WeAreChange Pittsburgh plans demonstration and information session in response to SPLC

Pittsburgh Activist Group Targeted By S.P.L.C. Calls Report “Defamatory Propaganda”, Plans Public Demonstration and Information Session

We Are Change Pittsburgh and TheEndRun.com
March 18, 2010

At 1pm on Sunday, March 21, 2010, members of We Are Change Pittsburgh will gather outside of Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland for a demonstration and information session in response to the recent “Intelligence Report” published by The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

In this report, The SPLC has included We Are Change Pittsburgh on their list of “’Patriot’ groups”. “Generally”, the SPLC says, such groups “engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme antigovernment doctrines”.

”Not surprisingly, The Southern Poverty Law Center does not even attempt to offer any evidence whatsoever to support this absurd characterization” says Dave Beard, one of the groups organizers. “As the SPLC would know if they had taken the time to attend one of our events or speak with us directly, we are not anti-government. We are pro-small government; specifically government limited to its proper role of protecting the lives, liberty, and property of its citizens.”

”If the SPLC wants to take issue with that point of view then they should attempt to make an honest case against it”, Beard says. “Misrepresenting our views in an attempt to smear us is disingenuous and wrong.”

While the SPLC says that groups such as We Are Change Pittsburgh appearing on this particular list “does not imply that the groups themselves advocate or engage in violence or other criminal activities, or are racist”, members of We Are Change Pittsburgh say the context makes it abundantly clear that the SPLC is attempting to associate them with violence and racism.

In the “Who We Are” section of their website SPLC describe themselves as “a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society.” We Are Change Pittsburgh notes that the “Intelligence Report” issue in which they are listed as a “Patriot” group features stories about “Neo-Nazis”, “white supremacists”, “U.S. Anti-Gay Activists”, “Anti-Latino Violence”, the “Hate-murder” of an immigrant, “killer skinheads”, and more.

(Read the rest here.)

A thought?

Thanks for the info, it reminds me of when they linked AE to terrorists in a Congressional presentation.

Are some in WAC falling into the trap of being labelled "hard right", by there aggressive approach to and direct rejection of the left? We don't want a left right war!

Are they also falling into the way of Alex Jones professing a seeminhly paranoid mentality of us against them. A clear fear of socialism?

Protesting community groups might be a lose, lose situation?

I suggest caution and a very, very peaceful approach!

The great strength of the 9/11 Truth campiagn is the fact it aint left or right.

Please don't take offense, I'm just asking questions to help figure out how to play this round!

Kind regards John

Good advice John

Best to take the high road, the way of peace, and truth. They should not even use this to advocate any particular political position, that's a mistake I think, to frame it in terms of WAC being Libertarian oriented, or any stance for that matter. The characterization however is completely out of line, and out of alignment with SPLC's mission statement, and it's good to point that out.

We must NOT allow our movement to take on a political stance imho, I think you are right about that. That's destroyed so many other movements in the past. Once they start getting some power and influence, then they begin to align themselves with a particular political viewpoint, and then it always falls apart eventually.

Best to think it through very carefully. What would Ghandi do or say?

Looks to me like We Are Change is going to be targeted

targeted for infiltration and distortion of it's position, it's mission and purpose, by making it political.

I don't get a good vibe off Alex Jones and Ron Paul personally, and I think they're up to something, and that Jones could even be part of a controlled or permitted opposition.

They want to "get us" bad, just look at how that Pentagon shooter story was handled.

How can we blunt these efforts, and remain true to certain principals, in an entirely peaceful non-resistent manner?

Our movement is growing by leaps and bounds and we may be in fact getting some serious power and influence.

Where do we go from here, and how can we prevent the movement or parts of it, like WAC from getting hijacked, or infiltrated, or made to become overtly aggressive and provocative? Or Libertarian through and through, and thus excluding all other viewpoints (ie: group think)?.

