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Rage Against the Machine and many protesters felt the power of the machine as tables were turned against them. Protesters from throughout the country packed up their bags to come to Denver to practice a good old American tradition called civil disobedience during the Democratic National Convention. Many did not have the wherewithal to accommodate their needs. Groups pleaded with local neighborhoods to work with them, to negotiate, to find common ground. There voices went unheard. Maybe, they were asking for too much?
The machine used $50 million federal dollars to purchase a lot of manpower and technologically advanced doodads. Police officers from adjoining communities were also recruited to join Denver and remained on alert during the 4-day convention.
Upon their arrival, protesters were confronted with fenced wire cages, a militia, a posse, state-of-the art riot control gadgets and extraordinary precautionary measures ostensibly to ensure the safety of democracy. As Henry David Thoreau in his treatise on “Civil Disobedience” states, “The standing army is only an arm of the standing government.” This patriot spent time in prison for questioning citizen’s rights to hold their government accountable. He questioned the machine a long time ago.
Purportedly free people in free societies often experience contradiction as the denials of individual freedoms become the antidote for preserving them. The theory of the common good generally becomes the trump card that saves the day. On the other hand, the common good doesn’t always protect the powerless. The common good can become a power instrument utilized by the powerful to keep control. After all they decide what is best for the citizenry?
Denver may be left with a black eye as the historical image of a cow town resurrects itself from the graveyard to remain as a part of the city’s historical memory. When the idea that citizens are restricted from participation in democracy is added to the history of Denver’s spy files, it certainly raises questions as to what extreme machines will go to preserve peace or is it the status quo.
Those who consciously decided to practice civil disobedience are generally aware that there may a price to pay. Being arrested and jailed, clubbed by some over zealous police officer, shunned by political representatives and accruing a criminal record are but a few of the paybacks when the machine’s rules are not followed and it turns up the heat.
Rage Against the Machine felt the wrath Denverites had experienced during the build up to the confrontation. They converted frenzy into an unorganized march from East Denver to the Pepsi Center. It appears that the only line that police, secret service agents, federal bureau of investigation personnel and CIA wouldn’t cross was with Iraqi Veterans who showed up in their uniforms to join the Rage.
What a sight this would have been, an organized State posse engaging in street warfare with veterans. I am glad someone had enough sense to listen to the simple request that veterans were pleading for, the delivery of a letter to the Obama camp about the plight of many veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many veterans believe that América is engaged in another unjust war. Veterans have many unattended needs. Their voices are being squelched as they continue to suffer the aftermath of war.
The call to arms was seemingly based on trivia trumped up by some paranoids; but believed and acted upon by the machine. I doubt that those who control the machine would ever admit overreaction. Recreate 68 and Tent City became fall guys, scapegoats. To their chagrin, the machine resorted to counter insurgency tactics such as surveillance, intrusion, spying and a variety of advanced techniques very successfully. Aided by the media, it worked well.
Some have characterized Colorado as a police state. It was reported in a very interesting story in the Rocky Mountain News about a young person who accompanied her grandmother to the DNC, with a lot of questions like; Why are teenagers protesting the war?” and “Why are there so many police?” Grandma Koch “lamented that visions of riot police on horses and SWAT trucks left a deeper impression on her grandson than Obama’s acceptance speech.” Like my mother would often say, “Hay que verguenza.”
Has a paradigm for crowd control during political conventions been established? If so, people may decide not to practice democracy, now that a culture of fear has been established. Intimidation often acts as a stronger deterrence to perceived violence; but may have more detrimental effects in the long run. In the meantime, let’s hope that our young friend can mend his broken image.
Rage Against the Machine was no match for Machine Against the Rage.
Dr. Ramon Del Castillo is an Independent Journalist,
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