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The Shocking Truth About the Crackdown on Occupy
The violent police assaults across the US are no coincidence. Occupy has touched the third rail of our political class's venality
US citizens of all political persuasions are still reeling from images of unparallelled police brutality in a coordinated crackdown against peaceful OWS protesters in cities across the nation this past week. An elderly woman was pepper-sprayed in the face; the scene of unresisting, supine students at UC Davis being pepper-sprayed by phalanxes of riot police went viral online; images proliferated of young women – targeted seemingly for their gender – screaming, dragged by the hair by police in riot gear; and the pictures of a young man, stunned and bleeding profusely from the head, emerged in the record of the middle-of-the-night clearing of Zuccotti Park.
Oakland, California riot police advance on peaceful Occupy Oakland, November 3, 2011.But just when Americans thought we had the picture – was this crazy police and mayoral overkill, on a municipal level, in many different cities? – the picture darkened. The National Union of Journalists and the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a Freedom of Information Act request to investigate possible federal involvement with law enforcement practices that appeared to target journalists. The New York Times reported that "New York cops have arrested, punched, whacked, shoved to the ground and tossed a barrier at reporters and photographers" covering protests. Reporters were asked by NYPD to raise their hands to prove they had credentials: when many dutifully did so, they were taken, upon threat of arrest, away from the story they were covering, and penned far from the site in which the news was unfolding. Other reporters wearing press passes were arrested and roughed up by cops, after being – falsely – informed by police that "It is illegal to take pictures on the sidewalk."
In New York, a state supreme court justice and a New York City council member were beaten up; in Berkeley, California, one of our greatest national poets, Robert Hass, was beaten with batons. The picture darkened still further when Wonkette and Washingtonsblog.com reported that the Mayor of Oakland acknowledged that the Department of Homeland Security had participated in an 18-city mayor conference call advising mayors on "how to suppress" Occupy protests.
To Europeans, the enormity of this breach may not be obvious at first. Our system of government prohibits the creation of a federalized police force, and forbids federal or militarized involvement in municipal peacekeeping.
I noticed that right-wing pundits and politicians on the TV shows on which I was appearing were all on-message against OWS. Journalist Chris Hayes reported on a leaked memo that revealed lobbyists vying for an $850,000 contract to smear Occupy. Message coordination of this kind is impossible without a full-court press at the top. This was clearly not simply a case of a freaked-out mayors', city-by-city municipal overreaction against mess in the parks and cranky campers. As the puzzle pieces fit together, they began to show coordination against OWS at the highest national levels.
Why this massive mobilization against these not-yet-fully-articulated, unarmed, inchoate people? After all, protesters against the war in Iraq, Tea Party rallies and others have all proceeded without this coordinated crackdown. Is it really the camping? As I write, two hundred young people, with sleeping bags, suitcases and even folding chairs, are still camping out all night and day outside of NBC on public sidewalks – under the benevolent eye of an NYPD cop – awaiting Saturday Night Live tickets, so surely the camping is not the issue. I was still deeply puzzled as to why OWS, this hapless, hopeful band, would call out a violent federal response.
That is, until I found out what it was that OWS actually wanted.
The mainstream media was declaring continually "OWS has no message". Frustrated, I simply asked them. I began soliciting online "What is it you want?" answers from Occupy. In the first 15 minutes, I received 100 answers. These were truly eye-opening.
The No 1 agenda item: get the money out of politics. Most often cited was legislation to blunt the effect of the Citizens United ruling, which lets boundless sums enter the campaign process. No 2: reform the banking system to prevent fraud and manipulation, with the most frequent item being to restore the Glass-Steagall Act – the Depression-era law, done away with by President Clinton, that separates investment banks from commercial banks. This law would correct the conditions for the recent crisis, as investment banks could not take risks for profit that create kale derivatives out of thin air, and wipe out the commercial and savings banks.
No 3 was the most clarifying: draft laws against the little-known loophole that currently allows members of Congress to pass legislation affecting Delaware-based corporations in which they themselves are investors.
When I saw this list – and especially the last agenda item – the scales fell from my eyes. Of course, these unarmed people would be having the shit kicked out of them.
For the terrible insight to take away from news that the Department of Homeland Security coordinated a violent crackdown is that the DHS does not freelance. The DHS cannot say, on its own initiative, "we are going after these scruffy hippies". Rather, DHS is answerable up a chain of command: first, to New York Representative Peter King, head of the House homeland security subcommittee, who naturally is influenced by his fellow congressmen and women's wishes and interests. And the DHS answers directly, above King, to the president (who was conveniently in Australia at the time).
In other words, for the DHS to be on a call with mayors, the logic of its chain of command and accountability implies that congressional overseers, with the blessing of the White House, told the DHS to authorize mayors to order their police forces – pumped up with millions of dollars of hardware and training from the DHS – to make war on peaceful citizens.
But wait: why on earth would Congress advise violent militarized reactions against its own peaceful constituents? The answer is straightforward: in recent years, members of Congress have started entering the system as members of the middle class (or upper middle class) – but they are leaving DC privy to vast personal wealth, as we see from the "scandal" of presidential contender Newt Gingrich's having been paid $1.8m for a few hours' "consulting" to special interests. The inflated fees to lawmakers who turn lobbyists are common knowledge, but the notion that congressmen and women are legislating their own companies' profitsis less widely known – and if the books were to be opened, they would surely reveal corruption on a Wall Street spectrum. Indeed, we do already know that congresspeople are massively profiting from trading on non-public information they have on companies about which they are legislating – a form of insider trading that sent Martha Stewart to jail.
Since Occupy is heavily surveilled and infiltrated, it is likely that the DHS and police informers are aware, before Occupy itself is, what its emerging agenda is going to look like. If legislating away lobbyists' privileges to earn boundless fees once they are close to the legislative process, reforming the banks so they can't suck money out of fake derivatives products, and, most critically, opening the books on a system that allowed members of Congress to profit personally – and immensely – from their own legislation, are two beats away from the grasp of an electorally organized Occupy movement … well, you will call out the troops on stopping that advance.
