I looked into Tariq Ali because the Rolling Stones wrote Street Fighting Man about Tariq. I felt intrigued why a legendary Rock’n’Roll band wrote a song about a revered Pakistani British Intellectual who opposes Colonialist genocide. I wrote about You Can’t Please All, and The Extreme Center because Tariq Ali’s politics and knowledge seemed Democratic Solicialist/ Palestine and the current fascism relevant.

For this column: I accomplished a New Years ambition. I read Verso Books Tariq Ali’s Street Fighting Years, An Autobiography of the Sixties. The Hip Hop music journalist found an intersection of Rock’n’Roll and Hip Hop.

Did Rock’n’Roll history exist because Tariq Ali and Malcolm X sat together as Malcolm X debated some bloke in England? In Tariq Ali’s time with Malcolm while Malcolm left the Nation of Islam after Malcolm expanded his worldview, Tariq Ali didn’t know his exact opinion about Malcolm X until Ali built with Malcolm.

Tariq Ali disagreed with the Nation of Islam’s premise of racial separation. Tariq didn’t think hatred of white people is psychologically advantageous from a dispositional standpoint. Tariq also wonder if Malcolm X was a con-man. Tariq Ali didn’t trust a former hustler who became a religious leader until building with Malcolm.

Tariq Ali found out Malcolm X was honest in presence and intellectual approach. Tariq found himself in agreement with post-Nation of Islam Malcolm X. Tariq Ali does believe white racism is how USA finds support in our country for killing people in Asia, Africa, Palestine, and the Middle East while oppressing black people in America.

Malcolm arrived at Oxford for the debate. Malcolm approached Ali as a Muslim who wasn’t in the Nation of Islam. There are a lot of white English people. Ali is from Pakistan.

In Malcolm and Ali’s spiritual discussion Ali informs Malcolm he in an atheist. Malcolm understands: Ali doesn’t believe in a mystery god and dislikes colonialism. Malcolm smiles.

Malcolm and Ali build with each other with an understanding colonialism oppresses black people and colonizes everywhere else but white people are individuals who can assist in improving the human condition.

Malcolm’s Oxford debate unveils X’s departure from the Nation of Islam and his new political conversations. Malcolm X sounds like the International Criminal Court looking for people who oppose the genocide of black people. Ali found intellectual agreement during Malcolm’s debate with some English bloke. Malcolm and Ali’s personal interactions and political understanding win Ali’s friendship, and admiration. Tariq Ali and Malcolm X both welcomed anyone who opposed colonialist oppression of Palestinians.

Ali is saddened by remembering Malcolm predicted a COINTELPLRO entity would kill him. Tariq believed Malcolm’s new inclusive social revolution was too effective for the CIA or FBI while discussing the assassination of Malcolm X.

Do you consider Tariq Ali interaction with Malcolm relevant with music cultures? Did Rock’n’Roll history exist because Tariq Ali, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoi, James Baldwin,  Stokley Carmichael and others attended the Russell Tribunal where intellectuals denounced the Vietnam War? Tariq Ali and Sartre both believed people should oppose Vietnam because Nam was colonialist genocide.

Their consensus question: Do you oppose Vietnam because it’s wrong or because the colonialist governments couldn’t win? Sartre and Ali believed people should oppose colonialism because colonialism is wrong,

In Street Fighting Years, Ali remembers Bush tried staging a coup in Venezuela a year preceding the Second Gulf War. Venezuela’s people didn’t support the removal of Venezuela’s leader Chavez. The CIA coup didn’t succeed in removing Chavez. Bush invaded Iraq. Do CIA attempts at removing elected government officials eventually make leaders violent out of defending against colonialist subterfuge? Why did you oppose Bush’s lies for invading Iraq? 

Trump learned divide and conquer couldn’t remove Maduro. Capital rapist Donnie chose car-jacking oil ships and Venezuela’s president because history showed Venezuela didn’t cooperate with a CIA coup last time. Trump is hoping Americans support dishonesty for colonialism if colonialists seem brutally powerful. I think Trump too big of a coward to invade Vietnam in 2026.

ICE does have a psychological intent of reversing the idea of increasing colonialism’s morale. I think the lesson from Donald Trump creating a Banana Republic is that he knows Americans ignored extreme oppression in other countries. Why wouldn’t Americans allow Trump to use the same oppressions on all American citizens under the mandate of protecting oligarchs, white supremacy and pedophilia?

