|
It was another bump in the road for The
Defector lately. My grandfather died just at the end of
February and I suddenly found myself back at home in New Hampshire with
my family for a funeral service. Thus, I could not make a
March issue of The Defector. I asked Sean if he wanted to do
it, but it was just too short of notice for either one of us with all
of our jobs in the way. Too bad, doing this zine is sometimes
the most fun and rewarding thing for me. Even if I didn’t
make this zine I would still be at the copy shop late at night chugging
endless amounts of coffee/beer and making all kinds of subversive
bullshit. But melding that passion with Portland punk and all
sorts of other articles from around the world into one monthly zine is
really a fun and special thing for me. Now that we have
records coming out under the banner of this zine gives me reinforcement
that I’m actually doing something productive with my life.
Aside from losing my Grandmother when I
was almost too young to remember, this was the first major death in my
family that I’ve ever had to be intimately connected to. It
was my first funeral too, the first of many more to come in the next
few years as my family ages and slowly succumbs to ailments accrued
from overworking, stress, genetics and diet. I worry about
the hardships I face in the near future, and I reflect on my family’s
history and structure, and also what will happen as it slowly crumbles
away. I also reflect on their lives, as I have known most of
my family very personally and I compare their past to my own coming of
age 30. I wonder if they have found fulfillment and I often
wonder, as many of us do, if I have or will ever find complete
fulfillment in my life as well. I only have one other cousin
who doesn’t have children, and I think that most of them indeed have
found a sense of fulfillment simply from successfully raising strong,
smart and healthy children.
This, of course,
begs the inevitable question: do I want children someday? Am
I mentally fit to even raise a child? When I think about
these things I also can’t help but also think about global warming and
the Earth’s rapid decline under the weight of human consumption and
human waste. Would I even want a child to have to grow up and
watch the end of everything? So then I can’t help but ponder
over what I’m actually doing with my time right now, which brings me
back full circle to this magazine and punk rock. Life is
short, should we waste it all on punk rock? It’s not really a
waste if it’s making you happy, because life is short and you should
make the most out of it. There’s a whole world out there
that’s slowly being eroded and waiting for you to go out and see it
while you still can, while it’s still there and while you have no
commitments to anything else. And if you want to party and
live it up at basement shows, tour the world’s underground DIY circuit
with your band, work and buy records, then fucking do it. Do
it now, you can have kids or go to school or whatever else
later. These are the only answers I have to my own
questions. Get shit done now, stay on top of your game and
believe in yourself. Punk roolz. –Zack
(top)
Dispacth
from Jeff "FREE" Luers
What a long and
strange journey this past year has been. I have been riding highs and
lows as I have been struggling to regain my freedom and find a balance
between my desires for this movement and my own personal happiness.
I've made no secret of my often conflicting emotions or my
disappointment in radical struggles here in the United States. Yet,
despite my confusion about my own part in this messy struggle that now
sees so many of us locked behind bars—so many split once again into
factions, while many others hearts are broken by the betrayals of
friends and former heroes—I have strived to remain true to the ideals
in which I believe. It is often difficult to carry your head high when
the rest of your life feels like you are falling apart, but we must
continue to do so because it is only with our heads high that we can
meet the eyes of our enemy and let them know that while we may be
afraid we are not cowards; that while we may be hurting we are not
broken, and most importantly, that while we may be small we are not
weak, we are still defiant and we can still be dangerous.
As many of you are aware, I was resentenced on February 28th, after
years of fighting for a reduced sentence. I will soon be making the
terms of my contract with the state available.
In the months preceding my resentencing I was faced with numerous
obstacles and forced to make difficult decisions. Upon my arrival at
Lane County Jail, I learned that not only had Judge Lyle Velure come
out of retirement to resentence me but that the state was threatening
to seek a 20-year sentence again. Judge Velure began suffering severe
prostate problems and had to retire again. Upon receiving a new judge
my luck began to change and for the first time I thought I just might
have a chance.