So, when you connect the dots, properly understood, what happened this week is the first battle in a civil war; a civil war in which, for now, only one side is choosing violence. It is a battle in which members of Congress, with the collusion of the American president, sent violent, organized suppression against the people they are supposed to represent. Occupy has touched the third rail: personal congressional profits streams. Even though they are, as yet, unaware of what the implications of their movement are, those threatened by the stirrings of their dreams of reform are not.
Sadly, Americans this week have come one step closer to being true brothers and sisters of the protesters in Tahrir Square. Like them, our own national leaders, who likely see their own personal wealth under threat from transparency and reform, are now making war upon us.
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Show AllA civil war is a war between political factions or regions within the same country. A revolutionary war is a war to free a population from foreign influence. I would have to say that an argument could be made either way, given the push by these same people toward a global system that appears to have a lot in common with the Victorian Age British Empire. Local populations were told then what they could and could not produce which led to the Potato Famine, among other things. We are within spitting distance of that ourselves if we don't reverse course quick.
Ostensibly we are dealing with our own multinational corporations and politicians which have formed a symbiotic relationship, much to our detriment. Are we experiencing the very early days of what looks like a civil war, or a revolutionary war? The answer, I think is "yes".
While OWS has been non-violent, the best laid plans of an elite are being threatened and sadly these people seem to be reactionary and violent judging from the response the protestors have gotten from agencies set up and publicly funded to safeguard public safety. This should in theory all end well and bloodlessly due to the fact that we are allowed to vote and we do have the Bill of Rights, I hope for the sake of all that it does.
RE: A revolutionary war is a war to free a population from foreign influence.
Not exactly. A revolutionary war is one that succeeds or fails to overthrow the existing political, economic, ideological and social order. A revolution is a radical transformation in the power relationships of a society. The relevant kind of revolution that we should be talking about is where the power to run a society is controlled by the overwhelming majority of society instead of the minority.
In some ways the American Revolutionary War was not a revolution. What really changed? Basically, the American Revolution transferred power from one minority rule (England) to another (slightly larger) minority rule (the Founding Fathers) with the support of the majority. The majority supported this because they were deceived into believing that the war that they had fought for the new minority ruling class was a war for democratic freedoms. This illusion has thwarted the movement toward real democratic change in the US for two centuries.
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It is fascinating to me how the elite of one country always support protests in other countries and decry the violence of repression; except not when they are committing oppression. Always struck me as odd!
I guess they are all hypocrites who take their power too absolutely.
This article is severely misguided. OWS is not about the US Congruss. OWS is not even about Wall Struck. OWS is about the people TAKING OVER. Notice that this indicates NO ROLE whatsoever for those kapitalist institutions! The prey does not negotiate with the predator! Sheesh - we don't even speak the same language. Stop treating the elites like your equals. Try taking actions and speaking words that will pierce the elite ego, not stroke it.
I agree with Ctrl-z @4:41 p.m.
I think they don't want the faces to be shown. I think this, because, in Nevada, there are homeless people sleeping in what some would call tunnels that are located under the casinos.
***This is just a joke, satire - I would not attempt this because if there is any damage, the homeowner would bring the biggest suit to recover. So please don't take this as being advice.
Here goes,
If I was the OWS organizer of one of the states, i.e. Los Angeles or New York, I would use some of the donated money and rent one of the vacant mansions that the rich can't sell. Get a short-term lease and bring the party to their neighborhood for 3-6 mos, paying $5k-$15k a month. ***We all know that when you go to a neighborhood where the rich, or at least well-to-do, they know when you are out of place and they get offended quickly.
*Comment deleted by site administrators as spam: identical, repetitive comments posted on multiple articles*
see: http://www.commondreams.org/comment-policy
Nope, nope. Can't happen here!
Minitrue,
I truly enjoy reading your comments. It's a pleasure to see someone write information that is clean (meaning no name-calling, derogatory comments, some comments that can be construed as libelous), and informed.
I'm wondering if some of these people are aware of the 'war bonds' we used to sell to finance war, because this time we didn't. I'm no expert on this, but, I've read that during these times, the women had taken on the jobs the men had to keep industries going at home, this time we didn't, we had massive immigration and citizens were replaced in the job market, in addition to tax cuts.
I made a mistake on a comment earlier, I said the name of a journalist was Richard Salazar. The correct name is Ruben Salazar, 1970. The reports were that this investigative journalist was reporting on a anti-war rally in East Los Angeles, in Califas, and it is alleged that the sheriff's deputies shot him in the head with a piercing tear gas...now, let's look at vet, Scott Olsen in Oakland, he was also shot in the head. Thankfully, Scott lived, but, it will be a long road to recovery.
On the news, KCAL9 Los Angeles, the mayor, Villaraigosa said the Occupy L.A. must leave Monday. The organizers and participants, some say they will not leave. Then on radio KFI640 AM radio, the John and Ken show, well, Tim Conway Jr. was hosting for them today (this station is extreme right wing). He made the comment at about 10 mins. to 5p.m. that, and here I will paraphrase, "the Occupy people is getting ready for a showdown. It's going to be riots. You have to be there to see it. This is going to be fun watching this."
I do give the OWS credit for standing their ground. But, as I am from L.A., and if you've read my previous post, this city, in fact the state of Califas is no stranger to officer involved-shootings or force. The National Lawyers Guild is supposed to be present for the OWS who said they will not leave. But again, I will name a couple of cases that you may be familiar with, the Rampart Scandal, Rodney King Riots, LA-Watts riot, Patty Hearst-SLA, North Hollywood Bank of America Shoot-out Last, I will say that L.A. has a lot of stuff in their arcenals, I don't know if you read the part I wrote about a former chief, D. Gates, using the 'battering ram' (a military vehicle) in my neighborhood as well as a house on my street - this vehicle was used to break down the door, well actually, knock down the front door/walls/windows of homes all at once. Not sure, but who knows, maybe the will have the Nat'l Guard there as well - this is something they do when they expect something to happen - and I know that the radio show (these guys - John and Ken really promoted the tea party, and even broadcasting live from tea party events. They are the same guys that went to broadcast live from Arizona to promote 'Buycott,' when people decided to boycott due to SB1070).
