Stop Government Surveillance
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June 17, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Day after day new revelations about the surveillance by the U.S. government of the phone and Internet use of billions of people around the world, including every phone call made in the U.S. itself, come to the surface. And those in power, from Barack Obama on down, defend this illegitimate, immoral—and unlawful—shredding of basic rights that people are supposed to have. Daily, there is discussion and debate on TV and in print of what has been exposed and what stand people should take...
And let’s be clear... this massive spying on the phone calls and Internet activity of billions of people around the world is being carried out by a ruling class in this country that sees the vast majority of humanity as a potential threat to their system of exploitation and oppression, and has proven over and over that it uses this kind of data to carry out terrible crimes. They collected data on Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton’s living situation to assassinate him in 1968. They used their data mining to target a remote, barren, mountainous village in Yemen for missile attacks on December 16, 2009, murdering dozens of innocent civilians, many of them children.
The more data these monsters have about people’s personal lives, medical records, political activity and networks of friends and associates, the more horrific the crimes they can commit. They need to be stopped now through determined political protest and resistance, including by having the backs of heroes like Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden (see "Five Points of Orientation on the Revelations of Government Surveillance"), and journalists who have the courage and honesty to make sure the crimes that are being exposed are not covered over or whitewashed.
This is a moment when many people throughout society and around the world are compelled to think about and debate big questions: What drives such moves by the state? What kind of society do they want to live in? And this is a moment when people’s thinking can go through dramatic changes. And this is a moment when people can feel compelled to act in different ways. At this moment, readers of Revolution newspaper need to be out among the people, in the midst of the debate and controversy. Leading and learning from the people...learning and leading as we go out among the people. Wherever there are manifestations of discontent, wherever people speak out, protest and resist, we need to be there bringing a revolutionary understanding and analysis to people, while uniting with their resistance. Revolution bookstores could call together forums and discussions of the Five Points of Orientation. Panels can be organized which draw together people with different points of view. And more.
Send in reports about going out around this—what kind of protest and resistance is going on, responses to the Five Points of Orientation, what you are learning, etc. And let us know of events around this that are being planned so we can post them on revcom.us. Send reports and notices to revolution.reports@yahoo.com.
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Upcoming Events
New York City, Wednesday, June 19, 7 pm
Emergency Forum, be part of taking a stand at this decisive moment:
We Will Not Be Complicit...We DO NOT Consent!
No Government Spying on Whole Populations. Hands Off Snowden & Manning. Close Guantánamo NOW.
Featuring Prominent Voices of Conscience
Great Hall, Cooper Union, 7 E. 7th Street, New York City
Sponsored by World Can’t Wait, co-sponsored by the Continuing Education Department, Cooper Union
Chicago, Sunday, June 30, meet at 11 am at N. Broadway & Sunnyside
Join, build, and march in the Gay Liberation Network's Bradley Manning contingent at the Gay Pride Parade.
Boston, Thursday, July 4, 1 pm, Dewey Square
Festival of Resistance
Join activists from diverse Boston and Massachusetts-based justice movements to express our outrage over the growing surveillance state. Whether we spend our time working to fight climate change or to stop the wars, we must unite with one voice to fight for our basic rights to speech and freedom. Be ready to march.
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