"IN MEXICO WE ALSO FIGHT!" Anti-Speciesism, Veganism and Animal Liberation Front/Commando-Green Black (FLA, FLAM & FLA-CVN) in Mexico - History in the Making

ALF Mexico - History in the Making
full story: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/390369.html

Correction of below article: 29.01.2008 23:33

Top action on the list of "History in the making" should include "January 23, 2008 - Mexico

FIRE AT KFC"...which is the first communique in the list.
FLA

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FLA, FLAM & FLA-CVN (Commando-Green Black)....the Frente de Liberacion Animal (FLA/ALF) is making it's mark in Mexico...
ALF Mexico

The first reported ALF actions in Mexico are; December 2006, when a KFC and fur store are sabotaged, and October 2007, when a pet shop was sabotaged by the F.L.A. Since then, December 2007 and January 2008 have seen a series of well planned and executed FLA actions in Mexico.

Similar to France, when two ALF reports in November 2002 caused a flurry of direct action three years later in 2005 - which is continuing to flourish, and also from April 2007 onwards, which saw Czech Republic heavily target hunting stands and other animal abuse after two actions in Sept/Nov 2006. Activists in Mexico have seen a spark and responded with a string of diverse actions.

This method also replicates the Band of Mercy (1974) which sparked direct action in England, by liberating animals and utilizing arson - two years later causing the birth of the Animal Liberation Front by Ronnie Lee.

The purpose of this post is to highlight the current growth of ALF activity in Mexico and is dedicated to the activists behind these compassionate actions.

Every year brings a new country or three to the frontlines of direct action for animals, whilst last year was the beginning for the Czech Republic, 2008 looks set for Mexico to win the "best newcomers" award.

Not that there really an award! But the front page of Bite Back Magazine would be a likely way to represent this.

The following are the actions that have been carried out...

THE SPARKS THAT CAUSED THE FLAME

December 10, 2006: FUR STORE, KFC HIT IN MONTERREY

anonymous communique:

"Greetings from México.
Two FLA (Frente de Liberación Animal) strikes very early this morning in Monterrey, Nuevo León.
The first target was a big fur store, where all locks and doors were glued, threw paint bombs and wrote "Frente de Liberación Animal", "Muerte" and "Cada Piel es una Muerte".
The second target was a KFC, that was painted with paint bombs.

In Support of all ALF and ELF cells and dedicated to the SHAC 7.
This fight for life won't end until the day we die.
Vegan Revolution!"

October 3, 2007: PET STORE TARGETED

anonymous report; rough translation:

"IN MEXICO WE ALSO FIGHT!
On October 1, a pet store was attacked, padlocks hit, paint-filled light bulbs thrown and a letter was left in the building, explaining the reason for the action and that if the captivity of animals continues, they would suffer the consequences. The F.L.A has arrived!"


ANIMAL LIBERATION - HISTORY IN THE MAKING

January 23, 2008: "MEAT=MURDER" PAINTED ON MARKETS
January 19, 2008: NEW HOMES FOR PUPPIES
January 14, 2008: "PASSIVITY MAKES YOU COMPLICIT"
January 07, 2008: TWO DOVES AND A TURKEY RESCUED
January 04, 2008: FURRIER PAINTED
December 30, 2007: PET STORES ATTACKED
December 29, 2007: KFC HIT WITH PAINT BOMBS
December 27, 2007: CIRCUS BIG TOP, CARS PAINTED
December 26, 2007: PET STORE ATTACKED

anonymous communique (translation):

"On the night of January 20 the Animal Liberation Front Mexico (F.L.A.M.) placed an incendiary device in an establishment of this multinational corporation that continues the killing of our animal brothers and sisters on their farms of terror for filthy money that comes at the cost of the suffering of others.
These actions are just the beginning of what the animal rights guerillas can do."

received anonymously (translation):

"January 21:

