May 12 Oakland Docks - Not In Our Name

It's nice to see unity amongst medical students and all but let's not forget that they are training to cut people open and prescribe anti-depressants- basically to treat symptoms and not causes, the fundamental flaw of western medicine. It's really a metaphor for the entire anti-war movement. Keep on picketting while the cops keep on shooting. Maybe these future doctors can stitch us up so we can attend another futile and misdirected, impotent, and nonviolent protest.

Just because they are western medical students doesnt mean they have no right to protest. In the best case senario they can teach us to heal ourselves so we dont have to fuck with the hospitals. Lots of techniques of western medicine are shit but they also posses valuable information that can help us break our dependence on the hospital systems.

>Western medicine as metaphor for protest

Exactly. I say "no", you say "but I'll shoot you!" -- it's a lovely minuet...meanwhile, things go on as normal. You ever notice how these protests are basically an exercise in the faithful white middle class opposition? "Let's be peaceful" "No violence" "No negativity", but then they'll turn around and, oh, negotiate with the cops? And how, exactly, is that not violent?

All I can say is, read "Pacifism as Pathology" as Ward Churchill, he pretty much spells it out.

anon

I have an idea- lets devide any movements that have anything in common - namely commonality against the war and the corporate machines.

Lets say that only certian reasons for opposing war are ok. Lets say that everyone else besides a small group is wrong. Lets call the others names. Lets pretend that we are the only enlightend ones so that we can condesend everyone else- that way the enormous resources available to Bush and his buddies can smash any movement efforlessly. Except ours... because we are right... or somthing...

Lets call the others names. Lets pretend that we are the only enlightened ones so that we can condescend everyone else- they should pay attention to us and us only! we are the voice of the people, we and we alone.
-APL

sorry to have to out someone, but *anon* is working for the authorities. take everything she says with a grain of salt. or just block her out.

so who is she working for?

I would not be at all surprised to find a mole in the group

probably California Anti-Terrorism Information Center (CATIC) or some other local Homeland Security function.

OK now, first, med students and doctors have as much right to protest as anyone, "western" and "eastern" medicine are not derogatory and praise terms, but diverse medical traditions both with their share of good and bad practices, and both can be thoroughly trashed by medicine-for-profit (capitalism, "east" or "west").

But the major problem here is this: unsubstantiated accusations that certain people are "working for the authorities" rather than disagreement with their criticisms. In fact, this reeks of actual state disruption. The most favored activity of real Fed and cop infiltrators is to waltz in and "point out the feds," who are actually just activists with minority opinions.

Remember Anna Mae Aquash. Remember the FBI-staged Black Panthers vs. los angeles US war.

Yes, indymedia is crawling with feds no doubt, but they are not recommending you read former AIM activist Ward Churchill's books (his are some of the most thorough works on COINTELPRO).

Do read "Pacifism as Pathology." Well worth it.

you seem very well versed on infiltrators operations, why is this.
and in the context of the message this fact in and of its self seems to be quite strange.

Excuse me, but I was really hoping to hear an account of this protest from people who where their, not unsubstantiated ranting, That having been said, I would like to point out that the 'who's a fed game' is a infinite regression. Without specific evidance that can be independanly verified it is a logical game that goes on forever, al la pricess bride. As then, the man with the poisin always wins, because everyone, wether or not their a cop, is helping so long as they play the game. eg, talk about it. Sorry, but from some of those posts I thought I had to dumb it down. Ha-heh-heh-heh-heh.