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Infinite Onion nein
PO Box 263
Colorado Springs , CO 80901
usa
e-mail is 72212,121 on compuserve (72212.121@compuserve.com from internet)
issue nine is the tenth issue of this zine go figure
This is the electronic version of Infinite Onion. It's the first one I've done electronically. Hope you like it. Hope I didn't fuck it up. Here is what you will find as you scroll further:
News blerbs
Coffee rant
The Tong
what's cool
One Shot To Colorado Springs In Hitler's Mercedes Benz
180 Day Lobotomy
RAF blows up prison in Germany
Leonard Peltier's June 26th Statement
I Wouldn't call myself a pacifist
Anti War and Punk activity in Ex-Yugo
Waiter! There's a Hare Krishna in my punk
Annoying the establishment
The FDA's war on natural health care
Concrete Tears
The End Of the Day
Zines
+++_+_-=-+_=_=-+_^%^%*&#$#
Like the circle in which all of life is contained , like revolution that brings everything back full circle, like pain that leaves you stronger and wiser after it subsides , like the destruction out of which ruins life emerges, like the cycles of nature and life and death, like progress that leads to its own ruin, like Babylon, like Rome, like the dying animal or plant whose remains feeds and gives to new life and growth, like the infinite onion which peel after peel leaves you crying and still you celebrate and reach for the sun.
Copies of the Infinite Onion are available from for $1 each, $1.50 for back issues of ishu 8. Infinite Onion 8.1 which is a four page bloodletting on exorcising alcoholic demons in a friend is available for a SASE.
Send a SASE for a catalog.
I'm moving: My mail order thing is coming to an end as I prepare to leave Turtle Island to travel the world, so don't count on much of a speedy reply after March 94 or so. If you write me beforehand I can send you a couple addresses you might be able to get ahold of me at in Europe. I'm working on a system of getting my mail forwarded but am not really sure what's going to be happening yet. If you want to hook up with me in Europe or have a place I could crash, let me know. I'm won't vomit on your carpet or hurt your pets and I do the dishes.
Become popular and wealthy selling the Infinite Onion in your neighborhood! Get 5 or more from me directly for 50 a copy + postage.
UK and Europe people! Current and back issues are available from DS4A (SAE + 40p for UK rest of Europe send 90p , DS4A c/o Box 8 Greenleaf Bookshop / 82 Colston St. / Bristol, AVON UK) as well as from BM Active ( BM Active / WC1N 3XX / London UK). Both these distributors have some pretty impressive mail order catalogs you could check out as well.
Submissions: Send me what you do, I'm always looking for new shit. Next issue might not come out for a long time, but I'll keep everything I get on hand. As far as guidelines go, my only rules really for printing something is that I like it enough to want other people to check it out too. I'm looking for more stuff that isn't so generic as you'd typically find in punk zines. Hip-hop, wiccan, queer or whatever deviancies you can muster up, I'd be interested.
Advertising: I'm not sure when next issue will be out, but when I make up my mind, I send out ad rates. If you're interested in advertising, let me know and I'll ad you to my ad rate list. I'm into trading ad space for books and sometimes records if they are ones I'm interested in.
Really fun disclaimer: I don't suggest you do anything in here! If you do and get caught, you fucked up. Don't blame me. I'm completely innocent. I'm a distributor of information for the purpose of entertainment, not a fucking terrorist!
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"Someday love will find you, break those chains that bind you."- Journey
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Blerbs
Since ishu ate
The ELF collective: The spontaneity was there.. at first. Shortly after #8 was folded, stapled and in the mail, myself along with several others got together to start the Erisian Liberation Front (ELF). We had bold plans : keep tabs on undercover pigs, alternative press/zine library, monthly benefit shows, a newsletter, lots of fliers and generally making a spectacle out of ourselves. The first meeting was somewhat inspirational, but after the initial talking shit became a matter of actually manifesting ideas into reality, the energy died. In the end it was me alone doing it all. One benefit show went down (to raise dough for us, how pathetic), we marched against queer assimilation in the annual gay pride parade and did little else. I tried to revive it , but no-one showed up, so I handed over the materials to those who still pretended to be interested and quit. I was putting all my energy into this shit and nothing was happening.
I hooked up with Amnesty, the band I raved about last issue. I practiced with them maybe four times. Learned the songs on guitar and then had to relearn everything on bass after loosing our bass guy to a frightened and protective mother a couple days before leaving on tour . That may not sound like a big deal, but I struggled considerably. The tour was a mess. Rich booked the first week, I booked the second week. We got a van last minute for $300, made up a fake insurance card and were off. Virtually every show fell through. Those we did get on were last minute deals , just showing up to a show and trying to get on the bill. The other band members instantly transformed into personalities I had never met. They talked a lot of shit and fucked with each other constantly , sort of like I used to do with my little sister when I was young. I got made fun of for not being a virgin. Yikes. Our van eventually broke down just outside of Dallas one day before the week I had booked. Rich and TJ bought bus tickets back.
Nick and I , whose parents are less accessible stayed in Dallas with Darren and Initial State (I think they're called Antischism again) for a while and then back to Colorado by thumb. Rich moved to Ft. Worth after a little while and Amnesty is history. We should have a 7" out sometime or other. Look for it if you give a shit.
Our homebrew counselor and everybody's friends Toasterhead and Marcie opened up a cool alternative clothing store called Osmosis in his house that carries a lot of cool zines and nikk nakks. Its on 2211 West Colorado Ave. next door to Celebration bookstore , if you care to check it out.
The much hyped Rally Against the Pope was apparently pretty anticlimactic. After trying for weeks to find out details on what was happening, I got a flier in the mail with directions two days late. From what I hear there were less than ten people present.
The Klan came back to Colorado Springs shortly after I got back from the Amnesty tour. Naturally there was an opposition to the sheetheads. Unfortunately I didn't get in on any of the fun. In a clumsy attempt at avoiding cop video cameras we tried an alternate entrance to the heavily guarded entrance to the rally. They saw us right away and we were quickly surrounded by cops. One pig asked to see in my bag whereupon I demanded a warrant. I was quickly taken to the ground , arrested and let go on PR. They looked through my bag in which they found a plastic bag full of flour bombs. At first these were mistaken for drugs, then when they found the bottle of Dawn I had just bought at the store , one cop's eyes lit up brilliantly as he exclaimed "ah, homemade explosives" . Next they examined my mail and address book and came to the conclusion I was a white supremacist attempting to disrupt counter-demonstrators. The police report described my Public Enemy shirt as depicting a black male with cross hairs aimed at h
im (that's a cop in the crosshairs) and the words "the Enemy", it also mentioned that I was carrying racist fliers (one flier had a picture of Klansmen on it with the words "Save the white race ... from inbreeding" while the other stated boldly (clearly enough for even a cop to understand) "Resist Fascism" with a graphic of a guy punching out a nazi. The report also stated that the flour bombs in my bag were meant to be thrown at people protesting the Klan. Brilliant. I expected this to be a ticket I would plea bargain into court costs like most times I get hassled at demos or whatnot. This time the state attorney tells me I can plead guilty and pay the fine and they'll drop the three months in prison. Fuck that, I want a lawyer! I go to the judge and ask for a court appointed lawyer. He tells me they're really gunning for me this time. Shit. I go to court two more times and it looks like they really are out to get me, my lawyer agrees. My whole summer has been tied up with this shit, my travel plans shot to
shit also. All this for demanding a warrant before being searched. I feel fucked with and and can't wait to get done with it all. My next and hopefully last trial is on December 6th.
I did manage to do a little travelling between seeing my lawyer and a trial date. I went to Tucson with a couple friends. Tucson is full of very cool and hip people. Unfortunately , the cops and business side of the city isn't all that hip. We got there right as the business community banded together to push the homeless out of "their" turf. Police helicopters were scanning areas around the rail road tracks for people seeking shelter and we were chased first out of a squat by cops, then away from our 4th Ave. concrete slab. After we were clearly no longer welcome, I left for home via Flagstaff and Santa Fe. Nice trip.
Jade behind bars: After being falsely picked from a suspect line up, everybody's friend Jade was arrested for burglary and is as of the time of writing, still in prison awaiting trial. It's been close to a month now and he is not doing so good. If he's still in when you get read this, drop him a line. Jade nuss , El Paso County Sheriff's Office, 2739 East Las Vegas Str. , Colorado Springs, CO 80906-1522
The Barter Network I had started and put a lot of work into was dropped after I realized how overwhelmed I was with different undertakings. If anyone's interested in taking this over, get in touch. There is an interest in something like this happening , someone just needs to do it.
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The following blerbs are either written by myself (Dave) or were sent to me to print. Some of these I've edited a bit for space.
Leonard Peltier ( see article), after 17 years has filed for parole and will see the parole board first week of December. There is a massive letter writing campaign being planned for between November 21 and December 24th, 93. Send all original letters in support of Leonard's release to President Bill Clinton, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500; send copies of your letters to Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, PO Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044. The copies will be delivered by "important" people to other "important" people which will hopefully make this a very big media thing that Clinton can't ignore. Be sure not to mail anything to the White House until after November 21. This is supposed to be an overwhelming barrage of unignorable support for Leonard. Get in touch with the local chapter at Leonard Peltier Support Committee c/o Julie Steele, 602 E. Willamette, Apt #1 , Colorado Springs, CO 80903 .
