police infiltration
Nov 16 2007
This is something I've been wondering about. This forum is open to the public, which means anyone can join, including the cops if they want, and I don't think there's anyone here who isn't aware of the dodgy underhanded shit the representatives of the state get up into in defence of elite privileges. Can we take it for granted that there are cops on libcom, and that their goal is to create dischord and undermine constructive efforts to share ideas and build solidarity? Can we identify them? Can we distinguish potential attempts by the state to undermine this forum and to prevent it from becoming an environment that users will feel comfortable participating in from dickheads using Libcom as a sounding board for their god complexes, personal grievances, etc?
I'm not interested in pointing fingers at any indivdiuals in particular, but it has occurred to me more than once while posting here that there seems to be a certain amount of tolerance for uncomradely behaviour, eg. attacking someone personally because you happen not to like their point of view, and that that could potentially provide a window for those with more consciously authoritarian or reactionary purposes to operate undetected. It goes without saying that the stronger the culture of tolerance for opposing points of view and the less willing we are to put up with personal attacks and polemical arguments, the less opportunities we would provide for those whose presence on LibCom was dictated by ulterior motives to detabilise the forum and otherwise undermine its ability to provide us with an environment where we could talk freely and openly.
Making personal attacks as a way of defending the indefensible and otherwise distracting attention away from the argument at hand is a political tactic, and it has no place here.
Nov 16 2007
#2
revol68 wrote:
he who smelt it dealt it.ban this pig fuck, now!
Did I accuse anyone of anything? Nah. So maybe you should keep your mouth shut.
Nov 16 2007
#3
Maybe you should make a poll called 'Are you a cop' - that way we can find out for sure which side everyone is on?
Nov 16 2007
#4
I'll just add this thread to my dossier 
Nov 16 2007
#5
guydebordisdead wrote:
Maybe you should make a poll called 'Are you a cop' - that way we can find out for sure which side everyone is on?
That would be pretty dumb, obviously. It's not about trying to ferret out cops—it's about minimising the potential for disruption and developing and maintaining a harmonious way of relating to each other so that we don't have to put up with bullshit like being called a 'common ordinary dick' or 'fuckface' as i have been every time we say something someone else doesn't understand or appreciate. It's about the fact that this is an open forum and the fact that it's a fairly safe bet the cops are at the very least watching; there's all the difference in the world between accusing someone of being a cop and acknowledging that the state engages in counterrevolutionary activity because it knows that whole thing about government by consent is just a sop thrown to the people to make them feel better about choosing between representatives of the oligarchy every time they walk inside a polling booth. I hardly need to remind you that the reason why anarchists organise into small clusters is precisely to minimise the ability of the state to infiltrate and to destablise anarchist organising, and the reason why they do that is because they can't argue with anarchism rationally, having no faith in the virtues of freedom as they do and being the control addicts that they are. The fact that this forum is open to the public leaves it wide open to subversion by the state and that's something I would like to see addressed—not just from the point of view of this forum in particular but in terms of the question of anarchist organising in the internet age more generally.
Nov 16 2007
#6
I agree with some of the points made by LimoWreck; Of course the state monitors sites like this. It would be better if people on here wer polite to each other, or at least didn't swear at each other all the time.
Devrim
Nov 16 2007
#7
Yeah so, the boogie man is monitoring a site, big deal. I monitor fascist sites, who cares. I'm sorry LimoWreck but all I'm picturing is you peeking through the curtains with a whole lot of 'white noise' on in the background. There's plenty of banter on this site but I would hardly say any of it creates any real dischord and I also think that this site is not just a bunch of random people sprouting their shit but a fairly cohesive group of regular posters with more than a little in common politically. Finally, as to the reasons anarchists organise into small clusters... I don't think that's by choice on the whole 
depending on how big you're talking. I can't imagine that you're talking about federation style organising though. Finally I think that the openess of forums like this is imperative if anarchism is to be taken seriously so that the wider community can see that anarchists are not the stereotype portrayed by the media. Anyway...
all the best.
gregg.
Nov 16 2007
#8
LimoWreck posts utter shite, the kind of shite I'd imagine some fresh faced undercover cop would mistake for anarchism and start recurgitating.
And to up the paranoia ante just abit more, the favoured means of stirring shit with cops is to actually start who is the cop hunts.
I actually wish LimoWreck was a cop so i didn't have to believe someone would actually believe the shit s/he spouts.
Nov 16 2007
#9
Nah, we've always known 'revol68' was a persona...
Its you pal. I hope you like lamposts.
Nov 16 2007
#10
LimoWreck wrote:
I hardly need to remind you that the reason why anarchists organise into small clusters is precisely to minimise the ability of the state to infiltrate and to destablise anarchist organising
I thought it was because no one liked them?
Nov 16 2007
#11
Is it Nutter week or something?
Nov 16 2007
#12
LimoWreck wrote:
Can we take it for granted that there are cops on libcom, and that their goal is to create dischord and undermine constructive efforts to share ideas and build solidarity?
LimoWreck wrote:
I'd like it better if you ate a shotgun.
LimoWreck wrote:
Haha so says you. Seriously though, kill yourself.
*facepalm*
Nov 16 2007
#13
revol68 wrote:
LimoWreck posts utter shite, the kind of shite I'd imagine some fresh faced undercover cop would mistake for anarchism and start recurgitating.And to up the paranoia ante just abit more, the favoured means of stirring shit with cops is to actually start who is the cop hunts.
I actually wish LimoWreck was a cop so i didn't have to believe someone would actually believe the shit s/he spouts.
Haha. Apparently you're not allowed to talk about whether or not the cops are watching because that's the same thing as starting a cop hunt. So now I'm the bad guy. That's just perfect.
Fuck it, I think I'll go watch TV.
Nov 16 2007
#14
Are you insinuating revol is a cop? (or doing the work of the cops?).
Nov 16 2007
#15
No, I don't think revol is a cop. Despite what some of you seem to think I'm not an utter retard.
Nov 16 2007
#16
He is a cop. He's waging a low level war against anarchist bulletin boards as well as ensuring anarchists turn up late to events when they stay with him.
Nov 16 2007
#17
Sweet—good to know I'm not alone then.
he who smelt it dealt it.
ban this pig fuck, now!