Now, I must say that my original opinion of Erik Hassleman, the
prosecutor assigned to my case, was that he is an evil prick. And as
I'm sure he will read this, I want to say that in the end he impressed
me and that I respect him as a person and an opponent.
As negotiations progressed it quickly became apparent that the state
had a bottom line—I was not going to receive a sentence below 10 years.
As part of that agreement the state wanted a written apology from me
for my crimes. I wrote a statement acknowledging I was wrong to believe
that arson could achieve the change I desired, though I added I was not
ashamed of nor did I regret my actions.
My attorneys promptly edited and reworded my statement until it
resembled a watered-down version of polite discourse. While many of the
things I wanted to say were there the heart of my statement—that I was
wrong but essentially not sorry—was missing. With some disgust I
swallowed my pride and signed the damn thing and I will admit it is one
of the harder things I've done because it made me feel
defeated.
After all negotiations were said and done the state came back with a
final offer of a 30 month sentence followed by a 90 month mandatory
minimum, essentially a sentence of a guaranteed 9½ years. After I
reluctantly agreed to this as the best I could get, Erik then
maneuvered a restitution of $14,000 on top of the $56,000 judgment I
just learned Romania has against me.
In a frantic and somewhat pissed off effort my attorneys spent the next
month trying to get the restitution dropped without success. In the
final days with my head admittedly hanging much lower than usual I
decided I would have to accept the states offer, restitution and
all.
Come February 28th, however, I would be surprised beyond my wildest
imagination. Not only had Hassleman agreed to dismiss the restitution
but he had decided to grant a sentence modification in my favor. The
sentence would now be 90 month followed by 30 months run out of order
so that I may qualify for programs and possibly be released later this
year!
During the course of sentencing, Erik spent some time describing my
progression as a person and even as an activist during my
incarceration. He talked about my subtle shift from a fiery radical to
one that acknowledged the failures of some aspects of radical
struggle—my words not his—by embracing more mainstream methods of
change. All of which is true.
He then went on to describe how I viewed and continue to view my
actions as a necessary evil similar to acts such as the Boston Tea
Party. Surprisingly, he seemed in agreement with this analogy and even
admitted that good arguments have been made about the legitimacy of
sabotage and arson to protest ecological destruction. But, he went on
to say these acts are still crimes and need to be punished
accordingly.
After Erik was done I was given an opportunity to read my statement,
this time unedited except for some suggestions from my friend and
attorney (in that order), Lauren Regan. Upon finishing my statement I
looked to see a somewhat stunned Judge Billings. Admittedly, my first
thought was "well I pissed off another one." But, then by far the most
surprising and ever vindicating thing happened.
Judge Billings told me that in his 35 years as an attorney and judge
that my statement was the most sincere and passionate he'd ever heard.
He told me he was impressed with me. He then went on to say that while
some people might disagree, pointedly looking at Erik, that in many
ways when I get out I would be considered an "elder statesman" or a
"veteran returning from an ugly campaign." He agreed that we
desperately need change and said that I may be one of the people that
have the ability to help create that change but that I needed to do so
in a way that would keep others and me out of prison. He finished by
wishing me the best of luck.
By far the most astonishing of the day was the atmosphere of the
hearing. Last time I was sentenced I was condemned as an evil terrorist
who needed to be locked away. The difference this time was quite
frankly shocking. I was no longer a terrorist but someone respectable.
My message was no longer one of rhetoric but one that needed to be
listened to.
What I took away from that day is that in a subtle and elusive way our
actions have had an impact on the conscience of the American public,
and even on some of those who are our natural enemies. For sure it
isn't just our actions, but the truth behind them that has come to be
understood. Messages about environmental dangers that years ago seemed
fanatical are now accepted science.
There is a shift occurring in this country and it is one that we have
very much helped shape. It is not a radical shift and is not enough of
a change to correct society's many wrongs. But it is a noticeable shift
we must embrace and continue to push in the right direction.
