Search - Ward Churchill :: In a Pig's Eye

A Frightening Lecture on the Repression of the Left

mrgrieves08 | tucson | 07/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded at the New College of California, San Francisco, 5-16-2001, this spoken word cd represents a vital counter to the prevailing view of America as the great bastion of freedom and justice in the world. On the contrary, Churchill, in this lecture, expounds upon the prevalence of suppression and repression of groups that have worked for social change and economic justice throughout the 20th century. Despite the onslaught of propaganda, which has portrayed the FBI as the leader in the fight against organized crime, racism, and general public disorder, Churchill paints a disturbing picture detailing the bureau's active participation in the illegal suppression and even murder of politically active US citizens. From the brutal repression of Anarchists and Socialists in the early 1900's to the similar treatment of groups as disparate as the US Communist party, the Black Panthers, A.I.M., and the SLCC, Churchill shows that the primary purpose of the FBI has been to guarantee the continued subjugation of the poor, minorities and dispossessed indigenous peoples to insure the protection of the dominant power structure in America.Part and parcel to this argument, of course, falls the fate of Indigenous treaty rights, COINTELPRO, a counter-insurgency program used against US citizens, and the unjust imprisonment of Leonard Peltier, which is only the latest onslaught against Native peoples in the 500 year history of European/Indian relations. By detailing the particular events surrounding the crime for which Peltier was convicted, in which the prosecutor himself has publicly admitted that "we have no idea who killed the agents", Churchill seeks to show how this case is one that has direct and indirect repercussions for all Americans, and is not simply the concern of Native Americans. In relation to this, Churchill also offers an enlightening analysis Bill Clinton's decision to ignore Peltier's deserving Clemency request, which was due to an unprecedented smear campaign orchestrated by the FBI and a more ominous quid pro quo evaluation by Clinton to avoid himself further FBI probing. Although this scenario may seem far-fetched, in light of the facts it is definitely not outside the realm of possibility and does provide an explanation for this "oversight". For those still doubtful, just look into the history of executive clemency, especially in the era since Nixon, where this type of corruption is business as usual. Disc 2 continues in this line of inquiry focusing on the FBI's very questionable activity during the 1960's civil rights struggle in the South. Far from being a conspiracy theory, Churchill shows, using the FBI's own documents that they actively worked against civil rights activists, in many instances in direct collusion with the Ku Klux Klan and other right-wing organizations. In fact, he goes into some detail in exposing how the FBI had often completely taken over KKK organizations with the result being an increase in violent attacks against African Americans and civil rights workers-a truly terrifying condemnation of a government agency out of control.Perhaps, the most important lesson to be drawn from this lecture is the realization of the interconnectedness between the events described. For as Churchill continually reinforces, the abuses of the FBI represents a concerted effort to discredit, infiltrate, subvert and neutralize-by whatever means necessary-any and all voices of dissent in America, the supposed land of the free. Consequently, the formation of coalitions and other alliances between such groups can and must be pursued, against the prevailing climate of disunity and petty disagreement so common today, which can act as an important tactic in protecting against this sort of victimization in the future. But, first we must have a more informed knowledge of the past and that is precisely what Churchill intends to give in this lecture. But what is done with this knowledge ultimately rests with us, and as history has already shown, the use of this liberty often has profound and far-reaching consequences. BTY, this product can also be purchased directly from AK press and Alternative Tentacles in San Francisco, both of which have online stores."