{"id":5931,"date":"2012-06-22T03:53:18","date_gmt":"2012-06-22T10:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/?p=5931"},"modified":"2012-06-22T05:00:45","modified_gmt":"2012-06-22T12:00:45","slug":"how-to-beat-the-heat-a-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/how-to-beat-the-heat-a-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Beat the Heat–a Movement"},"content":{"rendered":"

With 7 billion souls on the planet (and growing) there’s no shortage of aspiring and actual tyrants. As resources are exhausted and our environment deteriorates, climate change isn’t going to improve the political matrix.<\/p>\n

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Welfare Check<\/p><\/div>\n

Despite the rampant abuse and police brutality often caught by the media, future generations will look back on our times as something of a holiday by comparison. Survival and staying out of jail are becoming increasingly difficult for hundreds of millions. It’s a given that jail isn’t a healthy place to be. \u00a0The complexities of an overview on survival are beyond the scope of this article. But an interesting take on what’s coined as a ‘culture \u00a0of security’ has sprung from among Anarchist activists on their many websites popping up around the Puget Sound like mushrooms in the Fall.<\/p>\n

Many of the principles enunciated go back much further than Abbie Hoffman, while others have a distinctly modern twist due to changes in communication technology. Staying out of jail appears tricky even for professional politicians if we’re to believe news reports, so a careful observation of advice being passed around among the more radical street activists may be prudent. One of the more scholarly factions has even developed puppets and a script they urge be performed around the nation. That script (including an audio version) and images of examples of the puppets are enclosed below. Use them prudently and, of course, at your own risk. This publication takes no responsibility for how individuals may incorporate the principles and caveats contained therein.<\/p>\n

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Use @ Your Own Risk<\/p><\/div>\n

One of the acts on the roadshow, a puppet show teaching basic security culture skills, is especially timely in view of recent\u00a0government efforts to entrap and frame<\/a>\u00a0environmental activists. We\u2019ve obtained the script and an audio file, and are sharing them here to equip you to put on the puppet show yourself if you so desire. If your community could use a refresher in protecting your privacy and safety against snooping, evil-intentioned G-men, just build some puppets and adjust the show to your local needs! You can even use the audio recording if you prefer not to memorize the script yourself.<\/p>\n

(Editor’s\u00a0NOTE: One alternative is to adhere to resistance that doesn’t involve committing crimes–especially destruction of private property and crimes of violence…admittedly an old fashioned concept, but perspicacious and possibly more effective\/constructive in the long term. Being poor…if one can survive the condition…may be a revolutionary act that’s beginning to have epic proportions.)<\/em><\/p>\n

The Mysterious Rabbit Puppet Army Presents:<\/em><\/p>\n

Donny, Don\u2019t!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Click to hear\u00a0Security Cult script<\/a><\/p>\n

Olivia the Owl:<\/strong>\u00a0Hello, eco-warriors! We\u2019re here today to talk about the for-profit extermination of all life on this planet, and your heroic and sheroic efforts to stop it. We\u2019ve been noticing that as you good folks become stronger and more effective, those ecocide profiteers and their lackeys in the FBI have been coming down really hard on y\u2019all. They\u2019ve been exploiting your good nature and trusting community and turning those things into a weakness. So we\u2019re taking the day off from eating mice\u2014<\/p>\n

Brian the Bear:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2026and stealing picnic baskets!<\/p>\n

O:\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014to give you a quick lesson on keeping your community safe. And here to help us are all of our woodland friends. I\u2019m Olivia the Owl and this is Rita the Raccoon, Brian the Bear, Peter the Pig, and Ben the Snapping Turtle.<\/p>\n

Ben the Snapping Turtle:<\/strong>\u00a0What!?<\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0And the star of our show: Donny Don\u2019t. Peter will be playing a cop.<\/p>\n

Peter the Pig:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey, why do I always have to play the cop?<\/p>\n