Since my last dispatch many months ago people have written and
expressed concern that I have retired from activism. That is a
misconception. I have not retired I have simply sought a different way
to create the change I want to see.
I still believe direct action and militancy have their place. But I
also see quite clearly its failures and our failures. I'm also quite
aware of the failures of mainstream channels of activism. We must find
ways to overcome barriers and the obstacles that come in our path. It
seems nearly impossible but it isn't.
All we must do is seriously evaluate how each of us can make a
difference; how we can each contribute to the changes that need to
occur. In order to do that we must leave the rhetoric behind; we must
step away from pigeon-holding ourselves into no-win situations. We have
to recognize when to stand our ground and when to compromise. We must
move beyond our comfort zones and embrace strangers as potential
allies.
The very simple truth of the matter is that the environmental crisis
facing us is going to affect all of humanity regardless of color, creed
or political affiliation. It is the one thing that we must challenge
together; if we fail in that we all fail.
If I've learned nothing else in the past 8 years, I have learned that
we ourselves have to open our minds. We have to expand our thinking
because our ways are not always right and even when they are right they
might not be the best way for creating change.
We must learn to recognize our failures and learn from them. We must
learn to think strategically, focusing on the larger picture, while
also being willing to evolve and change. If change is going to start
with us we must embrace the fact that we too must change.
There is lots of work to be done. There are many wounds to be healed.
We have to start picking up the pieces and putting them back together.
We have to remember our strength and face the challenges ahead. We have
to again find our passion to act, our willingness to sacrifice, and
increase our capacity to understand. There is no roadmap for us to
follow. We are trailblazers in this and as such we must rise to the
challenge.
I myself am confused but I'm not lost and I haven't given up. Despite
the ache in my heart I still have faith in us. I still believe we can
fix these problems facing us if only we would act with determination
and courage. I'm still here and I am not quitting.
- Jeffrey "Free" Luers
www. freejeffluers. org
Write to:
Jeff Luers
#13797671
CCCF
PO Box 9000
Wilsonville, OR 97070
(top)
Dead
By Dawn Interview
(3/05/2008
@ Beaulahland)
Names/ages/where
you’re from/how long you’ve lived here/former and current musical
projects/your role in Dead By Dawn?
Matt-
“Metal” Matt Johns, 37, from Ohio. PDX since 1997, play Bass. Also play
in Torn to Pieces. Previously played in Unkindness of Ravens, Blood Red
Sky, Soul Compost, and Distrust.
Eddie-
Eddie Rezendes, 29, San Jose, California. Been here for
about 10 years now. Do vocals in Dead By Dawn but also used to do
vocals for a band called Treason that broke up after our first west
coast tour and 7” release due to some irreconcilable differences among
its members.
Grant-
Grant Kasten, 4 years ‘til 40. I was born in
Madison Wisconsin but I’d also call Milwaukee my hometown as well. The
inevitable question, well in 1988 I started my first band Demise. We
had a few line-ups and lasted about 3 years or so. Animal
Farm followed that with Mike Stanioch from “the ship” on drums and Rico
screaming with another singer. At the same time I also played in
Buried. There were a few others like 309 Chorus, Naked Face
and Think. After A.F. broke up I moved to California and ended up
playing in OJOROJO and Fields of Shit, then Talk Is Poison.
Will and I moved up here and played in Let’s Crash It. I also
played in Living Under Lies and Who’s The President.
Coldbringer and Warcry are my other current
bands.
Mark-
Mark age 33 born in Illinois, but from Las Vegas, been
here a little bit. Current other band is RE-UP, I’ve been in Leap Frog
Society and Dwarf Bitch.
How
do you describe your music?
M:
Stoner rock for punks and metal heads.
E:
Depends on who I’m describing it to. For those in the
know I suppose I usually refer to it as stoner metal.
G:
Heavy, it has several elements, from rock to metal, various tempos
M:
Original
What
are you going for? What are some collective influences?