The article is diluted and watered down. One wonders where Ms. Wolf's courage to connect the dots? She rightly names Delaware corporate interests and their heavily invested politicians but no mention of a former Senator from Delaware named Joe Bidden. She rightly links Homeland Security as a Player against OWS, while advising local mayors, but skips by when it comes to naming Obama as having primary control over Homeland Security including his appointed 'yes' woman who is the director. Just another impotent attempt to critique the assault on OWS while keeping the gloves off of Obama. I take this as another soft attempt to show outrage against the government without pissing off the DNC and the White House. When are these apologetics going to start identifying the problem authentically, i.e., Barak Obama and his handlers? The recent heckling of Obama at a campaign event by members of OWS asked this question: MR PRESIDENT WHY ARE THE BANKSTERS GETTING OFF AND POLICE BRUTALITY ASSAULTING PEACFUL PROTESTERS ALLOWED (my paraphrase)? Maybe ms Wolf can anwser this question in her next weak analysis and cow towing to the administration.
Because sometimes that is what it takes to get "the problem" out in the open- for EVERYONE to see. Sometimes a "soft attempt" is necessary to get past the censorship and the headcracking arms of the state apparatus in order to raise a groundswell of righteous and awesome force to turn the criminal elements out. Or, over.
What are you talking about? The internet has leveled the playing field against corporate owned imbeciles like Wolf Blitzer, et al. And the other corporate run news like CBS, ABC, and NBC. I don't see any censorship at all on sites like this. altough they are very common on the faux progressive sites like Hartmann and Huffington Post.
Don't forget Mother Jones, the most right wing fascist of all the faux progressive sites.
Not everyone has access to the internet. Not everyone knows about sites such as this and the ones you mentioned. Not everyone is aware yet that there is this "problem"..... sometimes you have to say things in a very "careful" manner in order to have a chance to get your point across. THAT's what I'm talking about.
She did name Obama, and that he was conveniently out of the country at the time of the crackdown. You also need to follow the links that she provided. She didn't dilute anything. She didn't cow tow to anyone. She gave you all the information you need. She already got arrested once. Now it's your job to hold O accountable. All of us. Together. En mass. Get up! Stand up! Join up! Nobody else can get this done alone.
I am not writing to discredit what you or Mrs. Wolf says. This is something I have been wanting to say, not just to you, but just say in general. This can be a good movement, but, I think it needs a little more self-control, self-discipline - here's what I mean. I think people need to slow down a little, take a breath, and think through their actions and responses (when people act out of anger, anxiousness - let's just say heightened senses, sometimes they do things they wouldn't normally do as they are thinking much clearer). Yes. I know everyone is angry and fed up, and so am I. I have been unemployed for 10 years. I've given up, because, for one, I am black and have faced a lot of discrimination.
Now back to my opinions. There's a story at hurryupharry.org about a police officer that infiltrated a group (if I'm not mistaken, it was ELF, I think this is the group that was setting fires) this police officer even married one of the group's members while undercover to cement the deal that he was one of them. This was a couple of months ago when they identified this guy and showed his picture with the story as well as information about the trials. But, anyway, I could be wrong, but, I think people are so happy to grow this movement, that they are just too trusting. Yes, you can say oh the journalist was arrested, or this retired police lt. was arrested, but, to throw a monkey wrench here (meaning to raise your instincts, and thoughts), did you guys see the arrest report - I mean, if someone is arrested, there should be an arrest report. Did they give you a date of the court appearance? I mean, regardless if they are released on bail, they still have to appear in court? Just sayin' there should be some type of document to prove they really were arrested.
Another thing one should keep in mind. This will follow you for the rest of your lives, as some are saying they will field candidates for office. I'd just like to remind you that Bill Clinton had to face questioning on his anti-war participation and they even had photos and film of him there. Jane Fonda, well, they will always dog her for her efforts in the anti-war movement.
Now, I'm not trying to discourage you. But, as the job market continue to shrink, and employers are using things like 'facebook' to spy on employees, even insurance companies are using 'facebook.'
Me, I do like some parts of the movement. What I don't like is the disrupting of the speeches by elected officials. Here's why, some of the elected officials are charging a fee to attend townhall meetings, and others are running background checks (for instance, I heard this was being down in Texas), then there are others that just will not meet with constituents. The problem I have with the interruptions, we are already losing rights, and anything they can use to strip more rights from us, they will. Remember Giffords from Arizona. Then when you put all of this together, eventually they will probably stop meeting with us altogether.
Another thing I don't like, it seems that some, not all, are not aware of certain political events. Sometimes I don't like the fowl language and name-calling of any elected official - my point here, if you don't respect them, how do I know you will respect me? I don't like the aggression towards people who don't have the same beliefs - remember, this is really like a salesperson like position - you have to be able to sell your message, convince people, persuade people, and talk to them in a way that people like you, believe, and trust you.
No offense, but, I hope you are following me on this one. Let me know!
"Another thing I don't like, it seems that some, not all, are not aware of certain political events. Sometimes I don't like the fowl language and name-calling of any elected official - my point here, if you don't respect them, how do I know you will respect me? I don't like the aggression towards people who don't have the same beliefs - remember, this is really like a salesperson like position - you have to be able to sell your message, convince people, persuade people, and talk to them in a way that people like you, believe, and trust you.
No offense, but, I hope you are following me on this one. Let me know!"
