Maoists in Brixton
- Thread starter Orang Utan
- Start date
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Pickman's model
Yep, that's pretty much the same text, although the one I saw was hand-written (one of the women he kept locked up, and who grassed him, later recanted and started producing this stuff as a sort of penance), it mentions all the same stuff, and is just as dogmatic.
Yep, that's pretty much the same text, although the one I saw was hand-written (one of the women he kept locked up, and who grassed him, later recanted and started producing this stuff as a sort of penance), it mentions all the same stuff, and is just as dogmatic.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Brixton Maoists came up in the last 6 minutes of this Laurie Taylor programme about Maoists in general Thinking Allowed Maoism
Apparently the thing about the Brixton group was their enthusiastic adoption of "self criticism" which is it seems a particular feature of Maoist ideology and practice, and was noted ina similar, larger, Maoist cult in California.
The ViolentPanda and Pickman's model post above illustrate the general effect - make it difficult to break away and make it likely that the cult member will resume enthusiastic propaganda efforts as a result of "just criticism"
cf the case of Shostakovich under pressure from Stalin!
Apparently the thing about the Brixton group was their enthusiastic adoption of "self criticism" which is it seems a particular feature of Maoist ideology and practice, and was noted ina similar, larger, Maoist cult in California.
The ViolentPanda and Pickman's model post above illustrate the general effect - make it difficult to break away and make it likely that the cult member will resume enthusiastic propaganda efforts as a result of "just criticism"
cf the case of Shostakovich under pressure from Stalin!
Fozzie Bear
Well-Known Member
One of them was still on it with the leaflets at the UFFC march the other week.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
And at the "Ballots, not demolition" rally at City Hall earlier this month.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I guess it had to happen. Now someone has written the book:
Radio 4 Saturday review gave it the thumbs up - including John Tusa, which is high praise indeed.
The book is however not a factual account, rather it is fiction claiming to portray the inner world of the unfortunate young woman who escaped from the Brixton Maoist collective cult.
PS is an endorsement by Lionel Shriver good? She seems to be BBC TV's artistic representative of Trump and Farage (oh - there I go again chanelling Comrade Bala!)
Radio 4 Saturday review gave it the thumbs up - including John Tusa, which is high praise indeed.
The book is however not a factual account, rather it is fiction claiming to portray the inner world of the unfortunate young woman who escaped from the Brixton Maoist collective cult.
PS is an endorsement by Lionel Shriver good? She seems to be BBC TV's artistic representative of Trump and Farage (oh - there I go again chanelling Comrade Bala!)
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Still see handwritten stickers round bloomsbury proclaiming yer man's innocence
ddraig
kicking against the pricks...
BBC 2 at 23:45 tonight BBC Two - The Cult Next Door
"This documentary by acclaimed director Vanessa Engle tells the extraordinary story of a strange cult, which came to light in 2013 when a sensational news story broke about three women emerging from a small flat in Brixton in south London after decades in captivity. Tracing the group back to its roots in the 1970s, the film describes how its leader Aravindan Balakrishnan, a student of Indian origin, believed in an international communist revolution and created a tiny political sect that followed the teachings of China's Chairman Mao.
The film features exclusive interviews with two of the women who escaped - Aisha Wahab, a 72-year-old Malaysian woman who was part of Balakrishnan's group for 40 years, and Katy Morgan-Davies, Balakrishnan's daughter, who was born and raised in captivity. The film documents how this left-wing collective evolved into a bizarre pseudo-religious cult, where members were controlled, threatened and brainwashed so that they were too terrified to leave."
"This documentary by acclaimed director Vanessa Engle tells the extraordinary story of a strange cult, which came to light in 2013 when a sensational news story broke about three women emerging from a small flat in Brixton in south London after decades in captivity. Tracing the group back to its roots in the 1970s, the film describes how its leader Aravindan Balakrishnan, a student of Indian origin, believed in an international communist revolution and created a tiny political sect that followed the teachings of China's Chairman Mao.
The film features exclusive interviews with two of the women who escaped - Aisha Wahab, a 72-year-old Malaysian woman who was part of Balakrishnan's group for 40 years, and Katy Morgan-Davies, Balakrishnan's daughter, who was born and raised in captivity. The film documents how this left-wing collective evolved into a bizarre pseudo-religious cult, where members were controlled, threatened and brainwashed so that they were too terrified to leave."
What's the big deal here?
A 40 year old, cold war era raid targetting illegal immigrants and sex criminals, about 20 in total that formed a pathetic fail of a political group, all trying to push a crap political idealogy that killed millions of people.
Sounds like the arrests were a very good thing.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
6 years/ 40 years/22 years after the old war ended - what's the difference? Illegal immigrants?
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Did this raid happen in the cold war - that ended in 91 - or 40 years ago or in 2013? Illegal immigrants? 20 people?Are you sure that you even have the right case?
I gather it was closed in 1978, assuming the link in the OP is correct.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Right so you're not actually talking about what everyone else is - that is the recent-ish court cases and conviction - not a raid in 1978 or 1971.
I was talking about the points in the OP
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Yes, you're replying then to a post from 6 years ago and asking why people are posting about it.
The answer btw is in the latest posts, about the (awful looking) BBC documentary about the case that was on last night.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
Dunno why you're asking me. I don't recall criticising the arrests. This was a long time ago. You probably need to read the thread properly as it's not clear you have
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
Think you're responding to the wrong post though
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Just watched this. Thanks for posting up the info on the programme.
Found it sympathetic interviewing of those who were willing of speak.
Its pretty grim viewing.
