A sure way to know that a government will eventually round up social justice activists is when it builds lists of detailed dossiers of those activists. Following the same principle, a sure way to know that a government will eventually detain citizens indefinitely and without being properly charged (i.e., without due process or habeas corpus protections), is when that government grants itself the legal right to do so.
Before I continue, let me clarify that this letter is specifically written for radical (hard-core) social justice activists... And by that I mean people who's entire life is dedicated to exposing government corruption, to the peaceful struggle against injustice and oppression, and to motivating (and recruiting) others to join the movement.
Also, I fully understand that you may find the dangers I will describe in this letter totally unbelievable, or highly unlikely. And to that objection I would answer, "point well taken," and that I'll be okay if people look at this information as a "thought experiment." I argue that no matter how's looked at, my hope is that it may become useful one day, somehow.
Now, back to the radical social justice activists... During the last several decades the United States of America in collaboration with wealthy business/corporate interests, and intelligence/security organizations has been either directly or indirectly responsible for the death and torture of tens of thousands of innocent people, many of them in Latin American countries that were turned into Banana Republics.
One common denominator shared by the vast majority of these people is that they were leftists; they were labor leaders, social justice activists, community organizers, socialists, anarchists, and communists. They died because they stood up for the poor, the dispossessed, and the oppressed, who for some reason or another stood in the way of American corporations' profits.
And many of them died because they were on a list; lists that had been carefully collected by intelligence organizations, like the C.I.A., and used to build dossiers on thousands of activists. These lists were then shared with brutal dictators who used them to round them up to be tortured, killed, or disappeared.
Herein I argue that given the conditions I described in the opening paragraph, that there is a real danger that social justice activists inside the country will eventually be subjected to being rounded up as well. I argue that although this may not happen next month, or next year, or even during the next few years, that given what I consider to be the legal, technological, and security fascistic infrastructure, that it will eventually happen: if you build them (the dossiers), they will be used.
From its inception, the FBI has operated on the doctrine that the "preliminary stages of organization and preparation" must be frustrated, well before there is any clear and present danger of "revolutionary radicalism."
At its most extreme dimension, political dissidents have been eliminated outright or sent to prison for the rest of their lives. There are quite a number of individuals who have been handled in that fashion.
Many more, however, were "neutralized" by intimidation, harassment, discrediting, snitch jacketing, a whole assortment of authoritarian and illegal tactics.
-- COINTELPRO: The Untold American Story
When a country turns (takes off its mask) and becomes openly fascistic, why do you think they go after the intellectuals, and social justice activists/leaders first? Because those individuals serve as the catalyst to start social justice movement that if given the chance, could grow to the point where they could present a real challenge to those holding illegitimate power...
Social movements involve a long-term struggle between the movement and the powerholders for the hearts, minds, and support of the majority of the population. Before social movements begin, most people are either unaware that a problem exists or don't believe that they can do anything about it. They believe the powerholder's societal myths and support the high-sounding official policies and practices, all of which seem to be consistent with the culture's deeply held held values and beliefs...
~snip~
The strategy of social movements, therefore, is to alert, educate, and win over an ever increasing majority of the public. First the public needs to be convinced that a critical social problem exists. Then it must be convinced that policies need to be changed. And then a majority of people must be mobilized into a force that eventually brings about an acceptable solution.
-- Bill Moyers / "Doing Democracy: The MAP Model for Organizing Social Movements"
The corporate/government security state is currently engaging in the indiscriminate
collection of all available information, and through all available (surveillance means), and is building detailed dossiers on hundreds of millions of Americans. The danger this situation poses can't be emphasized enough...
Here's how Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the National Lawyers Guild, describes the situation regarding the surveillance police state:
This book ["Spying on Democracy"] documents the way relentless surveillance makes people in the United States less free. As government agencies shift from investigating criminal activity to preempting it, they have forged close relationships with corporations honing surveillance and intelligence-gathering techniques for use against Americans. By claiming that anyone who questions authority or engages in undesired political speech is a potential terrorist threat, this government-corporate partnership makes a mockery of civil liberties. The examples in these pages show how a free press, our legal system, activists, and other pillars of a democratic society—and even children—suffer as a consequence. As the assault by an alignment of consumer marketing and militarized policing grows, each single act of individual expression or resistance assumes greater importance. As individuals and communities, we need to dismantle this system if we are to restore and protect our civil liberties.
The corporate/government total information surveillance police state is already in place:
There are two primary domestic public-private intelligence sharing partnerships at work at the federal level: Infragard and the Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC).
Infragard is a public-private intelligence sharing partnership managed by the FBI Cyber Division Public/Private Alliance Unit (PPAU). As described by the FBI, Infragard is an "association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States." There are 86 Infragard chapters nationwide. These Infragard chapters serve as representatives of private sector "stakeholders" in the many of the nation's fusion centers.
