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TechnoratiWhy We Were Falsely Arrested
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Government crackdowns on journalists are a true threat to democracy. As the Republican National Convention meets in St. Paul, Minn., this week, police are systematically targeting journalists. I was arrested with my two colleagues, "Democracy Now!" producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, while reporting on the first day of the RNC. I have been wrongly charged with a misdemeanor. My co-workers, who were simply reporting, may be charged with felony riot.
The Democratic and Republican national conventions have become very expensive and protracted acts of political theater, essentially four-day-long advertisements for the major presidential candidates. Outside the fences, they have become major gatherings for grass-roots movements - for people to come, amidst the banners, bunting, flags and confetti, to express the rights enumerated in the Constitution's First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 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."
Behind all the patriotic hyperbole that accompanies the conventions, and the thousands of journalists and media workers who arrive to cover the staged events, there are serious violations of the basic right of freedom of the press. Here on the streets of St. Paul, the press is free to report on the official proceedings of the RNC, but not to report on the police violence and mass arrests directed at those who have come to petition their government, to protest.
It was Labor Day, and there was an anti-war march, with a huge turnout, with local families, students, veterans and people from around the country gathered to oppose the war. The protesters greatly outnumbered the Republican delegates.
There was a positive, festive feeling, coupled with a growing anxiety about the course that Hurricane Gustav was taking, and whether New Orleans would be devastated anew. Later in the day, there was a splinter march. The police-clad in full body armor, with helmets, face shields, batons and canisters of pepper spray-charged. They forced marchers, onlookers and working journalists into a nearby parking lot, then surrounded the people and began handcuffing them.
Nicole was videotaping. Her tape of her own violent arrest is chilling. Police in riot gear charged her, yelling, "Get down on your face." You hear her voice, clearly and repeatedly announcing "Press! Press! Where are we supposed to go?" She was trapped between parked cars. The camera drops to the pavement amidst Nicole's screams of pain. Her face was smashed into the pavement, and she was bleeding from the nose, with the heavy officer with a boot or knee on her back. Another officer was pulling on her leg. Sharif was thrown up against the wall and kicked in the chest, and he was bleeding from his arm.
I was at the Xcel Center on the convention floor, interviewing delegates. I had just made it to the Minnesota delegation when I got a call on my cell phone with news that Sharif and Nicole were being bloody arrested, in every sense. Filmmaker Rick Rowley of Big Noise Films and I raced on foot to the scene. Out of breath, we arrived at the parking lot. I went up to the line of riot police and asked to speak to a commanding officer, saying that they had arrested accredited journalists.
Within seconds, they grabbed me, pulled me behind the police line and forcibly twisted my arms behind my back and handcuffed me, the rigid plastic cuffs digging into my wrists. I saw Sharif, his arm bloody, his credentials hanging from his neck. I repeated we were accredited journalists, whereupon a Secret Service agent came over and ripped my convention credential from my neck. I was taken to the St. Paul police garage where cages were set up for protesters. I was charged with obstruction of a peace officer. Nicole and Sharif were taken to jail, facing riot charges.
The attack on and arrest of me and the "Democracy Now!" producers was not an isolated event. A video group called I-Witness Video was raided two days earlier. Another video documentary group, the Glass Bead Collective, was detained, with its computers and video cameras confiscated. On Wednesday, I-Witness Video was again raided, forced out of its office location. When I asked St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington how reporters are to operate in this atmosphere, he suggested, "By embedding reporters in our mobile field force."
On Monday night, hours after we were arrested, after much public outcry, Nicole, Sharif and I were released. That was our Labor Day. It's all in a day's work.
284 Comments so far
Show AllLets pass a law at our City, County, and State levels that require all elected officials to represent their constituents or be removed from office. Representation would be majority of the vote of those the elected official represents.
If the constituents felt they were not being properly represented, they would vote on the issue, and if the majority disagreed with the elected official the official would have to reverse their vote, or signing or whatever action they took to mis-represent their constituents.
A vote of no confidence by the constituents of the duly elected official would be used to remove them from office. No more "four more years" of waiting to vote them out.
No more corporate whores, no more wars of aggression, no more suppression of civil liberties, no more spying on Americans, no more torture, no more renditions, no more BS.
enliven aka Namaste said:
"Perhaps we can agree on something here,"
I think we agree on more things than you know.
"There is a case where that is actually factually correct -- especially when the advance plans that the police know of, are of those of using violent agent provocateurs ( pretending to be demonstrators ) ."
I see very little utility in the use of such "provocateurs" and think it would be counter productive. OTOH, infiltration of groups in oredr to ascertain plans is different.
"It would be stupid to underestimate the politically fueled advantages of making good use of PUNISHING on camera such anarchists ( even of OOoopps, the ones you beat up are the real PEACEFUL demonstrators, while letting the truly violent agent provocateurs, get away scott free )."
Where footage would fail to show that strong methods against "real PEACEFUL demonstrators", I think the strategy backfires.
"There's just so little real justice these days for those that really abuse the public's trust"
I agree with this much.
The purpose that eludes you is that it self-JUSTIFIES the use of
___ extreme police violence against citizens, the
___ "progressive" militarization of local & state police, under fusion centers -- aligned with illegal federal policies
___ leap-frogging violations of "Posse Comitatus", use of National Guard troops against civilians.
___ use advancing use of unconstitutional spying, ( FISA ) search & seizure, and similarly
___ illegal preemptive raids -- to combat illegitimately branded "home grown terrorists".
___ illegal restraints & harassment targeted upon independent news reporters, to repress PROTECTED free speech expression not possible in corporate controlled jacka$$ sewer main stream media.
___ Conning Americans that the demonstrators are ( mostly ) violent anarchists, whose ACTUAL sacrifices are for protection of the public's Constitutional powers being egregiously eroded. The REALITY of protecting OUR collective freedom - is being propagandized and twisted to represent exactly the opposite - to further the trend toward FASCISM ( corpoRAPE profiteering & warmongering ).
__ This country implicitly & explicitly, has stood for protection of the innocence ( until PROVEN guilty ) and Soverign Inalienable human rights -- and to deconstruct that is CRIMINAL
__ the protected right of dissent and presenting the gov't with justified points needing REDRESS, is now progressively being precluded through a conspiracy of corpoRAPE control ( bribery + ) of most political candidates & media. This then leaves VISIBLE DEMONSTRATIONS in places where the media will of necessity be -- as the last strands left available for MANDATORY public power sharing and participatory democracy.
Namaste
"The purpose that eludes you..."
The use of planted provocateurs? I don't support it, and doubt if it necessarily leads to everything you list.
