Posted on 09/15/2001 12:48:34 PM PDT by LarryLied
Hot to present themselves as staunch flag-waggers, some of America's premier environmental organizations have disgracefully ditched their principles.
The Sierra Club, America's oldest green group has abruptly turned off its campaign against the anti-environmental program of the Bush administration. CounterPunch has secured an internal memo in which the club's high command explains to its staff why it suspending its campaigns.
"In response to the attacks on America," the memo goes, "we are shifting our communications strategy for the immediate future. We have taken all of our ads off of the air; halted our phone banks; removed any material from the web that people could perceive as anti-Bush, and we are taking other steps to prevent the Sierra Club from being perceived as controversial during this crisis. For now we are going to stop aggressively pushing our agenda and will cease bashing President Bush."
The memo then instructs club staffers on how to respond to the press: "If you are asked about what this terrorism does to the Sierra Club's agenda, please respond simply by saying that right now the public needs to focus on comforting each other and strengthening our national security to deal with the crisis at hand."
Imagine if this craven posture spreads across the public interest movement. We could expect First Amendment defenders to say that they were abandoning efforts to protect the Bill of Rights. We could expect groups defending immigrants to say that henceforth the INS should be given free rein. Fortunately First Amendment defenders and defenders of immigrants have stronger spines and principles than the supposed defenders of the environment at the Sierra Club.
Are we now to expect the Club to endorse drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve as necessary "for national security"?
Even groups that we here at CounterPunch have admired are now in pellmell cowardly retreat.
The Berkeley-based International Rivers Network, which has been the main bulwark against the Three Gorges dam in China, now announces that it is suspending its planned nationwide protest against Morgan Stanley, one of the dam's principle financiers. Morgan Stanley had 50 floors of offices in the World Trade Center. IRN has also announced that "out of respect for the victims of this disaster, with understanding of the strategic difficulties in conveying to a shocked media and public our messages regarding the World Bank and IMF, with concern for the integrity of security systems in Washington DC, and for the safety of all, we will refrain from participating in activities surrounding the planned World Bank / IMF this month. We are also sharing our concerns with the leading organizations responsible for planning and coordinating these activities."
The Ruckus Society, the direct action training group involved in many demonstrations at the World Trade Organization has simultaneously announced that it is canceling its training camp, to be held in Middleburgh, Virginia, scheduled as preparation for the next World Bank meeting.
This camp was to be cosponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies, Jobs with Justice and Global Exchange. All these organizations have now backed out, saying that now is not the time for such activity.
The Rainforest Action Network, based in San Francisco, describes itself as being in a "wait-and-see mode."
"Things are definitely on hold," said RAN's Patrick Reinsborough.
Let's get this straight. If all resisters to the Bush political program were to follow this shameful exhibition by these green groups, we would see peace groups declining to protest against nuclear attacks on Iraq and armed invasion of Afghanistan. We would see civil rights sitting on their hands as racial and religious profiling is used to persecute people of Middle Eastern descent. Defenders of Palestinian rights would say that for the time being they wouldn't protest the use of US Apache helicopters against civilians in West Bank towns and villages.
What nonsense! Principles are never more important than when it is inconvenient or dangerous to stand up for them.
MOLON LABE!
Hugs.
I heard Kate Smith singing God Bless America yesterday. It was my father's favorite and the tears haven't stopped since. I did real good the first 4 days. I'm glad you're here, Tonkin. Thanks.
PS: f/n/a MAH :-}
Probably they were worried someone might notice the resemblance to a "terrorist training camp" and take some "direct action" of their own. I'm surprised they're not celebrating this great blow against global capitalism.
I did. When they tried to steal my property in Arizona. And they are not Naderite Greens. They are the Democrat party.
I lost $80,000 I did not have. If you care to defend them, come on over to my house, I'll make a special meal just for you.
Welcome to Freerepublic.
Never trust any vile left wing extremist organization like Club Sierra and any other inviral anti America/Americans watermelon organization.
A couple of months ago, neighbors went to Europe for about 3 weeks. The guy is a really nice guy, and his wife is one of the worst left extremists in our town. He asked me to check their mailbox as our PO is often late on holding mail.
So for 2 of the three weeks their mail came in, and, I had a bag of mail. This b$tch gets mail from every left wing extremist organization in America, Canada and Europe. A lot of her mail came from Club Sierra and other anti America enviral organizations.
Even the envelopes had vile hate Bush slogans and mantras all over them on both sides. I didn't open any of the envelopes, but just what was on the outside made my blood boil. Some of the enviral circulars, which can be seen and read by all who handle the mail were totally vicious with incredible and vile attacks on GW!
The total target for all of the envirals and non envirals left wing extremists was GW! I counted over 40 mailings with attacks on GW on the outside of envelopes and direct mailing ads! Of course many of these organizations receive our tax $'s to cover the costs of their vile hate attacks!
Btw...think there are well over 50,000 freepers now. Imagine if we all requested information from them.
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