DSAC is a public-private intelligence sharing partnership between the FBI, U.S. DHS I&A and several of the nation's leading corporate/financial interests. Some of these corporate/financial interests comprise the DSAC Leadership Board. The DSAC Leadership Board consists of 29 corporations and banks, including several entities that have been the subject of OWS protests/criticism. Corporate/financial interests active in the DSAC Leadership Board include: Bank of America, MasterCard, Citigroup, American Express, Barclays, RBS Citizens, 3M, Archer Daniels Midland, ConocoPhillips, Time Warner and Wal-Mart. Along with DSAC chairmen from the FBI and U.S. DHS I&A, DSAC is co-chaired by a representative of these private sector interests-- currently Grant Ashley, vice president of global security for pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co.
-- The Center for Media and Democracy report "Dissent Or Terror" (in PDF).
Again, I'm fully cognizant of the fact that many readers may agree that the government is overstepping its authority and engaging in some abuses when it comes to surveillance, but that there is no reason to believe that that means it will turn fascistic... That's a valid point of view, of course.
But is not a point of view I agree with. I think that eventually it will take its mask off and show itself to be fascistic, and what leads me to believe that is because, again, the legal and technological infrastructure for it is already in place (turn-key fascist state).
Furthermore, I believe that we are witnessing a systemic take-down of the public sector in favor of private interests and profits, and a dismantling of the social safety net... This situation will likely result in plunging millions of people into poverty and despair, and at some point there will finally be a push-back, led by social justice activists and intellectuals.
If that conditions materializes, that's when the system will take its mask off...
The Protection of Social Justice Activists in The Surveillance Police State
If and when people find it necessary to unite in solidarity against the brutality of the system, the surveillance police state will be ready for it.
At that point, intellectuals and social justice activists will do what they've always done throughout the entire history of civilization: They will endeavor in movement-building activities by exposing the hypocrisy, criminality, and brutality of the system, and by recruiting people to unite in solidarity against the oppression.
In the age of a total information awareness police state, and given the decades-old history of the fascistic play-book that often includes the rounding up of activists and intellectuals, I offer these suggestions...
First understand that the entire Internet infrastructure is compromised. Understand that all online social networks are basically tools to help the Corporate State to build dossiers on citizens.
Identity: Once the need to unite and organize becomes apparent, and people start meeting to discuss possible courses of action, think about taking on a nom de guerre (fictitious name; a pseudonym). Do not share your address, phone number, email, or information about your job, or family members with other members of a group that's in the initial stages of organization.
Leadership: As groups forms, it is likely that people with leadership skills will emerge. If the group accepts the concept of leadership, then it should try to nurture (and protect) these leaders. Other groups may prefer other options, including actions by consensus, or committees, or even embrace anarchists ethos. Regardless, the group should focus on building unity and solidarity, and a clear understanding of its mission (I'm aware that's not easy).
Communications: Become a Luddite! Big (potentially fascistic) Brother is listening. Do not use any electronic communications, phones, email, apps, twitter, facebook, yahoo, google, none of it, for official communications of the group. Be creative; come up with new (or old?) communications options.
Maybe at meetings some people may be tasks with taking notes (with pencil and paper), drafting minutes, keeping track of the agenda, topics of discussion, and building knowledge base which will be use for future action of the movement.
Now, this is very important... Individual members can exploit all the information technology available to conduct research, investigations, to build knowledge, and then bring that info to the meetings, but the interaction should be one-way only. No information from the group should come anywhere near the information technology infrastructure (which is totally compromised).
For example, the real names of every single member in the group should not be disclosed (even to other members). There should not be any email communications among members at all, ever, and that's especially true when it comes to anything related to the activities of the group.
Obviously these local groups should find a way to connect and form a nationwide movement, and coordinate action (both at small, and at a massive national scale).
Objective: Again, from Bill Moyers' book: "The strategy of social movements, therefore, is to alert, educate, and win over an ever increasing majority of the public. First the public needs to be convinced that a critical social problem exists. Then it must be convinced that policies need to be changed. And then a majority of people must be mobilized into a force that eventually brings about an acceptable solution."
The emphasis is mine
I will continue conducting research on this topic and sharing it as I gain more insights, an find additional information resources. Anybody interested in forming a think-tank to further develop these concepts can contact me via email at contact @ raypensador dot com.
As I conduct this research, and as I interact with others who have additional ideas, I will try to put together some kind of booklet and release it to the public domain hoping that people find some useful ideas as the need to build a strong social justice movement becomes more apparent (as the systemic induced oppression increases).
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning.
They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what a people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both.
The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. Men may not get all they pay for in this world; but they must pay for all they get. If we ever get free from all the oppressions and wrongs heaped upon us, we must pay for their removal. We must do this by labor, by suffering, by sacrifice, and, if needs be, by our lives, and the lives of others.
- Frederick Douglass
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