_ S.o.r.r.y _, but your taxpayer status says that
___ y.o.u _ d.o ( & _ d.i.d ) _ s.u.p.p.o.r.t _ i.t.
These are chinks in the illusion, that we can see through. Of course VERY significant & costly efforts have been made to cover up the crimes, which I'm sure that you do know is another crime in itself.
The ultimate truth and consistency of the facts is purposely misdirected and interspersed with much dubious propaganda, false information, and very carefully planting of divisive points of view to preoccupy conspiracy theorists galore.
Just look at __ J F K _ & _ M L K ' s __ assassinations, the later being a better indication of proven ( in a court of law ) gov't conspiracy ( false witnesses & evidence, paid by FBI … etc ).
The amount of evidence that now links Iran-Contra, to October surprise Repuke_lican Coup d'état ( delay of release of Iranian Banks funds, until after Raygun's S[tolen]_election ), when coupled to thievery of '00 & '04 elections is massive ( beyond a reasonable doubt ).
Namaste
"_ S.o.r.r.y _, but your taxpayer status says that
___ y.o.u _ d.o ( & _ d.i.d ) _ s.u.p.p.o.r.t _ i.t."
Your's too. Unless you are a tax scofflaw. I was speaking from a personal view of course.
Sloganeering opportunity: The government takes *your* money and spends it the way *they* wish.
Well this appears to be a breakthrough for you, to acknowledge this.
Of course the "they", really isn't the gov't'$ "free" choice -- as they spend that money exactly the way that the gobblist global bankers and boards of directors of corpoRAPE America figure is BEST, which will net them the highest profit, power, control, and longest chance to reign supreme.
I on the other hand, never had any doubts about what the collective and psychopathic criminals in gov't and globalist headquarters are capable of.
Even our centuries old Presidents like ( Thomas Jefferson ), and particularly Andrew Jackson -- considered his successful beating down the international bankers his most important life's work.
As similarly, Lincoln would likely gravely have said, had he also avoided the Rothschild's assassins ( as had Jackson ). No doubt the stark reality of JFK's assassination, for actually doing similar -- by disemboweling central banker's profiteering of MIC spending & deficits -- places the historical onus in perspective.
So if this is stipulated, why on Earth do you oppose aligning with the preponderance of evidence, which shows beyond any reasonabel doubt -- what happened nearly 7 years ago, on 9_!_! ?
It's way beyond a truth commission, it's way beyond simple treason -- the widespread illegalities are nearly impossible to fully characterize, and the graduations of culpability between war criminals murdering, and mere thieves and extortionists is astronomical.
If the global economy's heart must be ripped from the dying body of international bankers, I say it's about time, and we all will immediately begin to profit from it's demise -- even if at first there are some upsets along the way.
Doing as South Africans did, by granting blanket immunity to those confessing ( for a short amnesty period ) -- the balancing act of survival and justice can we orchestrated. Some criminals of lower rank would avoid the consequences of their acts, but that price is "priceless" towards the life sentence convictions, upon those higher ups.
Namaste
"Well this appears to be a breakthrough for you, to acknowledge this."
It never came up. I would expected that you would have given me the benifit of the doubt, having not discussed it.
"I on the other hand, never had any doubts about what the collective and psychopathic criminals in gov't and globalist headquarters are capable of."
And while you may or may not be right about that capability, it's different from what they actually have done.
"why on Earth do you oppose aligning with the preponderance of evidence, which shows beyond any reasonabel doubt -- what happened nearly 7 years ago, on 9_!_! ?"
First, I am "in denial" on much of that specific evidence offered. So much of it doesn't stand up to examination. Molten steel.
Second, The disturbing and annoying pattern of ignoring debunking arguments while just repeating the original debunked arguments.
Third, while the official story has some problems, the imaginative convolutions required for the alternates to be true make them much more difficult to believe.
This is all I intend to say about it in this thread.
Quoting from the following article by Patrick Martin, entitled "McCain Launches Fall Campaign as Obama Embraces Iraq 'Surge'” --
"The most important factor propping up both the Bush administration and the Republican presidential campaign is the complicity and cowardice of the Democratic Party. McCain’s claim to be leading an insurgency against the government of his own party is undoubtedly preposterous, but he is able to adopt this posture with at least a fig leaf of credibility because the Democratic Party does not fulfill the role of an 'opposition' party in any serious sense.
"Obama’s performance Thursday on Fox television’s 'The O’Reilly Factor' was a case in point. After winning the Democratic nomination in large measure because of his purported opposition to the war in Iraq, Obama has sought repeatedly to demonstrate to the US political establishment that he can be a credible commander in chief for American imperialism.
"He told O’Reilly that he 'absolutely' believed that the United States was engaged in a worldwide war against terrorism, including not only Al Qaeda and the Taliban, but 'a whole host of networks that are bent on attacking America who have a distorted ideology.'
"Obama described Iran as a 'major threat,' and said it would be 'unacceptable' to an Obama administration for Iran to possess nuclear weapons. 'It would be a game-changer,' he said, adding, 'I would never take a military option off the table.' He called for a more aggressive military posture towards Pakistan, the day after a major US military strike within that country.
"But his starkest reversal came on Iraq, as O’Reilly pressed him to admit that the Bush administration’s troop 'surge,' the escalation of the war by the addition of some 30,000 US combat troops, had been a success. Obama has sought to dance around the issue for months, but he finally embraced the surge emphatically on Thursday.
"'I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated,' he said, adding, 'It’s succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.' This demonstrates not only Obama’s cringing submission to the pressure of the right wing, but a staggering degree of political blindness. Like Bush, Cheney, McCain and the rest of official Washington, Obama truly believes that US imperialism can, by military force alone, impose its will on the world. His only disagreement is with the Bush administration’s obsessive focus on Iraq, which Obama and many other spokesmen for the military and foreign policy establishment believe has undermined US interests in other parts of the globe.
"The Democratic Party is a capitalist party that defends the same social interests as the Republicans—the massive fortunes of the superrich financial aristocracy which is the real ruling force in American society. The Democrats play a specific role in the political division of labor: while the Republicans consistently and unabashedly uphold the rights of the wealthy, the Democrats pretend to represent working people, while ensuring that there is no challenge from below to the profit system.
"This division of labor explains the half-hearted and spineless performance of the Democrats in the current presidential campaign. Obama, Biden & Co. are at pains to demonstrate that they will make no appeal to mass discontent that goes beyond what is acceptable to the ruling elite. The Democrats offer their services to the financial oligarchy to win at least a certain degree of mass support for the reactionary program that both parties fundamentally share."
Click here for the entire article -- http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/sep2008/mcca-s06.shtml
Interesting arguments all around. And good passion evident in all your posts.
But some things in this country never change:
• King George and his Barons always want more power and poorer subjects to reign over.
• Redcoats only see things from an enforcement perspective, and defend their bloody massacres as "legal" and proper no matter how atrocious their fellow Beefeaters behave.
