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Infiltration!

ETS!,

"How the cops infiltrated the anarchists" (Aug.3) applies a lot to Philly demonstrations. Info at phillyimc.org.

But there's an even scarier topic, not yet even hinted at (to my knowledge) in the perhaps too-trusting left/progressive press. What about infiltration into left/progressive groups...especially the ones that, in recent times, have done some good things but, oddly, always remain short of being effective? (e.g., Sierra Club, The Nation, Mother Jones.)

My litmus tests focus on the Mumia Abu-Jamal case, the Gore's-better-than- Bush scam, and the little matter of how our top insurance corporations own huge holdings in cigarette manufacturers, cig ingredient suppliers, big oil, pesticides, nukes, bio-engineered "foods," military contractors, and the prison industrial complex.

Can all avoidance of these issues or adherence to corporate/government positions by explained only by fear, pragmatism, or lack of adequate resources? Any chance that the corporatocracy would not infiltrate to derail effective action on these points?

--John Jonik, Philadelphia

Pollitt Replies

In "Democrats Fanatic about Nader" (Nature and Politics, Aug 3) Jeffrey St Clair and Alexander Cockburn write that "Gore and his strategists are casting about for surrogates to intimidate potential defectors to Nader and bully them back into the fold." They then segue into a characteristically vitriolic attack on a column I wrote in The Nation in which I argued that there were some real differences between Bush and Gore--on abortion, the Supreme Court, affirmative action--and that Nader and the Greens should deal frankly with this fact instead of spouting tired cliches about Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

Nowhere do St. Clair and Cockburn substantiate their ridiculous insinuation that I have been contacted by the Gore campaign and am acting as their surrogate. Why would you print such garbage? Perhaps, like most who used to enjoy and learn from Cockburn's columns, you no longer actually read them.

Sincerely yours,

--Katha Pollitt, New York

Oly Calling

Please don't fold! Here's some bonus dough. (This means I get final say over what goes into some section of the paper, right? Say "Eat These Shorts"?)

I have a subscription, but I noticed I never see any ETS!s sittin' about here in liberal Oly. I asked an owner of Olympia World News (the best prospect) and our local Nader HQ, and he said he gets some sometimes, but he puts them in the back of the store, that he's got to make $$ and put the stuff that gets $$ out front. I pointed to the gauntlet of free weeklies ("Stranger," "Rocket," "Seattle Weekly") that are just inside his doors and said, "But what about those?" He said, "Well, people expect to be able to just step inside and grab one of those free papers."

This is the place that has a pretty much open to any liberal group to meet room upstairs called the "Liberation Cafe." They could have a stack of ETS! just below the register, but no, instead it's more important to display the cable TV guide, "Angel" TV series magazine, etc.

Anyways, keep up the good work!

--Jim Burlingame, Olympia

G.P. comments: Our last two Olympia distributors have moved out of town, so we need someone to take a shipment (about 100) and spread them about town (it's a route of about a half dozen spots, about an hour every two weeks). If you or anyone reading this is interested in helping out, contact Eddie Tews at etews@hotmail.com or ets@scn.org. Thanks!

Oops for Judge!

I was sorry to read that you accidentally endorsed Mike Finkle for Superior

Court.

I have to assume it was an accident, since Finkle works for Mark Sidran and supervised prosecution of WTO protesters.

Sincerely

--John Tirpak, Attorney at Law, Seattle

G.P. replies--We got several letters on this, and they're right; I blew it. The PD I talked to didn't know him, I didn't get an endorsement interview, and I picked him as the best of an unappealing lot. With this info, our choice would have been different. Just goes to show that you should take our warning seriously--we're not perfect; do your own homework too!

Compton Rewrites History, Again

Both the Seattle Times and Councilmember Jim Compton flunk U.S. History 101.

According to today's Seattle Times Editorial (18 Sept.), Compton's WTO report said, "There is a dangerous tendency among some demonstrators to view all forms of disruption as protected speech." But disruption, it says, "is not protected by the U.S. Constitution when it denies others the right to speak or assemble."

Wrong. Given the efforts by the media (which was also Compton's former profession) to probe and uncover closed government meetings, how can you possibly equate the right to speak in meetings closed to the public as protected by the U.S. Constitution under the quise of "free speech?"

Closed door meetings of public officials are not protected under the U.S. Constitution, which specifically addresses conduct by the Congress, not the public: "Congress shall make no law ... abriding the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble..." (First Amendment.)

A big "F" to Compton and the Times for deliberately misleading the citizens of Seattle.

--David E. Ortman, Seattle