The Animal Liberation Front Mexico (FLAM) claim an attack with paint on a large meat market and a poultry shop called Bachoco, a company that has killed millions of chickens in its industrial farms, exploiting these animals and keeping them in precarious conditions even in the store. The bodies of those already dead were found on the ground in overflowing sacks and cages, giving off a stench of death.
These speciesist idiots do not know that the ALF exists. We are determined to cause more harm to this company, until it collapses.
'Meat=Murder' can now be read on the walls of these genocidal and murdering companies.
The war on speciesism will be brought to businesses like these.
FLAM"

received anonymously (translation):

"January 16:
The Animal Liberation Front Commando-Green Black of Mexico State rescued 4 puppies and gave them a better life.
Every animal is important as we continue the fight.
FLA/ALF!"

received anonymously:

"January 11:
Seeing that our brother animals were victims of torture and their torturers were exploiting them to earn more and more money, the Animal Liberation Front - Commando Green Black attacked Rolan's Circo, a circus that uses dogs and sea lions in its 'shows.' Tired of this situation we decided to paint slogans on circus trucks, on the tent, and on walls.
Passivity makes you complicit, use direct action and declare war on speciesism!

anonymous communique (translation):

"Liberation of 2 doves and a turkey + cage opened in Mexico

In the early morning of January 4, the Animal Liberation Front-Green Black Commando (FLA-CVN), infiltrated a farm located in Mexico State, rescuing and releasing 2 sister doves and 1 small brother turkey, who were detained and imprisoned in a cage. We wanted to release more animals but to be safe we had to leave the farm, but not without first opening the cage of another turkey.

NO MORE ANIMAL PRISONS!

FLA-CVN MEXICO"

received anonymously (translation):

"Attack on fur business in Mexico

The Animal Liberation Front has attacked a fur business, the cruelest, most despicable business that could exist against our animal brothers and sisters, apart from experimentation. 'FUR = MURDER' and 'Animal Liberation Front' were some of the slogans painted on the building.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO FIGHT!
TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE AT HAND AND THROW IT AT THE SPECIESISTS!"

anonymous report (translation):

"On December 28th, three cells of the Animal Liberation Front in Mexico coordinated actions against cruel and disgusting speciesism. They carried out the following actions:
- attacked a pet shop with paint bombs
- attacked another pet store with paint: NO MORE ANIMAL PRISONERS! painted on the walls and floor.

received anonymously (translation):

"With the coordination of cells from ALF Mexico and the ALF Commando Verde Negro, KFC was attacked. Bulbs & bottles filled with paint were used on their floor, windows and walls.

NOW IS THE FIGHT, THE FUTURE IS OURS.
GO VEGAN"

anonymous report:

"On December 24, the Animal Liberation Front - Mexico (FLAM) painted on a circus where they have imprisoned our brothers and humiliated and tortured them physically and psychologically. NO MORE CIRCUSES WITH ANIMALS was what appeared on the big top and cars of circus speciesists.
No more speciesism, long live the FLAM!"

received anonymously:

"On the night of December 24 while speciesists devoured the corpse of a turkey, we attacked a pet store and painted ANIMAL LIBERATION on its facade, walls and floor.
FORWARD WARRIORS OF FLA!"

Four good reasons not to allow fascists in the non-human animal liberation movement

The recent announcement by the Hunt Saboteurs Association that they are affiliating with the Anti-Fascist Network has created a stir in the non-human animal liberation movement. There are those who claim that non-human animal liberation is a “non-political” movement and that we should avoid aligning ourselves with “extreme left-wing ideologies” (yet make no mention of extreme right-wing ideologies). This all comes at a time of growing concern over attempts by the far-right to infiltrate the non-human animal liberation movement in the UK, as they have done in other countries.

We at The Feral Space collective hold a zero-tolerance policy for fascists. The non- human animal liberation movement is a political movement, one that stands in firm opposition to oppression (not just the oppression of non-humans by humans). Because of this we believe that fascists and other people with extreme right-wing views should not be made welcome in this movement.

