Secret Police and Provocateurs

Isn’t it the moment of most profound doubt that gives birth to new certainties? Perhaps hopelessness is the very soil that nourishes human hope; perhaps one could never find sense in life without first experiencing its absurdity.
– Vaclav Havel

People with experience in “the movement” are aware of the existence of secret police units, infiltration and provocateurs. Naive American true believers and blindfolded corporatists don’t often see the evidence. Sometimes the seeming bystanders become part of the play, as clandestine recruits or as manipulated marks. The cheapening of language has helped the forces of repression to gain a foothold in the US. Otherwise intelligent people are unable to distinguish between “attacks” and parody. This lack of nuanced understanding makes all criticism equal and equally outrageous to the ill prepared and uninformed audience. It permits no distinctions, only unitary certainties. It permits only violent reaction and self-righteous declarations of rectitude.

Consider the events of March 26th. A woman attempted to cross from Egypt into Gaza with crocodiles strapped to her body. Maria Telleria, an eyewitness, said,

“The woman looked strangely fat. Even though she was veiled and covered, even with so many clothes on there was something strange. The policewoman screamed and ran out of the room, and then women began screaming and panicking when they heard. [But when the hysteria died down] everybody was admiring a woman who is able to tie crocodiles to her body.”

The Washington Post reports,

A secret FBI intelligence unit helped detain a group of war protesters in a downtown Washington parking garage in April 2024 and interrogated some of them on videotape about their political and religious beliefs, newly uncovered documents and interviews show.

Later The Post reporter amplifies,

The plaintiffs argue that the newly released police logs make clear that the FBI, working hand in hand with local police, is engaged in a concerted effort to spy on and intimidate U.S. citizens who are lawfully exercising their free-speech rights. They contend that this is a national effort that abuses the FBI’s broad counterterrorism powers and equates political speech with a risk to national security.

“It really is a secret police: This is an effort to suppress political dissent,” said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard of the Partnership for Civil Justice. “If this was happening in another country that the U.S. was targeting, U.S. officials at the highest levels would be decrying this as a violation of human rights.”

Pop quiz: would you rather read about some nutball trying to cross into Gaza with crocodiles tied to her body, or some flaky protestistas whining about their civil rights? Take your time…

I’d like to talk a little about Greenpeace, the “force de frappe,” the French sabotage of the Rainbow Warrior and the emergence of provocateurs in the blogosphere, but there is something you should understand about weblog genres first. Go here, read this, and if I’m still interested tomorrow, we’ll do chapter two. If not we can look in on the early adventures of Jason and Meg, or something equally momentous.