At this stage, these are all very good questions. I think we might want to consult with people like G. Edward Griffin and others like that professor in the video in my old link (before the upgrade here) I forget his name, although he may have passed away ZINNY no Howard Zinn, Professor of HIstory, that's him - people like that who've given these matters a LOT of thought should be consulted, NOT Alex Jones. He could easily screw up somehow, either intentionally or unintentionally and marginalize our movement.

I think the government will target WAC if it hasn't already. Be careful! Think it through all the way.. that's good advice, no need to vote us down.

I keep getting an error when I try to save

This is the third time, today. Here is the error:

Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 67108864 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 16 bytes) in /home/n11blog/public_html/includes/database.mysqli.inc on line 161

well, this time, saving worked

But not before eating up a couple of posts of mine, which I'm loathe to redo, right now. Suffice it to say that I believe WAC should consider setting up Coffee Party chapters on campuses, as well as WAC chapters. Both are political, but non-partisan. And Coffee Party is looking to create a bit of democratic infrastructure which is sorely missing in the US.

A better democracy would be good not just for 911 Truth, but a whole host of issues.

That is precisely the kind of thing we are saying

should be AVOIDED, as the Coffee Party appears to have a certain political leaning and if it doesn't now it soon will.

So you have a problem with non-partisan political efforts, also?

Before the corporations took over the Presidential debates, they used to be in the hands of the League of Women Voters. They were better, then. If WAC came out to support reverting the debates to the League of Women Voters, would you be opposed?

I don't see a conflict with non-partisan and trans-partisan political efforts, especially if they involve creating democratic infrastructure. (small "d" democratic). Favoring the Demcratic or Republican party agendas, OTOH, would be an entirely different matter.

why avoid this group?

Robert, with all due respect, on what basis do you say the "Coffee Party" movement should be avoided?

I'm not a member of it (yet) and I don't have an in-depth analysis; but from the video I saw of a meeting, and of the listing of debates, this seems to be an example of citizens getting together to discussion issues of importance that the government is neglecting.

Is this not the foundation of a free Republic? Is this not what we want to see more of?

One person even specifically said this is not a Republican/Democratic thing.

9-11 truth meet-ups are great; but surely we can see that there are also broader issues of which we need to be a part, and which we need to encourage.

And what do you mean by a "certain political leaning"? Are you saying that the issues these people are discussing fall into some general category of... let's see, "left" or "liberal" thinking?

Well, let's say for the moment the majority of participants do lean in that direction; well so what?

Let's be clear here: there's nothing wrong with people having liberal or conservative viewpoints, left or right: it's when those ideas get pidgeon-holed into narrow categories that they become a problem; and especially when they get attached to the equally corrupt democratic and republican parties.

Though I do not feel a strong inclination to join the "tea-party" movement, I do support and feel some solidarity with the grassroots initiative to restore community/state sovereignty and check the encroachment of the government, (even as I dis-agreed with other "libertarian" viewpoints). My concern with the "tea-party" movement was always that it would be hijacked by the Republicans which is exactly what happened.

The point is, ANY real grassroots is going to be a little messy in its political content, because it's made up of contradictory individuals; but these issues will get ironed out, provided we have a forum for talking with one another. We can't avoid the fact that people today are largely divided along 'right/left' (and other lines); but if we allow both sides to discuss the issues in public, (at a grassroots/non-party level) and we participate in these discussions in order to bring the grassroots 'left' and 'right' together in common cause, then we will make real progress across a multitude of levels.

and p.s.,
when you say, "this is precisely the kind of thing WE should be avoiding..." who are you speaking of beside yourself?

Having said this, I do appreciate your concern that we be careful... to not get ourselves labeled as this way or that.

Blast

Another 15 minutes, down the drain! This website just ate ANOTHER of my posts! Maybe tonight....

copy your comment

select the text and copy your comment before hitting save

For me 911blogger.com is not politically oreintated

John MITCHELL
Herblay FRANCE

bonjour ,
agree that the 9/11 Truth campiagn's strength comes from the fact that it is not right wing or left wing. For me 911blogger.com is not politically oreintated

With the lastest computer programme updates on the 911blogger.com, is it possible to see who voted down (-1) John Bursill above and why ?