Not convinced? Here are 4 good reasons why we believe fascists should not be allowed in the animal liberation movement:

1. Fascism is an ideology built on oppression

Fascism is built on concept of one group of people ruling over another. Whether this be a particular race; nation; or class they believe that there are always superiors and inferiors. This runs in complete contradiction to non-human animal liberation that believes that all sentient beings, human or non-human, deserve the same fundamental rights. Animal liberation is built upon opposition to speciesism, the belief that one species is more deserving of rights than another. How can we claim that all animals are equal yet allow people who believe in the superiority of their race or nationality? How is that any different to a human believing they are better than another animal?

2. Fascists divide the movement

Probably the most common claim thrown at us by fascist-apologists is that we are attempting to split the movement. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. The reality is that fascists seek to divide the movement by discriminating against people of different ethnic, national, racial, gender or sexual backgrounds. We understand that to create a movement capable of ending animal exploitation we need to work with people from all backgrounds. How can we remain open and inclusive to all these different people when we allow fascists to walk amongst our ranks spouting divisiveness and hatred?

3. Fascism supports capitalism

Despite their claims otherwise, fascists support capitalism and the current economic system. They may claim to want to remove capitalism and replace it with something different but like the so-called communists it is simply a trap to lure you. Once they gain power fascists protect the interest of the bosses while the rest of us continue to live in poverty. Meanwhile capitalism continues to kill billions of non-human animals annually through factory farming, habitat destruction, global warming and other means. If we really want to create a world free-from animal exploitation then we need to do away with the system that perpetuates it: capitalism. Fascists are the foot soliders of the bosses, brought out to defend their privileges in times of crisis. This can be seen by their constant attacks on left wing and anti-capitalist meetings and activists.

4. Fascists have killed other activists

For a movement that prides itself on its non-violent tactics the non-human animal liberation movement would do well to avoid fascism. Fascism is a violent ideology that seeks to use force to get its way. Anybody who stands in their way is considered a valid target. Just last June French anti-fascist and vegan, Clement Meric, was murdered by fascists in Paris. The anti-fascist rapper Killah P was stabbed to death in Athens by members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn in September of last year and in Russia scores of left-wing activists have been beaten and killed by fascists. Do we really want to be welcoming to a group of people who are willing to murder anyone they disagree with? It would be almost hypocritical for a movement that deplores the murder of millions of sentient animals.

While those of us at The Feral Space identify as anarchists, we do not think that everyone needs to be an anarchist in order to be involved in the non-human animal liberation movement. We understand that there are a wealth of different thoughts and tendencies out there and it is this plurality that makes us strong. However fascism is a dangerous movement that seeks to gain control and enforce their will on others. It is for this reason that we believe that the animal liberation movement must take a firm anti-fascist stance and not allow fascists to infiltrate our movement.

Our collective and this movement is not a safe space for those who discriminate against others! Against civilization, against fascism, against capitalism, the state and the prison world they enforce. Total human/non-human animal/earth liberation!

Unconditional Anti-Oppression: The Rise of Anti-Speciesism in the Anarchist Movement

Shared from http://veganwarfare.com/unconditional-anti-oppression-rise-anti-speciesism-anarchist-movement/


Negotiation is over. Moving beyond liberal veganism.

About 40 years ago animal rights was a concept promoted and activated by determined individuals, passionate about expanding their sphere of compassion. Not only did many of these animal rights activists go vegan but they also took action in the streets. Big colorful signs, petition signing, banner drops, and other tactics were deployed to disrupt the normalcy of routine non-human animal exploitation. Many of these tactics served to spread awareness of slaughterhouse atrocities in hopes of generating sympathy and agricultural reform. Overtime as more and more people began to acknowledge and speak out against non-human animal exploitation, tactics, ideas, and even other movements began to evolve.

Today there is less sign holding and petition signing as these previous attempts for change have left many disappointed. As the treatment of non-human animals continued despite votes and petitions, activists went underground giving birth to many radical groups like the Animal Liberation Front, Animal Liberation Brigade, Animal Rights Militia, Revolutionary Cells, and so on. Many vegan liberals, disappointed by politicians and the state, had begun to re-examine their own political ideologies.