~♦~ ~♦~ ~♦~
skinnyminny, i do appreciate your calm resolve and dedication to peaceful discourse as well as your determination to respectfully engage equally person's from all walks of life. i've read lots of political forums in which those who self-identify as "conservatives" and "liberals" quickly lose sight of the issues devolving into personal attacks and insults against other posters. in my mind THE most important issues are environmental which leads directly into the importance of a free and unencumbered education. "knowledge," thomas jefferson explained, "IS the true currency of democracy. the established political parties focus above all on winning the election. during campaign 2008, i experienced some instictive doubt when obama distanced himself from the right reverend, jeromiah wright. i felt the reverend spoke from the heart and suspected obama spoke from the point of political expediency. i ignored that enteric disruption in the hope that Truth would emerge to conquer over the game of politics. "this is really like a salesperson."
okay? how about that old idea of respecting the person, but not wrongful deeds? i will not submit to torture, illegal wars, greed and avarice for another nation's Natural resources.
"good intentions" mean nothing when the results lead to death and destruction.
p.s. i do try to avoid "fowl language", but that's not easy since my moniker is the hummingbird.
Hummingbird,
Thanks for your heartfelt response. Anyway, LOL, yes, I do make mistakes (synonyms, wrong names, and outright typo errors - fowl, should have been foul, Richard should have been Ruben). Ooh, that looks bad! Oh, but, I will admit, it's the passion in me.
But anyway, I guess I mentioned this because. For one, I really wanted to find out why, as W. said, "people hated us for our freedoms." Then people from other countries responded by saying, "they hated our foreign policies."
Now, on the subject of wars. I really started to reflect, when listening the old song by Edwin Star, "War." Towards the very end of the song, he said, "they say we must fight to keep our freedoms..." This song was done during the Viet War. This made me realize that this was a recycled talking point that was used to go to Iraq.
There are people in this country that say people from Mexico, Central America hate this country. Then I looked back at the Bracero Program, these workers were mistreated, low-pay and I mean sometimes pennies after the farmer(s) deducted housing and food. Before they brought the migrant workers (Braceros) they doused them with a powdered - I want to say chemical. **Please note, that it was not the Mexican farmers that gained farmers rights - something that is least talked about, it was the Filipinos, actually.
Now, let's briefly touch on Central America. Reagan, went into Nicaragua and got involved in the Sandinistas conflict - the Nicaraguans now have a memorial site with a lot of the guns that was used.
Briefly, I will touch on El Salvador, that country went through a civil war that we were involved in, it is alleged that we trained a lot of the fighters/paramilitary - some are here and they are given only TPS (Temporary Protective Status). Guatemala, it is now being discovered that we used some of their people to experiment for a STD, meaning injecting them with an STD virus. Panama, well, I think you know how we removed Manuel Noriega. Guyana, we went there, and that country has never been the same - see the documentary "Thunder in Guyana," this also shows how we caused racial-rioting, controled their elections, an American that moved there and married a man from India - here, they started having televised congressional hearings where they called her (the American) a communist...
Haiti, well, think about how long this country has been under foreign troops/peacekeepers. In fact, the last coup d'etat was in 2004 (under W). The peoples can't elect their own leaders. Then when you look at some of the African nations, the civil wars, they can't elect their own leaders either - please see Idi Amin, this was a guy that wasn't that bright (intellectual, articulate), it is rumored that they wanted him in office in order to control him. But, anyway, look at all the resources on the African continent - diamonds (remember the movie blood diamonds), gold (notice the best gold in Africa, Saudi...), Cocoa (to produce chocolates), oil...So, if it keeps civil wars in these countries, I think it would be easier to gain access to the resources because people would be so busy fighting/killing one another that they would not be focused on keeping their resources.
Something else that caught my eye, I can't verify if it is true or not, but, I've read that Karzai (Afghani) is a former top employee of UnoCal. Then I've read that the guy Jalil with the NTC (Libya) was a mercenary for ExxonMobil.
Now, I would recommend that you read up on the story of former Congressman Jim Traficant. These are the allegations, there are youtube videos of him on the floor accusing the federal reserve of being bankrupt in 1993. This guy, he reminds me of our modern day Alan Grayson - trust me, you will love how he dealt with the others. In the end, they indicted him and sent him to prison for corruption. Look at what happened to the congressman Jefferson that had money in his freezer. Then on the other hand, you have Joe Scarborough, it is alleged that when he was in office, they found a deal girl in his office. Foley, well, they knew about the page scandal, and it was hushed. They knew about Ensign, and it was hushed. The case about the member associated with 'The Family,' was hushed. The case with Chandra Levy, an intern found dead in Rock Creek Park, they blamed it on the politican and his career, character...was damaged. So, again, when you are dealing with politics, it is not as easy as people think.
I would like to add. I agree with a lot of the issues you have. With education, in Puerto Rico (our territory), for the past few years, there have been riots over the privatization of the universities. The news didn't make this a top story. In addition, Puerto Ricans had been protesting a 'monkey experimental lab,' at the same time the people (I think it is India) that were protesting against this also, because they didn't like the idea that we were taking the monkeys to be used in labs.
Puerto Rico, they are no strangers to some of the things we've done either. A long time ago, the women were used for secret forced sterilization. In Vieques, the residents allege that the water is contaminated by use of our military, and now some of the people/kids are getting cancer.
Cuba, and a lot of the countries in the Caribbean, it is alleged that we, including Spain killed a lot of the black citizens, some of the others were used as a tool of 'whitening' the citizens (meaning, sex with the residents), others were put in prisons/camps. And last, another held secret, some of the Irish were sent to the Caribbean as slaves, people from India was sent as Indentured Servants, and blacks were sent as slaves. An argument that I have with some people that are anti-immigrant, they think everyone is from Mexico, and they are all Mexicans. I remind them that they are not all Mexicans. I also remind them that in Honduras, (even Belize, Guatemala, and other Central American countries, this included Caribbean, and South America), the person they are referring to may be of Jordanian, Palestinian, Lebanese descent. For example, Carlos Slim of Mexico (the richest man in the world that recently bought the NY Times newspaper), he is Lebanese. Actress Salma Hayek, is Lebanese (born and raised in Mexico), former Prime Minister of Belize, Musa, is Palestinian. the singer Shakira is part Colombian and Lebanese.
