The Chicago Principles

Last night Occupy Chicago’s General Assembly (#OChiGA) voted on the Chicago Principles[1]. You might recall that these were a topic of criticism and scorn from the opposition. I noted this late last month when I looked at some propaganda coming from the 1%er wannabes[2]. The Chicago Principles represent a mile marker in the planned occupation, and protest, surrounding the NATO and G8 summits in Chicago, Illinois. 

The two summits will converge on Chicago from May 18, 2012 to May 21, 2012[3]. Chicago’s Mayor, Rahm Emanuel[4], has passed draconian measures to limit free speech and protest in Chicago[5]. The city sees it as an opportunity to display Chicago for the world to see, and they don’t want some dirty, disenfranchised, long haired, tattooed, malcontents (which is how #OccupyChi is seen by the local establishment – even if it is a misinformed assessment) mucking up their plans.

Into this mix there is AdBusters, the electronic magazine out of Canada which has been given far too much credit for Occupy Wall Street. AdBusters[6], has invited 50,000 Culturejammers to converge on Chicago[7] starting on May 1, 2012. In doing so, they evoked images of the 1968 Democratic National Convention[8]. 

Due in no small part to the Police response to Occupy Oakland[9], there is a discussion going on within the #Occupation about the use of Black Block (Anarchist property damage) tactics. On one hand there is the majority calling the Black Block a Cancer[10]. Opposing that is a rational minority pointing out that Diversity of Tactics was within the framework of Occupy Wall Street before it stepped off on September 17, 2011[11]. 

The Chicago Principles[12] are Occupy Chicago’s response to the world converging on the city this May. 

Chicago 1968

I was 10 in 1968. My father was working on earth moving equipment in Cerro-De-Pasco, Peru. My mon and one of my sisters and I moved with him on November 1, 1967. The promises of the job did not pan out. Six months later he moved us out of harm’s way. The job, and the politics of the region, was becoming unstable.

We moved from Las Banos, California[13], to Cerro-De-Pasco, Peru[14], to Bakersfield, California[15], to Wheatland, California[16], and eventually settled in Chicago, Illinois over the course of seven months. While my Dad was still in Peru, my Mom moved us to where her family was because she thought she was dying. As it turned out she was suffering from severe, and untreated, altitude sickness.

By the summer of 1968 we finally had an apartment of our own. The Democratic National Convention of 1968 was my introduction to Chicago style politics. 

The images that flashed across the Television screen late that summer did nothing to inspire me to activism (that came much later after I actually read the Gospels of Jesus Christ). The images that flashed across the screen left me feeling terrified. I was frightened for my sister (who was in High School, and nowhere near Grant Park or the Convention Center – but, as I said, I was 10 and did not realize it). I was frightened for my newly (and somewhat unwillingly) adopted city. And I was terrified that the violence that was shown was going to spill out across my front yard. That is the message delivered, in Black and White, on a Sears Television, with Rabbit Ears, in a basement apartment on West Argyle Street across from Roberts Square Park. 

Was that really what Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale had in mind? Did they intend to terrorize a ten year old boy some ten miles from their epicenter? Somehow I don’t think so. However, that is often the afterimage of the street protest anywhere in the world.

I was not inspired to activism by the Chicago 7[17]. I was inspired by Jesus Christ when I found out that he was not Santa Clause, but a man (and maybe more) who gave up all he had for the welfare of others. He is still my inspiration. It is the work that Jesus started which I seek to continue as best as I can.

Black Block Tactics

Chris Hedges is a respected journalist with a legitimate master’s of divinity. He is what I aspired to be, but never had the connections or the resources to achieve the high goals. I have nothing but respect for his achievements and additions to the collective knowledge of the universe. However, I do take umbrage to his assessment of the Black Block (I am still reading at his long article on it). I have to ask, “What did Jesus do?”

And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables. (John 2:13-15).

In my opinion, that direct action looks pretty much like a Black Block tactic. Hedges may not like it, but there it sits. Some 2,012 years after the fact we have a pretty good idea what is allowable … even within mainstream Christianity.

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[1] Chicago Principles. (2012, February 11). In capricious yet constant, like the sea.. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://capriciousyetconstant.tumblr.com/post/17470202936/chicago-principles

[2] Truth Was the First Causality . (2012, January 29). In #Occupy The Chicago Free Web Zone. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://occupythewhole.blogspot.com/2012/01/truth.html

[3] G8 NATO Summit Chicago 2012. (n.d.). In World Business Chicago . Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://www.worldbusinesschicago.com/events/g8-nato-summit-chicago-2012

[4] Lennard, N. (2012, January 31). Rahm’s Chicago crackdown aims at Occupy . In Salon. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://www.salon.com/2012/01/31/rahms_chicago_crackdown_aims_at_occupy/singleton/

[5] Rahm’s “Sit Down and Shut Up” Laws . (2012, February 5). In #Occupy The Chicago Free Web Zone. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://occupythewhole.blogspot.com/2012/02/rahms-sit-down-and-shut-up-laws.html

[6] Tactical Briefing #25: Showdown in Chicago. (2012, January 25). In AdBusters. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/tactical-briefing-25.html

[7] NATO, G8 In Chicago: Adbusters Puts Out Call For 50,000 To Protest Summits (VIDEO) . (2012, January 27). In Huff Post Chicago . Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/nato-g8-in-chicago-adbust_n_1236503.html

[8] 1968 Democratic National Convention. (2012, February 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:24, February 12, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1968_Democratic_National_Convention&oldid=474709472

[9] Truth Was the First Causality . (2012, January 29). In #Occupy The Chicago Free Web Zone. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://occupythewhole.blogspot.com/2012/01/truth.html

[10] Hedges, C. (2012, February 6). The Cancer in Occupy. In truthdig. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_cancer_of_occupy_20120206/

[11] Graeber, D. (2012, February 9). Concerning the Violent Peace-Police: An Open Letter to Chris Hedges. In n+1. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://nplusonemag.com/concerning-the-violent-peace-police

[12] Chicago Principles. (2012, February 11). In capricious yet constant, like the sea.. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://capriciousyetconstant.tumblr.com/post/17470202936/chicago-principles

[13] Los Banos, California. (2012, January 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:33, February 12, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Los_Banos,_California&oldid=473756749

[14] Cerro de Pasco. (2012, January 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:35, February 12, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cerro_de_Pasco&oldid=470551399

[15] Bakersfield, California. (2012, February 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:37, February 12, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bakersfield,_California&oldid=475180394

[16] Wheatland, California. (2012, January 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:37, February 12, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wheatland,_California&oldid=471376060

[17] Chicago Seven. (2012, January 31). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:54, February 12, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicago_Seven&oldid=474234060