• The people will always have a substantial portion of the population remain "Loyalist" to the Crown; and actively inform on those damn "rebels" or troublemakers; so trolls are to be expected.
• Taxation without representation (only big corps are represented in today's gov) will result in "Boston Tea Party" events sooner or later. So don't put down those black-masked anarchists or those store rock-throwing urchins; because they are on the side of Liberty. They are on the side of Democracy. Even those gun wielding WACOs or those Oklahoma City nuts were on the side of Freedom from an oppressive, overbearing government with no hope of being reformed. They just ran into it sooner than the rest of us did. Each year the government gets bigger and meaner, and ultimately will have us all in irons if we don't do something about it.
In our ancestor's day, they boarded a Mayflower and fled to the developing world to escape mindless tyranny like in Minneapolis or Old England. I suggest you all do the same. Before property values crash any lower, dump your house and move out to the islands.
Yes, there is a life after the freeway and the shopping mall. In a country that has revolutions every ten years; where the government is afraid of the people; not like in the U.S. where the people are afraid of the government. Right now I'm watching the most gorgeous spectacular sunset over the ocean..... no cops, no nannystate, and who needs a car?
How did that go? "Tune in, Turn on and Drop out!" (The 1960's Boycott Battlecry!) Maybe there was something to all that hippie stuff after all. Walmart hasn't gotten any money from me in over three years. I eat strange tropical non-GMO fruit and vegetables grown in natural volcanic soil. And most of it is free. We can win the war against tyranny fueled by consumerism if we try.
Many of you, I fear, however, are still trapped in the Old World NeoCon Matrix. It is not the Matrix that must bend; it is you who must free yourselves from it's trappings. Impossible, you say?
If you say so.
The colonist had the same trouble convincing their neighbors to boycott not only tea, but all domestic things made in Britain, which was just about everything back then. John Adams wife found it particularly stressful to live without any common household items whatsoever.
Regardless of where we are, or what methods we deploy, we free men all have our role to play in defending the Bill of Rights.
Ben Franklin The First American
The email of the police chief of St Paul is john.harrington@ci.stpaul.mn.us , in case anyone wants to complain.
UNENDED & ENLIVEN: Good work taking the wind out of Jake's ill-placed sails.
He's the N'eveready battery of abuse and assault.
( the suckered bunny says, NO funny )
Namaste
"He's the..."
Whatever. You always want to talk about me rather than the topic. You're better off just ignoring me if you don't want to address the issue.
¿ I always do … ( what ) with you ?
____ bu$h!t ____
Your pathetic exaggerations to play into your idea of a 'fair play', is out of bounds with reality. Your losing in dozens of detailed "reasonable" interchanges, where I have often disemboweled your "truth", can not be abused with your unreasonable memory of times past.
Your telling me how I'm better off by ignoring you is completely founded in the quicksand of your reality, which only temporarily holds any issue up for long.
As far as it being about your 'position on a topic', or about your caricature -- I've answered that on numerous occasions, which you too conveniently forget about -- to support your polished agenda and clever packaging of opinion.
Your even refer to it as "rather than the topic", as if your position and beliefs were explicitly stated, instead of corrosively exposed in the remnants of progressive thinking, being reduced to neoCON slogans.
You are absurdly deluded, if you continue to represent your view of "the issue" as if that were the only one possible, and that you control the proper manner of "addressing" it.
Namaste
"Your pathetic exaggerations to play into your idea of a 'fair play', is out of bounds with reality."
How can insisting that one stick to the facts associated with a topic be considered an exaggeration of any kind?
"Your losing in dozens of detailed "reasonable" interchanges, where I have often disemboweled your "truth","
You may not be surprised to hear that I can't think of a single case of this. In fact, I think *you* have learned a few modest things, such as what the term "molten" really means.
"Your telling me how I'm better off by ignoring you "
This is nothing more than what *you* have unreasonably urged others to do here. I am simply suggesting you take your own advice if you are going to avoid the topic under discussion with references instead to who or what you think the participants are.
"As far as it being about your 'position on a topic', or about your caricature -- I've answered that on numerous occasions,"
Yes yes, I am "paid by the Neocons".
"to support your polished agenda and clever packaging of opinion."
Yet again another attempt to mischaracterize the discussion of fact. Questioning the agenda or motive of a participant has no bearing whatsoever on the veracity of comments made by participants about a topic. This has got to be the tenth time I've had to explain this to you.
"progressive thinking, being reduced to neoCON slogans."
Examining a video for the factual evidence it provides and discussing that in the context of a topic has absolutely no resemblance to sloganeering. You are completely of base here. I "never" provide slogans in my posts.
"You are absurdly deluded, if you continue to represent your view of "the issue" as if that were the only one possible,"
This is comment would be much better directed at others here, who seem to think that if you even suggest that the police in St. Louis were anything other than armed thugs, or that the protesters there were anything other than angelic, righteous, and innocent in all ways, that you are a fascist. OTOH, I have specifically tempered some of my remarks here with phrases similar to "I could be wrong" or "it's impossible to know for sure".
You are a smart guy, how can you post stuff like this?
Perhaps the impressionable marks upon a pre-teen seeing heads being cracked open while being gassed at DNC in '68 ?
Having the jack-booted iron heel upon your own neck, or someone you love, just might change your point of view.
If fascism ( protecting US from illusionary FEARS of Muslim terrorism ) is the question, then LOVE is the answer -- not what we see in the conventions.
How are you personally going to adapt to the encroachment of your own rights, in our society's grave lock-step march toward a police state ? Denial isn't very effective.
Namaste
"Having the jack-booted iron heel upon your own neck, or someone you love, just might change your point of view."
Yes it might, and one could understand if as a result everything seen now resembles a jack-boot but that doesn't mean that point of view is right.
I agree, that what I see is likely only part of the story. What's potentially worse is that what we've been able to see and perceive :
__ is likely to be later shown to be a poor representation
__ of how bad it really is, underneath.
Namaste
"I agree, that what I see is likely only part of the story. "
Great, we agree on something. Same for me and everyone else.
"is likely to be later shown to be a poor representation "
Yes, of course that will sometimes be true.
Hang in there Jake. You have to simply disengage from the flamers. There's no winning with them. Engaging them gives them fuel, the signal that they are getting somewhere. Reasonable people will always support those who call for reasonableness. Trust that you've got that right. I don't know you, but I know that much about you.
Thanks. I think it's reasonable to look at facts. That's basically all I do here. In this case, we have a video vs. claims made in an article.
A R B Y,
Usually it is appreciated ( by ALL ) for those willing to apply calming words, that often can edge the discussion back into productive discourse. Thank you for attempting to heal what you see as a problem, although the long history here is likely outside of your experience.