O:\u00a0<\/strong>I dunno it just\u2026 seems to fit.<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0So! Today\u2019s lesson is about security culture.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong>\u00a0AKA common sense 101.<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0So, kids, remember\u2014the name of the game is don\u2019t do what Donny Don\u2019t does. The first thing we\u2019re going to talk about is GOSSIP.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Donny:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey, did you see on Indymedia that somebody pulled up all the survey stakes at that development on Winding River Road? Y\u2019know, where the winding river used to be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rita the Raccoon:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah, that\u2019s so cool. I\u2019m really glad that happened.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah, I bet we know who did that. Last night Ben\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everybody:<\/strong>\u00a0DONNY, DON\u2019T!<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0Now, Donny, when you speculate and gossip, you not only put other people at risk, but also put yourself at risk. If the police think you know who did it, they could target you as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0You mean I could go to jail just for knowing something?<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes, the pigs call it \u201cobstructing justice.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0The cops, you mean.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0Right. Whatever. The next thing we want to talk about is BRAGGING\u2026 Take it away, Donny!<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey, have y\u2019all seen all that graffiti downtown protesting Bank of America\u2019s investment in coal?<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah, I really hate Bank Of America! I\u2019m glad that happened.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah, it took me like 5 hours last night to\u2026<\/p>\n

Everybody:<\/strong>\u00a0DONNY, DON\u2019T!<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0While we\u2019re all happy that you took action against those heartless corporate monsters, sharing your secrets with other people puts yourself at great risk. Even people who you trust might share your information, or crack under pressure during interrogation. Aside from that, you\u2019re also putting your friends at risk, because you\u2019re giving them a piece of information that the cops want.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong>\u00a0INDIRECT BRAGGING.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey Donny, we\u2019re having a demonstration against the new Cliffside coal power plant. You wanna come?<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0No, I try to stay away from above-ground demonstrations these days. I\u2019m trying to keep a low profile. It probably wouldn\u2019t be a good idea for me to be seen around there. Ya know what I\u2019m sayin\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everybody:<\/strong>\u00a0DONNY, DON\u2019T!<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0Now, Donny, what you just did is called indirect bragging. It\u2019s the practice of implying or alluding to things. It\u2019s just as bad as bragging. In these situations you should make a clever excuse, like a lunch date or a meeting. Also, you could just not show up, and invent an excuse later. It\u2019s not easy having your friends think you\u2019re uninvolved in important political actions, but it\u2019s also not easy going to jail for yourself or the people who would be supporting you from the outside.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong>\u00a0NEED-TO-KNOW BASIS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Ok, I\u2019m going out to see a movie. See ya later, Donny.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0What movie? Can I come?<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Eh, Hoot. Naahh, I think we\u2019re just going to go on our own.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0What theater is that playing in? And why are you wearing all black?<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Ummm, I\u2019m going to the one downtown. I wear black all the time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Who you going with? Why\u2019s your backpack so big? Are you smuggling in popcorn?!<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Just some folks\u2026 Why are you giving me the third degree?<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Oooooooh. I get it. I see what\u2019s going on. You\u2019re going to see a \u201cmooooovieeee\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0Alright, stop right there, folks. Social norms within a resistance movement need to be a little different than other people\u2019s. If your friends are acting evasive or don\u2019t seem to be forthcoming with information, it\u2019s important to trust them and just let whatever it is rest.<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0Being in a community of resistance means having a higher level of trust than many people are used to in a lot of circles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t ask, don\u2019t tell. It\u2019s not just a good idea for vegans eating at restaurants, it\u2019s also a great way to keep everybody you care about as safe as can be.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong>\u00a0ENTRAPMENT.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey, there\u2019s that guy Peter who comes to our anti-biotech meetings.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0I like him, he\u2019s really enthusiastic and helpful.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0I think he\u2019s cute.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey kids!<\/strong><\/p>\n

