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11.14.11 - 2:11 PM
Make No Mistake: This Is Illegal. Also Insane.
A SWAT team of over 25 heavily armed police officers swarmed and arrested an Occupy spin-off group of anarchists in Chapel Hill N.C. who had taken over a long-vacant car dealership and suggested the space be used for a free clinic, kitchen, child care, library, dormitories and other uses so much less scary than the SWAT team that we are left speechless. The police said they felt they had to take the semi-automatic-wielding action because "the group used large banners to obscure the windows to the business..." Sorry. We're still speechless.
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Show AllKnown anarchists???
gotta laugh at the "Anarchist" label. I bet all liberals/socialist leaning people end up being called "anarchists" because we are against our totalitarian government - thus making us "anti-government." Still the label holds a nice scary anti-all-government/order/civilization bent to it so I recognize they were called that as a slur - likely dreampt up by the reich-wing propaganda machine. Be afraid everyone, Liberals are "anarchists"...
A warrior is defined by the skill of his enemy. I bet these bad ass SWAT boys are still slapping hi fives over this glorious victory over the evil banner hanging anarchists. For years they will thrill their grandchildren and other young U.S. Americans with stories of their bravery and skill in routing out these domestic terrorists, and their evil plan to destroy the fabric of our great nation, with free food.
I always love a good post that drips with sarcasm... ;-)
Thank You NC-Tom, I will drip on. No mater how under appreciated! You are one of the few on CD that gets it.
it won't be the first time or the last time organized thugs rejoiced over defeating the evil forces of communism (or anarchism for that matter). god bless the united states of money.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_Massacre_%28Washington%29
...peace...
Ahh, the acrid stench of Fascism continues to waft over the corpse of America. Makes me ashamed that I served in the miltary to protect this brand of "freedom".
Go back and read Che - his diaries. It was all give and take and a lot of people against the revolution as well as turning on him and Castro from even within their rag tag group of revolutionaries. They kept on it and finally overcame Batista. But it wasn't easy or cut and dry. They were ordered to be killed on sight, not even far into their revolution - which took years. It all starts with an ideology change, and that's what this phase of occupy x-place is about.
"It all starts with an ideology change...:
This reminds me of the saying, "Old paradigms don't change. Old paradigms die with old men."
There is more than a grain of truth to this maxim. We all need to do whatever we can to make sure this Occupation keeps going - whether it's on the street, in our community, or in our own hearts and minds. This doesn't end with jackboots and SWAT teams - this ends when we win! And we will win because time is on our side.
_Be maladjusted to Empire._ Let that be our credo.
Exactly they can't clear out out all of us. Occupying public parks, and abandoned buildings is absolutely key now that the oligarchy has screwed the pooch of "the economy" for ultra short term gain, there will increasing numbers of millions of foreclosed "middle" class people who are going to become anarchist squatters/occupiers.
The overtly fascist 1% and it's police goon squads v.s. everyone else is about to kick off, is everyone ready? The fecal matter IS crossing the whirling blades as many of us have predicted would happen for years.
MLK once said that "the future of mankind lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted". Good thought re empire --- Thanks!
A variation on the old quote that "the reasonable man adjusts himself to circumstances, therefore all change is done by the unreasonable man."
Well DV, dont stop with a quote taken out of context.
Make no mistake, the fact that the heavy hand of the Police State is "clearing" Occupation sites around the country at the same time is no coincidence. These orders come from much higher up. The National Security pig state born under Bush has continued to grow and is far worse under Obama. We cannot vote for him and while we certainly don't want a Teapublican, we really would not be much worse off with the wolf than the wolf in sheeps' clothes. Certainly, the movement would be far stronger without the illusion of "our" guy to defend against the right.
More importantly, We the 99% need to run and or back an alternative candidate. It's time for US to define the conversation and to seize the reins. As they said at the founding of our country, if we don't hang together, we shall hang separately
All power to the 99%!.