During Street Fighting Years’ introduction, around pages 30-40, Tariq includes an interview with a Street Fighting Years’ Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldier about killing Palestinians. The interview divulges how someone’s vocation includes killing people as a form of job discontent. I read this while our country was debating if Renee Good should be murdered because ICE agents felt embarrassed while imposing martial law. 

Renee’s killing and ICE feel like Trump is imposing military violence after observing the success of Netanyahu’s genocide. IDF killing Palestinians is now a accepted behavior in IDF work culture like a bar tender sneaking a smoke break at a pub. ICE kills Renee—Didn’t Renee see ICE had weapons? Why wouldn’t ICE kill Renee for Cop Watch 2026.

I feared Donald Trump was enduring a similar culture in our country. Protecting Israel could also be used to kill American citizens if half the country views Renee Good as someone who should be killed because ICE is necessary for a protection of a Trump voter’s power.

The Question Remains: How many American believe a gestapo police is a priority over the economy, healthcare, education, freedom of speech, freedom of press and quality of life because ICE makes a segment of the United States population feel powerful?

I found Rock’n’Roll history in Chapter 7 while sipping a Rolling Rock. The Rolling Stones recorded the Rock’n’Roll classic Street Fighting Man because Mick Jagger witnessed British Intellectuals in a brawl with British Police because of the Vietnam War. Mick Jagger attended a Vietnam Solidarity Campaign protest. Mick Jagger concluded that fist fights with police were stalemates at best.

Mick decided songs were his route in addressing societies problems during Street Fighting Man.

Well, now what can a poor boy do
Except to sing in a Rock N Roll band.
Cause in London Town
There’s just no place for street fighting man, no.

Tariq enters the idea that the Doors and Jefferson Airplane recognized Rock’n’Roll as revolution. The Doors and Jefferson Airplane endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024, with complete authority from the Doctrine of Rock’n’Roll.

I find it necessary for people to denounce Trump’s fascism for various reasons. We are looking at human beings being killed and abducted as an implication of government fascism. Remember people, we worried about the militarization of police.

Opposing Trump is an artistic imperative. Opposing Trump isn’t only moral. Opposing Trump is an artistic foundational requirement for Rock’n’Roll. I oppose Trump as a music journalist. Liars shifted culture. Trump liars embed dishonesty in people’s experiences. Culture is where people exist. We are looking at secret police in the US streets abducting people as a fear tactic to stifle opposition of fascism.

The Doctrine of Rock’n’Roll condemns people who were involved in Hip Hop and Punk Rock that blatantly lie for Donald Trump in solidarity with fascism, white supremacy, and class oppression.

Where did lying steer culture? People didn’t Rock’n’Roll because Rock’n’Rollas wanted surveillance and government dishonesty. We are just looking at liars.

I’ve seen online debates asking: Is ICE considered gestapo or a slave patrol? Do you prefer Hitler or the confederacy in government enforcing oppression?

Renee Good was murdered because ICE was in Minnesota. Renee was safe until ICE violently invaded Minneapolis under a dishonest premise of protecting her from immigrants. Somalians protested Renee’s murder. Renee is an obvious example of why large amounts of violent government agents without any accountabilities shouldn’t exist.

I think Renee’s killing resembled Tiananmen Square. Why was that Chinese man near a tank?

Chinese Tiananmen Square. Hitler Gestapo. Cambodian Santebal. Confederate Slave Patrol. ICE.

ICE is a threat to all American citizens. Do you wanna be treated like a Palestinian?

Tariq Ali supports Palestine and is from Pakistan. ICE is acting like Netanyahu’s IDF in violation of civil liberties, personal privacy and attempting complete control by using military invasions.

Tariq Ali remembers the holocaust. Ali opposes anti-semitism.

We shouldn’t forget Rock’n’Roll’s social revolution existed as opposition of racism, sexism, classism, and colonialism in Vietnam. I don’t want Donald Trump treating cities like colonies.

Rock’n’Roll’s British Invasion was welcomed immigration. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Oasis get props over here.

Tariq Ali loves Rolling Stones music but does find critical conversation about patriarchal  Rock’n’Roll content in Rolling Stones song “Stupid Girl.” Street Fighting Years culminates with Tariq Ali building with Rock’n’Roll legend, John Lennon of the Beatles.

Rock’n’Roll was the basic revolution of people my age and situation. We needed something loud and clear to break through all the unfeeling and repression that had been coming down on us kids.  ~ John Lennon, Tariq Ali’s Street Fighting Years.Page 358