Oops, I really should make this my last comment for a while, to at least give you a chance to respond if you wish. I see that this is TMI!
This is what I THINK (I am stressing the word think, so others cannot say I am saying this as fact), the difference between OWS and the teas - from the beginning, the teas had corporate/political support and backing. What's equally funny, it was Bachmann who announced on tv that she was legally registering the group as a legitimate political group, and now, they have almost all abandoned her. This is something else the OWS should take in consideration, i.e., they booed Charlie Rangel, they are disrupting speeches, they are ridiculing the prez...
Now these are my personal feelings - most elections, or, at least all are controled, (I am using one 'L' instead of two. Reason, we've always used one, until we started adopting the spelling from Canada and Europe). For instance, look up the information on Willard 'Mitt' Romney, and the mormons - W. gave/praised their leader with an award, and it is rumored they are related. See the film, "A Mormon President." Something missing from the media, the youtube video of the debate Romney/Kennedy 1994, entitle "The Real Romney?" Now, the GOP are requesting the birth certificate of Obama, yet, fail to tell the public that is rumored that Willard was allegedly born in Mexico, and that his grandfather and father was born and raised in Mexico. Now, true, if you are born to American citizens, you are legally an American citizen, but, if you look back at this - these are two generations of people born there - even though, his father was a politican here - anyway, it gets that more confusing. Then I would recommend people read up on 'the Haun's Mills Massacre,' which will also lead you to the story of MMM - interesting stuff. Here in Califas, it wasn't until the late 1980's that blacks were able to attend/join the church. They believe that blacks are cursed. This present day, the don't believe in (and this is with long term members) racially-integrated marriages. So this means, if I have been a member for a long time, and a new member joins that is of opposite race, they do usually condemn this. As far as media, he owns a media empire (I'll you let see which one it is).
Stop your disingenuous obfuscations Farmer. I reread the article and NOWHERE is Obama named in this article nor chastised about A) NOT SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE POLICE, THE MAYORS, OR OFFERING ONE IOTA OF SUPPORT TO OWS, B) THIS IS THE SAME TYPE OF HANDS OFF APPROACH OBAMA PROVIDED FOR THE RECALL EFFORTS IN WISONSIN, AND C) NOWHERE HAS OBAMA EVER OFFERED HIS SUPPORT TO THIS MOVEMENT WITH A PUBLIC DECLARATION. Wolf might have mentioned this, but she avoided the TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, understand?
I previously read Wolf's book, Give Me Liberty, and enjoyed it. The sad truth is, however, that she violates her own thesis in that book juxtaposed this article. In the book she asserts that we make noise against the Powers that Be, but in ths article she completely ignores Obama's very real ROLE in this counter attack against OWS.
Moreover, Ms. Wolf was a huge supporter of the Obama candidacy in 2008. I don’t see her now calling for Third Party development and neither do I see an apology (like many other progressive writers offered) for her previous support of Obama. I don’t SEE HER NOW ASKING FOR PEOPLE TO SWITCH THEIR ALLIEGENCE AND VOTE THIRD PARTY.
THIS ARTICLE MEANS NOTHING IF OBAMA GETS ELECTED AGAIN. BECUASE HE HAS CONSISTANTLY SHOWN HIS ARTFUL PREOCCUPATION WITH CORPORATE AND MILITARY HEGEMONY EVERY STEP OF THE WAY WHILE ADDITIONALLY WORKING TO DISMANTLE THE SOCIAL SAFTY NET AND DOWNSIZE THE NEW DEAL GAINS OF THE PAST..
Like I said, THIS PIECE IS WATERED DOWN TRIPE WHICH FAILS TO ATTACK THE SOURCE OF THE DYSFUNCTION: OBAMA!
I'm with you 100% EarthFirst. Wolf does not mention Obama by name.
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Moreover, Congress does not tell executive branch departments like DHS what to do, nor does DHS take orders directly from New York Representative Peter King, as Wolf would like us to believe. Only the President (and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, whom he appointed) can do that.
Furthermore, while Wolf leads us in the opposite direction, the truth is that Napolitano would never coordinate a brutal crackdown against peaceful protesters in 18 cities (especially during an election campaign) without Obama's direct knowledge and approval at the very least. More likely, the DHS-coordinated crackdown was on Obama's direct orders.
Obama, in many ways, is worse than Bush (whom historians thought may have been the worst president ever).
Third party candidate? Write-in candidate? Something's got to change between now and next November, and OWS looks like the catalyst for that change. That's why Obama tried to crush it.
RE:...WHICH FAILS TO ATTACK THE SOURCE OF THE DYSFUNCTION: OBAMA!
It no defense of Obama or Wolff to say that the above statement is false. Obama is a servant of corporate power just like any on the right would be. He is not the "source" of the problem. Corporate rule is; capitalism is. Obama's first and second terms are and will be, another demonstration of how the capitalist class has the majority coming and going. OWS doesn't buy into the partisan trap. If the 99% can create an effective strategy for liberation, electoral politics will play, at best, a minor role.
However, Ms Wolff is a liberal/progressive. She is not a radical. Even though her talk of fascism may attract radicalizing progressives, she always seems to hold back too harsh a criticism of the liberal establishment (the Democratic Party). You are right to be suspicious of her.
duplicate
Thanks, Naomi.
Your perspective, as always, is very revealing.
A massive volcano is setting to erupt.
When it does, the 99% will prevail, and, America will be cleansed and restored.
Historically, great masses always succeed …
Especially, when the MORAL HIGH GROUND is FIRMLY rooted on their side.