No More Nice Girls Please send all slides of artwork , all media , for possible inclusion in No More Nice Girls: A womens festival to be held at ABC No Rio in NYC, March 1994. There will be an exhibition as well as workshops, readings, panel discussions, etc. We are also accepting proposals for workshops and panels, poetry and journal excerpts and other writing for readings ( if you don't live in NYC-your work can be read for you) and 1/2" videotapes for performance and film and video events. All submissions should include a resume, statement and SASE for return. Deadline is December 30 1993. Send shit to SPIRAL ARTS, PO Box 20119, Columbus Circle Station, NY , NY 10023-9991. For more info call Nicole Demerin at (718) 721-1434
The Womyn's Collective of Baltimore is a small group that meets to discuss social , political and personal issues. We are relatively new and interested in setting up contacts and hearing ideas. We are an anarcha- feminist based group but we are all part of this oppressive system and must work together to make some changes. Write regardless of gender, preference, race or any other stupid societal barrier and we will write back. WCB - PO Box 4309, Balto, MD 21223
Paul-X who wrote "the End Of The Day" elsewhere in this issue is trying to raise $500 to enroll in college program offered by Ohio State University for the '94-'95 school year. His scheme is to find 50 people willing to invest $10 each into his education. Prison labor pays about 29 an hour, he needs all the help he can get with this. For more details or just to write, contact Paul-X #205398, Chippewa Regional Correctional Facility, Kincheloe, MI 49784-0001
Spunk Press is an electronic anarchist archive offering a variety of anarchist and related information via Internet. Get on their mailing list or hit them up for a catalog at spunk-list-request@lysator.liu.se or if you're limited to snail mail , write them c/o Chuck Munson PO Box 173 , Madison WI 53701-0173
The Western Shoshone Defense Project is looking for help with supplies and from what I hear, specifically a chain saw among other things. They are also still encouraging the more rugged people to come down and physically help out. Western Shoshone Defense Project General Delivery, Crescent Valley NV 89821
Animal Liberation Front activist Jonathan Paul is free after spending 158 days in captivity for refusing to testify at a grand jury hearing in Spokane, WA. His lawyer successfully filed a "Grumbles Notion which is a recognition from the court that continued jailing will not make witness talk. May 14th , Judge Nielsen, the same judge that had jailed Jon Paul, imprisoned journalist Rik Scarce, author of "Eco Warriors" for refusing to answer grand jury questions on the sources for his book in which animal and ALF activists were interviewed. Darren Thurston, another ALF activist in prison for 14 1/2 months was released Sept. 3. The judge ordered him to pay over $70,000 in restitution for damage done to University of Alberta (from which 29 cats were taken) property and a fishing company which had several trucks set on fire. The police obtained information concerning this from an informant Jessica Michelle Charlotte Sandham. ALF spokesperson Rod Coronado is still in hiding due to threats against his life by the FB
I and fur industry. He issued a press release on Dec 1st 1992 stating he would surrender in exchange for several universities releasing incarcerated animals and stopping animal research. On October 5 , ALF activist Kim Trimiew was jailed on contempt charges for refusing to testify before a grand jury in Spokane, WA. For more information on ALF activities/prisoners write Earth First ! , PO Box 5176, Missoula, MT 59806 or ALFSG , PO Box 75029, Ritchie PO, Edmonton, Alberta, T6E 6K1 Canada.
Amendment 2 For those of you who don't live in Colorado or are otherwise in the dark about this, Amendment 2 is one of the footprints left by Colorado's enormous right wing Christian organizations (largely imported from SoCal of course). The amendment prohibits any new laws being passed which would protect gays and lesbians from discrimination. It was voted in by a majority , proving just what fooled shits the majority of voters are. In the midst of the post passing of 2 turmoil , Chris and I were turned down for a one bedroom apartment on the grounds that "it's just not right" and something about how that would look. After accusing him for being the bigoted brainwashed pig he is, the landlord tried defending himself , saying he wasn't prejudice, if we had been two women he would have done the same. Very comforting. There's been talk about a clarification amendment which would replace 2 if voted in next election, also much ado about the constitutionality of the amendment. Two very active although quite mains
tream and conservative groups working against 2 are Ground Zero PO Box 1982 Colorado Springs CO 80901 , Citizen's Project PO Box 2085 Colorado Springs CO 80901.
The Lesbian Avengers and a group called Savaged Homos Into Truth (SHIT) have been raising somewhat of a rucus recently at churches and Christian right events around town. Recently several dykes snuck into a church service and showered the congregation with condoms and Kool Aid packets with the message "Remember Jim Jones, love the Lesbian Avengers".
Control Unit Prison in Florence First Coloradans voted for the repression of gays and lesbians and then the residents of Florence, a small town south of Colorado Springs , chose their town to be host to one of the world's most oppressive and inhumane prisons ever. The prison's 550 bed "administrative maximum" section is built in a way to keep prisoners as isolated and devoid of interaction as possible. The ad-max section is set up for one guard to control the movement of prisoners by way of electronic doors , cameras and audio equipment. No windows. "Recreation" consisting of a 90 minute per day (with the other 22.5 hours locked in their cells) monitored movement to an adjacent cell again with no human contact. The convicts sent to Florence will include a number of political prisoners , in particular members of the Black Liberation Movement and members of the movement for Puerto Rican Independence. For more info get in touch with Abolish Control Unit Torture , Rocky Mountain Peace Center PO Box 1156, Boulde
r CO 80306.
Toons is doing an alternative press/zine library in their new store on N. Nevada across from 7-11. Go and check it out, there are couches to lounge on and some pretty decent books and zines to sift through. If you want to donate a copy of your zine or publication to the zine library , send it straight to them . Toons 802 N. Nevada Colorado Springs CO 80903
Press Release from the Pnation of Pnin : The Pnation Of Pnin is now, after years of surviving underground both politically and culturally, announcing its sovereign pnationhood officially. We are hereby out of the closet and have laid our chips on the poker table of international affairs and have come into the open to declare officially : The Pnation Of Pnin is now officially at war with the United States of America and all its petty pawns. Despite having little political clout due to our years of underground existence, we have no fear for Eris and Mummu are on our side. This is by no means a matter of imperialism. The United States of America has attacked us repeatedly as a country and as individual citizens. They have threatened , harassed and imprisoned our citizens as well as those of many other sovereign nations and pnations with which we have close affinity. We have chosen to stand against these invasions and retaliate in a manner only we as Pninians are capable of. This is not to be taken lightly , for
the lightning of our gods outweighs the tyranny of their order. for the Pnation of Pnin,P. Grinch Warrior Pope of Pnin
Tear Down The Borders- ! A Desalambrar! - is a group of anti-authoritarians organized for direct action in defense of immigrants and refugees who are working on a number of projects including a poster project (see the poster inside the November issue of Love and Rage), putting together a pamphlet with the anarchist position on borders and immigration and planning actions for the International Day of Actions Against Immigration Control and Anti-Immigrant Violence on May 9, 1994. ! A Desalambrar ! Tear Down The Borders ! PO Box 3606, Oakland , CA 94609-0606
San Francisco Food Not Bombs has been under severe attack by SF Mayor Frank Jordan's campaign of arrests and harassment. By October 11 over 135 food servers and witnesses had been arrested in connection with Food Not Bombs. These attacks are just a part of a larger war on the homeless named "Quality of Life" operation which includes laws against "aggressive panhandling" to anti-immigration crackdowns to attacks on groups such as FNB serving food to the homeless publicly. Similar operations are going into effect or are being pushed for in Seattle and Denver among other places. Food not Bombs have been holding weekly demonstrations in front of SF city hall at which numerous people were arrested. Contact Food Not Bombs at 3145 Geary Suite #12, San Francisco, CA 94110 (415)330-5030 email: resist@igc.apc.org
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RAMBLINGX
Here I am sitting in a relatively Yuppie Espresso bar , reading MRR and laughing out loud. The liberal Yuppie fucks all around me are grimacing in that "fuck,thatdirtyfreakmakesmehellauncomfortablebutIshouldn'tmakefunofhimbecausehelookspoorandmightbecrazy" sort of way. I realize how crazy this is. I'm sitting in a place alive (dead?) with that Yuppie pretentiousness that turns me into a real asshole to people that I can only make the most vague assumptions about and it doesn't bother me at all. It's nice to be by myself with all these (non) people around me.
Why am I laughing out loud ? Because I'm not what I'm like no matter what the Yuppies , who hastily jumped out of my way as I headed to take a piss , think I'm like. Because I'm reading Mykel Board's column in MRR and am laughing not because he's talking so much stupid shit, but because I actually agree with him. I'm laughing because he's making a point to diss feminism and I really understand why he's saying what he is. It's so absurd. I'm laughing because I've had a good deal of coffee and feel butterflies in my stomach swimming around in the coffee I just drank. I'm laughing because I consistently make fun of and often outright diss potheads and hippies for having their heads up their asses, but then realize that I get along better with them than I do with the majority of my inebriated , ignorant "punk" friends. Are their accusations correct ? Am I really a hippy underneath my skin ? I'm writing and as I'm writing , I'm still laughing (a woman across from me is reading a book entitled "You mean I'm not l
azy, stupid or crazy ? ) . I'm still laughing because one of the best shows I've seen all year was 108, the Hare Krishna hardcore band. I'm not mocking myself , I'm celebrating. People I've never met in person , assume from things I write in this zine that they know who I am. I
laugh at that. When I meet them and let them down , I laugh. I'm bored and exploding with a coffee induced craze and feel incredible. I sort of feel , like Mykel Board put it so well "Fuck you vs. groovy man" which brings me straight to
Review of Mykel Board's columns in MRR
It's almost the only reason I still read MRR. It's sort of funny to think about it , but he really used to piss me off. He says things like homo and Negro and is viciously anti feminist. It used to eek me and piss me off. Where the hell did he get off saying that shit? Sometimes he writes real dumb shit, not worth the "shock appeal". Why did MRR tolerate him ? Then, I slowly realized the reason he pissed me off so much was because he says things that really confronted the things I stood for in a way that's articulate and rude (good qualities). He at times appears racist, sexist and whatever, but not out of ignorance , I think it's out of honesty or at least because some of us are so thickheaded that it's just way to easy to get us foaming at the mouths because of some well worded wise crack. He writes in ways I've seen people get punched for. He writes about sex in ways that most PC people find pretty offensive. Who cares? We all need someone to talk shit to us, so we don't stagnate. boom - I just blew my co
ffee fuse. Fuck mykel board ..
