cj#1028,rn-> (fwd) APFN, Seattle, & propaganda…

1999-12-05

Richard Moore

Dear cj,

I want to share this for various reasons.  For one thing, it
includes some interesting testimony from Seattle.  For
another thing, it is from a list called the "American
Patriot Friends Network".  I subscribed to that list for the
purpose of tracking 'right-wing' thinking.  I also subscribe
to a few others for the same reason.

The _other right-wing lists, in my opinion, are pure
propaganda.  The viewpoints are always narrow and always
divisive.

Keeneth Vardon, who runs the APFN list, is different.  I
still disagree with most of what he posts - and I'm sure
he'd disagree with most of what I post - but I acknowledge
him as being sincere in what he's doing.

As a matter of fact, I've noticed recently more and more
things on APFN that I actually agree with.  I've said many
times that divisiveness in the grass-roots will need to be
overcome before elite rule can be overcome.  Therefore I
find this kind of think encouraging.

regards,
rkm

============================================================================
Date: Thu, 02 Dec 1999 12:42:33 -0800
From: APFN <•••@••.•••>
Organization: APFN http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb77532
To: American Patriot Friends Network <•••@••.•••>,
        APFN ONELIST <•••@••.•••>
Subject: All is not as it seems! A letter from Seattle
X-Priority: 2 (High)

All is not as it seems! A letter from Seattle

This is a fax (another one) that I sent to the Mayor of Seattle.

Top 10 Reasons to Oppose the World Trade Organization

Via APFNetwork •••@••.•••
http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb77532

Subject: Fwd: Fw: a letter from Seattle
Date: Thu, 02 Dec 1999 10:31:10 PST
From: "cliff kadmon" <•••@••.•••

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a young man living in the Seattle area. I am not going
to reveal my name, for reasons that will be obvious.

Several weeks ago I was approached by the representative of a
major company. I was offered a lucrative, temporary job as a
demonstrator as part of a 'media event' that the company rep
said she was involved in planning. I was offered $35 an hour,
plus bonuses and meals, for a job that would last a week or so.
Being a rather poor college student, I jumped at the offer. I
was assured it was all legal. I signed a strict non-disclosure
agreement. And I was given a few days paid training.

All of this was before I had heard about the upcoming World
Trade Organization meeting. In fact, I didn't really know what
the WTO was.

In the past few days I have carried protest signs and chanted
slogans for various causes - whales, farmers, human rights,
rainforests; I have blocked traffic, been shoved, kicked,
tear-gassed, arrested (bail promptly paid), worn a panda bear
costume, and been on tv; I've been well-fed on steaks and shrimp
and pizza; had a hell of a lot of fun; made some good cash money
and recieved some merchandise bonuses like vitamins and Pepsi
stuff; - and become totally disillusioned with our political
system.

The company that hired me is Archer Daniels Midland, but Pepsi
was somehow involved, too (and no doubt some others).

The demonstrations this past week in Seattle are contrived and
manufactured. I'm sure that many of the people out there are
sincerely trying to further their cause, but many more are just
nuts getting caught up in the moment, and some are paid agitators
(like me and about another 100 or so that I know of). I'm not out
there anymore, though, I took my cash last night and left, went
back to school.

Here's the thing: Have you noticed how the aims of many of the
protestors for the most part actually go along with the aims of
the WTO and the multi-national corporations? The 'event' is being
portrayed as a demonstration against capitalism, but actually is
about stricter environment and labor controls, and stricter
international standards in many areas. This is the agenda of the
WTO and the New World Order. It is all part of the one-world
government thing. It is all about more CONTROL over people. When
I saw this, I walked away.

All of this should be obvious to thoughtful people, but the media
are drooling all over each other covering this story as if it were
some kind of spontaneous happening, instead of the staged drama it
really is. People think the New World Order is just something some
crazy person on the internet thought up, but I first heard it from
the mouth of President George Bush years ago. The New World Order
is alive and growing.

I just wanted to put the word out on this to counter the prevailing
spin. All is not as it seems!