Nonetheless I'm truly sorry to observe that your comments miss the underlying point, especially about which direction the flames are more likely to be moving and why.
When you say "Reasonable people will always support those who call for reasonableness," that assumes a degree of authenticity on both parties. This is an excellent starting point, which time will tell if appropriate.
Superficial and plausible reasonableness is cut from a cloth of deceit and ulterior purpose, that you either have easy access to -- or are repelled by it.
I don't know you, but now have less reason to either ( it's not plausible you're new to the planet nor that above was the first you've ever read of JAKE ). Your subtle words have no power on me, not the falsely aggrandized associations of JAKE being on the side of the angels, or of his being reasonable NOR that there is any trust deserved.
"Reasonable" people do not AUTOMATICALLY assume that the police are fine, upstanding, courageous, and honorable in what ever they chose to do ( and that everyone gets what they deserved ) -- that is what fearful and terrorized subservient people feel ( w/o thinking ) about authority -- and the reason this thread is quite feisty.
Namaste
"Superficial and plausible reasonableness is cut from a cloth of deceit and ulterior purpose,"
Why would it be that the examination of the specific facts of a topic be superficial or deceitful?
""Reasonable" people do not AUTOMATICALLY assume that the police are fine, upstanding, courageous, and honorable in what ever they chose to do "
You can't possibly conclude from anything I have ever said that I assume the above. In fact, I think there are plenty of problems with police globally and on the individual level. I have not been discussing that here.
A carefully SELECTED deconstructed pattern of specific facts that overall PAINTS a false picture of REALITY, is deceitful -- and is an attempt to shift the weight of actual gov'tal blame upon the victims of abuse OR anywhere else other than where it belongs.
One cannot argue for thousands of specific facts that consistently paint a picture in justification for corpoRAPISM -- and escape the REALITY of the collective image being constructed and foisted here.
As far as my point about your ( implicit ) assumption of angelic predisposition of police, you consistently paint the opposite picture of the demonstrators themselves justifying the police abuse, which is essentially the same idea ( in reverse -- figure / ground reversal ) -- exactly as I have suggested is your favored stickt and method of madness.
Namaste
"A carefully SELECTED deconstructed pattern of specific facts that overall PAINTS a false picture of REALITY, is deceitful"
Regarding the current incident, as an example. Approaching 300 posts and no one has yet even disputed the fact that Goodman ignored several orders to move to the sidewalk. Only one suggestion that the orders were unlawful somehow that I was able to counter given that police are empowered to place certain areas of public property off limits from time to time. How are these facts, so very central to the article under discussion, constitute "carefully SELECTED deconstructed pattern of specific facts that overall PAINTS a false picture of REALITY"?
"you consistently paint the opposite picture of the demonstrators themselves justifying the police abuse,"
I have only commented on Goodman and some demonstrators that broke windows and slashed tires. Demonstrators who peacefully chant slogans or hold signs or whatever I have no problem with and I am sure there were thousands like these.
Not a chance.
Here's local a local Twin City TV news story (NBC station KARE) about a cameraman being caught up in a demonstration of people who had no permit to march. He was arrested.
(ok I promise to reserve comment)
You make the call.
http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=81947
Thank you Amy, for not letting anger, vile, or hatred overcome your reaction to the arrest. I watched the video, and, I could not believe this was happening!
I am now going to go in over my head financially, donating to any and all Democratic candidates who are running against this fascist government.
WELCOME TO CHINA AMY GOODMAN!!! I guess when they bought our loans they also bought our freedom
We need to talk with each other, even if we disagree. Heck, half the time I have two or more different opinions fighting it out within myself. Critical posts from others are very helpful.
BUT I have regretfully concluded that it is a total waste of time to respond to jakenewton.
Joe
First they beat up the anarchist videographers. I wasn't an anarchist.
Then they beat up Amy Goodman and her camera crew. I wasn't a strong liberal.
Then, well I'm on deadline and my boss pays me not to think about the horrid ending to this story, so I'll just go cover the dog show.
Unfortunately, i have to agree with tetti tatti. To expand on the cancer metaphor, one can be constructive and have great ideas all day long, but when a cancer has been spreading unfettered for too long, there eventually is a point of no return.
The american zeitgeist is a cancerous theology of greed and selfishness. I believe a critical mass is about to be reached. The ONLY sign of an end to this trend is the decline of the fuel supply (ie the ability to perpetuate the cancer).
Oil (the vehicle by which america has been able to spread its philosophical cancer across the globe) has peaked and daily global oil production has flatlined and will soon start to decline. Most experts think we'll be totally out of (net energy gain) oil by 2050. The period between now and then will mark a rapid decline of the spread of americancer.
The inevitability of the decline of cheap, abundant oil is the chemotherapy that will eradicate the poisoned ideals of america.
But we're still gonna need pro-active people with good ideas about society after the oil era, so don't give up!
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
To Gregdevious: There are too many suffering people and animals, too many ancient and biodiverse habitats being obliterated, and the global biosphere is too close to becoming uninhabitable for billions of human beings to pretend that humanity can wait another 40 years for the downside of peak oil before mass positive progressive change can occur in the U.S. and abroad. The pace of human events and technology won't allow it either. I have no doubt that other nations have already quietly embarked on that change and they will leave the increasingly isolated and internationally shunned U.S. to its own barbaric devices if we continue to regress too much longer.
Russia and China are already taking those steps with regard to Amurka's "full spectrum dominance" pretension that we can endlessly militarily dominate the entire planet. The Europeans and Japanese are leaving us behind in terms of green technologies and renewable energy subsidies and implementation plans.
Consider the changes that occurred in the 20th century over a similar span of time from 1908 (still the tail end of the age of agriculture, kings, czars and kaisers) to 1950 (already into the nuclear Cold War, the advent of the Space Age and spreading global industrialization). For all we know now, some populations of human beings may have to genetically alter themselves or, to an as yet unknown degree, robotize themselves to survive conditions after 2050 and the human genome is already being tinkered with in unknown ways. Any number of predictable and unpredictable things will transpire. Catalysts to historical change are seldom well understood until deep into or after the processes they accelerate.
Our jobs as true progressives is to confront the challenging tasks and difficult ideas now, so that our ruling classes and the high-technologies they play God with don't leave the rest of society's collective moral, spiritual, emotional and intellectual capacity to understand let alone cope with them so far behind that the entire planet is reduced to slavery under post-industrial Malthusian hot-house hell conditions.
To WTF who said, "...before we can deal with these issues (as you suggest, offer positive constructs), we must first accept that they exist. I contend that the majority of Americans are in denial: 'It can't happen here - this is America, Land of the Free'. Truth hurts, and the only way to implement change is when the majority hurts."