Its been a weird and heavily introspective, internally revolutionary summer for me. I've taken up some new attitudes. Maybe new isn't the right word. I've gotten a better grasp on ideas that have been vague and floating around the back of my head for a long time. I haven't changed my thoughts on specific things as much as solidified ones that weren't so solid before. A main direction I think I've been taking is one that is straying away from accepting myself for my own sake and doing things for their own sake, just because I'm already doing this, I continue, just because this is the way I am , I accept the path I'm on etc.. In a lot of ways I've been exploding with different new ideas (to me at least) and new ways of viewing the way life , society and the world works. They are for the most part far from political ideas although they affect my (non) politics strongly. It's refreshing and invigorating to say the least. But there are negative aspects as well. For instance seeing how absurd and worthless my litt
le corner of the world can appear. I'm saying appear, because it isn't always that way, even though it always is. Different aspects of this counterculture manifest themselves in different ways. I'm in the process of keeping what I love about punk culture, what has made me into what I enjoy and what I thrive off and discarding the dumb shit that I think we could all do without. Not necessarily only the things that are a part of myself and my spirit/personality but also the situations I put myself in and what I surround myself with. I'm changing and growing and hope this will lead me to new and untried paths for long into the future.
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The Tong
by Hakim Bey
"The mandarins draw their power from the law; the people, from the secret societies." (Chinese saying)
Last winter I read a book on the Chinese Tongs ("Primitive Revolutionaries of China: A Study of Secret Societies in the Late Nineteenth Century", Fei-Ling Davis; Honolulu, 1971-77):--maybe the first ever written by someone who "wasn't" a British Secret Service agent!--(in fact, she was a Chinese socialist who died young--this was her only book)--& for the first time I realized "why" I've always been attracted to the Tong: not just for the romanticism, the elegant decadent chinoiserie decor, as it were--but also for the form, the structure, the very essence of the thing.
Some time later in an excellent interview with William Burroughs in "Homocore" magazine I discovered that he too has become fascinated with Tongs & suggests the form as a perfect mode of organization for queers, particularly in this present era of shitheel moralism & hysteria. I'd agree, & extend the recommendation to "all" marginal groups, especially ones whose jouissance involves illegalism (potheads, sex heretics, insurrectionists) or extreme eccentricity (nudists, pagans, post-avant-garde artists, etc., etc.).
A Tong can perhaps be defined as a mutual benefit society for people with a common interest which is illegal or dangerously marginal--hence, the necessary "secrecy". Many Chinese Tongs revolved around smuggling & tax- evasion, or clandestine self- control of certain trades (in opposition to State control), or insurrectionary political or religious aims (overthrow of the Manchus for example--several tongs collaborated with the Anarchists in the 1911 Revolution).
A common purpose of the tongs was to collect & invest membership dues & initiation fees in insurance funds for the indigent, unemployed, widows & orphans of deceased members, funeral expenses, etc. In an era like ours when the poor are caught between the cancerous Scylla of the Insurance Industry & the fast-evaporating Charybdis of welfare & public health services, this purpose of the Secret Society might well regain its appeal. (Masonic lodges were organized on this basis, as were the early & illegal trade unions & "chivalric orders" for laborers & artisans.) Another universal purpose for such societies was of course conviviality, especially banqueting--but even this apparently innocuous pastime can acquire insurrectionary implications. In the various French revolutions, for example, dining clubs frequently took on the role of radical organizations when all other forms of public meeting were banned.
Recently I talked about tongs with "P.M.," author of "bolo'bolo" (Semiotext(e) Foreign Agents Series). I argued that secret societies are once again a valid possibility for groups seeking autonomy & individual realization. He disagreed, but not (as I expected) because of the "elitist" connotations of secrecy. He felt that such organizational forms work best for already-close-knit groups with strong economic, ethnic/regional, or religious ties-- conditions which do not exist (or exist only embryonically) in today's marginal scene. He proposed instead the establishment of multi-purpose neighborhood centers, with expenses to be shared by various special- interest groups & small-entrepreneurial concerns (craftspeople, coffeehouses, performance spaces, etc.). Such large centers would require official status (State recognition), but would obviously become foci for all sorts of non- official activity-- black markets, temporary organization for "protest" or insurrectionary action, uncontrolled "leisure" & unmoni
tored conviviality, etc.
In response to "P.M."'s critique I have not abandoned but rather modified my concept of what a modern Tong might be. The intensely hierarchical structure of the traditional tong would obviously not work, although some of the forms could be saved & used in the same way titles & honors are used in our "free religions" (or "weird" religions, "joke" religions,anarcho- neo-pagan cults, etc.). Non-hierarchic organization appeals to us, but so too does ritual, incense, the delightful bombast of occult orders-- "Tong Aesthetics" you might call it--so why shouldn't we have our cake & eat it too?-- (especially if it's Moroccan "majoun" or "baba au absinthe"-- something a bit "forbidden"!). Among other things, the Tong should be a work of art.
The strict traditional rule of secrecy also needs modification. Nowadays anything which evades the idiot gaze of publicity is already "virtually" secret. Most modern people seem unable to believe in the reality of something they never see on television--therefore to escape being televisualized is already to be quasi-invisible. Moreover, that which is "seen" through the mediation of the media becomes somehow unreal, & loses its power (I won't bother to defend this thesis but simply refer the reader to a train of thought which leads from Nietzsche to Benjamin to Bataille to Barthes to Foucault to Baudrillard). By contrast, perhaps that which is "unseen" retains its reality, its rootedness in everyday life & therefore in the possibility of the marvelous.
So the modern Tong cannot be elitist--but there's no reason it can't be "choosy". Many non-authoritarian organizations have foundered on the dubious principle of open membership, which frequently leads to a preponderance of assholes, yahoos, spoilers, whining neurotics, & police agents. If a Tong is organized around a special interest (especially an illegal or risky or marginal interest) it certainly has the right to composeitself according to the "affinity group" principle. If secrecy means (a) avoiding publicity & (b) vetting possible members, the "secret society" can scarcely be accused of violating anarchist principles. In fact, such societies have a long & honorable history in the anti-authoritarian movement, from Proudhon's dream of re-animating the Holy Vehm as a kind of "People's Justice," to Bakunin's various schemes, to Durutti's "Wanderers." We ought not to allow marxist historians to convince us that such expedients are "primitive" & have therefore been left behind by "History." The absolut
eness of "History" is at best a dubious proposition. We are not interested in a return to the primitive, but in a return OF the primitive, inasmuch as the primitive is the "repressed."
In the old days secret societies would appear in times & spaces forbidden by the State, i.e. where & when people are "kept apart" by law. In our times people are usually not kept apart by law but by mediation & alienation (see Part 1, "Immediatism"). Secrecy therefore becomes an avoidance of mediation, while conviviality changes from a secondary to a primary purpose of the "secret society." Simply to meet together face- to-face is already an action against the forces which oppress us by isolation, by loneliness, by the trance of media.
In a society which enforces a schizoid split between Work & Leisure, we have all experienced the trivialization of our "free time," time which is organized neither as work nor as leisure. ("Vacation" once meant "empty" time--now it signifies time which is organized & filled by the industry of leisure.) The "secret" purpose of conviviality in the secret society then becomes the self-structuring & auto-valorization of free time. Most parties are devoted only to loud music & too much booze, not because we enjoy them but because the Empire of Work has imbued us with the feeling that empty time is wasted time. The idea of throwing a party to, say, make a quilt or sing madrigals together, seems hopelessly outdated. But the modern Tong will find it both necessary & enjoyable to seize back free time from the commodity world & devote it to shared creation, to "play".
I know of several societies organized along these lines already, but I'm certainly not going to blow their secrecy by discussing them in print. There are "some" people who do not need fifteen seconds on the Evening News to validate their existence. Of course, the marginal press and radio (the only media in which this sermonette will appear) are practically invisible anyway--certainly still quite opaque to the gaze of Control. Nevertheless, there's the principle of the thing: secrets should be respected. Not everyone needs to know everything! What the 20th century lacks most--& needs most--is "tact". We wish to replace democratic epistemology with "dada epistemology" (Feyerabend). Either you're on the bus or you're not on the bus. Some will call this an elitist attitude, but it is not--at least not in the C. Wright Mills sense of the word: that is, a small group which exercises power over non-insiders for its own aggrandizement. Immediatism does not concern itself with power-relations;-- it desires nei
ther to be ruled nor to rule. The contemporary Tong therefore finds no pleasure in the degeneration of institutions into conspiracies. It wants power for its own purposes of mutuality. It is a free association of individuals who have chosen each other as the subjects of the group's generosity, its "expansiveness" (to use a sufi term). If this amounts to some kind of "elitism," then so be it.
If Immediatism begins with groups of friends trying not just to overcome isolation but also to enhance each other's lives, soon it will want to take a more complex shape:-- nuclei of mutually-self-chosen allies, working (playing) to occupy more & more time & space outside all mediated structure & control. Then it will want to become a horizontal network of such autonomous groups--then, a "tendency"--then, a "movement"--& then, a kinetic web of "temporary autonomous zones." At last it will strive to become the kernel of a new society, giving birth to itself within the corrupt shell of the old. For all these purposes the secret society promises to provide a useful framework of protective clandestinity--a cloak of invisibility that will have to be dropped only in the event of some final showdown with the Babylon of Mediation...
Prepare for the Tong Wars!