Yours John

There was once a movement

A Christian evangelical movement in the early 1930's, called "The Oxford Group", and it boasted millions of members at one time, and it was having a seriously positive impact, until it started to become powerful and influencial and began taking political positions on certain issues of the day, at which point, it quickly disappated, and collapsed. The AA (alchoholics anonymous) movement sprang from this movement, but to avoid the same fate, it created the AA 12 Traditions, and that movement has maintained itself, although AA recovery rates have pummeted when the purity of it was lost, and people started just studing instead of taking the steps of recovery.

They thought it through, learned something valuable, and created a framework to avoid making the same mistake.

So a tradition for our movement could be that it takes no political position, except perhaps to offer some ellegiance to the principals enshrined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights and Freedoms, the founding documents of the Republic of the USA, since there's nothing wrong with that. But to go right wing, or purely Libertarian, or to take any firm or hardened political stance is a MISTAKE, and it would only end up hurting our movement, which is really nothing more or less than the movement of the truth about 9/11, and whatever power and influence that has, the truth, why not leave that alone and just let the chips fall where they may? So while we might charge or enliven certain political movements, the 9/11 truth movement itself must remain entirely nonpolitical. Look at the Oxford group, which was simply helping people to live in accordance with key Biblical principals, and nothing more, but once it went political - poof, it crumbled almost overnight...

And meanwhile...

it looks like Congress is putting on some serious jackboots:

http://www.alternet.org/rights/146081/mccain_and_lieberman%27s_%22enemy_belligerent%22_act_could_set_u.s._on_path_to_military_dictatorship

(As reported by our dear friends at AlterNet. Just what will it take for supposed defenders of the Constitution to see just how important the 9/11 truth movement is to their cause?)

When I read about stuff like that, by the likes of

McCain and Lieberman, it makes me want to redouble efforts to spread the word and get the truth out about 9/11.

Because right now, there is still freedom of expression and the freedom to think and hold whatever viewpoint we like, and ours are entirely reality based.

New wave of 9/11 finger-pointing towards zionists

New wave of 9/11 finger-pointing towards zionists

Mark Glenn is host of the online show "The Ugly Truth." Dr. Alan Sabrosky is his guest along with co-host and author, Phil Tourney to discuss Dr. Sabrosky’s most recent article “The Dark Face Of Jewish Nationalism”. During the interview Sabrosky announced that the US military brass have been informed that Israel's Mossad was behind the 9/11 attacks.

Sabrosky, however fails to back his comment with any hard evidence - an absolute requirement in such a brazen public indictment. The recent surge of 9/11 coverage due to Jesse Ventura's new book "American Conspiracies", the ABC Nightline story on the "Treason In America" conference and others, have likely emboldened lines of discussion that were previously deemed as "taboo", even on internet broadcasts.

http://gators911truth.blogspot.com/2010/03/zionism-unmasked-dark-face-of-jewish.html

Related

Yes all talk no evidence?

Interesting but UGLY it seems.......

Suspicious of Sabrosky

I saw the article and listened to the interview with Sabrosky. It's all very suspicious to me. Yes, he makes wild claims and provides no evidence. And if you Google Sabrosky, nothing comes up except these anti-Zionist rants. So who is this guy? A plant? All I know is we have done an amazing job in the last few years trying to stick to solid evidence while gaining more and more credentialed support. We need to stay on this straight and narrow path. Our opponents will continue to hurl these accusations, but IMO they will never stick, because they are baseless and because behind the scenes we have a plethora of highly credentialed and respected supporters. We are winning -- more so every day --- and "they" are scurrying around like rats.

Show "Hmmm..." by CONSCIOUSNESS

Who opened

the troll cave?

Look, I know it's a crowded cinema and all, but

"FIRE!"

