It would help to call out wrecker behavior, ask the person to stop, and boot them if they won't. Wrecker behavior isn't always done by cops, but it's harmful no matter who's doing it.
What is wrecker behavior?
- There's a bunch of subtle stuff on this list from the CIA. It's mostly focused on slow-walking work and getting into long discussions on minor details, but it mentions more obvious stuff like spreading negative rumors, too.
- Speaking of rumors, making or repeating negative comments without evidence and investigation is wrecking. When criticizing what someone said, provide what they actually said, not some second-hand paraphrasing of it. When calling out negative behavior, give specific examples of that behavior instead of a generalized grievance. Receive these criticisms/accusations as if they were made in good faith, but investigate them and give the other person a chance to respond.
- Assuming bad intentions is wrecking. People make mistakes, people phrase their ideas poorly, people aren't fully educated on every subject. Think of this when you see a comment that seems off-base; don't jump down people's throats at the slightest provocation.
- Failing to offer critical support is wrecking. We're going to disagree with each other, sometimes pointedly, but we're mostly on the same page. We have to be able to support each other where we agree, and we have to be careful about writing someone off entirely because they do something we disagree with.
- Failing to consider criticism (and to self-criticize) is wrecking. No one is right 100% of the time. No one has all the answers. Sometimes you're just wrong or misinformed. Be open to that and don't get irrationally dug in on stuff just because someone disagrees with you.
The touchstones are treating people in bad faith and placing too much importance on minor things. As for who we should extend these courtesies to, think in terms of how we can grow the left. There's no need to treat chuds this well, but we can't only be decent to a small group of True Leftists.
A french (?) attempt to infiltrate a leftist org once hit the wall because the cops couldn't keep up with all the theory and jargon leftists used
On the other side there was a story about Portland or Seattle where the cops were monitoring a lot of leftist but the data was worthless because most of it dealt with twitter beefs everybody had
This won't work in America. Maoist orgs here used to test on theory and still got heavily infiltrated by cops even kn leadership. The FBI agents get paid to read theory and take classes and shit, so their are probably going to know more than the average member honestly. The most knowledgeable guy in my old org turned out to be a cop :pig:
I kinda wonder how does it happen that you develop this deep knowledge of theory, and these relationship with people and not get radicalised, even if youre a cop ...
I've read stories in the news of undercovers marrying and having children with other members of their org WITHOUT telling them they are an undercover cop. So I assume they are just heartless bastards
It's quite simple. If you operate in a shitty oppressive system, but you benefit more from continuing it than from helping dismantle it, you continue.
It's really hard to do the right then when you are more comfortable doing the wrong thing.
Have you tried asking if they're a cop? I heard they have to tell you if they're a cop .
It's about being organised, building trust between people in the organization, having theoretical clarity, and building up an organization or coalition that is at least strong enough to take power when the ruling class is in crisis/at their own throats and not able to repress the workers as effectively.
edit: just noticed this was posted in tactics, so I guess you were looking at specific ways rather than a high-level analysis. So, infiltration by real agents usually comes in the form of agent provocateurs and informers. Agent provocateurs make themselves know really easily, so if you have specific and unambiguous rules against those kinds of activities, they are flushed out pretty quick.
Informers are much more difficult to spot, so an organization needs a solid vetting process for starters to weed out at least the feds who can't act. They usually attend every meeting, take on important assignments, and seek out higher positions/get in with the main organisers. Tbh though, not sure how much this method is used anymore given that spying on communications over social media, email, and messenger apps seems like enough.
increased vetting where questions are asked to gauge politics and commitment to politics // increasing memebership by asking current trusted members to recruit their own trusted friends /// planning everything on a hyper encrypted channel, planning specific events and actions in a space outside of the main hyper encrypted channel thats invite only and only puts out specific details surrounding actions the day of
require members to have to undergo multiple events dedicated to political education before being able to participate, have one on ones with newer members and older members
just to name a few things obviously if the fbi wants to infiltrate they will, but this at least creates more barriers
We have no choice but to trust our comrades and the processes within our organizations to weed out informers. Sometimes one will get through, but eventually that will be made clear and measures will be taken, they will be revealed, and you move on.
Ask them to finish Choking Victim lyrics. If they don't know them, they're either a cop or a fucking nerd, and in either case, you don't want them in your org
We're all fucking nerds, in some cases in more ways than one.
Wait this isn't reddit hold on
let's actually build the movement before transitioning to the "paranoia and backbiting" phase
no disrespect to Fidel and Che but Focoism hasn't worked well outside Cuba. Though we need to start with tight knit small groups first anyway, but ideally progress to mass action up to Protracted Peoples War
taps forehead we can't be subverted by the FBI if we are all already in the FBI
Be water. Be headless.
Don't have a clear single chief executive; that way, the possible benefit of infiltrating your organization drastically shrinks, and vying for a seat of power means having to build relationships with lots of people, inadvertently strengthening the organization.
The brain does not have a "seat of consciousness" or central command structure. All eusocial insects that endure to this era have emergent behavioral patterns, not orders that get followed the same way we're familiar with. The Internet itself does not have any node that can filter amything or serve as an off-switch or otherwise directly alter everything on the network.
As soon as you find power, teach someone else to use it as you can; spread your power out.
the book Direct Action: An Ethnography has some great insight into this but it's a real slog. the main tl;dr is that you organize in ways where it's very hard for one or two individuals to sabotage your group, whether it's a working group, general assembly, or affinity group
also, we've got to stay on our toes. permanent, above-ground political parties can't exactly carry out sustained illegal or violent operations except in moments of extreme crisis. it's just not on the table anymore because anyone connected is going to lose everything and go to jail forever. all the street action is going to have to be done by much more free-floating associations of people with only loose connections to parties, unions, or community groups
You have to put on a ruse like fake arresting them and interrogating them to see if they squeal or making them fake execute a fake cop with an unloaded gun
Maybe during an actual revolution. Otherwise, this just gives cops an easy reason to start making arrests, would almost certainly scare some non-cops off, and has too high of potential for generating negative publicity.
In the US that is (i'm pretty sure) both assault and battery with a bit of kidnapping on the side.