As tactical diversity grows beyond the state’s control with the intent of yielding self-initiated results, the animal rights movement is now commonly referred to as the “animal liberation movement”. This form of self-determination by individuals working in cells or affinity groups has become appealing for its effectiveness. Online petition signing has seen less activity as prisoner support through fund raising and letter-writing becomes more popular. Single-issue oriented activists have begun to diversify their activism in light of acknowledging the connection with social struggles, eco-defense, and decolonization. This expanding solidarity and mutual-aid has created new alliances, collective efforts, and new methods of resource sharing in many activist communities. The wave of increasingly radicalized vegans poses a threat to capitalism and the state. Today many once willing-to-negotiate activists have adopted new approaches that defy the lawfulness of peaceful protest and political reform. With an increase in property damage, liberated non-humans and appreciation for direct action, it was no surprise when the state constructed AETA (Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act ) in an effort to sway public opinion and discourage the growth of radicalized vegans.

Anti-speciesist anarchism. None are free until all are free.
Anthropocentrism and Speciesism

Anthropocentrism is the belief that humans are superior and therefore entitled to dominate other animals and the earth. This form of discrimination and privilege exists in the anarchist movement, and has played a key role in the perceiving of non-human animal and earth liberation as secondary movements. As any other supremacist ideology, anthropocentrism perpetuates discrimination, enslavement, and murder in general, and towards non-human animals in particular. It embodies an interlocking combination of oppressions which manifest in the dominating social relationship humans have towards each other, the earth and other animals. Similar to white supremacy with the discrimination of non-white people, and male supremacy with the discrimination of non-male identifying people, human supremacy refuses equal consideration and opportunity for non-human animals to pursue a life free of human control.

Like racism and sexism, speciesism is irrational discrimination towards non-human animals based on species. Anti-speciesist anarchism is an anti-authoritarian challenge to anthropocentrism. Biocentrism or Deep Ecology is the re-distribution of power and autonomy equally to all sentient beings through the destruction of human moral elitism. Humans have generally justified their exploitation of non-humans through the catagorization of “animals” as inferior therefore rightfully subjugated. Today many vegan anarchists have replaced “animals” with “non-human animals” or simply “other animals”.This serves to distinguish non-human animals from human animals, while also recognizing the shared animality of both. The word “rights” regarding non-human animals is less often used. Since “rights” in the political context imply permissions or privileges granted by the state, anti-speciesists generally feel this term is inconsistent with autonomous freedom. Anti-speciesism as a significant element and concept in the struggle for freedom is expanding as the intersectionality of all oppressions gains recognition.

Intersecting oppressions

Intersectionality is an examination of how all forms of oppression including but not limited to race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, species or disability do not act independently of one another but instead, are interrelated creating a system of oppression that reflects the “intersection” of multiple forms of discrimination. For example, capitalism utilizes speciesism to commodify non-human animals, reducing them to units of production and capital. The legal property status of non-human animals can be compared to that of the enslaved Africans prior to the Civil War. Reproductive control over women reflects the reproductive exploitation of non-human animals. Anti-capitalists who have acknowledged the relationship between non-human animals and capitalism have seen that such a relationship is the antithesis of freedom and must be abolished. Consuming non-human animals perpetuates the capitalist and human supremacist notion that they are sources of food rather than sentient beings deserving of their natural born right to freedom as humans expect for themselves.

Communication, language and imagery contribute to the mutual reinforcement of all oppressions. Since non-human animals are viewed as inferior, their imagery and identity is used as a derogatory way of describing disliked, oppressed or uncivilized humans. For example some of the most commonly known slurs towards women attack their physical appearance and involve non-human animals. In addition to degrading individual women these insults marginalize entire species of non-human animals as well. The hatred and speciesism towards pigs is encouraged when they are used to reference officers of colonial law. In various contexts, pigs, cows, and dogs are considered dirty, unclean, ugly, unlovable beings. These serve as stereotypes that excuse and encourage their exploitation. In the eyes of a speciesist, non-human animals serve to metaphorically reference oppressed humans. Some non-human animals are used to describe people of color (monkey, ape, coon etc) other non-humans are used in the same way for women (bitch, chick, cow etc). People of color who break laws or act out their emotions are often referred to as animals, and a women who acts out her frustration or anger is often referred to as a “bitch”. The marginalization of non-human animals  is intimately intertwined with the oppression upon them. When examined, the mechanisms of domination, violence, and control are the same.