Sorry

that was an abuse of freedom of speech, but so too is banging on about jews to make us seem like an antisocial movement with racist tendencies

Sabrosky is 100% s legit and has great street cred

from bigeye.com:

Alan Sabrosky (Ph.D., University of Michigan) is a writer and consultant specializing in national and international security affairs. In December 1988, he received the Superior Civilian Service Award after more than five years of service at the U.S. Army War College as Director of Studies, Strategic Studies Institute, and holder of the General of the Army Douglas MacArthur Chair of Research.

He is listed in WHO'S WHO IN THE EAST (23rd ed.). A Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and a 1986 graduate of the U.S. Army War College, Dr. Sabrosky's teaching and research appointments have included the United States Military Academy, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Middlebury College and Catholic University; while in government service, he held concurrent adjunct professorships at Georgetown University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Dr. Sabrosky has lectured widely on defense and foreign affairs in the United States and abroad. You can email Dr. Alan Sabrosky at: docbrosk@comcast.net

Street cred?

Start following: http://www.veteranstoday.com/author/gordonduff/

Hmmmm... fingerpointing

I don't think so.

Many here seem to feel that 911Truth is a serious blind spot for the anti-war crowd.

I maintain that extremist Zionism is a serious blind spot for the 911Truth crowd.

In reality, there's so much work to go around in this whole mess that there's something to meet the needs and interests of almost everyone who wants to contribute .

There are tremendous benefits to seriously focused effort. Yet, the compartmentalization that is an outgrowth of that is both the good news and the bad news. The bad news is that individual efforts are maintained as they lose sight of their fundamental interconnections.

Like the story of the blind man and the elephant, each man believes that his part of the animal IS the whole. After much research and gut-wrenching reflection, I have come to the firm belief that the the "pink elephant in the living room" is Zionist extremism.

There's not one path down this rabbit hole, that I've been able to find, that doesn't ultimately wind up back at the same front door: extreme Zionism - Christian and Jew.

In truth, however, these dangerous psychopaths have no allegiance to anyone or anything. They are simply operating under the flag of extreme Zionist Israel at this point in history. The form of all maniacal psychopaths is exactly the same and it's timeless.

Fingerpointing isn't what's going on here. Coming to terms with truth - the complete Truth - is what I believe truthers are called to no matter where it leads.

Many lament the fact that so few anti-war advocates have really opened their eyes and taken the time to educate themselves about 911 truth. But the same holds true for 9/11 truthers. Very few have really opened their eyes and taken the time to educate themselves about the very real occupation of this country and much of the world, by those whose complete loyalty lies with extreme Zionism's definition of Israel.

We know that, if people really looked at the evidence from 911 with open hearts and open minds while temporarily suspending their disbelief, chances are great that something will begin in the process of their realization. The same holds true in the other case.

In both cases, we would hope that people would reserve all judgement until they had done the research. There is as much or more info. available on the web right now about extreme Zionism and it's connection with 911, wars, the financial meltdown, et al, as there is about 911/truth.

One easy way to start that research, albeit shallow not deep, is to google "Israel did 9/11" and just pick something out of the 72,400,000 results that come up.

Many say that questioning 911 is unpatriotic. In fact, it is one of the MOST patriot things that one can do.

Many say that questioning extreme Zionism in Israel's current government is "anti-semitic." In fact, NOT questioning it is "anti-semitic" because Zionism is the REAL enemy of the Jews.

To anyone who may read this, I apologize if it reads poorly. I'm just too tired to go back and edit it for quality and clarity. I'm shocked I was able to get through the spellcheck!)

Even truth seekers have to be strategically wise

Until the 9/11 truth movement succeeds in reaching the tipping point with the American public, it is strategically wise to keep certain "pink elephants" out of view of the public, lest they bring the whole house down on our heads prematurely (i.e. fight one fight at a time and you stand a much better chance of winning and pick your fights very carefully).

Let's get the real investigations we need and let the chips fall where they will, ok?

The truth shall set us free. Love is the only way forward.

Free market fundamentalism

I'm not a fan of the SPLC, but nor am I fan of extreme right wing "libertarianism" as preached by people like Alex Jones and Ron Paul.

