Hey Kenneth, I couldn't message you privately so I just thought I'd share it here. I see an account named "Harper" also follows you. I just wanted to warn you that she's a scammer running a long-term con on male Substack accounts. If she hasn't yet, she'll start asking you for money soon. Be careful.
Thanks VERY much for taking the time to drop a line and for the warning. Probably like you, I get $$ scam messages on a daily basis and am pretty good at blocking them IMMEDIATELY. But still ... kind of you to take the time to send a caution. Wish you the best.
One thing often overlooked when speaking or writing about the various non-violent movements for civil rights and other freedoms is this: somewhere in the background of the American civil rights movement were the Deacons of Freedom and Justice, mostly black WW2 veterans who sometimes accompanied the civil rights workers. Yes, they were armed. Mandela had in background the Spear of the Nation guerilla group. Gandhi had in the background the Indian National Army. Revolutions are typically bloody affairs. Pretending they only arise from non violence, while a lovely ideal or fiction, is simply not correct, much like the notion that "speaking truth to power" can effectively change political structures or combat oppression. I think it was Frederick Douglas who first noted that the notion is complete BS for the simple reason that those doing the oppressing know fully well what they are doing and are doing it for their own purposes.
Thanks for another great comment, Chris. Reminds me of the anti Viet Nam war protest days. In my own region of activity we were schooled and trained in organization by two very much older IWW (Wobbly) fellows; very much elders to our very young ages. Our demonstrations, including the famous and one of the largest in history Moratorium Marches, were always policed (for our own people getting out of line) and guarded (for threats from outsiders) by members who were veterans, bouncers, or just physically competent.
Another way to put this whole thing is the old expression: you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
BTW ... SOMEHOW we managed to be better organized and more effective - and this goes for the Civil Rights Movement as well -- than protesters today with nothing but underground newspapers and dial telephones. How the hell did that happen ?
Hey Kenneth, I couldn't message you privately so I just thought I'd share it here. I see an account named "Harper" also follows you. I just wanted to warn you that she's a scammer running a long-term con on male Substack accounts. If she hasn't yet, she'll start asking you for money soon. Be careful.
Thanks VERY much for taking the time to drop a line and for the warning. Probably like you, I get $$ scam messages on a daily basis and am pretty good at blocking them IMMEDIATELY. But still ... kind of you to take the time to send a caution. Wish you the best.
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One thing often overlooked when speaking or writing about the various non-violent movements for civil rights and other freedoms is this: somewhere in the background of the American civil rights movement were the Deacons of Freedom and Justice, mostly black WW2 veterans who sometimes accompanied the civil rights workers. Yes, they were armed. Mandela had in background the Spear of the Nation guerilla group. Gandhi had in the background the Indian National Army. Revolutions are typically bloody affairs. Pretending they only arise from non violence, while a lovely ideal or fiction, is simply not correct, much like the notion that "speaking truth to power" can effectively change political structures or combat oppression. I think it was Frederick Douglas who first noted that the notion is complete BS for the simple reason that those doing the oppressing know fully well what they are doing and are doing it for their own purposes.
Thanks for another great comment, Chris. Reminds me of the anti Viet Nam war protest days. In my own region of activity we were schooled and trained in organization by two very much older IWW (Wobbly) fellows; very much elders to our very young ages. Our demonstrations, including the famous and one of the largest in history Moratorium Marches, were always policed (for our own people getting out of line) and guarded (for threats from outsiders) by members who were veterans, bouncers, or just physically competent.
Another way to put this whole thing is the old expression: you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
BTW ... SOMEHOW we managed to be better organized and more effective - and this goes for the Civil Rights Movement as well -- than protesters today with nothing but underground newspapers and dial telephones. How the hell did that happen ?