I reply that we must constantly refine and offer up positive constructs whether or not others can yet accept that the issues they address exist. That is part of the educational process for the deniers. There are always some listeners whose minds are opened and one of them may be a key thinker or entrepreneur whose ideas become critical to rapid change. IBM and Bill Gates is a perfect example of this. In the old IBM mainframe-centric culture the idea of desktop PCs was considered insignificant to the point of laughable. A few of the lower-downs tried to shop some of the source code that later became a true graphical user interface to a couple of computer geeks and the wife of the couple they wanted to offer it to hesitated to take the deal (of the century) because her hubby wasn't there to make the decision with her. The transaction cost was something like $50K at the time. Next on the list was Bill Gates. I didn't own a computer 10 years ago. It would be difficult to do without one now.
Yet it is also true that the U.S. middle-class had to simultaneously face a Great Depression and World War II for profound social change to take place in the first half of the 20th century. Very similar conditions are upon us now and they won't take 40 years to unfold, I guarantee you that.
Ted Nordhaus and his "positive environmentalist" ideas have pointed out that the environmental movement probably would have already been much more a part of the American mainstream by now if environmentalists hadn't for 3 decades always relied upon descriptions of the negative outcomes of environmental degradation but, instead, had researched and developed sustainable planning scenarios for positive outcomes that highlighted all the positive health-related and economic effects of transition to a green economy. I wholeheartedly agree. Part of this is the gap that has to be leaped between pure science and truly green engineering and idea "marketing." There are tremendous opportunities in those areas for the people in the right place at the right time with the right ideas who can "bump it with a trumpet." The time is NOW.
Oh God thanks gregdevious! I was wondering what to do about the whole messy fascist state growing up around us, and now I see that all I've got to do is wait for the oil to run out...
Brilliant! Only wait, what about all the carbon we put into the air---or the stifling effect on free thought for 40 years---or a free press---
rarely do posts piss me off more than yours has---but I'm trying to remain calm
I agree with t-t about many of the problems. I am often frightened and despondent about our country and about the condition of the earth.
I do not agree with ignoring every strength and every good thing left here.
If you see no strength, no possibilities, then what do you do? The logical answer is to stop eating and drinking and just lay down and die.
Despair is not new. Keats was a surgeon's assistant and lived in depressing time among the poor in London. The poor were stuffed in disease and crime ridden cities, London was the center of a cruel empire machine... Still this is what he said
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darken'd ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits...
The courage and intelligence of people such as Amy Goodman and others is a "shape of beauty". And there are a lot of other people, not well known who have compassion and honesty. Shall we abandom them or join with them?
Sure, you must know what you are up against, but look for the possibilities too. Fear and despair are paralyzing.
Joe
Gandhi had it right. If tens of thousands or maybe hundreds of thousands of people just sit down in the streets, what can they do?
The Olympics taught us about what they 'would like' to do. American, and other corporations participated with the Chinese government in the construction of it's Golden Shield, namely a security/ surveillance network that it wants to use to completely control it's citizens, to make the country safe for capitalists. I can't say whether that project is finished, but by all accounts much of it was tested and did well. First world corporations, as Naomi Klein and others have reported, are watching closely. They've had a hard time implementing just parts of such a network here, due to the hindersome rights we have gained over time. But that doesn't mean that they wouldn't like to go whole hog and do capitalism the way the Chinese are doing it. Klein points out that they see the Chinese approach as a superior way to deliver capitalism.
This is not a joke. And the time to care about the catastrophe is 'before' it happens, not 'after'.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
To tetti_tatti: Your posts are more free of any constructive criticism or ideas for positive change than any other poster I've read on this site. Do you have ANY ideas for building a better society in America or elsewhere? If not, then why do you endlessly repeat your "no hope" commentary? Do you think your terminal nihilism bears such tedious repetition? Condemning an entire nation of people as complex and multi-cultural as the U.S. using such broad generalizations as you routinely employ is a sign of your own intellectual weakness. It's simple to sit on your ass and condemn. It's much more difficult to build something positive--but it's also much more fun. You meet better people and get out of the house more and burn more calories. Maybe that's what you need as much as so many of my fellow Amurkans. Many of the problems that exist in America exist elsewhere in places like Europe, India and China. Perhaps you can help people in those countries build a better society since you loathe all Americans so much. I'd like to hear one good organizing or policy platform idea from you that isn't dripping with sarcasm or contempt.
metal I know, truth hurts. But please don't attack the messenger because you don't like the message. That's typical of people with no real arguments.
Well, I have to agree with tetti_tatti. But before we can deal with these issues (as you suggest, offer positive constructs), we must first accept that they exist. I contend that the majority of Americans are in denial: "It can't happen here - this is America, Land of the Free". Truth hurts, and the only way to implement change is when the majority hurts.
My niece spent last night running the "Free Clinic" in downtown St. Paul, they spent most of the night rinsing pepper spray out of protesters eyes. More to come, but so far it isn't pretty.......
"America is the only nation in history which miraculously has gone directly from barbarism to degeneration without the usual interval of civilization." Georges Clemenceau
The US is rotten and Goodman's arrest is merely a reflection of the cancerous state of America today. American society is corrupt with greed, driven to irreversible decline by its thirst for profit.
Let’s not forget that 95% of the world serial killers live in America, the US is the world’s greatest polluter, the greatest consumer of illegal drugs, the greatest exporter of arms, the greatest sponsor and financier of terror and guerrilla, the most brutal imperial force in history, not to mention the fattest, the least educated and the most sexually repressed (and repressing) nation in the developed world.
Such environment is perfect breeding ground for bacteria and superbugs like Bush and Cheney, products of Americans. Let’s not be so surprised they exist.
The whole place needs to be condemned and the pests exterminated, there isn’t any hope, sorry.
It needs a bit of work my friend. It's not just the gloominess. I'm a gloomy guy too.
Like has been said before the far right can't face and don't want to face the truth. Control is the top of their list at all costs.
Javier:/ Siouxrose
I asked one time who on all of CD has been on a protest Siouxrose and one other person said they had. Protests I feel don't make a change but get the word out to others. The neo media turns anything left wing into violence such as protests. BUT the neocon right are by far the most violent people on the earth. I have asked for I don't know how long for one person to stand up and make change. I have even said Americans are guttless cowards who are great at following someone else.
So what do we have left in America? Protests don't bring change because the people we are protesting have their own task masters to answer to NOT the people who voted for them. The Voting booth is now a place that most feel can't be trusted. The GOV does what it wants to destroy the environment so it can get more oil for the auto industry that produces a car that eats gas like candy. Start wars to change elected leaders so they hate demorcracy. Don't do as the voters have asked at home again the main part of democracy. So what the hell do you have in America? Sheep and a few rams but not enough rams ( even female rams) to make a change that is within the law of the land. So...............