The leader of the group was the patriarch ruling over what were all female followers. Using beatings, sexual abuse and mental coercion on his "followers".
As the early interviews pointed out even in left circles in Brixton they were though of as off the wall.
Worst was how the child born into the group has had to start to rebuild her life. She was kept from any interaction with the outside world.
Her attempt to leave led to the police handing her back to Aravindan. She stayed another eight years with him.
The death of one member of the group in mysterious circumstances should have rung alarm bells. Nothing happened.
Neighbors saw that not all was right and did nothing. One was interviewed in the programme.
How they ended up on the Angel Town Estate in one of the new flats isn't explained. The flats in the shown in the programme is the new eco part of the estate built when it was refurbished.
The police don't come out well in this doc.
In the early days the group has a shop in Acre Lane. They interview the ex copper who was instrumental in closing it down and driving the group underground. They raided and closed it on spurious allegation of drugs. The group never used drugs. The copper said one has to be "hard" sometimes. He clearly saw his role in 70s to stop left groups. He was totally unrepentant. It was after the police raid and closure of the shop that the group went underground. As one Trot of the time said they suddenly disappeared from view.
Its a story of a man using coercive control over women. pyschological and physical control.
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Gramsci
Well-Known Member
My criticism of the programme is that it does not go into the fact that this was a man abusing and controlling women. Coercive control is recognised now. But didn't go into that. This case is an extreme example but its not uncommon to varying degrees.
There is lots of footage of Maoist China. As though linking this man's abuse to a whole policial movement is saying Maoism is at fault.
There is lots wrong with Maoist China but I found the constant juxtaposing of the two with little analysis simplicistic.
There is lots of footage of Maoist China. As though linking this man's abuse to a whole policial movement is saying Maoism is at fault.
There is lots wrong with Maoist China but I found the constant juxtaposing of the two with little analysis simplicistic.
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CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
ddraig Gramsci watched it (again) just now.
I certainly watched the programme when it came out (November 2017), and thought there was discussion about it on Urban at the time. Maybe on the main Brixton thread, not here.
What I found a bit disconcerting was the approach of the "de-programmers"
Obviously for the two women who were able to come out of the coercive situation they were very helpful - but they themselves had a slightly messianic attitude, what with assigning developmental ages to women who've been in a subservient role and ot developed normally as children and adults.
Gramsci's point about Maoist clips - well yes, but then against if this had been a documentary about survivors of a Catholic orphange no doubt there would have been clips of bishops and archbishops to set the scene.
I was taught sociology by a Maoist in 1972 and recall being invited to attend screenings of Chinese revolutionary operas in the Manchester Friends Meeting House. Funnily enough if you like Wagner, its the same general idea.
I certainly watched the programme when it came out (November 2017), and thought there was discussion about it on Urban at the time. Maybe on the main Brixton thread, not here.
What I found a bit disconcerting was the approach of the "de-programmers"
Obviously for the two women who were able to come out of the coercive situation they were very helpful - but they themselves had a slightly messianic attitude, what with assigning developmental ages to women who've been in a subservient role and ot developed normally as children and adults.
Gramsci's point about Maoist clips - well yes, but then against if this had been a documentary about survivors of a Catholic orphange no doubt there would have been clips of bishops and archbishops to set the scene.
I was taught sociology by a Maoist in 1972 and recall being invited to attend screenings of Chinese revolutionary operas in the Manchester Friends Meeting House. Funnily enough if you like Wagner, its the same general idea.
Good riddance
Cult leader Aravindan Balakrishnan dies in prison
Aravindan Balakrishnan was jailed for 23 years for sexual assaults and keeping his daughter captive.
www.bbc.co.uk
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CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Just to add a nasty detail to a nasty case - I was in the habit of occasionally going to Southwark Crown Court to vada the proceedings in notorious cases such as Harry Redknapp (acquitted of tax fraud), Kweku Adoboli (found guilty of false accounting, imprisoned and deported following a £1.3 billion trading loss whilst working for UBS Bank of Switzerland), Keith Kerr (acquitted of fraud following the collapse of Ujima Housing Association, of which he was Chief Executive).Good riddance
Cult leader Aravindan Balakrishnan dies in prison
Aravindan Balakrishnan was jailed for 23 years for sexual assaults and keeping his daughter captive.www.bbc.co.uk
For one day only I went to Balakrishnan's trial, with a friend.
Much of the time was taken up discussing mind control by the evil satellite Jackie.
Possibly more bizarre was some extended discussion of Balakrishnan's requirement that female followers, including his wife - who was sat there in court impassively - should please him by giving him anilingus. Naturally this caused a bit of a problem for the court. The prosecutor was beating about the bush trying not to be obscene or salacious - with the judge intervening to clarify (for the sake of the jury) exactly what was meant.
I reckon Mr Balakrishnan had more in common with the Marquis de Sade than Chairman Mao.
All me and my friend could do was exchange a quizzical look.
DaveCinzano
WATCH OUT, GEORGE, HE'S GOT A SCREWDRIVER!
Bonkers
Fozzie Bear
Well-Known Member
Splits and Fusions recently received a bunch of Workers Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought material from the 1970s which has now been scanned and uploaded:
splitsandfusions.wordpress.com
Three Magic Weapons…
A short while ago we received an mysterious email from a Charlie Windsor asking for our postal address and offering to send us some communist literature which may be of interest. My reply, sending …
splitsandfusions.wordpress.com
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Maoist cult leader was found dead in bed in prison cell, inquest hears
Aravindan Balakrishnan, jailed in 2016 for string of sexual assaults, died of natural causes, coroner rules
Died in Dartmoor prison