I agree Jaded Prole, but to whom do you suggest as an alternative candidate ? From my perspective, you would need a candidate that had access to all 50 states in 2012, and had a broad appeal to the OWS people. Not sure who that would be other than maybe a Jesse Ventura/Ron Paul ticket running on the libertarian party ticket. Any suggestions fellow CD' ers ?
Ron Paul? You're joking. Would we get universal healthcare with Ron Paul? What would happen to education & social security?
There are no alternative candidates. The Dems & Reps are in the same camp except for their p*ssing contests and a few issues the Democrats have refused to give up - mainly for PR reasons, and because these issues are bones to toss to the voters.
In 2012 there will be no New Boss who Ain't The Same As The Old Boss. Voting is just another one of those bones gov't gives the people to make them feel all warm and fuzzy, like this really *is* a democracy. We saw Bush steal the election from Gore and no one gave a fig. And as much as I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, give me 'Mr. Less Evil than a Teabagger', any day, and I'll eat my bread at the end of the day, and say, "Wow, George Orwell got it all wrong."
Irony of ironies: we're in the Orwellian nightmare and don't even know it, because hey, we can still vote.
"There are no alternative candidates."
I like what Green Party candidate for President Jill Stein has to say.
http://www.jillstein.org/
Thanks Elainem...
Jill Stein's announcement speach seems to be a very good start.
I was also impressed with (and voted for) her, Elaine, when she stood for governor.
There are many people who don't want the Duopoly. If _all_ of them/us would choose to vote for Dr Stein rather than for J. Random Personalchoice, she might well get elected.
What's with this "squat" team? Were they trying to fight tourism? Where were the Hawaiian shirts as "prrot" of tourist' activity with these people not being in Hawaii?
What's with this "squat" team? Were they trying to fight tourism? Where were the Hawaiian shirts as "prrot" of tourist' activity with these people not being in Hawaii?
Ventura/Ron Paul? No, we are not teabaggers! I might suggest Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders or Richard Trumka. We need to get behind a progressive alternative either within the system or as a massive write in campaign but we need to give up on the two heads of the corporatist monstrosity. We do not need another corporate puppet to sell us out. It is childish to pretend that we can just "occupy" our way to power via sit-ins and a virtual revolution. We must use the present to consolidate our movement and yes, our demands and we must turn the coming "election year" on its head. If anything, Occupy is a withdrawal of the consent of the governed from the corporate sham "government" has become. We must physically put forward an alternative starting with electing progressives around our platform and moving forward with a Constitutional Convention to redraw a better system. Without those progressives in office, the latter is not possible.
>>Ralph Nader got himself on 43 out of 50 state ballots and all you liberals and progressives shit on him in 2008. <<
Couldn't have put it better myself. I voted for Ralph. Obama campaigned for MORE WAR, and so-called progressives called him "the anti-war candidate". He voted for war funding and they called him "the anti-war candidate". He campaigned on the idea of single-payer and turned around and dis-allowed any discussion of such. And they will do the same god damned thing this time around. Vote for Obama. He's a SOFT fascist.
Nader didn't stand a chance. I didn't vote for him in 08 because he didn't pull out in '00 when he still didn't have a chance and knew it yet helped throw the nearly even election to Bush. Yes, I believe we would have been better under Gore than Bush, even knowing that Gore is as sold out as any Dem candidate. I guess I just feel he's sold out to different people than defense companies.
Nader not stepping down in the last days of the election when it was so close between gore and bush and Nader was in the low single digits, led to Bush winning and therefore the Patriot Act and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. The excuse that if he made 5% of the vote he would get national campaign funds next cycle wasn't worth Bush winning and Nader didn't pull in his 5% anyway. Nader is an ass. And so is anyone yelling at people for not voting for someone who would at most get 5% of the vote and didn't even reach that. Candidates that can't win are worthless if not flat out counter productive because you had no say in who could win.
There was a great cartoon at the time with Nader and his campaign manager talking and Bush in the background having just won. The campaign manager asked, "what do we do now, club a baby seal?" That actually did sum it up.
"he didn't pull out in '00 when he still didn't have a chance and knew it yet helped throw the nearly even election to bush."