==============================
Cool shit in no order whatsoever
Cool stuff I've been listening to:
The Coup- hip hop with a 'fro
Tom Waits- good to listen to when its raining
Sparkmarker- these guys are cool , they're Canadian
Malignous Youth- choir boy punk rock
Logical Nonsense- Green Day meets Doom
Missing Foundation- "there is no love when people only feel numb"
Moral Suckling- imagine Crass and Gang Of Four and Rudimentary Peni were one band and lived in Utah
Schwartzeneggar- I rock out to this all the time
Gang Of Four- "Entertainment" is the best record ever
Los Crudos- Balls out untamed Chicano hardcore band with the same energy like Negazione once had
Neurosis- of course
Really good shows I've seen:
Neurosis
Citizen Fish
Jenseits der Ordnung
Lunachicks
108
Heroin
Dead Silence
other cool shit I've discovered lately
Asian Pears
the wonders of combining pot and espresso
sleep
Thoreau
Wha Guru Chew
aligning "coincidences"
golden apples"
+_+_=-=-+_=-+-=_=-=-=-+_+_+_+-=--=_=
ONE SHOT TO COLORADO SPRINGS IN HITLER'S MERCEDES BENZ
I felt really good. Last night had been perfect. I found my way to Pat's house right as I got into Santa Fe. My ride into town gave me ten bucks in quarters. I ate well, drank, got high and slept like a baby. Probably the most sound sleep I had in weeks. I left the house before anyone was up and got two rides out of town. The first ride was with two sheltered looking college kids who were planning a trip to California; the other was with a middle aged man who at first offered me ten bucks for him to jack me off, then fifteen for me to jack off and let him watch. I declined, I didn't need any money. He let me off just outside of Santa Fe. Excellent. I was making good headway. It was hardly ten thirty AM and I was feeling great. I held out my sign high above my head, trying to catch attention of the people in the far lane that wouldn't see me instantly. Cars passed by the hundreds and I hardly cared. I was really in to good of a mood to get disgruntled this early on. Winnebagos passed, old people passed, hippi
es passed, business people passed. I started making up songs and singing them out loud, hoping that no potential rides would think I'm a freak singing to myself and not pick me up as a result. My sign had Colorado written on one side and Colorado Springs on the other. Both sides decorated with mountains and non offending images in hopes that it would pull in those who felt inclined towards my hitching-sign-art. It didn't feel like it was much of a hit though, as car after car after bus after van after semi shot passed me too involved in their own thoughts and their own world to be distracted or bothered by some freak on the side of the road.
I used to start counting cars when hitchhiking got hard and after a couple thousand I would curse every car that passed. "You motherfucking hippies are all the same , peace and sharing unless its someone you don't know or are tie dies prerequisites for you to pick me up?".."You yuppie assholes are afraid of anything that smells real, fuck off!" etc. I would get so pissed that I could wear myself out getting bent out of shape about the people who wouldn't pick me up. I've grown since then and have taken on better attitudes. Throughout this whole trip myself and my travelling partners would start out the day laying down our requests from Heina , the travel god : "A straight shot to Tucson" or "We want a pickup" or as Heather consistently called for "Today I want to drink beer". More often than not our prayers were answered with surprising accuracy. It could have been our posi attitude bringing magic our way or maybe Heina is really watching over us, who knows. The important thing is it worked.
So there I was standing on I-25 northbound laying down my requests before Heina. I want a straight shot to Colorado Springs. I closed my eyes holding my sign high over my head and visualized a ride I got once from Munich to Zurich in a sportscar that went so fast that every time we would get stuck behind someone going less that 200 km/h it felt like we were at a standstill. I concentrated for several minutes, affirmed my will and opened my eyes again. Traffic was picking up, getting busier. When a car would pass that I considered a desirable or potential ride , I would stretch out my arms pointing my sign directly at them so there was no way they would miss me. A black Mercedes approached. I honed in on the car which was in the far lane with my sign, not expecting much. Not even a second later the car pulled over. Triumphantly, I grabbed my backpack and water bottle and headed towards the black Mercedes in a half jog. A guy in his twenties leans out of the window and tells me to push the trash in the back s
eat over. I get in and we're off. Trying to slap some kind of label on him I resist "skinhead". He's in a fucking Mercedes, he's got to be some rich college kid. I look at the driver and he's bald too. "They must be some sort of jocks going home from school", I rationalize half paranoid, "besides no way that two fascist skins would pick up a dirty looking punk"..."unless.."
I quickly banished the thoughts from my head. The one guy seemed real nice, the driver not all that talkative. I decided to try and feel them out a bit. "So , where are you guys from?"
"We're coming from San Diego and are on our way to Colorado Springs to find some friends.." Not too encouraging. I looked around the car for any sign of anything even remotely racist : american flags, racist books, swastikas, Celtic symbols, German symbols, Skrewdriver tapes etc. Nothing but junk food and blankets. These guys are definitely college fucks, I assured myself. "So are you guys coming from school?"
"No we're just traveling around."
Their answers were vague enough to make me paranoid but not enough for me to really justify my paranoia. We pulled over for coffee about half an hour outside of Santa Fe. The place reminded me a lot of the setting for the Shining. A huge abandoned hotel with a little 50's style diner , where we sat down and ordered. We did plenty of small talk and I drank plenty of coffee. Halfway down my fifth cup, the guy not driving asked me about my hat :"Is that hat you're wearing just a hat or is it a Malcolm X hat ?"
"Well I suppose it's just a hat, but yeah it's a Malcolm X hat too", I replied, hoping I wasn't stepping on any delicate toes.
"Don't you know Malcolm X hated white people?"
"Well, after he went to Mecca , he denounced his racist views and wasn't so much anti-white as much as against white supremacy and fighting racism against blacks. He was for black power , not black supremacy", I justified my slightly passe politico-fashion sense.
My bald friends didn't have much of a grip on what Malcolm X was all about. I explained my views on white supremacy and black power briefly. The driver finally came out of his shell.
"How can you even talk about equality? Don't you see that God made the world in a way where everything divine is white? Just look at the sun, it radiates beauty and white light. The sky is blue, it's clear what race is supreme."
Oh, shit why did I get in the car in the first place? I was caffeining hardcore and my hands shook visibly as I nervously sipped my coffee, now being especially careful to slow down on my intake in case I really lose it . I debated whether I should just leave or see what happens. I was off on a practically deserted road several miles from I-25 and with two white supremacists getting on my ass about the dawning of the new white revolution. I decided to take the risk and let fate decide. They already knew where I stand politically and didn't seem to have a problem with it, so I figured I'd see what would happen. Heina's been with me so far. If all else fails I can get off when we get to I-25. After a little while we left back for the highway.
My hat sparked their fuel. The guy driving who had been silent until my hat came up was on a roll. He rambled about history facts I was ignorant of and somehow "proved" to me that Jesus was white and in fact of Celtic origin using impressive facts that I was at the moment in no position to check up on. I made the point of telling him that others had "proved" Jesus to be black and of African origin. He talked more about the sky and light and color and divinity. He explained how because of the pure color of the sun and the sky it was obvious that the men God had chosen as supreme where blue eyed and white skinned. I asked why people weren't green and brown and divine because their skin reflected all that was alive in the earth. He talked about Hitler and Mussolini and Crowley and of Celts and Huns and Indians and Americans. We disagreed a lot but didn't get pissed at each other. I toned down my more militant views somewhat , because as they put it (loosely) "There's always this one hippy guy sitting in the ba
ck of our car scared out of his mind agreeing with everything we say cuz he's afraid we'll pull over and kick the shit out of him". They were half right. I wasn't afraid of them so much anymore, but I was somewhat cautious not to get into that type of "fuck you" "no fuck you" type of confrontations that get pretty nasty. Most of their points ,had something to them . Although most of the time I disagreed, I couldn't help but think how eerily close a lot of our views were. The right and left somehow arrive at the same conclusions for completely different reasons and despite practically antithecal world views. For instance he brought up the invasion of Somalia. He thought it was fucked the US was intervening. We agreed that charity only kills countries and that if any aid is given to third world countries it should be to help them get back on their feet and become self sufficient and not feed them and make them dependent and that any military presence was a total lie if this thing is under the guise of a humani
t
arian mission. Except he thought the invasion was part of a Zionist conspiracy whereas I think its a capitalist new world order conspiracy to protect World Bank , oil and US interests. He talked about survival of the fittest. According to him, the reason a lot of modern civilization is in ruins is because people are so compassionate that they don't let the weak die out. As a result, weak people breed more weak people and society deteriorates. It never really was an issue for me, but it's true to a degree. In nature , natural selection gets rid of the weak and those unfit to survive , but in civilization the weak are kept alive. It doesn't really matter, though. We don't live in a world any longer where we need to fight for our food or protect our women. For all the "white progress" so far one would think that we are to the point where we could channel our resources to keep everyone fulfilled and happy. Too bad virtually all "white progress" has led us to not much more than greed motivated devastation , the f
ront door to our inevitable demise. They rambled about Zionist conspiracies, how all blues and jazz comes from niggers doing heroin, how white people belong on Turtle Island because "we conquered it" . They talked and talked. I argued and listened and napped and read.
I argued at times but when it got nauseating I would firmly disagree and retreat to Walden Pond with Thoreau. I wasn't in the mood to work myself up against their theories. I couldn't refute their ideas and they couldn't refute mine. People can believe what the hell they want and rationalize every part of it. My problem with white supremacy, capitalism, plutocracy etc. isn't that it doesn't work. They all work fine. Under all those systems there are plenty of people who make out great. Unfortunately it's at the expense of others and that's why I fight against it. I couldn't argue against capitalism to someone who owns a successful business and feels fine paying his workers minimum wage. All I could really say is that our world views are different and that maybe if he gave up his wealth, he would feel more at peace and possibly others would too. Same with these guys. Some of their points were straight up bullshit, but I couldn't disagree that white races had been strong and powerful in politics and battle. I
couldn't deny all the historical battles and conquerors he brought up. I couldn't deny that Hitler was intelligent. All I could really say is that it didn't really mean anything, I couldn't give a shit. To me military conquest doesn't make a race or group of people any better than some moron beating the shit out of some kid would make him a hero. The color of the sun has nothing to do with "supreme" color of skin , the battle spoils of ancient white tribes doesn't legitimize manifest destiny in our own times. It didn't matter, because to them it was their validating logic. All I could tell them is that they're missing out on a lot of happening humans thinking with such a narrow view of humanity.