The far right doesn't care about truth one way or the other, except as it can be a vehicle for the continuous accumulation of power and control. Someone pretty much let that cat out of the bag back in 2004 when a Bush administration official referred to the "reality-based community."
"So what do we have left in America?"
We have a long and difficult job of civilization, but the right thing to do remains the right thing to do whether easy or hard.
I heard tonight on Pacifica radio that Rick and Nicole were arrested.
So the outrage continues.
What a disgrace. Police departments nationwide must be defunded. Let's take the police budget and use it to house the homeless, to feed those without means.
It's better to have no police force at all than this one, that can't follow the Constitution.
-TIA
"Why We Were Falsely Arrested"
Because America has turned into a fascist state. I thought you knew that.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
Whether you participate in or stand up to or do nothing about over-concentrated power there is a price. I think the prevailing powers in the U.S. and their ~60 million (plus?) fear-driven dupes who are programmed to cling to the false security of an increasingly heartless and massive Police/Surveillance Nanny State (which is costing us billions of wasted dollars, btw) are pushing the country to a position that makes peaceful protest and peaceful progressive change harder and harder. Just like dealing with global warming, the longer we delay the necessary organizing and reforms, the uglier it will get until it may be past redemption.
I think the rest of the global community may wait until our overextended empire reaches a certain economic crumbling point and simply take a different path: Construct a different global commonwealth where the U.S. is treated as a fading pariah--a monster of technologically soulless laissez-faire capitalism gone horribly wrong.
This coming election, I believe, is the Dems' last chance to show they can both win and practice good governance as a ruling majority. If they gain solid voting control of both Houses and the White House, then the situation is theirs to make good on or screw up. Within 3 months of an Obama win we will know.
At that point, progressives face some key challenges:
(1) The critically urgent need to rapidly assemble one unified Progressive Party out of all the many progressive organizations. This will require a national progressive leadership summit.
(2) Agreement upon 3 to 5 core platform planks with which they can simultaneously campaign and educate the public. They need to build an over-arching narrative that is adaptable to new green ideas and technologies and, by its very force of common sense and readily accessible fact, will overwhelm inferior ideologies now wrecking the country and the planet.
(3) A national progressive task force appointed by the leadership to tackle the specific task of figuring out how to (A) use non-violent tactics that compel more attention from the "mainstream media" to our ideas, and (B) gain access to mass media platforms like combined low power FM and website streams, satellite radio and other new communications technology platforms.
(4) Such a movement must have, in my opinion--as major selling point--a publicly accessible, online "green living" knowledge base featuring outstanding progressives who have gained expertise in creative ways to live an environmentally sustainable life from which most of the masses can choose some aspects to emulate. I'm talking every aspect of green living from architecture to semi-grid or off-grid energy systems, gardening (rural to urban), transportation, creative & thrifty crafts and happier, healthier, more independent and less voraciously and unquestioningly materialistic family living. And these green experts should contribute essays, videos, etc., SHOWING others the HOW TO aspects of this for free--subsidized by online donations to the Party (and ads from green companies whose products are featured) until enough of us can get elected to write legislation to create large government subsidies both for the educational and wide-scale public implementation aspects of this. You've probably seen PBS This Old House. Think "This Old Planet" with realistic start-to-finish projects for green living demonstrated by the experts--with interspersed discussions of Party platform proposals to support the broad implementation of these ideas with serious government subsidies.
(5) A unified Progressive Party should disseminate free to all its members information with bullet points and clear sources regarding the numerous studies (some well over ten years old) that resoundingly prove the economic benefits of transitioning to a green economy in terms of rebuilding the middle class. All serious progressives should thoroughly familiarize themselves with these studies and be ready to answer any Republican or Democratic back-sliders who continue to insist on the prevailing yet failing national and global fossil energy paradigm.
(6) Reform of the court system at all levels in the U.S. Appointing better judges, reforming and systematizing the divergent State methods for electing vs. appointing judges.
(7) Repeal of the 1990's Rehnquist Supreme Court decision that equates money with free speech for the purposes of political campaigns.
(8) The need for new corporate reform legislation that denies corporations the same rights as living, flesh and blood citizens and restores them to their pre-1880s legal status as legal compacts issued licenses that are subject to periodic local governmental review (now the multinationals would need State and/or national reviews as well) regarding their social conduct and their license to conduct business.
This would be a start on the domestic end of things. This is the kind of hard work and organization progressives need to already be strategizing and there is PUH-LENTY of work to do. I think a lot of people would be living much happier and more fulfilling lives being part of such a movement. This is a movement that entire families could participate in together--whereas the current dominant Parties are only truly participated in by corporate lobbyists and hack politicians.
Sign me up. This is the best post I think I've ever read on CD---excellent ideas with a practical outline for success. Thanks metal. I'm going to copy this down and leave it on my blog... I hope you keep posting on these ideas.
The pigs are back in force. They have infiltrated the peace groups, & they are now working together in fusion meetings. The pigs are back in force. In some parts of the country they were never weakened. And now what ought to happen is the group of people who were arrested should file a class action lawsuit against the city and against the RNC for thirty to forty million dollars. Use up the 10 million insurance fast & furious so that no other city will be able to purchase insurance to beat, intimidate, & arrest citizens. And now that we know the pigs are infiltrating a variety of groups, we need to organize into a tightly knit cabal of groups to thwart the pigs & their fucking moles. More cameras may be needed. And more distractions to thwart the surreptitious actions of all the pigs--the pigs in the FBI, the pigs in the NSA, the pigs in the CIA, the pigs in the local pig department. Do it legally; thwart them legally & in the open, but thwart them.
With so many photos of agent provocateurs ( I mean anarchists ) breaking windows and slashing tires -- wouldn't it just be great if a few of them actually ever "get" to be tried in a court of law ?
I believe strongly that these events speak to the conspiratorial use of criminal agitation ( aka gov't entrapment and pro-active violence against Americans ) and that this is a new level of illegal suppression of constitutionally protected political dissent.
GiGo -- garbage in garbage out
Did all of the real "bad" guys somehow get away, in spite of all of the massive surveillance and recordings -- or did they just get released because they were on the gov't payroll ?
Namaste « Presence »
« We must be the change we wish to see in the world » — Gandhi
« There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed » — Gandhi
« We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself » — ML King
Important questions. Paid thugs running around in the street smashing things and causing chaos is by now a classic tactic to turn the public against progressive movements. There is a great description in "All The Shah's Men" of how it was (first?) used to overthrow Mossadegh in Iran.
I have known one actual anarchist in my life. He was a profesional gardener and his behavior was more St. Francis of Assisi than Clockwork Orange. So beware of labels and stereotypes.
