One thing about Malcolm X. He chose his words carefully and he wasn't afraid to speak his mind. There is no doubt in my mind that the forces he is referring to here and the CIA were in bedfellows. He was becoming a problem, attracting all sorts of people looking for a better world. He was walking picket lines with organized workers. He had moved closer to Dr. Martin Luther king and he was talking of the revolution being one of the oppressed against their oppressors. He was becoming a world leader from Africa, to Europe and Asia. He warned us that you "can't have capitalism without racism". I for one took him at his word on that one, willing to read his writings now I wasn't a "devil". He was a strong pole of attraction for all workers and oppressed people. He was a giant of the 20th century.
I think one other important point to think about is that he is a perfect example of how people can change in relatively short periods of time in the wake of movements from below. He was once a pimp, a most horrible example of a human being. But the Black revolt, the uprisings that drove the European colonial powers from their direct exploitation, the revolutionary upheavals of the 50's and 60's took hold of him. The fearlessness and skills that served him as a pimp and a drug dealer became powerful tools as the desires and aspirations of Black America found voice through Malcolm X. Mass movements have very powerful and positive affects on individuals, they can bring out the best in us. RM
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