The babbling died down for some time, I whipped out Thoreau again and immersed myself in winter at Walden pond. The less talkative fascist peered across to see what I was reading. "Ah, Thoreau", he blurted, "Thoreau was the biggest nazi ever." I didn't even want to hear it. "Thoreau wasn't a fucking nazi", I retorted. His definition of nazi was pretty broad, sort of in the same way as some anarchists I know who consider jaywalking a revolutionary act of defiance. To him , Thoreau was a nazi. He worked off the land , was pure and separated himself from the bullshit in the world. I still couldn't see where that fit in with white supremacy , but it fit right into his belief system. Suddenly it struck me how surreal this was. I've had so many confrontations with nazis over the years , almost always violent or nasty and confrontational , but here we were sitting in a car together with no animosity towards each other talking about Thoreau and living simply with nature. Some easy go lucky guy with no real strong b
eliefs ? Sure, but here I was , a person probably a little too opinionated and emotional about it for my own good and two nazis with the same qualities, but on the other side of the fence. I chuckled into Walden and let the thoughts fly out the window.
"Is this Colorado Springs? Where do you live?"
Oh, shit. "Uhh, just drop me off down by the park, I have to find the guy with my house keys", I lied. We pulled into to downtown, I got out thanked them and Heina, looked around to make sure none of my friends had seen me get out of that car and trekked home keeping my backpack high with a healthy mix of amusement and relief. The door was open and I hopped inside , smiling as I inhaled the aroma of neglected dumpster food and stale beer. Home sweet home where only the stukko workers say nigger.
==============================
180 Day Lobotomy
by Dylan
Oregon dreams and Colorado memories. Four months of Oregon and I haven't dreamed yet, or is it a dream. A nightmare ? No, 1200 miles away and I'm still in Colorado. Colorado, Oregon that is. What I mean is, my path hasn't changed. The constriction of addiction is the tortoise , and I am the hare. And so unless you were raised by wolves you know the end of that story. Please use your imagination, because otherwise you just will not get it.
My clock seems to be stuck at 11:59 PM. The new day just seems to be a breech-birth. God somebody get the fuckin' forceps. It's a certain death you see, I've already cut the umbilical chord. I guess that's how born-again, fanatic, hippie, burned out Christians must have felt, before they decided to release all of their power(wallets) to the Supreme being. Shit what a mouthful, or should I say, what a mouthful of shit ?
It's 11:59 PM Dylan, Oregon has not fixed the clock. But at least it a building climax being anti-climatic, in an opiate dream/ reality. Going downtown on the brown flying carpet has become my full time occupation. I work for free of course. Shit ! I pay to work! You see , it's a whole different view of life, when nodding off and on is your only sleeeeeep. I have put myself back to the place I never fully understood. Just like that class you always cut. And it's time to return to school.
Old-town Portland , the small town drug addicts park avenue. Has become my second home, like mom and dads, where you take your dirty laundry. Except it's like there is a party going on where you don't know anyone. Unless you have greenbacks, then you suddenly know everyone. I was a scared first-time party-goer with the proper etiquette implanted in my mind. And being the damn good thespian I am, that is all I need to make it through. I get strong vibes from other people , so strong that it torques my perception of them. But I think my intuition is strong enough to balance it. In other words I scored the first time without any problem. It was just a matter of getting on the highway.
===============================
German Prison Destroyed
What Are We Waiting For?
It took eight years and 250 million marks to build the tech prison in Weiterstadt , Germany which was to be housing 500 prisoners by May 93. The complex was built as a new state of the art modern prison which would use a system of "living groups" of 10 - 20 prisoners sharing a living space outside of their cell . The groups would be co-ordinated by psychotherapists and social workers who would work with the inmates on a "punishment-reward" system. Those willing to adapt to the applied social values and submit would earn benefits and privileges while those not willing or able to conform would lose them. Total "non-adaptation" could ultimately land a prisoner in total isolation in a high security wing. All inmates would be constantly monitored in their cells by means of two way mirrors and video equipment. This was to be a model for future prisons to follow.
Saturday, March 27th around 5AM the commando Katherina Hammerschmidt of the Red Army Faction (RAF) using 200kgs of explosives destroyed the prison. The entire action was carefully planned. At around 1:30 AM the commando captured 11 guards and left them in a van bound and gagged. Before setting off the explosives, the entire prison was searched thoroughly for people and warning signs were posted on the outside walls of the prison. No-one was killed or injured.
The RAF released a press release a few days after the action which demanded the release of RAF prisoners and of all HIV+ prisoners as well as other prison related demands. This was a definite change in RAF activity after a fairly recent movement to cease violent actions against the state. Although this may have been an act of war against the state it did not physically harm anyone as the state does consistently with its acts of aggression against the people.
With the new control unit prison in Florence, what are you waiting for Colorado?
For the RAF communique write Arm The Spirit, c/o Wild Seed Press, PO Box 57584, Jackson Station, Hamilton, ONT L8P 4X3 CANADA
For more info on prisons: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown , Po Box 578172, Chicago , IL 60657-8172 or Prison News Service, PO Box 5052, Station A , Toronto, M5W 1W4 Canada
=================================
Leonard Peltier's June 26th Statement
June 26th , 1975 started out as a beautiful day. I could feel a warm breeze as I lay in my tent listening to the women as they prepared breakfast. I heard one of them say "Oops, I just dropped this pancake on the ground" and another answered, "Don't worry about it, just dust it off. They'll never know the difference." She meant us men. I laughed quietly with them and later found out that Dino had overheard them too.
But suddenly this beautiful morning was cut short by the sound of gunfire. It seemed far off, and at first I dismissed it as someone practicing in the woods. Then I started hearing the screams. I had never before felt this frightened, knowing that there were so many women , children and old people there at the camp. I rushed out, grabbing my shirt and rifle and started running for the houses were I believed the jumping Bulls were trapped. The heat of the day hit me like a fist, as I ran trying to wipe the sweat from my eyes , I dropped my ammo bag. Bullets zoomed from every direction. i could hear them flying around my head. I had to drop onto my belly and crawl.
When I got to the houses I warned everybody inside to get out of the area . Dino had told Nikak to gather the women and kids together and hide in the woods. I could not believe that this was happening. i could not believe that our wonderful , peaceful morning could be shattered by such violence. I did not know why we had come under such a vicious attack. I knew only that my job was to protect these innocent children. I knew that I could not give in to my own fear, and I worried that someone's panic could spell their death. I told the young ones that it was time to be brave , to be warriors.
Somehow, almost everyone was able to make it out of the area and to temporary sanctuary that night. We lost our brother Joe Stuntz to a sniper. Two agents also died. We prayed for their safe journey to the next world. The Creator watched over our escape that day, and although bullets raced past us, other than destroying a hip flask, none hit their targets. We were, and are, thankful to the many people that helped us.
We conferred with our Elders about what we should do, and it was decided that we would stay in the area until the Sundance at Crow Dog's. The FBI and GOONs were participating in the largest manhunt in United States history. They tore up homes without search warrants and harassed anyone they believed to be an AIM supporter. After seeking guidance from my elders again , I went to Canada. We had come to believe that anyone present that day would be prosecuted, and although we were innocent , it was decided that for our own safety , we should move in different directions.
I was extradited from Canada because of affidavits signed by Myrtle Poor Bear who stated that she was my girlfriend and an eyewitness to the deaths of the agents. I had never met this woman , but learned later that she was mentally and emotionally unbalanced and had spent much of her life in and out of institutions. Her family told us that she suffered delusions. You could convince her that she had been in a certain place and done certain things, even if it had never happened. We discovered later that the FBI had dusted for fingerprints all over our camp and had not found a single print placing her in the area. Yet they used her anyway. In fact they tortured this poor woman, terrorizing her into signing documents she had not even read. This was the first real indication that I had that I was not going to receive a fair trial.
My co-defendants had been found "not-guilty" in a trial at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My trial was mysteriously moved to Fargo, North Dakota, a place famous for it's anti-Indian sentiment. My trial judge was Paul Benson, a man so racist that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed him on anti-Indian remarks he made during one of his trials. Every motion , every defense allowed my co-defendants was denied by this judge. I did not even have a jury of my peers. In fact , sitting on this all white jury, was a woman who openly remarked that she is a racist. I was convicted of killing both FBI agents at point blank range with an AR-15. I was then given two consecutive life sentences.
My first stop was at Leavenworth, the Terre Haute. Finally I was sent to Marion Federal Penitentiary, "the new Alcatraz". Marion was a horror. I spent much of my time in complete isolation. The government expects its citizens to believe that only the nations most violent and incorrigible prisoners are housed there. The truth is that political prisoners find their way there too. What better way to keep us quiet?
We soon filed an appeal based on twelve automatically reversible errors. The senior judge was William Webster. It wasn't until after oral arguments that we had discovered that he had been nominated and accepted the position of new head of the FBI. he finally removed himself from the appeals procedure, but not before prejudicing the other judges against me. The critical piece of evidence , the murder weapon, convinced the court to deny the appeal, despite all of the government misconduct.
A second appeal was filed a few years later when we discovered, through a Freedom of Information Act suit, that the "critical piece of evidence" appeared to have been fabricated. We learned that the FBI had evidence of at least four AR-15s on the scene that day, and that the rifle and shell casing they claimed as their "most important" proof of the crime , had been given a firing pin test and it concluded that they could not be linked. During two trials and one appeal, the government had maintained that a firing pin test could not be performed because the weapon had been so severely damaged. This was a lie. When questioned on the stand about this, agent Evan Hodge claimed he had "mispoke" to avoid a perjury charge.