R&D:<\/strong>\u00a0Hi, Peter.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0So, all this protesting we\u2019ve been doing is great and all\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0It sure is\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0I was just thinking the other day that maybe it\u2019s time to step it up a bit\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Like lock downs and banner drops?<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Like maybe we should just get rid of that lab once and for all\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0I dunno\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019ve got a recipe for plastic explosives and I can pay for the stuff.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Sounds like a good idea to me!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everybody:<\/strong>\u00a0DONNY, DON\u2019T!<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0Trying to get activists to build explosives and then charging them with possession of unregistered fire arms or conspiracy has become a popular tactic of federal agents in recent years.<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0If somebody you don\u2019t know that well asks you to build a bomb, just say no. If you\u2019re going to build bombs, build them because you want to, not because somebody else thinks it\u2019s cool.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Thinking for yourself, now THAT\u2019S cool.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong>\u00a0WHEN THE PIGS COME A-KNOCKIN\u2019\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Eh, guys, that\u2019s not cool! [Whole cast snickers]<\/p>\n

(Knock knock knock)<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Hello, I\u2019m agent Peter Pecker with the FBI. I\u2019m looking for Donny Don\u2019t.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0That\u2019s me, what do you want?<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Your friend Rita may be in big trouble but we thought maybe you could help clear some things up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0What are you talking about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Does she talk about Animal Liberation a lot?<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0She talks about it but she\u2019d never\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everybody:<\/strong>\u00a0DONNY DON\u2019T!<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0Donny, this is very important. Never ever talk to the FBI or police. If they already knew enough to get you or your friends in trouble, they wouldn\u2019t be asking you questions. Does that make sense?<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0But I was just trying to find out what they wanted, or I could have lied to them to throw them off track\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0These people are specially trained to get you trapped in a conversation, making it harder and harder to stop answering questions. They can observe when you stop answering or which questions make you squirm. They are trained to make you trip up and contradict yourself. Really, avoiding talking to them is the only safe option. They won\u2019t be able to scare you, trick you, confuse you, or convince you of anything.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong>\u00a0Just say no, dare to resist Gestapo swine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Oh, cut it out, would ya!? It\u2019s not funny!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong>\u00a0New fangled contraptions, technological alienation, social mapping, and you\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey, did you see the new pics on my Myspace page?<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0No, lemme see what you\u2019ve got\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Check this out!<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0OMG, Donny, what are these? Is that you holding a molotov cocktail?<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah, and this is all that graffiti from the Bank Of America.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Oh, and you\u2019ve got a whole blog on here about shoplifting and scamming when you travel!<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah, read the entry about South Florida.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Donny, what if the FBI or police read this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0I mean, they can\u2019t prove anything\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Donny, Myspace assists law enforcement with about 150 investigations A MONTH, and in the past, people\u2019s Myspace pages and blogs have been used to attack their character in court so that they are denied bail!<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0But it\u2019s set to private!<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Right, because Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Myspace and Fox News, is all about privacy. Y\u2019know, the FBI used to spend a large portion of their budget for tracking activists and social mapping, which means figuring out who knew who and who was into what. Now here\u2019s all of your friends across the country. Oh, and a list of your interests; you\u2019ve done the work for them. In a worst-case scenario, if somebody we know had to go on the run, would it be safe for them to stay with anybody they were publicly networked with?<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Wow, I hadn\u2019t thought of that\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong>\u00a0Electronic Surveillance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey, y\u2019all!<\/strong><\/p>\n

