just a little more IVing...the Red Squad, p. 292

[Joseph Tracy]

Great job through this whole chapter Mark. Just catching up tonight  
and enjoying the posts.
On Dec 4, 2009, at 10:10 PM, Mark Kohut wrote:

> 'worryin about the Red Squad"---Doc
>
> Red Squad
> To viewers with the fire of dissent in their heart and a need to  
> question authority, watching this film is the cinematic equivalent  
> of reading Abbie Hoffman’s “Steal This Book,” and then running off  
> to live in a commune and make narcotic-fueled speeches about how  
> the “man,” is keeping us all down. Yeah, it’s that cool. Well, we  
> think so at least. Originally released in 1972, the film takes a  
> long hard look at the surveillance activities of the New York City  
> Police Department’s “Red Squad.” A Red Squad is a U.S. police  
> intelligence unit that specializes in infiltration, harassment and  
> gathering intelligence on political and social groups. During the  
> witch hunts of the McCarthy era, police units such as these were  
> given free reign to seek out and destroy labor union organizers and  
> anti-government dissidents. Such groups were of course seen as  
> being communists, and the special police units soon came to be  
> known, especially in larger areas
>  as “Red Squads.”
>
> More:
> http://www.documentarychannel.com/main/content/view/22/28/
>
> Made by pacific street collective; remind of any other fictional  
> film collective you know?
>
> Takes America's attempt at spying and control of its citizens back  
> to the Senator McCarthy era----as Pynchon does regularly,  
> especially in Vineland.
> By ATD, he has located roots in Vienna in one marvelous chapter at  
> least early in the century.
I am busy the last couple days preparing to lead a discussion of  
Elaine Pagel's  Beyond Belief.  It focuses on the struggle among the  
early Christians over theology and authority.  Same shit: Spies,  
allegiances, punishment, theft of property, hearsay attacks on  
character. Who owns America? Who owns Christianity? Fear of Heresy.  
Fear of Charismatic leaders who can't be controlled. Fear of the  
freedom you say you believe in.

  The  Pyhagoreans, who are also mentioned in ATD were among those  
who had to be secretive and protective against the imperial and  
Theological heresy hunters.
>
> Betraying others, another deep theme in Pynchon, linked steadily to  
> this time in America when former friends and colleagues 'turned' on  
> each other.
> Pynchon was coming of age in America at this time.
>
  This story  in Democracy Now about  the black socialist leader Fred  
Hampton, murdered in joint effort by the FBI and Chicago police  
reminds me of Tariq and Glen and the reasons for paranoia.  http:// 
www.democracynow.org/2009/12/4/the_assassination_of_fred_hampton_how