Beyond “veganarchism”; anarchism means total liberation for all

The term “veganarchism” has played an important part in distinguishing the growing wave of anti-speciesist anarchy from traditional anarchism. But as earth and non-human animal liberation gain recognition for their place in the anarchist struggle, the continued usage of “veganarchism” becomes problematic. The term “veganarchism” preserves the same false division currently withering away. It also draws more attention towards veganism as an action without a preexisting cause. This leads to more dialogue and attention on veganism as merely dietary rather than enough dialogue on the oppression of non-veganism. Speciesism, anthropocentrism, and the authoritarianism in consuming other sentient beings for food receives less exposure to criticism than veganism. This imbalance usually results in drawn out debates about veganism being classist or racist. While it is a common mistake for speciesist anarchists to impose white imperialism upon veganism (which marginalizes vegans of color by assuming that whites are the only ones concerned with deep ecology, health, and non-human animal liberation, this mistake is almost inevitable when the scope of veganism is reduced to Western culture rather than global anti-colonialism. Anti-speciesism is increasingly viewed as consistent with anti-oppression, and biocentrism consistent with anti-authoritarianism. This combination of earth, non-human and human animal liberation presents an anarchist struggle for total liberation.

Speciesism is still widely tolerated in many anarchist communities. Despite the growing number of anarchist vegans, speciesism and anthropocentrism are still viewed as secondary problems. Some blame the language barrier between human and non-human animals for this lack of consideration. Intelligence, physical limitations and sometimes even the question of sentience all play a role in speciesist apologism. But as more anarchists acknowledge the intersectionalism and interdependence of all oppressions, veganism is viewed as the logical process of being anti-speciesist. Anarchism without anti-speciesism allows space for irrational discrimination, domination, and oppression. Furthermore, anarchism without veganism allows space for patriarchy and rape culture. The consumption of milk from cows or eggs from chickens enables the coercive and sexual exploitation of vagina-bearing individuals. Without total freedom for all, authority and oppression remain over some to benefit those in a position of power and privilege.

More anarchist collectives have extended solidarity to non-human animals through promoting veganism, opening up anti-speciesist spaces, and being vocal against non-human animal oppression. Guerrilla gardening, community gardening and polyculture are on the rise in many anti-oppression communities in an effort to combat monoculture and Genetically Modified foods which colonize other lands with industrialization and environmental destruction. Despite ever-increasing state repression, a gradual increase of property destruction attributed to non-human animal liberation continues. In online forums and in the streets, speciesism within the anarchist community is receiving more constructive criticism.  Anti-speciesism means critically examining social interactions and communication between all animals, human and non-human alike. In the process of eliminating oppressive language and practices, solidarity is extended with power, respect, and equality to all who are oppressed. Many anarchists across the globe have embraced veganism not only as a practice of healthy survival but also as an extention of solidarity beyond the speciesist limits of human struggle. Today one can see the merging of the anarchist anti-capitalist/anti-fascist struggle with the eco-defense, animal and earth liberation movements. These struggles in combination present an uncompromising war against capitalism, the state, civilization and the myriad of colonial oppression.

-Blitz Molotov XVX

“7 Ways to Eat Good on a Hood Budget” by Stic of Dead Prez

We at The Feral Space have been livin the vegan hood diet this way since we started and wanted to share this with everyone. Health is wealth ya'll!

“7 Ways to Eat Good While on a Hood Budget“ by Stic of Dead Prez founder of www.rbgfitclub.com
In the work I do in promoting holistic health and fitness through the RBG FIT CLUB, I have run into the following sentiment more than a few times: “I want to eat healthier but it’s too expensive!”. Many people are interested in ways to upgrade their diet without breaking their bank. Well, I can dig it. And since I been striving to sustain the healthy grind in my life personally since way back in the food stamp days, I think I may have a few tips to share.

