop provides us with a soundtrack that is laced with historical context, deep analysis, and valuable knowledge - all of which should be applied while moving forward. The "psychic fuel" that Mumia Abu-Jamal points to in his brief commentary on Revolutionary, Volume 2, which "generates the anger that seems endemic in much of the music and poetry" is far from misguided, and extends far beyond cathartic release.

While in the mainstream, the Black Radical Tradition continues to be tragically mocked by identity politics , activist-celebrity tweeters pimping corporate brands , black liberation-themed credit cards , high-dollar-plate events, non-profit organizations, and the Democratic Party, its torch remains lit through the lyrics burning on underground hip-hop tracks. And this underground reflects the pulse of the streets, where tens of millions experience daily life in the underbelly of instability - not on Twitter, Facebook, or fundraising dinners at the Marriott.

Gangsters for Capitalism: Why the US Working Class Enlists

Throughout this history, the US government, which has directly represented and acted upon the int... more Throughout this history, the US government, which has directly represented and acted upon the interests of capital and economic elites, has required the participation of many millions of its working-class citizens to join its military ranks in order to carry out its missions by force.

For many generations, the US working class has answered this call to serve as what US Marine General Smedley Butler once deemed, ‘gangsters for capitalism’. Millions upon millions have lost life and limb to clear the path for new global markets, steal and extract valuable natural resources from other lands, and ensure the procurement of trillions of dollars of corporate profit for a privileged few.

Why? Why does the working class willingly, even enthusiastically, join to serve in a military that bolsters the very system which undermines and alienates them in their everyday lives?

Deconstructing Workplace Hierarchies: On Contrived Leadership and Arbitrary Positions of Power

The totalitarianism inherent in corporate structures is defined and preserved by the hierarchy, a... more The totalitarianism inherent in corporate structures is defined and preserved by the hierarchy, and these structures stretch far beyond for-profit, private enterprises. In an attempt to justify arbitrary positions of power, organizations often portray them as "leadership" positions, deploying corporate doublespeak like "team leaders" or "officers" in their hierarchical arrangement. The problem with this is that leadership, in any true sense, is an absolute contradiction from power; and especially from arbitrary power. The acquisition of money and idleness that becomes synonymous with climbing the ladder makes leadership roles impossible for those who fill these positions to obtain.

Violence, Counter-Violence, and the Question of the Gun

There are arguably three main types of violence which are premised in this analysis: state violen... more There are arguably three main types of violence which are premised in this analysis: state violence, group violence, and revolutionary violence. The first two forms of violence, coming from the state and groups empowered by the status quo, are designed to oppress. The third form, coming from revolutionaries and the systematically oppressed, is designed to strike back at this oppression for the purpose of liberation. The first two types (state and group) are violent, or offensive, by nature. The last type (revolutionary) is counter-violent, or defensive, by nature.