That's utter rubbish, and anyone who's thinking clearly knows that it's rubbish and why it's rubbish. If _you_ don't know, then I'd very seriously urge you to get your cognitive health evaluated by a competent psychologist.
Put simply, no candidate is owed anyone's vote.
When you talk as though Nader had some duty to drop out in favor of Gore, you're behaving like the member of a cult. To cult members, nothing but the cult has any value, everyone must subordinate their will to the will of the leader, and anyone who doesn't do what the leader of the cult wants is a heretic who deserves every punishment that can be inflicted. The technical term for that kind of delusive thinking is "crazy"; if you can't understand why, go get your head read.
I have voted and supported third parties for many years. Give me a break! You over reacted to my post. I never said I supported Ron Paul but I would definitely support Jesse Ventura. I just put Ron Pauls name out there for discussion.
I have supported Nader in the past and would support him again in 2012. My only concern is that Ralph may be getting a little long in the tooth.
I agree 100% with about 50% of what Ron Paul says (his anti-war / anti-empire / anti-drugwar / pro-civil liberties stances), and disagree just as vehemently with the other 50% of what he says (his anti-Social Security / anti-Medicare / anti-EPA / anti-OSHA / pro-corporate stances). I respect him though for his consistency and his courage in speaking his mind. At least he has a point of view based on reasoned thought, unlike 99% of politicians. Still not a good enough reason to vote for him though.
All I can do is continue to flag these absurd posts suggesting we "run an alternative candidate." Get it, people. The elections/auctions are illegitimate. We cannot participate because they are rigged and we will lose. Our energy will be sapped and wasted on their faux electoral circus. That's the purpose of the system, to drain our resources and waste our time beating our heads against THEIR brick wall.
Repeat after me, three times slowly. I will not vote. I will not vote. I will not vote. I will support the nonviolent overthrow of this corrupt oligarchy. I will support the nonviolent overthrow of this corrupt oligarchy. I will support the nonviolent overthrow of this corrupt oligarchy.
I hope it's only that you don't understand how the system works, not that you're anti-any-tiniest-smidgeon-of-democracy.
The reality is that someone will be installed into every office, with our without our participation in the choosing. And that individual will exercise the whole power of that office whether we like it or no. And the system will be declared to have worked as intended and the individual to be our own democratic choice.
So the very best thing we can do, while we're trying to figure out how to "nonviolently overthrow this corrupt oligarchy" -- something we don't seem even to be working on doing -- is to make whatever impact we can. It might not be --almost certainly won't be-- much, but logically even the tiniest bit of influence is better than nothing.
+ 1 Denruter voting in the U.S. now is meaningless as voting in the Soviet Union or a Nazis "plebiscite," it's a distraction and a meaningless waste of time. Time to get more militant like they did in Argentina:
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-take/
Oh, yes, by all means, let's vote for the lesser evil, you know, the one who has started another half dozen wars since he took office, the one who is offering cuts to social security and medicare. Oh, yes. Let's. And after we cast our votes let's all get together and sing Kumbaya.
That's the terrible existential dilemma we always face: if we can act, no matter with how little effect, we always choose: we do what we can, or less, or nothing. Whatever we did, or didn't do - that was our choice.
In '04, I donated to Dennis's campaign, I made up a very good flyer for him, and I spent some time distributing it. I might have got him some votes -- people hadn't (of course!) heard about him but were very interested in his positions, which was hardly surprising.
But I was discouraged by the rank partisanship of shills like Nagourney in the NYT, the embracing of Dean-the-fraud as "the anti-war candidate", and the disgusting self-interest of the people who organised the state-level support for Dennis (they were much less interested in getting him the nom than getting their own feet in the door of higher-level politics)
Because I let the scum drain my psychological energy, I did much less than I could have done. I spent only a few hours distributing the flyer and talking him up. I didn't even try to recruit anyone else to help (I probably couldn't have done it, but I could have tried).
So they won. And we all lost, though Dennis nearly killed himself trying to do nearly alone what we should all have been helping him do.