Joe
Thank you __ J O E __
It amusing to me that your phrase "p.a.i.d _ t.h.u.g.s" applies equally well to both:
__ violent demonstrators
__ ( agent provocateurs ), &
__ the police themselves
__ ( federally incited militarization )
Namaste
ordinary man
I hear jackboots - again and again and again... "all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing..."
Why are so few doing anything, whilst so many seem to soak it all up and just accept what's happening?
jakenewton is of the ilk that hi-jack an issue by hairsplitting.
slowly the discussion drifts from the constitutional right to free assembly unencumbered by police tactics, to a pissing contest in semantics and armchair lawyering over trivial and silly points far from the original gist of the conversation...
trolls can be as polite as they are destructive and misleading, and using the broad brush of generalities i say he, j'n, probably has that smarmy little smile on his face the whole time, you know the smile,,, G wanker uses it all the time.
"jakenewton is of the ilk that hi-jack an issue by hairsplitting."
Evaluating whether Goodman's behaviour was legal or not "hairsplitting". In fact, it directly relates to the headline given this article.
Perhaps his buddies at NIST, have provided him another new
__ weapon of TERROR
( more powerful than nano-thermites )
__ nano-hair-splitting
Namaste
"Defend the rights of the oppressed" John McCain, nomination acceptance speech 9-4-08
While protestors were being arrested outside, and demonstrators were dragged out of the hall to the fascist chant of USA---USA---USA. Concussion grenades, and tear gas... Nice juxtaposition.
"demonstrators were dragged out of the hall "
They had absolutely no right to demonstrate in the hall.
but we have every right to kill hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians
By changing the subject I take it you agree with my point. Good.
try to tie the two subjects together
'Hope springs eternally … "
Namaste
Ms. Goodman as put life on the line too get the truth out in the past.. What happened in St.Paul is certainly upsetting but not the worse she as been through.
She is one of only a few true jounalist left in this country. One trying like hell to get the stories of the ignored into the light.
If we had many more jounalists like her, I reason we would not be in the situation we are in this country today.
Neo-cons follow the tactics of nazism. Such are the ironies of life. Neo-cons are actually neo-nazis. Instead of jews, the common enemy is muslims. The rest is all the same. Tell them they are being attacked, label all dissenters unpatriotic and you can do anything you want. That's from Hitler. He didn't invent it, the Romans did it too. But the nazis took it to the highest levels and their disciples learned well.....such as Leo Strauss............................lizard
it has been a long and slow descent into this police state
i have been posting on this subject for some time and my sense is that most folks are beginning to get the idea of how far along this process has gone
doesn't mean they have either the courage or commitment to actually get of their duffs and do anything about it
it is chilling to say the least but it is only reflective of american abuse that is all too commonplace around the world
if the nazis are doing this kind of shit here at home, to journalists, in front of cameras then imagine what they do in the dark backstreets of iraq
folks are realizing they have a lot more to fear from their own government than they do from bin laden or the taliban
you got fema prisons and blackwater armies all over the continent and nobody says a thing
worse yet - the disconnect between politics and the real day to day life of most americans has become such a chasm that only the gestapo can intercede
sad to see so many posts here trying to respond to this event through the prism of denial that fails to see the true state of the union
ladies and gentlemen the state of the union is not good
too many cowards afraid of too many ghosts - frozen and paralyzed
j'ai reprise mon ame
cheers, b
PLEASE PLEASE
File a lawsuit for false arrest! But more importantly: Real Americans need to congregate at the Liberty Tree and burn a mannequin identical in appearance to the City tax collector. Clearly, this is a case of taxation without representation. Representing only Crown interests inside the convention and prohibiting the coverage of the people locked outside is unconstitutional.
Burning a effigy of the tax collector is a precedent RICH in real American History.
Use your pocketbook power people! It's what we did in 1775! A 300 point market fall is nothing compared to a 5,000 dow fall.
NATIONAL BOYCOTT
NATIONAL STRIKE!
Ben Franklin The First American
Even NPR is controlled by the establishment. I heard a story they did today on "All Things Considered", and they totally bought into the official line (lie) about all 300 arrests being of violent anarchists, not people like reporters, and of plots to bomb and kidnap delegates. It's a real shame that NPR is no longer a reliable, independent source of news. I haven't even heard this being discussed by supposedly progressive talk radio hosts like Ed Schultz. Even Rachel Maddow has not mentioned this on any of her MSNBC appearances. I think she has been co-opted by corporate media. Once her own show debuts on MSNBC, she probably will have to pull her punches on her AAR show. The only places I have heard about the police abuses are sites like this, and Thom Hartmann's AAR show.
NPR has brains and isn't following the leftist agenda trying to twist this story. The anarchists destroyed windows, cars, and attacked delegates. One guy was even caught with a Molotov cocktail. These are serious criminal acts. What we see here in the local Twin City media and what most local people are talking about is completely different than the bull CommonDreams is trying to shove down our throats.
" What we see here in the local Twin City media and what most local people are talking about is completely different than the bull CommonDreams is trying to shove down our throats."
No one is "shoving anything down your throats"; if you do not want to read Common Dreams articles then don't. Amy Goodman's word is all I need about what happened to her and others in the Twin Cities.
We have watched our freedoms go out the window in the name of fighting terrorists; the only journalist in this country consistent in providing accurate information has been Amy Goodman. How do you know who the "anarchists" were? Wars of preemption and war racketeering are "serious criminal acts" not acts of dissent. We would still be subjects of the crown if the founders of this country were as unaware as you appear to be.
http://www.novamradio.com/live/stream.php
Well then! You just have to listen to Mike Malloy 6:00 PM PST, Monday through Firday.
If you have had a day of total frustration with the main stream media , then listen to Mike and you will laugh your patutie off.
Ms Goodman,
Another person of interest was arrested in St Paul. Even though it was a long time ago, it was only blocks from where you were. There was not much puclic outcry but some, no helpful lawyer to help, and a wall of bricks against him. He thought he was a free man before the arrest, then found out he was not free. Sort of a Scott Free slogan, infact his name was Dred Scott. Yes, the famous case.
Dick Gregory spoke about 70 miles northwest of St Paul in St Cloud back in the early 70's. He made a very serious statement about a city then about 40,000 having both what appeared to be a progressive state college and a state prison even though it was called a " Reformatory ". His statement was serious and simple, " Somebody is confused here, either law makers or the general public or both. "
This is also the land of two men trying to be president back in 1968 from Minnesota; Hubert Humphrey and Eugene McCarthy, then a third in 1972 Gus Hall. Many born and raised in this state understand most of the political battles fought nationwide. But they do not understand the local common police battles against the common people.I am afraid that the arrests you were part of would have happened in any American city.
The uncrossable "Police Lines" will continue to expand until, during a political convention in the near future, you will be arrested simply for stepping out of your front door.
Each time we move closer towards fascism, even if we push back, we can never push back to the original "Freedom Line".