Just Some Guy - a NWO shill
====================================================================
From: Les Lemke <•••@••.•••

This is a fax (another one) that I sent to the Mayor of Seattle.

This letter is going to as many Congressman as I can send it
to. What happened and CONTINUES TO HAPPEN in Seattle is
totally UNacceptable.

If you saw what I saw and wish to alter this letter and send it as
your own letter to that scumbag in Seattle, or to your own Congressmen,
go for it.  What I say below I did in fact see via various media
sources. This is nothing but NAZI GESTAPO ACTION
AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY!
----------------------------
December 2, 1999

Lester Lemke
P.O. Box 1524
Coos Bay, Oregon 97420-0332

Mayor Paul Schell of
Seattle Washington
600 Fourth Avenue
Seattle WA 98104
Tel/206-684-4000
Fax/206-684-5360


Mr. Paul Schell - or should I call you Comrad Schell?

Over the last few days and nights I have witnessed in Seattle
open and blatant abuse of power as well as complete and utter
brutality by law enforcement against citizens of this country
who have been protesting the totally UnConstitutional and rogue
organization otherwise  known as the WTO.

I have witnessed a woman, who while kneeling down on the
sidewalk, had a riot outfitted law enforcement officer
(aka: JACKBOOTED THUG *CRIMINAL*) run up from behind her
and kick her in middle of her back with his boot. Then that same
CRIMINAL hit  her with his baton twice. He then grabbed her by the
hair and raised  her to her feet by her hair.

I have witnessed a protester who was grabbed by these legalized street
THUGS hauled behind police lines and then beaten with batons EXACTLY
like they did Rodney King down in Los Angeles.

I have witnessed two individuals who were waiting for a traffic
light to change who were suddenly attacked by three thugs. These
*legal* THUGS beat the crap out of these two kids until  their
faces were all bloodied. These same THUGS of yours also  kicked these
two kids several times when they were down on the  sidewalk. These
SAME THUGS OF YOURS were police  officers...undercover police officers
who only announced their status as police officers when some OTHER riot
police THUGS came over to see what was going on.

I have seen a police THUG armed with rubber bullet loaded shotgun
aim that shotgun and then fire that weapon at POINT BLANK range -
three feet at the most! -  at a woman's face while the woman was
seated  on the ground protesting the WTO meeting.

I have witnessed police THUGS shooting some kind of gas or pepper
spray into the face of a protester who was doing nothing but
standing there facing police.

I have witnessed police THUGS firing gas canisters and concussion
grenades at people who were PEACEABLY ASSEMBLED protesting the
WTO in Seattle.

Today I found out that you have created a "No Protest Zone" around
the WTO meeting place....an area that extends out four or more
blocks  in distance around the site of the WTO meeting.  I have read
reports of citizens of this country being arrested for entering
these "No Protest Zone" areas to protest the WTO.

Tell me, Mr. Mayor, which documents governing the operation of a
country are you reading from? The United States Constitution and
Bill of Rights or the Communist Manifesto? Personally, from what
I've seen thus far you are following the behavorial pattern of a
Hitler, Stalin or Mao Se Tung-wannabe - CLEARLY not the path taken
by our founding fathers of this country.

I don't know what kind of country you think this is, Mr.Schell,
but I will tell you this. I'm 52 years of age and I'll be damned
if I will sit at home and do nothing while YOU remain silent and
while YOUR "legal" STREET DOGS attack innocent citizens of this
country who are USING,  or TRYING to use, their Constitutional
Rights and freedom of assembly to protest a bogus organization
called the WTO.

By your silence and by your failure to raise your voice to put a
STOP to the police abuse of power and police brutality against
citizens of this country who went to your city to protest the
bogus organization called WTO you have made yourself complicit in
THEIR crimes against The People of this nation.

I don't know what good it will do, but I will tell you this: a
copy of this letter to you is going to be mailed to EVERY House
member and Senate member in  Washington D.C. - as well as to
every council member on the Seattle City Council - in the hope
that what I saw take place and what I am reporting helps to put
you behind bars where you DAMN well belong!

I strongly urge you to resign from office before your disgrace
grows any further.