It was a big epiphany for me, afterward, to realise how successful all the wet-blanketing had been. Over at DU where I was then a member, after I'd finished digesting what I'd learned, I suggested that for the '08 campaign we create a machine for him, treat it like a development program in industry. Zero interest (well, not quite zero: one woman responded with enthusiasm).
I tried the same thing at a couple of other chatter sites with even less response. Soi-disant left-libs are willing to talk, and sometimes to write a check, but that's about the limit, it seems. They're willing to complain endlessly after the fact, of course, and make grandiose renunciamenti: "someone should have done something. I'm not going to vote next time, fsck it." But understanding at a gut level that it's up to them, too? They can't quite make that connection. Maybe the Illuminati are putting something in the water.
" I will support the nonviolent overthrow of this corrupt oligarchy."
Nice sentiment. Too bad the people COMMITTING the violence are the ones who are in control.
At what point, under what kind of provocation and coercion will you finally say: " NO! You DO NOT have the right OR the authority to commit these crimes against me or the population! And if you continue to do so we will DEFEND ourselves!"
At some point you have to consider unyielding pacifism to be a detrimental mental illness that only empowers and encourages the abuse. As an example those who reviewed the actions of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto who FOUGHT BACK lived longer than those who meekly submitted, who went willingly onto the trains to the death camps.
And before you trot out the tired old chestnut of Ghandi, think for a moment. It wasn't his non-violence that drove the English out of India. It was the strikes and work stoppages that cost the British Empire too much money. They pulled out BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING BROKE!
were the strikes and work stoppages violent?
as I thought, the violence came predominantly from the strike breakers.
I do not believe that violence accomplishes anything worthwhile and lasting.
except perhaps death.
Oh bullshit, you provocateur.
What has Bill Ayers been doing for the past three decades?
I will not vote FOR A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT.
I will not vote FOR A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT.
I will not vote FOR A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT.
Um, voting is a good thing. Maybe not in USA's current way, but voting itself is one of the primary ways for the 'masses' to coordinate and get their voices heard (like consensus meetings).
you would have had me if you'd said- don't vote in November, vote in January at the Constitutional Convention.
I agree with you completely, jmowrey. I've worked myself to the bone trying to get Dennis Kucinich elected only to have people to this day go "Dennis who? He ran for President?" There is NO WAY by far that in this current CORRUPT time with SHAM ELECTIONS that we will ever get a candidate for the people elected. It won't happen until we keep pushing the pillars of this empire until it topples from its own weight --- the lesson I learned from Judo. Only when that happens and we all rebuild our nation as it should be for ALL, will we get leadership from the people and for the people. And no more will that leadership be given the power it has now as we will have to stay on our toes every day to make sure this corruption doesn't erupt again.
If that's true, then there's no reason not to vote and work for a 3rd Party. If it's not true, then there's no reason not to vote for and work for a 3rd Party.
Libertarians don't count.
Abstaining from voting or running alternatives is infantile and self destructive. Pretending the government doesn't exist will not keep it from killing you no matter how many times you stamp your feet. We must step out of the box and unite behind a real alternative. In doing so, we remove our consent from the corporatocracy, put forth an alternative vision people can unite behind, changing the conversation for good. We will then continue the struggle at a higher level with greater mass support and unity.
>>Abstaining from voting or running alternatives is infantile and self destructive. <<
But voting for evil, of course the LESSER one, is mature and self actualizing.
Neither of you get it. Voting the right extremists out of Congress is vital.The government exists and affects you whether you participate or not. I am suggesting that we run and unite behind real progressives and yes, this movement having close to 50% national approval rating (and that even in my local heavily conservative area) means we have some pull and can beat the politicians everyone hates. Running progressives means we are in the conversation and can push our vision. Staying home, beating drums and wishing for a better world will not do that. If we want this movement to continue to grow, it has to be active and move beyond camping and chanting slogans. It has to be the catalyst for a progressive/left unified front that pushes policy demands and political power -- not like a party but as a movement. Running people or backing independent alternatives that represent our vision (and have a record of doing so) is an important part of that. Stay home cynicism cannot be.
