Those who came before...

I stated in a previous blog that there is a direct correlation between a movement’s potential for producing change and the level of skullduggery the state will direct against it.

So far we have been lucky: we have only had to contend with disinformation, intimidation, infiltration, smear by association and so on. The more effective we become, however, the more drastic and potentially violent the US government’s response. The attempt to paint Luke in NY as a "terrorist" may be a sign of things to come.

Many 911 truth activists are newbies to the activism scene in general. Many have never handed out flyers, let alone engaged in illegal – but non-violent – direct action, such as shutting down a meeting between oligarchs or chaining themselves to the headquarters of a media outlet. I am one of these “newbies”, but I'm also a sucker for history. I consider it vital that we take a look at those who have come before us and learn from their successes and failures.

America has a little-known history of extremely violent action by the state against labor activists. To take merely a handful of examples from a twenty year period:

13 January 1874_The original Tompkins Square Riot. As unemployed workers demonstrated in New York's Tompkins Square Park, a detachment of mounted police charged into the crowd, beating men, women and children indiscriminately with billy clubs and leaving hundreds of casualties in their wake. Commented Abram Duryee, the Commissioner of Police: "It was the most glorious sight I ever saw..."

21 June 1877_Ten coal-mining activists ("Molly Maguires") were hanged in Pennsylvania.

14 July 1877_A general strike halted the movement of U.S. railroads. In the following days, strike riots spread across the United States. The next week, federal troops were called out to force an end to the nationwide strike. At the "Battle of the Viaduct" in Chicago, federal troops (recently returned from an Indian massacre) killed 30 workers and wounded over 100.

23 November 1887_The Thibodaux Massacre. The Louisiana Militia, aided by bands of "prominent citizens," shot at least 35 unarmed black sugar workers striking to gain a dollar-per-day wage, and lynched two strike leaders.

1894_Federal troops killed 34 American Railway Union members in the Chicago area attempting to break a strike, led by Eugene Debs, against the Pullman Company. Debs and several others were imprisoned for violating injunctions, causing disintegration of the union.

The list goes on, and on, and on.

You’ll forgive me for scoffing at the notion that America was a “free country” prior to the founding of the Federal Reserve, as is often claimed by constitutionalists. The simple reality is that regular working people have always been at the mercy of the ruling class, and this must change.

The most famous labor incident in American history is the case of the Haymarket martyrs. Bizzarrely, though perhaps not surprisingly, the holiday is recognized in every country in the world except the country from which it originated: the United States (Canada and South Africa as well, I believe). Anarchists organized a massive general strike in order to force employers to adopt the eight-hour-work day. Then, a provocateur appeared…

I encourage everyone to listen to YT’s last radio broadcast. Eric Saferight (sp?) joins him from Argentina to discuss the Haymarket incident and why it is important for 911 truth activists, and indeed activists of all kinds.

http://mp3.wtprn.com/TRR07.html

Show is Monday, April 30.

I want to share my concerns

I want to share my concerns that at the same time that Luke in NYC is being called a "terrorist" by Silverstein thugs/NYPD, a small group who have placed themselves in a position of control of the larger NYC group (taking the name, the bank account, etc) are continuing to send around printed materials defaming Luke, now going so far as to send the NYPD a copy of the latest attack in which they imply that Luke's group CHANGE is not a peaceful group.

I think that this is extremely irresponsible behavior and it's only the tip of the iceberg. I'm not going to get involved in a shitfest but I'll be damned if I'm going to watch this happening without making sure everyone knows about it.

I posted the message that was sent to the NYPD here: http://www.911blogger.com/node/8251

Note that this comes a few weeks after an open letter that was widely distributed by the same parties which repeatedly implied that CHANGE was somehow encouraging people to take violent action.

The Eleventh Day of Every Month

This sucks.

I'm at a loss for words. I would really like someone from the "official" NY911Truth to justify this.