Only a serious freedom revolution will prevent this.
BTW, pass this on. If you go to a protest, dress in business dress. You will be perfectly cloaked to avoid "targeting". Also the cognitive dissonance of the riot police arresting men in suits and ties and women in business slacks and tops will stop them in their tracks.
You Decide
Not so true about the blue suit dress. Some arrested in ST Paul are Vets and were in uniform. I don't know about any others wearing suits.
With all due respect to Amy, I don't think she actually answers the question entitling her article, that is "why we were falsely arrested." The answer is to be found in another of today's CD articles.
The RNC provided St. Paul with 10 million dollars to cover legal costs from the actions of the police, basically allowing them to arrest anybody they want without having any legally defensible reason. Sure, St. Paul will likely lose or throw out most of the cases, but they can afford the lawsuits! Meanwhile, the "protesters" are out of commission. The police can make false or illegal arrests with impunity because they have "insurance". The money trail clearly starts with the RNC. They essentially paid the local police to suspend the Constitution. Amy and her crew were arrested because the RNC wanted to hide dissent.
Being able to have a fund to pay off all the lawsuits created from illegal actions of a "bought" police force, means that the RNC is ostensibly above the law.
Tom L could you source your reference, please?
I have seen the light. I have read the posts and I finally realize that CD posters are armchair progressives. It's probably because you are mostly old people. I will never forget this. Our government engages in criminal activities of the highest order, including killing 1 million Iraqis without provocation, torture, jailing without trial, fixing elections, condoning spying on the US for a foreign country (or 51st state Israel?), conspiring to wage war in Georgia, contempt of congress........and more! This criminality must be opposed. But don't cross the police line , even if you are a reporter or the police will JUSTIFIABLY PHYSICALLY ASSAULT YOU. 1 million Iraqis are dead and you are not even willing to take a little punishment BECAUSE IT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL, NOT BECAUSE IT HURTS? Oh my, there really is no hope unless you really are all old. But where are the young ones? The owners are laughing at you. They know you are not capable of smashing windows and burning tires. Heck you won't even allow yourselves to BLOCK A DAMN ROAD. Progressive? Near progressive I would say, as in near beer..............................lizard
JAVIER, yes we are getting old! The fact that demonstrations do not immediately affect social change makes some activists give up on this form of protest. I for one think that we DO need to express our moral outrage at the dasterly acts of our criminal junta in Washington. We need to have a general strike to shut down this country even if it is only for twenty four hours. Civil Disobedience is necessary to let the ruling elite know that we are mad as hell and will not take it anymore. We are all complicit by our silence. Smashing windows and burning tires are not going to make a scintilla of difference if conducted in isolation. If I go out and burn a police car or break a bank window at a protest I will be portrayed by the MSM as an anarchist and a criminal. If tens of thousands of people camp out in the streets and refuse to get up until Guantanamo gets shut down what will the state do next? Education is the key. Speak out to as many friends as possible and ask them to attend political educationals that address the issue of our civil liberties being stolen from us. They can arrest us all but the whole world will be watching. All the state knows is violencia. They are experts at inflicting torture and abuse on the masses. Non-violent passive resistance as an organizing tool will make it harder for us to be portrayed by the MSM as thugs. We know where the attention needs to be focused on.
We can make a difference but we have to organize our work places, unions, houses of worship and block clubs first. Do not give up. We have the internet as a critical form of communication. If ten million people could be organized in a few weeks to demonstrate against Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL) then what are we waiting for?
In 1990, I attended a church meeting in the Bay area in which a Jesuit priest from Spain named Martin Baro finalized his remarks by stating, "In academia the popular expression is publish or perish, but in my adopted country of el salvador, the expression is publish and perish." Nine months later the junta in that country sent in death squads into the UCA and wiped out the six Jesuits living there with their housekeeper and their sixteen year old daughter. Our tax dollars being put to good use.
I think you might have hit onto a key strategy that we haven't really tried. What if we don't go home after these protests? A million Londoners protest the impending war, then go home, and the government goes to war. But what if they stayed in the streets...
The young ones stopped reading. (mostly)
I may be old you crusty piece of horse crap….but consider yourself just bitch slapped.
oh
The intelligence of many as expressed in this thread is the reason I return to Commondreams on a regular basis.
Excellent posts: JP, CRUX PUPPY, LUCITANIAN, EARTHIAN, EL MYSTERIOSO... (as per the rules have changed) and we should at least be glad that these police rearing to show their "patriotism" and roused by the new powers given to street level authoritarians, did not use tasers; or else Amy might not have had her side of the story to air.
Jake Newton is "the contrarian" one who sees the LETTER of the law, but cannot understand its greater spirit. Maybe he means well, maybe he's the fly in our ointment, or maybe he really doesn't GET IT?
CAMEIROS: AS for shedding a light on "shadow individuals," when I first moved to Puerto Rico straight out of college, a touristy beach section was known for men masturbating on the beach. I met a woman who went out with her CAMERA and I asked her what for? She got photos of some of these guys, some were married middle class guys that just were looking for some outlet I guess, so repressed by the Catholic Church on that island marinaded in throbbing congas pulsing continuously. In any case, that was the way to curb their little afternoon delights! The exposure--and being made known--put a real damper on this little extra curricular activity. But does anyone know a blackwater person?
"Jake Newton is "the contrarian" one who sees the LETTER of the law, but cannot understand its greater spirit. "
Why don't you think I understand the greater spirit of the law?
"Maybe he means well"
Thank you for at least admitting the possibility, and I do mean well.
Yes, but he is a dumb kid of a friend of mine. He is overseas and he knows NOTHING about Black Water and their actives. He got in for the money to buy a home for his wife and baby and new baby on the way.
This is the NEW economy. NO WORK, JOIN A PAYING MILITIA.
Arrested because one thing Neo Cons / Republicans/ FOX news/ and all the other right wing nuts in this world can't stand is the truth.
The country is in financial ruin. It is no longer (if it ever was) the people's country. You know it, and those in power know it. Tell your children not to have any offspring, they are not wanted in this country, or on this planet.
It's sad but true.......what we do now creates the past, for what is a shadow but present cast.
They are very much wanted. So are mules, pigs, cows, SHEEP, chickens and horses.........lizard
The timing of the intimidation and mass arrest of journalists and activists is interesting. The crackdown comes when millions are watching the convention. The system must control the public mind and that necessitates preventing independent journalists and activists from slipping their questions and messages through the cracks. The flow of information from the political and media elites must be insulated from these independent and activist elements. The national parties and the elite business community do not sponsor this political theatre to have their message diluted by such elements. The vehemence of the crackdown highlights the fragility of the means of control and may point a way to its achilles heal.
Josh
"Power coceded nothing without demand. It never has and never will." Frederick Douglass