One last thing, Mr. Mayor. It will be a very cold day in hell
before I **EVER** visit and stay in your city again.

In addition I plan to urge everyone I know to BOYCOTT your city
of Seattle AND to boycott ****ALL**** Washington State products.
It would appear that your governor is from the same political
school as you for he too has not said a word against the police
atrocities in Seattle.


With Contempt,

Lester Lemke

cc:

Seattle City Council:

Councilmember Martha Choe
•••@••.•••

Councilmember Richard Conlin
•••@••.•••

Councilmember Sue Donaldson
mailto:•••@••.•••

Councilmember Jan Drago
•••@••.•••

Councilmember Nick Licata
•••@••.•••

Councilmember Richard McIver
•••@••.•••

Councilmember Margaret Pageler
•••@••.•••

Councilmember Tina Podlodowski
•••@••.•••

Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck
•••@••.•••
============================================================
LETTER - •••@••.•••

  Top 10 Reasons to Oppose the World Trade Organization

A friend in Columbus, OH sent this to me.

     Don Cook
     Vigo County, Indiana

Take a second to read this, then think about it.........

I'm not usually one to be a radical, tree-hugging, liberal,
protestor-type, but the text of this flyer someone gave me
on the street today was disturbing, take a minute to read
it:

(If this stuff bothers you go to:
http://www.globalexchange.org/economy/rulemakers/wto.html )


 Top 10 Reasons to Oppose the World Trade Organization

1. The WTO only serves the interests of multinational
corporations

The WTO is not a democratic institution, and yet its
policies impact all aspects of society and the planet. The
WTO rules are written by and for corporations with inside
access to the negotiations. For example, the US Trade
Representative relies on its 17 "Industry Sector Advisory
Committees" to provide input into trade negotiations.
Citizen input by consumer, environmental, human rights and
labor organizations is consistently ignored. Even requests
for information are denied, and the proceedingsare held in
secret

2. The WTO is a stacked court

The WTO's dispute panels, which rule on whether domestic
laws are "barriers to trade" and should therefore be
abolished,consist of three trade bureaucrats who are not
screened for conflict of interests. For example, in the
tuna/dolphin case that Mexico filed against the US, which
forced the US to repeal its law that barred tuna from being
caught by mile-long nets that kill hundreds of thousands of
dolphins each year, one of the judges was from a corporate
front group that lobbied on behalf ofthe Mexican government
for NAFTA.

3. The WTO tramples over labor and human rights

The WTO has refused to address the impacts of free trade on
labor rights, despite that fact that countries that actively
enforce labor rights are disadvantaged by countries that
consistently violate international labor conventions. Many
developing countries, such as Mexico, contend that labor
standards constitute a "barrier to free trade" for countries
whose competitive advantage in the global economy is cheap
labor. Potential solutions to labor and human rights abuses
are blocked by the WTO, which has ruled that it is: 1)
illegal for a government to ban a product based on the way
it is produced (i.e. with child labor); and 2) governments
cannot take into account the behavior of companies that do
business with vicious dictatorships such as Burma.


4. The WTO is destroying the environment

The WTO is being used by corporations to dismantle hard-won
environmental protections, who call them barriers to trade.
In 1993 the very first WTO panel ruled that a regulation of
the US Clean Air Act, which required both domestic and
foreign producers alike to produce cleaner gasoline, was
illegal. Recently, the WTO declared illegal a provision of
the Endangered Species Act that requires shrimp sold in the
US to be caught with an inexpensive device that allows
endangered sea turtles to escape. The WTO is currently
negotiating an agreement that would eliminate tariffs on
wood products, which would increase the demand for timber
and escalate deforestation.


5. The WTO is killing people

The WTO's fierce defense of intellectual property rights-
patents, copyrights and trademarks-comes at the expense of
health and human lives. The organization's support for
pharmaceutical companies against governments seeking to
protect their people's health has had serious implications
for places like sub-Saharan Africa, where 80 percent of the
world's new AIDS cases are found. The US government, on
behalf of US drug companies, is trying to block developing
countries' access to less expensive, generic, life-saving
drugs. For example, the South African government has been
threatened with a WTO challenge over proposed national
health laws that would encourage the use of generic drugs,
ban the practice of manufacturers offering economic
incentives to doctors who prescribe their products and
institute "parallel importing," which allows companies to
import drugs from other countries where the drugs are
cheaper.


