(or, Some ways that the State could possibly try and fuck us over)
Unlike some other groups that call themselves revolutionary, we, as anarchists, are totally up front about the fact that the state can be nothing but our enemy, with whom we are (or will be at some point) locked in a battle to the death. From this we can assume that they don't like us very much either.
As well as fighting us head on they will (or already do if we want to get paranoid) use somewhat subtler methods. What are/will be these methods? Lets have a little look at recent(ish) history.
The Black Panther Party (BPP) was hit by a whole range of different techniques in a multi pronged assault that left them severely battered and bruised. This was only 30 odd years ago so probably provides the best case to look at. Here is a brief run through of some of the methods the powers that be in the US used against them (primary source 'War against the Panthers: A Study of Repression in America' by Huey P. Newton):
1) Publicly Discrediting the BPP and its leaders. Giving them bad publicity through the media by making out they were criminal or terrorist (sound familiar?). More specifically, making out the leaders to be living the high life/selling and taking drugs/using their position to get laid, etc, etc.
2) Entering BPP offices and members' residences to gain information, bugging phones, intercepting mail, planting false criminal evidence, distributing misleading information, placing agents in the organisation to spy and disrupt, sending false letters between BPP members and chapters, creating false BPP publications.
3) Tying up as many prominent members as possible in legal proceedings.
4) Assassination.
5) Counter intelligence:
a) Creating aggro in the organisation. Methods used were spreading false rumour that some BPP members were grasses, fostering splits between prominent individuals and otherwise creating factionalism in the organisation.
b) Turning other black liberation and progressive (i.e. radical student and anti-war) organisations against the BPP.
c) Discrediting particular BPP programs.
d) Scrutinising BPP financial records and bank accounts for tax irregularities.
6) Passing misleading information on to BPP international contacts.
The most effective of these tactics were probably 2 and 5. Anarchist methods of organisation hopefully make us a harder target for this sort of thing, but if we become the sort of movement (in terms of size and influence) that we want to become, the State will undoubtedly try it on.
New technology such as e-mail might make it even easier for them to send false information. For example they could open an e-mail address using a prominent anarchists name and create havoc by sending stuff out to people. Not that I want to give them any ideas, but you get what I mean. Without being paranoid we need to be eternally vigilant, questioning, cool headed, and above all totally open both as individuals and as a movement.
We shouldn't listen to rumour and gossip, but to hard facts and evidence. We need a culture of trust and honesty, and this includes being willing to be held fully accountable to our comrades for our actions as anarchist militants.
Most importantly, we need to make sure we are not sidetracked, that we remain focused, and get on with the task in hand. We need to concentrate on that which we can effect and not that which is out of our control. We can't make our movement impermeable to these tactics of our enemy. Only a strong base of support in the workplace and community will keep the state at bay. When they judge that they have more to lose than gain by employing these tactics we will have given ourselves the space to operate.
Forewarned is forearmed.
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