I wrote an article recently published on Dissident Voice, entitled Ayn Rand in Uganda. It explores the logical incoherence and anti-human, near psychopathic philosophy of "free market capitalism".

http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/03/ayn-rand-in-uganda-2/

I also recommend Andrew Dinkelaker's article "Reconciling Autonomy and Community":

http://quadrant4.org/razor.html

Psychology

The movie 'The Corporation' explains that corporations are considered 'people' by the law, to their benefit. It then argues that these 'people' are innately psychopathic as corporations are required by law to prioritize profit above everything else, and that the law acknowledges this and treats their psychopathic actions with leniency.

I guess it doesn't help when the people running those corporations are psychopaths too. And no political system stands much of a chance with things like false flag attacks occurring under cover of national security.

Rand was correct that reality exists independently of consciousness, but she was hardly the first to say so. Indeed she has probably encouraged the rise in subjectivism by associating this truth with her politics.

Corporation is a very good movie!

In my opinion the real question eventually becomes: Do we work to live? or Live to work? The inherent conflict of interest between profits and people with respect to corporate policy needs attention. Do the workers deserve fair wages, pensions, benefits, safe conditions or do the shareholders have the right to increase profits by limiting these " expenses" ? What about the indirect costs passed on to the public with regard to the enviroment? The free market mantra has hurt the world: demanding that natural resources be privatized, exporting jobs in mature companies with long fought employee protections to virtual slave labor states, using capital to surpress competition, purchase political influence, the conflicts between corporate and public interests are extensive and complex. The current economic model based upon current world population levels will fail without some modifications....either to support humanity or to destroy it. Actually it has already failed humanity in lost potential for some time now. Serfs who were geniuses died in uneducated, undervalued lifetimes as they continue to in the present. There is a better way and the problem is how do we get there from here. The economic model really exists to support competing oligarchies who continue to try to rule the world. The events of 911 are clear and transparent evidence of this agenda in direct conflict to the human condition and our precious planet. Perhaps 911truth can bring light to the world and power to the people.

Oxymoron.

"Free Market Capitalism" is an oxymoron. "Capitalism", if we really use our heads and think about the meaning of the word, is the "ism" of capital. A system or worldview by, for, and of those who control capital. A system by, for, and of those who would "capitalize" upon their position of wealth, to the detriment of those on the receiving end of their machinations. "Capitalism" is the tool, method, and religion of the "investor class". They use their excess capital to "invest" by making "loans" to those without capital. In other words, they use their excess capital to GET OTHER PEOPLE INDEBTED TO THEM.

Free markets, I am all for. But "capitalism" must be neutered. Not by ANY FORM of socialism or communism, mind you, as those are FAR WORSE. Socialism and communism are the "solution" portion of the PROBLEM-REACTION-SOLUTION. Capitalistic excess and greed, followed by crisis, inequality, and instability = (PROBLEM) - People cry out for fairness, equality, jobs, benefits, people unionize = (REACTION) - Government offers up ever more collectivism = (PRE-DETERMINED SOLUTION)

What we need is free-markets, local industry (possibly with import tariffs to discourage "outsourcing" and buying foreign *read NATIONAL SUICIDE*), and the re-institution of the rule of Law. Once upon a time, the anti-trust laws and laws against usury took care of all this nonsense fairly well. People just need to rediscover and ENFORCE these principles that help to weed out the cheats and swindlers.

Americans and their distorted right wing extremist world view

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivism#Socialist_critique

Problem-reaction-solution is the brainchild of self-anointed reincarnation of Christ and incorrigible reptilian-theorizing kook David Icke.

Problem: I have a broken arm
Reaction: Ouch!
Solution: I go to the doctor

Interpretation: the doctor broke my arm so he could have a business.

The mere application of the label 'problem-reaction-solution' is supposed to induce associations with a racketeering scheme, but the problem is: evidence must be provided. You just don't like the solution.