We were exited. We could now prove my innocence. The government had already conceded that Myrtle Poor Bear was not an eyewitness, and now the ballistics evidence was proven false. Yet, despite findings by the court that my trial judge had erred in his rulings, evidence had been fabricated, exculpatory evidence withheld, and that government witnesses "may not have been telling the truth", despite prosecutor Lynn Crooks announcing that they "do not know who killed those agents" nor what part I may have planned in their deaths, eleven months after litigation the court denied my appeal. they wrote that it did not meet the very rigid legal standard for granting a new trial. Today I am in prison on a technicality : the difference between possibility and probability. One of the judges , Gerald Heaney has since come forward asking the president to consider a commutation of my sentence.
On November 9th of last year we had yet another appeal. It was based on the fact that the government has changed the theory of my conviction from first degree murder to aiding and abetting. I did not have a trial for aiding and abetting. This is a violation of my right to due process. We are also arguing that the government is guilty of misconduct in both the investigation and trying of this case. Once again , Lynn Crooks admitted in court of law that they simply never proved that I had killed the agents. He went as far as stating that there was no direct evidence to link me to this crime. Yet , he argued that I should remain in prison because I had been granted a trial based on alternating theories and so I could be found guilty as either the trigger man or an aider and abettor. This is an outright lie. I was not tried for anything but murder.
I thank all of you for making this day a day for remembrance of the events of June 26th, 1975 and for attempting to spread the word about the injustices I have suffered and suffer still. In honesty, I wish I hadn't been at that camp, but I do not regret that I was one of those who stood up and helped to protect my people. I have sacrificed over seventeen years for my people. I have given up over one third of my life so far. I am tired.
Over the years I have hid away my suffering. I have smiled when I felt like crying. I have laughed when I felt like dying. I have had to stare at photographs of my children to see them grow up. I have had to rely on restricted telephone calls to be linked to my mother and my grandchildren. I miss having dinner with friends. I miss taking walks in the woods. I miss gardening. I miss babies. I miss my freedom.
Please do not forget that indigenous people worldwide are being oppressed. Please do not forget the tragedy of political prisoners. Please do not forget me tomorrow.
I thank you all for coming here today and for sacrificing your time to participate in the struggle for justice.
IN THE SPIRIT OF CRAZY HORSE,
Leonard Peltier
This statement was written by Leonard for the over 46 Leonard Peltier Day events internationally including at the Spirit of Crazy Horse Walk which took place June 25 and 26th beginning in downtown Colorado Springs and ending at the Florence Federal Prison in protest of control unit prisons and in support of Leonard Peltier and all political prisoners . - Dave Onion.
----======-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==
stop here , focus on your third eye and see a comic about an old hippy who sold out and punk rockers making fun of him.
===================================
I WOULDN'T CALL MYSELF A PACIFIST
by Holly
I must have been 8 years old. I sat in bed with my parents watching some kind of documentary on television. Looking back now, I assume the show was about the university riots of the late-sixties. I watched , my eyes wide and my mouth open , as police brutally beat the shit out of protestors. I started to cry. "Why are they doing that ?!?!" I asked my parents. I don't think they answered me. I don't think there was an answer. It was at that moment more than ever that I despised violence. There were no more doubts anywhere in my mind, violence was wrong and awful and unnecessary. Now twelve years later , my feelings have changed. I think there is such a thing as justified violence.
I guess I should explain. A few years after I saw that television show I was just talking about, I developed back problems. At this point chiropractics were the new California cure-all. So I was sent to see Richard Greenland, "doctor" of chiropractics. For the next year I went in for "treatment" two to three times a week. The whole time he was molesting me. The whole time. I felt awful. I became a twelve year old drug abuser. I was suicidal. Now, eight years later , I know the abuse I suffered was not my fault. I didn't do anything to deserve it.
I'm mad. I'm really fucking pissed at the "doctor". If I saw him today, I think I might take action against him. I don't mean legal action. I'm talking about physical action. And this brings me to my point about why in some cases I condone violence. I think that rapists and child molestors deserve to be tortured. If I were to be raped today, I would spend as much time as I had trying to find the man that violated me. And when I found him ... well ... when I found him , I would make him suffer more than I ever thought possible. i wouldn't kill him though. I mean if he bleeds to death or something, I guess he would be dead anfd that would be my fault. But i wouldn't blow his brains out or anything. I'd just carve "RAPIST" on his forehead wiht an icepick. Then I would tell him that I would castrate him, so that he could never harm a woman again, and I'd listen to him beg me for mercy. After that, I would happily chop off his penis. And I wouldn't be sorry.
I think about all the women I know who have been sexually abused at some point in their lives. I think about the chiropractor. Knowing what I know , seeing what I've seen, I can't help wanting revenge, wanting to punish. It's so hypocritical of me. I don't eat meat or any other kind of animal product, because I don't want to support a cruel industry like factory farming. Yet I condone violence against a certain class of men.
I realize this is treating violence with violence. I realize , like my mother always told me , "two wrongs don't make a right". I realize all of this. And I don't care.
=============================
Destroy Linear Thought Thought Linear Destroy
Destroy Thought Linear Linear Thought Destroy
Linear Destroy Thought Thought Destroy Linear - Travis
==============================
ANTI WAR and PUNK ACTIVITY
IN EX-YUGOSLAVIA
Since my article / diary excerpts from my stay in Zagreb last winter got out ( Infinite Onion 8, Slug and Lettuce # 32) , I've gotten quite a bunch of feedback, a lot of it just letting me know they found the article interesting, as well as some letters pointing out just how unaware I was of what was really happening as far as anti-war activities and resistance were concerned. After weeks in Zagreb looking for any sign of anti-war happenings or groups , I found nothing whatsoever even though it was going on practically under my nose. Record store workers, alternative and hippie type looking people selling jewelry on the town square, my parents, their friends, people I met, nobody could tell me shit. Not even hint at anything except for some supposedly unsuccessful mother's demonstration to pull their sons out of the war. The media has people exactly where they want them it seems more than ever. There is a thing that television and "real" media does to people where in their minds only official information is
relevant. This is straight up reality here in the US and from it seems, just as true in Ex-Yugo. There , the only real impression anybody was left with as far as fighting against the war from the grass roots was this marginalized group of mothers worried about their sons. Not that I consider them irrelevant at all, just it made it seem like nobody at all besides these mothers had made any real effort to organize to effectively put an end to this fucked up war. I'll be going back sometime in 94 and hopefully , now that I have some decent contacts , I'll make the most of it. In case you're interested in getting in touch with anti-war efforts in Ex-Yugo here are some contacts I've picked up:
Zitzer Spiritual Republic
Based in Vojvodina (between Serbia , Croatia and Hungary) the Zitzers have been actively resisting military conscription for the war. Those refusing military service in the area are apparently in the tens of thousands. They have a constitution (anarcho-friendly of course), a national hymn (Ravel's Bolero) and a coat of arms (a symbolic pizza between three billiard balls). There are several hundred members internationally and they are in the process of scraping up the materials for a computer and a modem which would cost approximately $3500+. Zitzer Club, Oromhegyes, Horvath Janos u. 10., Vojvodina, Yugoslavia, Tel: 38-24-883016 or get in touch with their US embassy at Neither East Nor West-NYC, 528 5th St., Brooklyn , NY 11215, tel:(718) 499-7720
ARK (Anti-War Campaign)
ARK apparently do the bulk of anti war activity in Zagreb. They've done relief work , put out information and have done conflict resolution across the lines from what I know so far. I haven't yet gotten a response from them though. ZAPO (Zagreb Anarcho Pacifist Organization) are also affiliated with them and share the same address. ARK , Tkalciceva 38, 41000 Zagreb Croatia, Tel: 041-422495, Fax: 041-335230
A very cool Serb I've had an ongoing argument through the mail with which started in Profane Existence and is now mellowing out privately is Uros (say Urosh) Smiljanic. He's not an active politico so to speak , but has plenty of information to cut down and give an alternative viewpoint from the media hype. I had some definite problems with his article in Profane but nevertheless his address is Uros Smiljanic , 011-653906 , Sitnicka 36, 11040 Beograd , Serbia
Some punk contacts:
NBG fanzine , Goran Vujic , Moravska 6, 11000 Beograd, Serbia
K4 a main punk club in the Slovenia Kersikova 4, 61000 Ljubliana , Slovenia
Vrnitev Odpisanih zine, David Krzisnik Niger, 061-485358, Marinkov Trg 14, 61000 Ljubliana , Slovenia
Mladina Journalist zine also punk radio d.j., Ali Zardin, 061-59005, j-261985, Na Gmajni 35, 61000 Ljubliana , Slovenia
Hard core d.j. with 101 Youth Radio , Picek , 41000 , Zagreb (Croatia)
Independence fanzine, Matija Vogric , Maslinska 9 , 41000, Zagreb, Croatia
hard core record label LISTEN LOUDEST , Zdenko Franjic , Samoborska 97c , 41090, Zagreb , Croatia
Ples slomljenog dupeta na
vjetru fanzine (in english this means The dance of broken ass in the wind) Stoilkov c/o D.Petrovica 11 , 24000 Subotica , Vojvodina/Yugoslavia
Delirium fanzine , Dragan Radanovic , Vojvode Misica 1/19 , 15000 Sabac (deep Serbia)
Bands:
MAJKE (mothers) "most popular punk band in Croatia" , Zeljko Mikulic , 56000 Vinkovci , Slavonia, Croatia
Kaoticne Duse, Dujma , 56000 Vinkovci , Slavonia, Croatia
These contacts are all from Ivo Skoric to who I am highly grateful, Ivo Skoric , 103 St Marks Pl , New York NY 10009, Tel/Fax: 212/995-5601, E-mail: iskoric@igc.apc.org, compuserve: 76300,3725
War Resistors League published several resources on the Balkan War including WAR & PEACE IN THE BALKANS - A Resource Guide on Ex-Yugoslavia which lists several contacts and reading material on Yugo history and the situation there and WAR AT THE CROSSROADS- An Historical Guide Through The Balkan Labyrinth which is a basic outline of Yugoslavia's history. The latter is an excellent primer for anyone who isn't too familiar with why this war is going on. I'll list a couple contacts from WAR & PEACE IN THE BALKANS, but I'd suggest writing War Resistors League for the entire thing. Thanks to Dorie Wilsnack for most of this info.(Balkan War Resource Group c/o WRL 339 Lafayette St. , NY NY 10012)
Centre for Anti-War Activities, Ul Hasana Kikica br 8, 71000 Sarajevo
Center for Peace , Nonviolence & Human Rights, Boesenderferova 2 , 5400 Osljek
Forum For Human Rights of Macedonia, c/o Meto Jovanovski, St. P. Zografski 51 , 91000 Skopje
Centre For Anti-War Action, Karlja Petra 46, 11000 Beograd
Anti-War Centre of Novi Sad, c/o Nenand Mirovic, Naradnog Fronta 43, 21000 Novi Sad
This is by far an incomplete list of contacts , but if your interested in communicating or traveling its somewhere to start. Again , I suggest getting in touch with War Resistors League for their information. I'll be leaving for Zagreb sometime in Spring or early Summer. If you have any other worthwhile contacts , let me know. I'm not sure how long I'll be there , but I'll definitely be knocking on a lot of strangers doors. Nadia is still collecting money for refugee relief in Zagreb. You can contact her at 155 Briarwood Rd. #321, Ft. Collins, CO 80521 or email her on compuserve at 71564,3451. "
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A subjective analysis on the
merits of the HARE KRISHNA and
its involvement in our punk
bi Dave
"Sri Syadasti. His name is Sanskrit, and means : All affirmations are true in some sense, false in some sense, meaningless in some sense, true and false in some sense, true and meaningless in some sense, false and meaningless in some sense, and true and false and meaningless in some sense." - Principia Discordia
I had a lot of weird feelings about this show. The Krishna thing was just too weird and just looking at the flyer was like an irresistible spiritual calling to heckle the religious nuts. I was already making plans in the back of my head. I could get together a small satanic militia to form some humorous opposition to the crusaders of the blue god. We could all wear silly shirts with a pentagram or some ode to Satan scrawled on it and hand out flyers that humorously , yet intelligently and clearly dissed the presence of these silly chanting wackos. I thought about it some more and eventually decided to give my self righteous ego a little break and just check out what all this commotion was really about. I brought my box of zines and records to sell and showed up halfway through Not For The Lack Of Trying's set. There were a lot of people and a decent number of robed Krishnas.
