EDITORIAL: PRO-VIOLENCE AND ANTI-COMMUNIST DIATRIBES

ANARCHISTS AND BIRCH SOCIETY SHOW UNITY IN “OCCUPY OK.”

By Lupus

Something is dreadfully wrong with “Occupy Oklahoma.” Far from being the left-leaning anti-capitalist peoples’ movement so many are hoping for, the local movement is a disparate collection of Ron Paul Libertarians, Ostromite Anarchists (ie Anarcho-Capitalists), Libertarian “Socialists,” and petite bourgeois Social-Democrats (i.e. liberal Democrats). Their idea of radical activity consists primarily of “mic checking” third-rate Republican primary candidates, attempting to co-opt events held by women’s rights and labor activists, and trotting off to various cities around the Midwest to chant and hold signs while being notably absent when actual problems like white supremacist violence, city corruption and repression of the working class is at its worst.

But this is not all. Oh no, it goes much deeper. The local Ron Paul Libertarians (R3’s) are one and the same as the local John Birch Society Chapter since 2009. One of the R3 organizers, F. G., is a facilitator in Occupy Tulsa, and a number of other R3’s are also in the group. For those unfamiliar with the John Birch Society, it was founded in 1958 as an organization dedicated to McCarthyist-style “Red” hunting. An interesting note is that the notorious Koch Industry’s founder, Fred C. Koch, was one of its founding members, and his sons maintain a close relationship with the organization today. JBS, as it is often called, has numerous ties with other ultra-right and White supremacist organizations.

Here in Oklahoma, several leading Republican politicians openly flaunt their John Birch affiliations—some even clandestinely meet with skinheads and the White Knights of the KKK to carry out their dirty work. Another branch of this twisted tale is an R3 (JBS) member with close ties to the JBS section leader Bob Donohoo – J. T. - who is a self-proclaimed “Left Libertarian” that set up the local IWW chapter in Tulsa in 2009, who is also involved in Occupy Oklahoma. It seems there has been a coordinated effort to draw off left-leaning individuals into front groups to either turn them against the Left or discourage their efforts.

The last edition of the Workers Monthly had featured a picture self-proclaimed anarchist (and ironically, a police officer) “Dr. Zakk Flash” Luttrell, who had infiltrated Occupy Norman and, with his girlfriend, Soley Thrastordottir, assumed unofficial leadership. The couple has since been working closely with Occupy Oklahoma, posing as a representative of AdBusters. Close associates of his, E. S. and S. M., both from Occupy Tulsa, have also been prominently involved in Occupy Oklahoma. S. and M., both former Oral Roberts University students and self-declared “Libertarian Socialists” attempted to join the Communist Party in February, but since that time have engaged in inflammatory attacks and drunken online rants against party members and openly engaging in red-baiting on the Occupy Oklahoma Facebook group, calling communism “inherently violent, patriarchal and asinine.”  Odd behavior from people who at times claim to be “card-carrying communists.”

This is barely scratching the surface of the often bizarre, nonsensical, and sometimes outright violent behavior and beliefs of the imposter Occupy Oklahoma group. In this writer’s opinion, individuals interested in bringing about equality need not waste their time there. Now, more than ever, we need to be supporting organized labor, fight against racism and sexism. “Occupy Oklahoma” is dead! Long live the Occupy movement!