The Green Scare, PRISM, and the Rise of the Surveillance of Women

from Badass Marxist Feminist

Thanks to radicalrationale.wordpress.com for designing the logo

For most of the history of US domestic surveillance, efforts have been focused on those who seek to undermine hegemonic power, particularly communists, socialists, black nationalists, civil rights activists, union organizers, peace activists, political opponents of the reigning administration, and, to a predictably lesser extent, white hate groups. Of 92 total confirmed targets of COINTELPRO, 31 were organizations, 44 were men, and 17 were women. Of the 31 organizations, only one was explicitly dedicated to advancing women’s rights. Considering that sexism is alive and well in the left even today, it was certainly exponentially more pervasive before Roe v. Wade and Title IX.Women who belonged to the 31 organizations monitored by COINTELPRO were relegated to subordinate roles; the leaders, officers, and most influential contributors were men. Consequently, men were the primary targets of COINTELPRO and its predecessors, and, I posit, its antecendents until roughly 2001, which ushered in the rise of the surveillance of women. 

Together, We Can Get Free: A Review of Towards Collective Liberation, by Chris Crass

by Sasha

Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-Racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement Building Strategy, by Chris Crass (PM Press 2013), is a challenging collection of essays and interviews. The concept of collective liberation, gleaned initially from radical scholar bell hooks, connotes a struggle lodged deep in the tradition of liberation movements—black liberation, GLBQTTI liberation, women’s liberation, and so on. CC insists, “we need liberation movements of millions of people, from all backgrounds, from all walks of life, with a wide range of experience, playing many different roles… everyone reading this book is needed in the process of building the powerful and successful movements we need to make the changes crucial for our future.” For liberation movements to connect at crucial strategic and ideological intersections, activists must overcome the problem by which “processes of inclusions and exclusions are reproduced in our organizing.” For collective movement organization to succeed, we need “a commitment to use different strategies and approaches.” The message of Towards Collective Liberation is that love, openness, and patient determination will prevail. It is an imperative lesson for everyone.

Anti-Oppression in the EF! Movement

Speech written and recited by Bee at the RRR 2012

In response to the out-reaching participants of the Challenging Male Supremacy Workshop at this year’s Round River Rendezvous, I’m echoing appreciation of well-intended cis-males who stand in solidarity with  anti-oppression in the EF! movement.

Despite the best intentions of the group, things got heated and the attempt to end patriarchal silencing ended up doing exactly that

Happy Beltane! Merry May Day!

From Oakland to Asia, from Madrid to Moscow people are striking, and celebrating!

Here in South Florida the Earth First! Journalistas are celebrating the completion of the Betane 2012 issue of the Journal! It is out of our hands and will be into yours in the next few weeks.

Here is a sneak preview of two fantastic articles! Keep an eye out for more to come.

My Flaming Arrow to the Heart of the Movement: a Response to the OC “Give EF! a Kick-In-The-Ass”/Anti-Oppression Discussion

We Are The .00018%! Does EF! Carry the Capacity for a Justice Based Approach to Overpopulation?