As is the case here, absolutely.
Actually this is not a "shock" at all. Politics is now a profession for all of those who cannot succeed in the real world, on their own smarts and savvy. The road to easy riches is under the heels of the 1 Percenters. Education doesn't matter. Intelligence doesn't matter,but what does matter is making the wealthy more wealthy. Dissent is not allowed to rock the boat or threaten that way of life. Whistleblowers are not allowed to bring into light their crimes. These people are traitors and cowards who are afraid of their own shadows, and are terrified of the masses. This violence by our militarized police is not a shock, it is to be expected. In fact, this is the start of ground warfare against all dissent. At some point, the protesters, all who have had enough, will turn on the ones committing the violence against them (Which is what they want) and then we will see how determined those wanting real change take the heat and the carnage that will be unleashed on them by our "protects and serve" fascist cops. It is no surprise that DHS is involved, or behind this containment of "domestic terrorists". The real surprise here is that it has taken too long for people to get fed up.
Good comments, good discussion, great article. Have nothing of brilliance to contribute except an image from a movie (Star Wars) which most of us will recall. Princess Leia, defiantly to one of the bad guys, "The more you tighten your grip, the more we'll slip through your fingers..." Surely that has some relevance here.
One of my favorites is Eugene Debs' comment in Federal Court after being convicted of violating the Sedition Act on Sept. 18, 1918, "...(W)hile there is a lower class, I am in it; and while there is a criminal element, I am of it; and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free."
food for thought....
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Going Underground - Paul Weller
Some people might say my life is in a rut,
But I'm quite happy living with what I got
People might say that I should strive for more,
But I'm so happy I can't see the point.
Somethings happening here today
A show of strength with your boy's brigade and,
I'm so happy and you're so kind
You want more money - of course I don't mind
To buy nuclear textbooks for atomic crimes
And the public gets what the public wants
But I want nothing this society's got -
I'm going underground, (going underground)
Well the brass bands play and feet start to pound
Going underground, (going underground)
Well let the boys all sing and the boys all shout for tomorrow
Some people might get some pleasure out of hate
Me, I've enough already on my plate
People might need some tension to relax
[Me?] I'm too busy dodging between the flak
What you see is what you get
You've made your bed, you better lie in it
You choose your leaders and place your trust
As their lies put you down and their promises bust
You'll see kidney machine replaced by rockets and guns
And the public wants what the public gets
But I don't get what this society wants
I'm going underground, (going underground)
Well the brass bands play and feet start to pound
Going underground, (going underground)
[So] let the boys all sing and let the boys all shout for tomorrow
We talk and we talk until my head explodes
I turn on the news and my body froze
Braying sheep on my TV screen
Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!
Going underground, I'm going underground!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
...peace...
post deleted by author....
Power, once obtained, will never be relinquished voluntarily. The power that once belonged to the people, albeit briefly, at the beginning of this great national experiemnt, has slowly, slowly, slowly accreted to the federal government. And the government is NOT going to let go of it without a fight!
Power is the ultimate drug. It intoxicates and enthralls. Power overwhelms money and sex in the hierarchy of human motivators.
What is most salient about this article is the suggestion that DHS is working with local governments on a coordinated response to OWS. That should really come as no surprise, as billions have been lavished on local and state law enforcement over the past decade under the pretext of anti-terrorist readiness. The UNPATRIOT ACT was the death warrant for individual liberty in America.
What is most surprising about Wolf's article is the reference to Congressional hanky panky regarding Delaware corporations. I think I am a fairly well informed observer of the American scene, and yet I had not heard of this previously. I find it difficult to believe that such an arcane bit of information is on the lips of the OWS folks. That part of her narrative does not ring true, at least imho.
I have a recurring daydream. In it, tens of thousands of Americans wearing Guy Fawkes masks are on the move all across America, overwhelming duly constituted authority while chanting: "Remember, remember, the Fifth of November. Gunpowder, treason and plot. I can think of no reason why gunpowder, treason, should ever be forgot." Just like at the end of the movie V for Vendetta.
Hey, it COULD happen! : >
America needs to return to her roots, back to the days when "We the people" did NOT mean We The Corporations. When asked "What sort of government have you given us?", Ben Franklin is said to have replied, "A republic.........IF you can keep it." It seems he was prescient, for we have indeed failed to keep our republic.He and the rest of the Framers knew only too well how relentless and corrosive the urge to acquire power can be.
Ol' Ben also once opined: "A people who would trade liberty for security deserve neither." Today, "security" is the watchword for virtually every moment of our everyday lives. We live in fear of unnamed and unknowable threats. It is that fear which gives our government the ability to exert its power over us. It will only stop when we realize that it is not terrorists we should fear. It is our own government.
Nicely stated, Bear.
Delaware Corporations were invented specifically to skirt past the regulation and taxation of the rest of the country. Every State in the Union has to recognize them to the best of my knowledge and though I had not heard about this previously I have noticed these things invading the rest of the Country like a cancer. It would not surprise me in the least if this little tidbit were being sat on and not allowed to see the light of day.
Power is relinquished voluntarily every election year in this country, it is a national tradition which may wind up under threat before this is all over. There is a book out about Jefferson and Adams about the first such relinquishment of power which goes into some detail on the subject.
I guess that only a democrat culd think Obama wasn't involved in these protests.
Hell - Obama has Already many times told us what he thinks of the protesters - dirty fucking hippies - and fucking retards.