Collectivism is not socialism. There is a name for rabid conspiratorial anti-semitism (as you have displayed in another comment) combined with virulent anti-socialism and anti-communism:

It's Nazism. (You've heard of the term "Nazi", have you heard of the counterpart "Sozi", you know the guys gassed in the concentration camps? No? Look it up)

Anyways, the gap between rich and poor in the United States and worldwide has widened:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/09/census-1-7-americans-live-poverty/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/global-poverty-doubled-1970s/

There is no 'collectivism' or 'socialism' in the United States: there is only the illusion of a socialist threat, constantly perpetuated by the American crackpot right, that is if the perpetuators actually believe their own propagandistic garbage and aren't merely paid handsomely to brainwash the television and talk radio gawking nutballs. Perpetuating a non-existent threat is the specialism of the American right-wing extremist capitalist elite. The REAL paradigm is a right-extreme right paradigm, effectuated by the constant labeling of Obama as a 'socialist', a 'marxist' and a 'communist'. Nothing could be further from the truth.

You'll be hard-pressed to pigeon-hole me into any political basket, but I strongly favor democratic socialism over neoliberalism, social darwinism, and kleptocracy.

I'll be damned if the victim blaming, identity crisis right, including Alex Jones, Ron & Rand Paul, Judge Napolitano and the rest of the Brady Bunch smear socialism because they're just too ingrained by American political 'thought' to look in the mirror to find the cause of the current state of affairs.

Napolitano invoked the Kennedy assassination on his guest appearance on Alex Jones. Here's a newsflash to both of them: JFK, RFK and MLK were all murdered by a group of ruthless right-wing extremist, fascist, corporatist, nationalist elites. THAT is the truth. So own up to it, and stop the aimless, hapless jibber-jabbering about non-existent socialist world domination schemes. It's pure disinformation.

Oh, and where I'm from, 'liberal' means right-wing. Americans, including those looking to decipher the political puzzle behind the catastrophe unfolding before their eyes, need to go visit Latin America and ask around. Have a little chat with the victims of the libertarian totalitarian experiments of Milton Friedman, the School of the Americas, the Chicago Boys and their coup facilitating CIA cohorts. I suggest you do more listening than talking.

and end the FED

Started in 1913, the Fed is the upwards redistribution of wealth exemplified.
The slave collar of a nation.
The US government became the tax collector of the banker kings paying your income tax to the banks in the form of interest on the debt which they add to by more deficit spending.
They try to pass it off as a system of debt to foreign nations eg china but it always helps corrupt leaders to stir up fear of foreigners.
That's why they brought in income tax at around the same time (1912)
The people who sucked the life out of the US left a country ready for the advent of the neocons who self- funded via CIA drug running
Thats the current era you have, from where comes 9/11, the most poignant example of the disrespect the neocons have for human life.
Israel in my opinion is spun as a puppet master but i think it is rather the opposite.
i think israel is the forward base of the american oligarchs- a proxy base for that region.

yes some great insights

Israel is a fort in the sand and has plenty of representation in the US state dept. The US liberty attack was at least approved by and covered up by Pres of the US Johnson.
How much did the US short the rest of the world with phony investments in the last financial shakedown? Close to a trillion is my guess.
Of course no special consideration was really given to many domestic investors like your average baby boomer's pension or mutual fund. I guess when the neocons said they had a plan for the next century it wasn't like they didn't put their cards on the table, or when the VP of the US puts the map of some oil fields on the table it's for a reason. Of course the military industrial petroleum complex really doesn't mind if you want to outsource more of the direct war expenses into the corporate coffers. Rumsfield, Cheney and Bush brought modern corporate outsourcing methods including platinun parachutes for key ex military personel to the new business model of War. Think of how many of the elite extended their fortunes with 911 and the resulting wars of terror. These seasoned professionals shook down the US taxpayer like first class con men. Start a new Homeland Security pipeline with new laws of patriotism to enforce. I 'm sure some folks call them brilliant, no wonder these motherf*ckers seem to be smiling all the time.