The following are 7 Ways to Eat Good While on a Hood Budget. But bottom line always remember, we can pay now or pay later (in suffering and doctor bills etc) when it comes to our dietary discipline and choices.

1. Choose Produce not Packages: People think eating healthy is about buying a lot of expensive boxes and packages of processed foods, but that isn’t the case at all.

The cheapest most nutrient dense food in a grocery store in the produce isle. Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. Trying to buy costly packaged goods, potato chips and sugary juices and all kinds of over processed items, even at a health food store is when the budget starts to soar. When we feel we don’t have time to cook we often go for a lot of “quick fix” items like pizzas and pre-cut bags of French fries and stuff like that. That’s where the money adds up. But if you fill your basket with fresh greens and fruits and some basic staples like rice, noodles, beans you will not only have an optimal basket of nutritious foods … you will have saved a great deal of money of the food bill and subsequent doctor bills. Eat real foods and save real money. If you worried the fruits and veggies will spoil before you eat them, read on to number 2!

2. Cook Big and Save Some for Later: Cooking meals in large batches and freezing the leftovers for later in the week or month can save you a lot of time and money.

Instead of buying fast food or eating out at restaurants, or even cooking a full meal every time you get hungry, it’s way more cost effective and time saving and healthy for you to pull something out of the freezer and warm it up than it is to wash/chop/slice/boil/bake/wait in line/wait to be served etc.

Pre-preparing and freezing weekly sized portions of rice or salad choppings or beans etc will simplify your meal duties. Even if you have to do a little cooking you will still save money and time seven days a week. Spend an hour or so over the weekend like on a Sunday evening preparing food for the week. Then, during the week, all you have to do is pull something out of the freezer and heat it up. Them big Ziploc bags ain’t just for the D-boys! Lol

3. Soup Up your Options: Large vegetable soups over brown rice or whole grain noodles pack in vitamins and nutrients, fill you up and are easy to make and delicious. Also Bean burritos, chili, and bean soup can be easy to prepare, cheap and good for you. Going totally meatless a couple of times a week (or for good) also helps your budget and gives your palate a variety to enjoy. Frozen veggies, which are inexpensive, work great in Soups. Nothing compares to that good and filling, good feeling of a hot and hearty bowl of Soup. Cheap, packed with nutrients, easy to prepare. Its the new “Soup-er” food! Lol!

4. Make A Plan and See Where Ya Values Are:. In the hood, in all honesty, We spend a gang of money on cable, hair dos, sneakers, weed, parties expensive bottles of alcohol,video games, big screen tvs, rims, jewelry, strip club tricking, trendy name brand clothes, car accessories, headphones, cigarettes all kinds of overpriced things. But when it comes to our health, we often skimp and look for the cheapest food we can find.

But in our best interest, We have to value our health above all these other things, and make eating healthy a priority in terms of how we spend the resources we have. Makes no sense to be fronting like a rich person on the outside ,but in reality, in poor health on the inside, right? But it’s easy for any of us to make excuses without looking at at a budget, so that’s where budgeting comes in handy.

Budgets help us see where our money is really going not where we feel like its going. Budgeting is also a master ingredient to financial stability in general, so not only will it help identify funds that can be used toward more healthful food choices; its an essential tool to manage our financial responsibilities better in general. Usually when we make a budget we can see plenty of stuff we can do without to make room for healthier eating choices. You may say “shoot, I dont make enough money to budget it!” lol, but you don’t have to make a lot of money to benefit from budgeting. Budgeting helps what ever we make stretch farther and get more of what we truly value out of what we have. When we values ourselves more than our things we make healthier choices. Budget, prioritize and prosper.

5. Season your Food: Eat fruits and vegetables that are in season, that is! Otherwise you’ll be paying a much higher price. For example, if you live in the north east United States and you want some watermelon in the middle of the Winter of December, it’s gonna have to be shipped from where ever it is in season to your local market and you pay that extra cost. Also, eating foods that are current in their natural growing season helps strengthen your immune system for that season. Seasonal Fruits can be frozen and blended to smoothies. Frozen vegetables also can be used to make a stir fry. They’re convenient and they don’t spoil quickly like fresh fruits and veggies.