"Abstaining from voting or running alternatives is infantile and self destructive."
Abstaining from voting is infantile and self destructive.
Running alternatives is infantile and self destructive.
And later, "I am suggesting that we run and unite behind real progressives."
You want it both ways?
Condemn me for not voting because that would be infantile.
Condemn me for wanting to run alternatives because that would be infantile.
Oh. I see. Only YOU truly understand the situation. Only when YOU want to run and unite behind a real progressive is that not an infantile endeavor. WELL. I bow down to YOU then. Please, oh wise one, PLEASE tell me for whom to vote so that I may escape my infantile fantasies.
Pardon my poor writing. I SUPPORT running alternative candidates. The lack of a comma cause the confusion there. It is the refusal to run alternatives that I find infantile. I will not be voting for Obama but I think we should back someone who can voice our vision and point out the hypocrisy of the corporate candidates.
Jaded Prole -- You are being reasonable. I voted for Cynthia McKinney in the last election and I will probably vote for Jill Stein in the coming election if she is on the ballot.
I don't expect these candidates to win but it is a small way to send a message that the duopoly is losing its grip on the public. The people who run the country are quite happy with people who don't vote because it makes it easier to install the candidates they prefer, and they take your non-participation as a symptom of passivity and 'contentment' with their rule.
Of course, voting is not going to change this system alone. It will require a great deal of political organization, education, and patience. It will also require creative and even spontaneous outpourings that can challenge an entrenched plutocracy where it is most vulnerable.
Someone in an earlier post was mocking the OWS movement for being so tiny. It is small at the moment-- and yet it has already changed the political conversation. Even in small numbers it has began to undermine the illusion of legitimacy that props up the corporate plutocracy.
The OWS has already shown that the plutocracy-- and its militarized police garrisons-- have absolutely no respect for the First Amendment:
"Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
If such a small number of committed people with a simple message can start delegitimizing the system -- and even garner support among quite reactionary sections of Amerikan voters -- then it is an excellent start.
Of course the depictions in the corporate media generally try to paint the protestors as hippies, losers, anarchists, criminals, and assorted scum -- so many of those who depend on TV to do their thinking for them end up with a poor opinion of the movement.
Still the message of bank & corporate greed is getting out:
http://thecommongood.net/2011/11/is-ows-in-danger-of-losing-middle-america/
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
Eventually, it will require widespread protests and challenges across multiple fronts to really paralyze the Amerikan plutocracy. Once a ruling system is delegitimized, however, it is remarkable how quickly it can collapse.
Is any of that possible? Only one way to find out and that is to keep the pressure on -- and that may include voting for candidates that are clearly not acceptable to the predatory class.
They are ALL right wing extremists dude, the DIms vote for the wars, bank bailouts, oil drilling and pipelines, and social services austerity cuts just like the Repiglicons. We will win in the streets or not at all.
+ 1 Jmowrey "voting" now means as much as it did when King George ran America, or Yeltsin ran the U.S.S.R. The system is WAY past fixing. We WILL get Oily "billion dollar" campaign Bomber or investment banker Romeny, and they will just have to be IGNORED until the system falls. I suggest withdrawing your allegiance from the U.S. government and buying corporate baubles altogether and focus on your local community.
Right on. New party needed. Now.
The U.S. was NEVER what it claimed to be Jared, this started WAY before Bush with slavery, the crushing of the whiskey rebellion, the first central bank birthed before even the bill of rights, the genocidal slaughter of natives, corporate personhood with Santa Clara Railroad @ the SCOTUS, manifest destiny, WWI WIlson and Bernay's "propaganda," the jailing of Eugene Debbs and deporting of Emma Goldman, etc, etc. The downtrodden have been trying to dislodge the overclass of BOTH wealth and state power for 2 + centuries. No candidate will solve this only occupying public spaces, abandoned home,s and factories like they did in Argentina and running them better than the oligarchs did like they did in Argentina:
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-take/