6. The US adoption of the WTO was undemocratic

The WTO was established out of the Uruguay Round of the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations.
On December 1, 1994, Congress approved GATT under Fast Track
during a lame duck session of Congress. Fast Track limits
public debate by not allowing amendments. The approval of
the WTO required entire sections of US laws to be rewritten
to conform with the WTO rules, similar to the way that
treaties often redefine how the US will interact with other
states. Had the agreement been voted on as a treaty,
requiring a two-thirds majority in the Senate, it would have
been defeated.


7. The WTO undermines local development and penalizes poor
countries

The WTO's "most favored nation" provisions requires all WTO
member countries to treat each other equally and to treat
all corporations from these countries equally regardless of
their track record. Local policies aimed at rewarding
companies who hire local residents, use domestic materials,
or adopt environmentally sound practices are essentially
illegal under the WTO. Under the WTO rules, developing
countries are prohibited from following the same polices
that developed countries pursued, such as protecting
nascent, domestic industries until they can be
internationally competitive.


8. The WTO is increasing inequality

Free trade is not working for the majority of the world.
During the most recent period of rapid growth in global
trade and investment--1960 to 1998--inequality worsened both
internationally and within countries. The UN Development
Program reports that the richest 20 percent of the world's
population consume 86 percent of the world's resources while
the poorest 80 percent consume just 14 percent. WTO rules
have hastened these trends by opening up countries to
foreign investment and thereby making it easier for
production to go where the labor is cheapest and most easily
exploited and environmental costs are low. This pulls down
wages and environmental standards in developed countries who
are having to compete globally.


9. The WTO undermines national sovereignty

By creating a supranational court system that has the power
to economically sanction countries to force them to comply
with its rulings, the WTO has essentially replaced national
governments with an unelected, unaccountable corporate-
backed government. For the past nine years, the European
Union has banned beef raised with artificial growth
hormones. The WTO recently ruled that this public health law
is a barrier to trade and should be abolished. The EU has to
rollback its ban or pay stiff penalties. Under the WTO,
governments can no longer act in the public interest.


10. The tide is turning against free trade and the WTO!

There is a growing international backlash against the WTO
and the process of corporate globalization over which it
presides. Movement-building by coalitions such as People's
Global Action against the WTO in Europe and the Citizen's
Trade Campaign in the US are growing fast, as public support
for corporate-managed free trade dwindles. Recent polls show
that 58 percent of Americans agree that foreign trade has
been bad for the US economy, and 81 percent of Americans say
that Congress should not accept trade agreements that give
other countries the power to overturn US laws. (Too late!).
This is why tens of thousands of people from all walks of
life will converge in Seattle Nov. 29-Dec. 4 to confront the
World Trade Organization head on at its ministerial meeting.
Join us!
==============================================================
I have created a website with words and pictures from the
People in Seattle who are here and are seeing firsthand what's
going on. You will definitely want to see the first image I
have on this page of a Seattle police officer kicking and
shooting a man at point blank range with a rubber bullet gun
for not walking fast enough in the Capitol Hill area.

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Keep/4885/wto/

-Deuce
•••@••.•••  ICQ#395993

Kill the WTO [Free Republic]
http://208.138.42.193/forum/a38458ffd78f8.htm

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://www.seattle-pi.com/

WTO Photo Gallery    (click on each picture to enlarge it)
http://192.251.219.162/wtogalleries/subcategory.asp?SubID=16&DisplayType=ThumbDe
sc&PicsPerPage=8&x=15&y=5

---<snip>---


-------------------------
Richard K Moore
Wexford, Irleand
Citizens for a Democratic Renaissance
•••@••.•••
http://cyberjournal.org


                Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful
                committed citizens can change the world,
                indeed it's the only thing that ever has.
                        - Margaret Mead

.


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