6. Join a Co-op or Local Community Garden: You get discounts on your groceries by being a member of grocery store co-ops. In exchange for your minimal volunteer work hours per month, you get your groceries at Co-op member’s only price. Same thing goes for community gardens. And not only that you get to learn a WHOLE lot about nutrition and health being in that kind of environment.

There are many urban farm movements popping up all over the place where folks are going back to the land, utilizing whatever small plots there are right in the hood, to grow food. Participating with these farms are awesome ways to educate ourselves on growing food. Also, there are usually harvest markets where the food is sold for really affordable prices and you can get first dibs by being a community member. Places like DTown Farms and Freedom Freedom in Detroit and Truly Living Well Farms and Habesha Gardens in Atlanta are great examples of gardens in the hood that you can google and “dig” into! If you have even the smallest plot of land in your yard growing your own food from heirloom seeds (non-gmo varieties) is also another way to save on the grocery bills while mastering a very useful and fun survival skill.

My wife Afya, has been a great source of inspiration in this area in our household. You can Follow her instagram (@AfyaIbomu) blog to see our latest harvests. And last but certainly not least….

7. Drink more water. Many times we think we are hungry, it may be actually a sign of thirst.

The fact that it is recommended by holistic healers and medical experts alike that we drink half our body weight in ounces of water each day, it’s safe to say many of us are chronically dehydrated and as Rocko’s song lyric says “we don’t even know it”. When we are drinking enough water it curbs our appetite so we don’t over eat. Drinking water also says us money on all the sugary drinks on the market that are often what we choose to wet our whistles due to the drug effect of the high sugar, high fructose corn syrup content of most beverages sold in the hood. We can save our money and our internal organs by saying no to the liquid sugar caffiene crack juice aka sodas and artificial energy drinks and just sip on nature’s good old original elixir -H20!

oh…Bottle water getting too expensive? Get a basic filter for your tap, some for as low as $20 bucks and like Kendrick Lamar’s song says “pour up, drank!”


In summary, the main thing to remember for eating good on a hood budget is that it is doable! People often say things are not possible that they haven’t truly dedicated themselves to figuring out. Many of us say it’s too expensive to eat healthy but we spend and waste a lot of money that could have been spent in a wiser manner. The reason that many of us think health food is expensive is because we are not clear on what health food is. Health food is not going to Whole Foods and stocking your pantry with fancy processed boxes and packages of this and that. Health food is simple and is the least expensive most nutrient dense food in the grocery store, basically fruits and vegetables, beans and simple whole grains. Those are affordable staple foods and even on a food stamp budget (I know from experience) have been scientifically applauded for their health benefits.

It’s important that we not be intimidated by all the health information nor swayed by all the different opposing views on what health is. A lot of it is simple common sense, if you will. We know a bag of chips isn’t a health food. We know that McDonald’s isn’t exactly a health food restaurant either. We can begin to take ownership and be ever vigilant in studying and learning all we can to educate ourselves on how to make healthier choices. Do your own research and take ownership for your health. To live a healthy life its not about always depending on the doctors and medications. One has to in essence become a lifelong student of your own holistic health so you can make wise choices for yourself and your families. Most graduating Doctors spend very little class time studying nutrition when getting their degrees. So they may have a lot of knowledge on surgery and medicine but few mainstream minded doctors are trained in Nutrition. They are trained to diagnose symptoms and prescribe medication, for the most part. However, a holistic nutritionist (as opposed to even a conventional nutritionist) is trained to help us understand the ways in which our food choices can help us heal and keep us healthy without the use of medicines and surgeries.

As mentioned, its important to plan ahead and have a weekly goal and vision on the meals and needs your family has so that we are making less impulsive decision when hunger strikes and more pre-planned long term health affirming choices based on wise consideration and preparation before hand. When we cook in bulk for the week it’s one of the biggest helpers in saving money and eating less fast food and junk food. With realistic budgeting we can see what we really have to work with and choose consciously to value our health over things. Each season nature gives us plenty of fresh foods to nourish us in harmony with our environment and these foods are plentiful in there natural seasons so they are less expensive.