I had a friend who became a Krishna a while ago. It really wigged me out for a while. He was intelligent and not at all the type to jump on the latest fad or whim. Shelter was his first real influence to head in that general direction. I never liked Shelter so I never really gave a shit or was in the slightest influenced by anything they said or preached about. Eventually my friend became a full out dedicated chanting devotee. I saw him at a show wearing a weird Indian looking shirt and beads were he came out to me as a Krishna. I thought he went crazy. I had read the MRR article about the brainwashing , gun running, malnourished, sleep deprived cult. He was intelligent but this was crazy.
I read Enquirer zine, the Krishna counterpart to No Answers. It completely lacked any solid defense of their religion. Ray Cappo's diary from a trip to India was a masterpiece of brainwashed unthinking servitude and weakness. Like a sincere statement by someone so engulfed in religion that he lost his ability to think . Most of the other Krishna related stuff couldn't defend itself against any of the bullshit I knew or suspected about the Krishnas. The article comparing white power and black power was nothing but an empty religious sermon and showed no understanding of either concept. Razor's Edge zine was much worse. If they had anything beyond animal rights to preach , it was hopelessly lost somewhere between the Krishna Krishna and the Rama Rama.
It took me a long time to wean myself from all the mindfucking I grew up with that came in the form of Christianity. The self righteous "I know because the bible told me so" attitudes, the fear of hell , denial, etc. I see Christianity a lot different than people who were never engulfed in it. It's dangerous and teaches people to punish themselves and constantly lie to themselves until they eventually their reality merges with their rationalizing. It's a morality of fear and denial and I despise it. I also see it as sort of a mental block against any real spirituality. I suppose that depends on how you would define spirituality. For me spirituality is defined loosely as really feeling life. Its sort of internal and abstract, so I couldn't really concretely describe it. It's learning and growing, feeling true joy from the root of my heart, feeling rage that comes from the soul. It's not superficial and can't be learned from any one book or guide. It's beyond the material and involves the spirit. That is the p
art of me that feels, that compels me to do whatever I do. It gives me conviction , strength and life. I don't see this at all compatible with Christianity or Hare Krishna. They both are tightly regulated mindsets that exclude any independent growth or fulfillment. They both rely on converts teaching themselves to learn how to feel fulfillment from certain fairly rigid beliefs and lifestyles. It is regulated spirituality and full of phony absolutes. I believe strongly that this sort of spiritual consciousness is essentially a form of self repression more than anything.
"Shut up!"
I was sort of in a sour mood already , the last thing I wanted to see was the smiley guitarist with that happy empty look in her eyes blurt out her Krishna nonsensical babble. I was prepared for the worst. I had a bad feeling in my stomach and was scared of their influence on the people who had showed up as genuine fans (which I wasn't). 108 started playing and blew me away almost instantly. It did take me a couple songs to overcome my Krishna block, though. The music was powerful and heavy as fuck. When they spoke they radiated sincerity. They didn't rehash hardcore cliches or spout off predictable anti government sentiment. What they said was important and applicable to life. We do need to reject the shit (well, he probably said crap or dung) we are fed from all around us. We do need a spiritual revolution , we do need to be spiritually aware.
Try to make me bow down to you
Try to take my identity
Try to make me just another pebble on a beach
A green mind twists the plan
A cold hand to silence me, but I am out of reach
NO SPIRITUAL SURRENDER
108 played No Spiritual Surrender and I shivered. Over and over "No spiritual surrender, No Spiritual Surrender, NO SPIRITUAL SURRENDER !" That song song sums up a lot of what I believe and feel. The Enquirer describes that song as a song of defiance to the material world. I hate materialism. I hate the cold structure that's turned almost all people and nature and whatever else a business man can fathom into commodities and resources. I hate religion and how it has crushed the wills and spirits of billions of incredible people and I am pushing beyond that. I won't give up either and this is not in the slightest linked with Krishna or religion.
Is this good or bad? Do I really want to give them shit for being Krishnas if what they're saying is basically cool , even if it is in a weird sort of perspective? Do I care if people become Krishnas? Yeah, but I would rather see a friend as a Krishna than a junkie or a drunk, both categories of which I have more friends in than I care to acknowledge. I thought about most people I know. Most who have any consciousness at all, have taken what they have in energy and intelligence and thrown it away. Most people I know have severe problems, whether its always being fucked up on drugs, letting themselves waste away at work or getting so bogged down by trivialities (well what I consider trivial) that there's nothing left inside to really feel life with. Krishna and its influence scares me , its not what I consider a good way to live, but neither is nihilism in whatever form one chooses it. It's not like those are the only two choices or anything : Krishna or nihilism. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to bot
her fucking with Krishnas , there are worse evils.
Both Shelter and 108 had good things to say and if people can take what they said with a grain of salt , great. Nobody will be brainwashed if they have any semblance of a critical mind. If people want to check out Krishna , cool, but spirituality doesn't need to come in a package. There's a lot out there that transcends what we've been taught, but anyone who falls for the first sincere sounding, convincing argument is a definite sucker. See dick buy a Shelter tape, see dick become enchanted by mystical eastern spirituality, see dick chant hare Krishna , Krishna Krishna, hairy hairy , oh shit what has this degenerated into?
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ANNOYING THE ESTABLISHMENT
Free food * we tried this at a Carl Junior's in Tucson but I'm sure it works at a lot of other fast food places with an all you can eat salad bar. Just dumpster a plate and bring it back in and fill it up. We did this in a group of five and were really quite obvious , but didn't even get bad looks. * We do this all the time. Call your most hated right wing anti choice pizza delivery ( Dominos comes to mind) and order pizza to either a bogus address or to take out. Make sure you don't get something someone else might order later though cuz they might just send them your pizza. I usually get mine vegan with mushrooms on one side and green peppers and olives on the other. Whatever, just don't get pepperoni or mushrooms. If they ask for a phone number, go ahead and give them yours so they can call back and check. When the pizza doesn't get picked up or is sent to a bogus address they'll keep it under their heat lamps and throw it out when they close. We usually find our order ready on top of the dumpster still w
arm. * At places that sell bulk food, you can get pretty good deals by filling a paper bag with an expensive item and labeling the bag with the cheapest thing you can see. Usually the checkout clerk won't look inside but in case they do, just sprinkle a layer of what you're paying for on top. The bulk foods make great snacks to much on while wandering through the aisles.* Free coke: There's an 11 digit code on the bottom of coke cans. The first is the last digit of the year and the next three is the day of the year it was packaged (so 2151 was packaged on the 151st day of 92). Diet coke has nutrasweet in it which goes sour after 90 days. So grab a can of coke , backdate the first four digits about four months and call Coke at 1-800-GET-COKE. Tell them you got sick and it tasted like shit and wait for coupons for free Coke products. Read American Pictures for the low down on Minute Maid's (owned by Coca Cola) virtual slave plantations for moral obligation to act as Coke's negative karma.
Shitty CDs * I've heard of people who reviewed 2 or three CDs for some paper or zine and ended up on a shitload of major label mailing lists. One could make up a slick form letter and send it out to all your most hated labels asking to send stuff to review for your first issue. Then take the booty to a used record store and cash in.