R\/D:<\/strong>\u00a0Hi, Peter.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Hey, so I wanted to talk to y\u2019all about this idea I had for a great action.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Let\u2019s take our batteries out of our phones so the feds can\u2019t listen in!<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0So, like I was saying, there\u2019s this I-69 contractor who has an office downtown\u2026
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Um, maybe this classroom isn\u2019t the best place for us to discuss this, it\u2019s pretty well known that we hang out here a lot.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0Rita, it\u2019s not bugged. I\u2019d know if it was bugged, and it\u2019s not.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D:<\/strong>\u00a0Sounds like impeccable logic to me! So, what do you wanna do at the office? Let\u2019s fu-<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everybody:<\/strong>\u00a0Donny, Don\u2019t!<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0With the rise of techno-industrial civilization, our enemies are able to carry out surveillance in ways that were unthinkable 50 years ago. There are safe places and unsafe places to talk about sensitive subjects. Safe places are walks in the woods, beaches, and restaurants that aren\u2019t well-known hang-outs. Unsafe places are cars, houses, well known hang-outs, or cabins in remote areas, even if your friends say they\u2019re safe. It has also been shown in court cases against mafia members that your cell phone can act as a microphone or GPS tracking device, even when it\u2019s off, as long as the battery is still in. Even corporate CEOs take their batteries out before high-level meetings sometimes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0If something doesn\u2019t feel right, it\u2019s probably not. Stopping a friend from a dangerous security faux pas doesn\u2019t mean you think they\u2019re stupid, or a cop. Or a stupid cop. It just means they could make a mistake that could be dangerous for them or for you. Does that make sense?<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Safety first!<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0Also, folks, it\u2019s important to recognize that there is a possibility that even with solid security culture, something could go wrong and you could wind up in interrogation for something you did or didn\u2019t do. If this does happen, it\u2019s important to remember 2 things:<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019m going to remain silent. I\u2019d like to speak to my lawyer!<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0Every question they ask you is an admission that they don\u2019t have enough evidence to convict you or your friends. Otherwise, you\u2019d be rotting in a cell, and they wouldn\u2019t need to ask you anything. This is where remaining silent during their questioning becomes important. If you start a conversation and then the talk turns in a direction you don\u2019t like, it could be more difficult to end the conversation than to have stayed silent in the first place. They\u2019ll try to trick you by telling you that your friends have already snitched or they\u2019ll be all like it looks bad now, but this is the chance to clear your name. Let\u2019s try a role play in the interrogation room.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0So, your name is Rita Raccoon. And your address and social security number?<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019m exercising my right to remain silent and want my lawyer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019m just trying to clarify a few things, we\u2019re not talking about the case here.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Right, silent.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0I mean, I get what you guys are doin\u2019. My daughter works for Greenpeace, and used to lock herself to every damn thing. You guys been into environmental stuff for a while now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Well this one time I was SILENT!<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0You got any tattoos or scars?<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Siiilent night\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0We\u2019re gonna find out eventually, anyway.<\/strong><\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0Is my lawyer here yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0They will do everything they can to shake your faith in your friends, your movement and yourself, but it is so important that we all sit tight and believe in each other and ourselves so that the cops can\u2019t break us down.<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0No matter what they promise you, you should know that most people who snitched during the green scare have gotten comparable time in prison to those who maintained their integrity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong>\u00a0One last important thing is that while y\u2019all must keep yourselves safe, y\u2019all must also stay visible and get your message out to others. You must learn to publicize your successes through magazines, web pages, press offices and new creative ideas that keep everyone safe while ensuring that the movement doesn\u2019t fade into obscurity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

O:<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s also very important to deal respectfully with people who know less about security culture or who make an honest mistake. If it\u2019s avoidable, don\u2019t call them out publicly or make them feel stupid. Security culture makes it very easy to become paranoid and stifle all conversation, which is exactly what the government and corporations want. You must learn to communicate clearly but without endangering yourselves any more than necessary.<\/p>\n

R:<\/strong>\u00a0So remember: No compromise in defense of the earth, stay safe, and be yourself. Good night everyone!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With 7 billion souls on the planet (and growing) there’s no shortage of aspiring and actual tyrants. As resources are exhausted and our environment deteriorates, climate change isn’t going to improve the political matrix. Despite the rampant abuse and police … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5931"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5944,"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5931\/revisions\/5944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}