Well Obama the feeling is mutual.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKEZoY-TMG4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I have left 100s of comments on this web site , for over 5 years, the constitution is an illusion. We live under the Patriot Acts and administrative martial law, and as a victim of 24/7 community watch DHS gang stalking for 5 years , there is no redress of grievances.Try going to your local police or a lawyer and telling them youre being followed 24/7 and they will put you in a cookoo house. And thats because local police, EMS and Firefighters are ruining the gang stalking show, courtesy of DHS funding. Doctors, lawyers and judges in each county all know whats going on, you will not get your day in court, and freedom of information act documents will be redacted or not given to you because lists are protected by national security, or what I call Patriot Act immunity. The truth is, community watch gang stalking is a tool that local powerful people use to employ their friends, and torture people they dont like, while putting a strangle hold on the whole county and casting fear into other local business men and women who dont join the rank and file after being approached." Thats why I call them the United Stasi of America" they read my posts , and hate me for my words, for they know I am correct.Hitler built this system, that they use.
Your first amendment right means if you say something that the United Stasi of America dont like, community watch retards payed to inform on you will submit your name on a dozen watch lists, and your life will become a public spectacle for these gang stalking fake security morons. Whos goal is to discredit and destroy you and your family and friends.Whats really sick is, that right wing Christians are involved and playing God. Those who have sworn oaths to protect the Constitution while serving the general public , ignore their oath.
Its of no surprise to me, that this cancer has spread, and now you see paid thugs in the street using violence and pepper spray against people expressing their first amendment right.
MY fourth amendment right has been gone for 5 years, I am a nobody with no assets, but they still stalk me, imagine what they will do to people with money and power when they need too.
I am happy to see that the rest of the nation is experiencing this grotesque attack on civil liberty's, I finally feel that I am not alone, and that my story becomes more and more believable every day.
Thanks OWS , protest everything.
Excellent as usual from MS Wolf, EXCEPT, this statement which is misleading:
No 2: reform the banking system to prevent fraud and manipulation, with the most frequent item being to restore the Glass-Steagall Act – the Depression-era law, done away with by President Clinton,
Yes, Clinton did sign it but the The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act he signed, was created by Phil Gramm. So it wasn't Clinton, by himself, that destroyed the world economy.
UC Davis Pepper Spraying Cop’s Money Troubles:
http://www.baycitizen.org/occupy-movement/story/pepper-spraying-cop-was-bankrupt/comments/
How can a cop who is so irresponsible in his private life be put into a position that decides when to use deadly force? I believe bankruptcy would be reported on California form 700.
Sounds like the DHS needs to be reported to the DHS for terrorist activities......
Well, Naomi, it took until the very end of your article, but finally you write, "It is a battle in which members of Congress, with the collusion of the American president, sent violent, organized suppression against the people they are supposed to represent." Operant is, "WITH THE COLLUSION OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT." Who is the head of "Homeland Security?" Why, the Chief Executive. And, who is the Chief Executive? Why, Braaack, Oh Bummer, sorry for my belch. Let's put the blame where it belongs.
...our own national leaders, who likely see their own personal wealth under threat from transparency and reform, are now making war upon us.
No shit. They've been waging war on us for decades. Now the fight is out in the open precisely because he 1% have DHS, FBI and local police at their disposal.
I received this from a friend. I think you will all find it appropriate. Unfortunately it has to be a two parter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A PASTORAL LAMENT FOR MY COUNTRY
America, America, my country ‘tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty
Of thee I sing
America, oh America
America the Beautiful has fallen.
You could feel the tension and raw energy crinkling throughout the air as the marchers once again began their journey into downtown Seattle. The Occupy Movement is the prophetic voice of God calling out to the nation to “repent” and turn from its ways of corruption. Those who camp are a rag-tag, motley crew made up of mostly young adults, mostly unemployed, almost all of whom are alienated and cast out of America’s promise of liberty and justice for all. They are our canaries, the first fruits being devoured by the Beast of Empire.
The police were once conceived to be a citizen force created to serve and protect the public. Today however, the police have been militarized and view the populace as enemy combatants, as threats to their well being. The police, like our Armed Forces, are well trained, disciplined and exceptionally talented. They follow a chain of command and are increasingly apprenticed into a culture of institutional conformity. Because America has always affirmed the right of dissent, the role of the police is to keep the peace. They are trained to enter the protesting arena as unfeeling protectors of property and people. What has changed in our time is that the police are entering the arena of protest as agents of provocation. They push and shove at will, they ride their bicycles up the backs of protesters, they engage in verbal abuse. Their commanders allow this breach of discipline. Their comrades silently condone the bullying. The police become the agitators encouraging violence. It is as if they are spoiling for a fight --- a fight mind you against the citizenry, against the youth, the unemployed, and those who are trying to return America back to its promise, and dare I say it, return America to its covenant with God, “we hold these truths to be self evident …”
On Tuesday night a small group of the rag-tag campers of Seattle’s Occupy Movement left their camp to protest the destruction inflicted upon the Wall Street Occupy site. Throughout the march I, as a Pastor in full clergy alb, stole and cross, acted as a peacekeeper placing myself between the police line and the Occupy Movement. On four occasions I stepped between verbal battles between the police and the protesters. The point being that it was evident to all who I was and what my role was in this non-violent march of the few escorted by the many.
The incident was minor in nature. A girl, dressed in Anarchist black waving the Anarchist black flag was plastered side by side with an officer on the bike. They were jawboning each other. At one point her flag was thrust in his direction --- a provocation yes – threatening?—no. The officer grabbed the flag and in the pulling, pulled down the girl. Her friends reacted jumping in to pull her away from the officer. It was at this point that the first wave of pepper spray went off.
Point --- one might think the officer acted within reason, that the officer was suddenly threatened. But with what? By whom? The friends of the offender were grabbing for the girl, they were not grabbing at the police. Basically the officer, and his comrades, were trigger happy as if they couldn’t wait for just this moment. And so the spray went forth.
I leapt to the front and tried to place myself between the parties --- with spray in the air the protesters were also fleeing. Separation between the police line and the protesters was clearly visible … there was certainly no threat of the “mob” suddenly rampaging into the well armed police. The separation had occurred (as can be clearly seen on the video captured by King 5 News). But the spray continued. I walked between the lines, I was alone, I was in full clergy dress, everyone knew who I was and what I was --- with the protesters fleeing and the police line holding --- with my back to the police and my hands waving the protesters to get back --- alone in full alb, stole and cross --- six officers turned their spray on me thoroughly soaking my alb and then one officer hit me full throttle in the face.
