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Black Panthers

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Jennifer

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I tried to search for some information but I could not find it. What is the general opinion by Objectivists on the Black Panthers and their actions (in general as well as things like at the Olympic Games). I don't know a whole lot about them (mostly MLK via school etc.) but I know they were militaristic in tendency and that they were willing to use force to achieve racial equality. I also understand that their philosophical background was a mix of the views of Malcolm X and Marxism/Leninism.

So what is the general view of them? Were their actions justified given the dire circumstances they were in at the time (I guess this calls into question whether or not equality could be reached through strictly peaceful means in a realistic manner? -such as was the goal of MLK Jr.) Was their approach morale given the context. Etc.

Thanks for any and all answers I appreciate it.

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I tried to search for some information but I could not find it. What is the general opinion by Objectivists on the Black Panthers and their actions (in general as well as things like at the Olympic Games). I don't know a whole lot about them (mostly MLK via school etc.) but I know they were militaristic in tendency and that they were willing to use force to achieve racial equality. I also understand that their philosophical background was a mix of the views of Malcolm X and Marxism/Leninism.

So what is the general view of them? Were their actions justified given the dire circumstances they were in at the time (I guess this calls into question whether or not equality could be reached through strictly peaceful means in a realistic manner? -such as was the goal of MLK Jr.) Was their approach morale given the context. Etc.

Thanks for any and all answers I appreciate it.

They are racists. Racists, of any color, are all the same, irrational and ignorant.

Their goal is not racial equality. They want special treatment for minorities based on injustices to people of their race in the past.

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During the protests against the Vietnam war, the two Weather Underground leaders Bernadine Dohrn and Bill Ayers once characterized the Black Panthers as being "our Viet Cong", meaning that they would be the militia in bringing the war to the streets of America.

A good book to check out would be David Horowitz's autobiography Radical Son in which he describes his experience working with the Panthers and their leader Huey P. Newton. He tells a particularly chilling story about a bookkeeper for the Panthers who had been murdered, probably because she had uncovered some things about the organization's corrupt finances.

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