the Corporate Powers Will Try to Crush Occupy Wall Street (and How to Fight Back)
Yesterday morning a
retired military officer friend (RMOF) and I were conversing about what
might happen next with the Occupy Wall Street movement. Since Michael
Westen of Burn Notice or Annie Walker from Covert Affairs weren’t
available, he offered some thoughts from the point of view of a
non-fictional character who studies this stuff. I, as a media watcher
and activist wanted to talk about how the media and power players will
deal with the various actions and what we can do to predict the media’s
actions so we can get ahead of news and prepare. I also have delusions
of influencing the narrative, but I’m afraid that shuttle craft might
have left the ship.
Here are a few of his thoughts and some of my questions, predictions and suggestions.
RMOF: I expect “trouble” soon. I don’t expect it from the protestors, but plants put in by the plutocrats or by violent individuals.
Spocko: Definitely. The media LOVE plants because they will create the kind of action that makes for good TV.
What they are not good at is tracking down who has started the action
and just how connected they really are to the movement. Today our new
media can help. We already identified Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna,
the cop who pepper sprayed the penned in girls. I doubt the MSM have
diligently tracked him down if only they had the footage. Even if they
did it would be days later and they would have had to go though official
channels.
Spocko ACTION Suggestion : In
the following days the “folks at home” can look through the videos and
photos and capture the plants, just like we found “Tony Bologna”. Then
make sure the MSM knows who these people are and who they might work
for.
Spocko ProTip for OWS protesters: How can people identify plants at a protest?
Check out the “boots on the ground,” literally.
[A] March organizer came by telling us there were “agitators looking to start stuff” and to not engage. “Look at their boots,” he said. “They’ll look like cop boots.” – Adrian Chen Gawker Live blog of OWS
Spocko:
What will be the trajectory of the escalation of violence?
RMOF:
Trouble” will start with a shooting or looting. “Someone” will shoot
a ‘banker’ or ‘broker,’ but sadly it will end up being some expendable
minor functionary like a secretary or clerk who has no idea the guys in
the $25,000.00 suits have decided to make a martyr.
Spocko: Sadly, I agree RMOF. I’m curious how this kind of stuff actually gets done.
RMOF:
It isn’t hard. Find a die hard Tea Partier or die-hard left wing
Anarchist for that matter. Convince them that “the Man” has to be taught
a lesson. They don’t even have to shoot anyone. Just fire some shots in
the air and run like hell. There would be a good chance some scared 20
year old cop would shoot someone, or (even worse for the movement), the
crowd would become convinced the cops are shooting. All it takes is a
brick to the head and you have “the cop killing rioters.”
Second
way: Find a security company that specializes in less savory side of
the business. Make sure only a few people are involved. Plant your
people and go; let them encourage anger, violence, etc. as “the only way
to win!”
Spocko: This is
beginning to sound like conspiracy stuff, people don’t really do this in
America these days, do they? (I asked, only slightly ironically and
because I want to prove to people just how SOP this method is for
certain groups and that SOP is used by professionals and people who play
at being professionals.)
RMOF:
In the US, there was the FBI/Army COINTELPRO (putting ‘spies’ in the
peace movement; not surprisingly, it came to nothing). On the good
side, the FBI did it in the KKK as well (and I expect, still does it in
bike gangs, drug gangs, street gangs, skinheads, et al).
Recent evidence: The Denver Police inserted an undercover cop in the crowd at the 2008 Dem Convention.
(I looked up the story, internal documents obtained months later proved
the insertion actually happened because the undercover cop got pepper
sprayed. The issue the ACLU raised, “Did the staged confrontation by
police pretending to be violent inflame other protesters or officers?”)
Bottom
line, it isn’t hard, and if done properly, can turn public opinion
against a movement in a heartbeat. Just think of what the Black Panthers
did for the Civil Rights movement—without white liberals, it all pretty
much stopped.
All it
takes is one stupid act of senseless violence–the adversary has no
problem in using violence to protect themselves. King and Gandhi learned
that. They also taught (in a very Sun Tzu way), that it is the wrong
way to respond–violence with non-violence is the way to beat it.
Spocko:
Surely the big money players won’t be stupid and tell plants to
escalate the violence intentionally. Don’t they know that an
overreaction by police will just help create sympathy for cause and the
protestors?
RMOF: The
bigger the movement gets, and the more it develops, the more likely the
plutocrats will see it as a threat and move to destroy it. Not
politically or financially, but physically.
The
Tea Party was easy–just add some evangelicalism, a healthy dollup of
racism, and put your people and cash in charge, and is yours (btw, right
out of the playbook of the post-Reconstruction Era KKK and the demise
of the Agrarian and Socialist movements). OWS, however, is filled with
people with little to lose–no jobs, or they work menial labor. No homes,
no mortgages, no credit cards–in other words, the rich have no leverage
over them. This makes them very, very dangerous.
Spocko:
So say that we don’t find out about the plutocrat plants until
months later, what else can we expect following an escalation of
violence?
RMOF: Open
discussions on an expanded role in law enforcement by the active duty
military, especially in “major disasters or events.” Keep in mind, what
works for hurricane relief will also work to put down insurrection.
A
wide spectrum media campaign to discredit the OWS movement. From all
directions, not just Fox News–about corruption in the OWS leadership,
tax evasion, jaywalking, whatever. This will come first, as it is needed
to turn public opinion against OWS.
Spocko: Great points. Thanks for sharing your expertise and I now owe you a glass of Romulan ale.
Today’s Big Question: How can we have the OWS protesters’ backs?
I know a lot of people who were involved with getting communities out to the protests,
they are thrilled by the support they are getting. They also are often
asked what they can do to help. Besides joining a protest here is
another suggestion.
Spocko ACTION suggestion:
We always talk about having people’s back. Here is a opportunity for us to “have the backs” of the OWS people.
Uncovering
or fabricating dirt on people is an old tactic. It can and should be
countered, by bloggers the instant they start seeing it. If you are
following the MSM coverage and you see them start quoting dirt about the
history of the leaders or people quoted make sure they are accurate and
in context and then demand factual corrections. I’m not talking about
Fox News, but TV stations and major papers. Demand they name the sources
of this dirt. We know the MSM won’t talk about who is feeding them the
dirt, but we need to at least remind them to provide their famous
“balance” when they run a false statement about a leader or a protester
they interview. (Remember the world “allegedly?” ) The corporate media
will not do the work to verify the facts or context of smears, we have
to do it for them.
People out
here in the blogosphere need to understand that this will be the next
step and it is very powerful. The discrediting of leaders is a
multi-million dollar industry that works in the service of anyone who
has the money and the will. The big money people will first covertly and
then overtly engage in smears. We can push back, consider it your
simple way to help when you are unable to protest in person. This is how
you can help right from your desktop, laptop, iPad or or tablet.
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