I praise the courage and compassion, the discipline and the decency of the Occupy Movement. Out of the rag-tag mob came help, grabbing my hands, leading me (I was blind by then) to the wall and administering care and concern for my well being. The protesters were assembled around all the wounded, and maintained the discipline of nonviolence (granted the nonviolence was in behavior but not language). And they were not afraid. The spraying had been a baptism sealing them into the security of knowing that their prophecy of repentance was indeed the Spirit-Word through them --- it is as if they did not prophecy their very bones would melt within them. Against the wall in increasing pain and burning I realized I was in the midst of church.
The police, on the other hand, were afraid. Their quick use of chemical warfare reveals how cowardly they are. The unwillingness of their commanders to maintain discipline reveals how incompetent they are becoming --- the only tool in their bag is brutality and like a drunken raging father beating wife and kids, the police have increasingly disgraced themselves. Step by step they are being shaped into the front face of fascism, the emerging police state that protects the property interests of the Marie Antionette’s who have seized control of our government, commerce, media, military and increasingly the Church itself.
Part two below
Thanks for posting this, this is local pastor Rich Lang, he regularly calls out clergy who do not take a stand with the people against tyranny and oppression. He has a regular column in the local street paper Real Change. i'm no "believer," but more "people of God" should follow Jesus like Lang does.
*Comment deleted by site administrators as spam: identical, repetitive comments posted on multiple articles*
see: http://www.commondreams.org/comment-policy
Some good posts, though I again state my belief that personal debates need to be constructed in a way that is not accrimonious - for the good of all. As far as the title of the article goes - the content is good but I don't think there is much that is shocking about the actions of DHS et al. Many warned of these things right after 9-11, and were often roundly ridiculed as paranoid, delusional or "conspiracy theorists."
No, there's no "conspiracy" at work here. Only "conspiracy freaks" believe in such things. Or so I've been told a million times in my own life.
When you've got truth, integrity and justice on your side, and you are the many, you can defeat these goons no matter how foolproof they think their various schemes. Have no doubt that those schemes are probably a whole lot more insidious and far more grim than most of what you've ever read on "conspiracy" web sites. The truth is brutal, almost sure to be considerably scarier than our various conjectures, and that is why We the People, the 99 percent, have to take off Pollyanna's glasses and realize just what a profound struggle for the ages is now taking place.
Those who apologize for the injustice and insanity deserve, and will find, no better fate than the powers that be themselves. Those who stand by and refuse to see what is so plainly before their eyes, stand to lose a great deal more than if they would wake up, stand up, and fight back.
Thus armed with these brutal realities, we approach the battle with more than rhetoric and more than political and philosophical debates. We devise ways that seriously attack the powers that be where they are weakest. Cut off the flow of resources - money, taxes, insurance payments, interest, human lives spent on foreign battledfields - and THEY LOSE.
The so-called "99 per cent" are playing into the hands of the Islamo-fascists who will attack this country amidst the chaos that will escalate as the federal government comes to terms with its bankruptcy, as state government's come to terms with their shortfalls and bankruptcies, as local government's (like Berkeley CA) come to terms with their socialist excesses and unfunded liabilities. There is no such thing as the 99 per cent. It is just another "for us or against us" polemic that ignores the main question this movement will have to answer at some point as they begin to lumber toward violent confrontation with the Powers that Be: "Who dies first?" Notice there aren't too many black folks lining up to take on the tear gas? The "movement" is impotent in its reactionary polemics and repetitive usage of failed strategies of the past. The Anarcho-Communist-Leninist-Maoist-Marxist nexus of socialist power grabbing will fail AGAIN because it doesn't account for some fundamentals about human nature which drives capitalism--- and why capitalism will win out every single time.
The Anarcho-Communist-Leninist-Maoist-Marxist nexus of socialist power grabbing will fail AGAIN because it doesn't account for some fundamentals about human nature which drives capitalism--- and why capitalism will win out every single time.
--------------------------
There's no such thing as "human nature" as you mean it. The only characteristic that is present in all unimpaired humans the world around is adaptability. Humans adapt to circumstances.
Which means that when psychopaths are in control, as they are now and have been in every group that has passed the small-tribe/large-tribe divide, ordinary people realise that they're living in a society of greed and taking, and that they'd better do some taking too if they want to survive.
But change to a culture of fairness, with no ruling class of greedy, uncaring psychopaths ---which is what we must do, and damned soon, if we want to survive the climate disaster psychopathy has brought down on our heads--- and everyone's behavior will conform to those conditions instead, because we're social creatures who respond to social approval and disapproval. The only exceptions will be the 1-2% of new psychopaths that will be born each year and that must be kept away from the rest of us, either by killing them (as small-tribe societies did and do) or imprisoning them for life somewhere.
There's nothing wrong with capitalism, if by that you refer to a system that tries to maintain a communal pool of wealth to be drawn on for special purposes. I'm sure that it will indeed survive - it's been useful for millennia.
But if you mean Capitalism, where the society is structured to maintain private pools of wealth controlled by the few at the expense of everyone else, that will not survive. It will disappear into history along with absolute monarchies and all the other forms of feudalism that the psychopaths have invented to keep themselves in power over us.
Stop listening to Glen Back, or whoever is giving you these bizarre ideas.
**unparallelled police brutality**
She lost me here.
I grew up hearing stories of living under the Nazis and the Gestapo.
Hyperbole does not serve the 'cause'.
But it will get fans and sell books.
Indeed. Just the cold-blooded murders of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark by the Chicago cops and the FBI were worse than anything that's been done so far to OWS (luckily enough).
The mark of a conspiracy theorist is that everything relates back to their pet theory. Yours is 911. Others here have their own.