Fake events * This may be becoming somewhat a tradition here in Colorado Springs, especially where the religious prudes are concerned. Its easy too. Just make up a flyer using company logos and let your imagination rip. They can be for shock affect, to discredit some group or individual or purely disruptive. Good ideas are to advertise free booze and ordeurs, make it open to all, have the event coincide in time and place with that of a board meeting, religious service, wedding, prayer meeting or car sale. Make it controversial so it won't go unnoticed. A good tactic for distributing fliers is to insert them into popular free papers you can find at stores/laundromats, pasting them up , posting them at schools and churches etc.
fucking in the family
book burning
Money * Find someone willing to have their ATM card stolen and and make some cash at it. Deposit an empty envelope on a Friday and type in you are depositing $300. Over the next three days, take out $100 a day and report the card missing. Hell , take it all out if you can. * I've seen some pretty convincing counterfeit ten dollar bills made out of photocopies. Use them in the dark. Remember fingerprints, the pigs hate financial deviants with a passion. * Here's a good scam with the phone company . Call a working long distance number from a pay phone, ignore the computer voice telling you how much money to put in and wait for the operator to come on. Tell them you put in $3 or $4 before you dialed and aren't getting put through. Their computers have no way of knowing whether you did or not so they'll try to return your money. When it obviously doesn't work (because you never did put in money) , they'll get your name and address and mail you a check for your refund. By trying this too many times in one day , y
ou might risk getting the same operator twice, in which case they may catch on. I've heard they cut you off around $300 in refunds.
Fuck with tobacco companies * Whenever you see a tobacco ad in a magazine, write "No subscription until you stop advertising cigarettes!!" on the subscription card and pop it in the mail. They'll get the message and pay the postage to boot. This campaign is to challenge national magazines, publishers to stop accepting Tobacco ad revenues. Over 1000 people die every day in north America. Tobacco companies also recruit over 3000 North American children every day. Philip Morris , R.J. Reynolds/Nabisco and other tobacco companies also support the Partnership for a Drug Free America. According to the Nation, Philip Morris (makers of Marlboro cigarettes and Miller beer), & R.J. Reynolds (makers of Camel cigarettes and parent company of Nabisco), gave $150,000 to the Partnership for a Drug Free America between 1989 - 91. - from Point Of Interest
Phone calls * Inserting a straightened out paper clip in the center hole of the receiver and connecting it to the keyhole of a pay phone sometimes works to put you through. On some phones, however there is a protective metal plate protecting it from phreaks. Supposedly you can take a nail and knock out the offending bit of matter .
fun with a lighter * shower of sparks first, remove the flint and spring which are under the striker wheel. Take the spring and pull on one end stretching it a little longer than the flint. Now take the flint and wrap one end of the spring around it. Hold the no flint end of the spring and heat the flint with your intact lighter until the flint glows. Then throw it across the police line , hopefully provoking the pigs into an uncontrollable and violent rage which would give you extra riot credentials for sure. * take the rest of the lighter , light one of the striker wheel supports , place it quickly underneath the mink coat which you already secretly desecrated with paint and corrosive acid and book out the door with the quickness.
smoke bomb * mix 3 parts sugar with 1 part saltpeter and heat over a low flame until the mixture has thoroughly melted together. (It will look like sticky white lumps when ready) Stir it constantly and remove it from the flame right away at the first sign of smoke. This can go off in your face if you aren't careful. it's safer to work with smaller batches. Now dump the "smoke powder" in a coffee can, add some match heads , moisten it with a little alcohol and add some gunpowder until all the smoke powder is coated to ensure that it goes off. Now tape a cigarette between the match heads in an unopened book and imbed the book in the mixture. A quarter pound of this shit supposedly can fill a city block with smoke. Dressed in a very anerisian manner , take your coffee can to the first "support the troops rally" once the next war gets underway and begone.
The Perkins Chrysler Plymouth solution: a discreet way to ignite the fuel inside offending vehicles (possibly ones whose sales fund groups that push the enforcing of legal Christian moralism) is to do the following: insert a BB into an empty medicine capsule. Then insert slivers of metallic sodium and chunks of carbide. Remember that sodium ignites in contact with moisture, so wear gloves and be careful. Throw three or four capsules into the gas tank of an empty car and split.
Send in your scams and sabotips for use in future issues!
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you can't see it but there's an ad for Dischord records here . 3819 Beecher St. NW, Wash DC, 20007
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THE FDA'S WAR ON NATURAL HEALTHCARE
by Dave Onion
I find myself in our neighborhood health food store at least a couple times a week if not more. I replenish my store of soy milk , tofu, falafel and of course beef up my stash of herbs. Although I haven't been at it for a long time, I've sort of grown to take herbs along with some decent DIY medical guides as a substitute for a doctor. Since I can't afford to look up an MD every time I feel shitty, I DIY it. In know basically what herbs affect which parts of me and can bring myself back to health before too long. Besides, it's one the very few alternatives we have to the evil pharmaceutical industry. I've taken in considerably less poison from borderline toxic industrial made drugs and feel a lot better because of it too.
People have been using herbs for thousands of years. Just about every indigenous culture has a good store of knowledge on herbal lore. As times have progressed, nutritionists and herbalists have developed cures for cancer as well as safe and more effective alternatives to AZT by means of herbal healing and nutritional therapy. Most of these cures and self help methods are all accessible from health food shops and places that sell nutritional supplements. Although most places are pretty expensive, they don't even compare to what one would pay for the pharmaceutical or professional equivalent. The option of growing or picking ones own herbs exists , but living in the city rules out a lot of that. So basically for a lot of people its all we've got.
The pharmaceutical industry is by no means ignorant to the increasing number of people getting hip to holistic healing and old folk medicine. In fact they're becoming increasingly alarmed at the millions being spent on alternative health care and are not prepared to let that slide. They have a lot to lose in profit as does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in power since naturally occurring remedies can't be controlled and regulated as easily as pharmaceutical drugs. Along with the FDA they are on a legal mission to stomp all unregulated control of our health. The following are just a few of the ways the FDA are attempting to do this:
Health claims
Ever notice when you check out an herbal tincture or herbal pills that you rarely find the herbs' medicinal qualities on the label. For instance if you check out the label on a bottle of Sleep Easy Herbal Extract, you'll notice that besides in the name itself , it won't mention that it can help you get to sleep, it only lists the ingredients and whatnot, but will not make any claims about what the tincture does. The reason for this is that it is illegal to make any health claims that the FDA does not approve. According to an FDA press release , "Health claims on dietary supplement labels would be permitted if FDA finds significant agreement among qualified experts that these claims are scientifically valid." This means any note such as this "herbal tincture will improve your mental functioning" or "will help induce sleep" or whatnot, will have to be approved by FDA "qualified experts" which inevitably makes easy access to an herbal knowledge even more of a painstaking process. You can't just walk into a hea
lth food store with no knowledge of herbal properties and pick out what you need from the shelf by judging from the labels. You really need to come in with all this knowledge before hand. Why won't they just go ahead, make it simple and approve it? Because there's ...
Competition
Like most tools of big business in a capitalist economy , the FDA along with the pharmaceutical industry is working hard to stomp out the competitors. As the FDA sees it , all alternative health care boils down to competition with big business drug manufacturers. In its Dietary Supplement Task Force report, the FDA writes that "the agency should insure that the existence of dietary supplements on the market does not act as a disincentive for drug development." Consequently, if a nutritional supplement competes with a drug, the FDA removes it from the market--EVEN IF THE SUPPLEMENT IS SUPERIOR. This gives the drug industry a tight grip of control on any non-drug health options.
Quackery and deaths
The FDA attempts to legitimize its reign of terror under the guise of protecting the American public from medical quacks. Joining forces with the Pharmaceutical Advertising Council (PAC), the FDA launched a $200,000,000 program to "warn" the public about the "dangers of nutritional supplements". They cite in a press release :"Products containing the amino acid L-tryptophan, widely sold as a dietary supplement, were associated with at least 1,500 cases of a painful muscle disorder, including at least 38 deaths, several years ago." According to this rational, we would be much better off using these 200, 000, 000 for action against the pharmaceutical industry which has claimed an average of roughly 356 (that's 130,000 a year) lives a day from drugs used in hospitals alone, let alone the nonfatal damage in and outside of hospitals. Those who abused comparatively mild supplements and herbs to the extent of personal injury or even death couldn't even touch the casualties of pharmaceutical drugs.
Commando Style Raids
February 26, 1987 FDA agents and US marshalls raided the Life Extension Foundation (LEF) , a non-profit foundation that helped members get bulk discounts on vitamins and nutrients located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The agents took everything from files to nutrients to the computer and files. Later on, on January 9, 1991 they raided LEF's distribution center in Tempe, AZ where they lied to employees claiming LEF was secretly smuggling illegal drugs. 42 of LEF's most popular products were put on embargo until a lawsuit against the FDA had it lifted.
During the spring of 1988 the FDA confiscated literature from Highland Labs in Mt. Angel, OR which supposedly made "false and worthless" claims about their products . Highland Labs then stopped sending out the censored information with products. Later on an FDA agent posing as a client convinced a telephone worker at Highland Labs to send him old copies of the information which led to a commando style bust during the fall of 1990 in which $37,000 worth of property and records were officially stolen. No charges were ever filed.
On May 6, 1992, the FDA along with state and federal agents raided Dr. Jonathan Wright's Tahomaxxx Clinic in Kent, Washington, armed and holding the staff at gun point. The object of the raid was to seize an injectable form of B-12 . Computers , injectable, preservative-free vitamins, allergy-testing equipment, treatment protocols,
literature, and medical records and files were confiscated and the clinic was closed. No reason was given for the raid and no charges have been pressed. The clinic's 1200 patients were not referred elsewhere while a lot of them depended on Dr. Wright's medical advice for their health. The judge who issued the warrant has sealed the documents explaining the raid and nobody at the FDA will take responsibility for initiating the whole shmeer.
In June 1992 the FDA conducted raids on health food stores in Dallas , San Antonio, Houston and Austin seizing a total of 250 different products including Aloe Vera, zinc tablets, herbal teas, flax seed oil and effervescent vitamin C.
These cases aren't unique, in the past ten years there have been 25 similar violent raids against physicians and businesses that carry and/or produce supplements/herbs.
Blatant Lies