And lastly, but not leastly, we need to realize that our taste buds are conditioned and can be re-conditioned. When we only eat for taste we become slaves to taste alone. And as we learn from seeing far to many of our relatives sick and miserable and overweight and diseased, eating for taste without regard to health leads to self destruction. We can eat healthy on a hood budget. We deserve the best and we can start living like we understand our value by choosing to adopt healthier habits. When the hood is strong, we are truly unstoppable. Salute!

THEORY AND INTELLIGENCE AGAINST NATIONAL ANARCHISM

This article was originally found on the Torch Anti-Fascist Network site and we feel that this is an important article for us to share on here which underlines this new fascist trend. As vegans, we strongly recommend this for other anti-speciesist comrades since there is also a growing trend of fascists entering/being welcomed in some animal rights groups. Here is the original link to this article http://torchantifa.org/?p=398

There has been a tendency within far-right, fascist movements over a number of years, starting largely in Europe, coming to the U.S. in recent years and unfortunately making more of an appearance here in Illinois in recent months.This tendency is “National Anarchism.”

The National Anarchist Movement has been largely influenced by Troy Southgate, who was formerly an active member in a number of far-right parties in Europe, including the British National Front, English Nationalist Movement, International Third Position and National Revolutionary Faction.

The ideology of National Anarchism includes elements of traditional anarchist theory and quotes from Bakunin, Proudhon, and even Hakim Bey appear in their writings. They promote small scale communities without a centralized State. However, they have combined anti-Statism with racial separatism where different cultures, “tribes,” or races are not to coexist.

National Anarchists go out of their way to talk about how they’re not fascist, yet have striking similarities to fascist, far right, white supremacist movements:

-Belief that multi-racial societies are “destroying Europe” (Southgate p.130)

-Utilization of anti-semitic narratives such as references to the “Zionist media” (Southgate “Tradition and revolution”p. 125), referring to Jews as “vampiric parasites intent on carving up the world’s resources in an attempt to create a single, global market” (NAM Manifesto)

-Opposing interracial relationships (what they call the “dominant ideology of inbreeding”)

-Organizing on White Power websites like Stormfront.org

Clearly, these positions are incompatible with a radical anarchist movement opposed to racism and white supremacy (regardless of whether they admit to their fascist leanings).

Some might ask why anti-racist anarchists should be concerned with this fringe movement. One answer is because they actively pursue a strategy of “entryism” where they enter existing movements and utilize them for their own ends.
In their own words, entryism is “the name given to the process of entering or infiltrating bona fide organizations, institutions and political parties with the intention of either gaining control of them for our own ends, misdirecting or disrupting them for our own purposes or converting sections of their memberships to our cause.” (Southgate “Tradition and revolution” p. 220)

Here in the U.S., National Anarchists have attended and participated in anarchist events, such as demonstrations and book fairs. With an anti-State position, critique of Capitalism and the fact that they embrace other causes anarchists are invested in (animal rights, environmentalism, opposition to Israeli militarism, etc.) it is likely that they would have an appeal to some anarchists, particularly those who are young or new to radical politics.

In a way, these attempts at engaging with Leftists, anti-authoritarians and anti-racist anarchist scenes make them even more of a threat than groups that make their racist, white supremacist position more apparent. Their attempts to recruit from existing anarchist communities makes it essential that they be confronted and exposed wherever they appear.

In the last several years here in the U.S., there have been attempts by national anarchists to organize in New York (National Anarchist Tribal Alliance-NY), San Francisco (Bay Area National Anarchists) and recently some National Anarchists have appeared here in Illinois.

For example, National Anarchist Brandon Lashbrook played a prominent role in the utterly failed Illinois “White Man March“.

Crimethinc Podcast on anti-fascism, including analysis of National Anarchism: http://www.crimethinc.com/podcast/11/
Troy Southgate “Tradition and Revolution- Collected Writings of Troy Southgate”, “National Anarchism: Trojan Horse for White Nationalism”
http://radicalarchives.org/2010/11/15/griffin-na-as-wn-trojan-horse/