M:
To make the best songs we can as a collective without
sacrificing the individual. 80s thrash/90s HC/ Hard Rock from the
Golden Era 1970-1973
E:
I wouldn’t say I’m personally going for anything given
my role, but I tend to write dark lyrics cloaked with dual meanings and
metaphorical references. Other than that I just try to belt it out at
times that seem right to me.
G:
As someone who joined the band I felt like I should write stuff that
fit the band. I learned a bunch of helix era songs but we
started writing songs and is what the lp on defector is. We
write songs by jamming and recording parts. That’s how we
write songs. No one comes to practice and says this is the song
beginning to end. We’re pretty pickey so this process takes a
while at times some times its quick. We have a lot of unused
riffs if you want to buy a few.
M:
To conquer as well as join the moto-cross circuit.
How
is there a punk background/influence in Dead By Dawn?
M:
We all came from a HC Punk/Crust/Grind scene with our former bands.
Dead By Dawn is more rock-oriented, but there’s always that tension and
repressed punk aggression that rises to the surface.
E:
Really, you asked that, I thought we knew each other
man.
G:
Are you a dipshit or what?!
Probably,
depending on what time of the night it is.
M: All the shitty bands we grew up listening too, we knew we
needed to be aggresive, but not sound like anyone else.
How
was the band formed?
M/E/M:
We formed in the summer of 2001. Eddie and the original guitarist Helix
were in Treason, a band that broke up shortly before then. Helix worked
with Matt and Mark at a now defunct breakfast joint/dive bar. It took
us a bit to get started because Mark had a tragic bicycle accident
involving his collar bone meeting the concrete, but a couple of months
later we were writing jams in Matt’s basement. I think we had like 12
songs in the first 6 months or so of playing, really rudimentary, raw
crust punk type stuff that appeared on a demo CD, with 4 of the songs
on an out of print 7”. Our sound more or less evolved into
it’s present form by spending more time on the music so that we weren’t
just throwing riffs together for the sake of a new song.
How
has the music changed since Grant took over on the axe?
M:
More guitar solo’s, Grant also has different influences than Helix did;
More punk influences and less Southern Lord sound while still keeping
it heavy.
E:
More solo’s and harmonizing and other fancy guitar
stuff. I’d definitely have to say that the jumping quotient has risen
dramatically since Grant joined.
M:
We put a lot more time into the songs, and work and feed off each other
better.
Besides
the name of your new LP, what is “The Coming Plague?”
M:
The inevitable collapse of civilization due to
mankind’s never ending greed.
E: As I see it, “The Coming Plague” is not so much an event
as is it is an era where multiple forces of our own making reign us in,
essentially forcing us to answer for our assault upon the elements.
Naturally, the most vulnerable and least culpable people on the planet
will bare the brunt of it, nothing different than any other scourge man
has inflicted upon itself. The lyrics paint a picture of a potential
viral form of this undertaking, in this particular case Ebola.
G: The energy, economic, and ecological collapse.
What’s
going to happen to all those other cool old songs from previous
recordings?
M:
Greatest hits CD coming soon.
E: They’ll end up on some sort of anthology of some sort
later I imagine, perhaps when we hit the decade mark or something.
G: Id play them but I’m not shaving my head.
M: We buried them all with the left-over LPs.
Is
there any literal or metaphorical connection between the band name and
zombies or is it just a cool sounding name?
M:
Obviously inspired by Evil Dead 2. Also a cheers to the
all night partiers…get it?
E: After tossing out tons of potential names we sort of just
came up with this one in this girl Dannie’s backyard while we were
hanging out drinking beers. It’s a slight coincidence that we all liked
the Army of Darkness/Evil Dead movies.
G:ZOMBIES, the answer is ZOMBIES
M: We turn into pumpkins at dawn.
Any
future plans?
M:
West Coast tour in August 2008 with recording in the
fall/winter 2008.
E: What he said.
G: new songs and record in the fall
M: Just like earlier, to get Dead By Dawn on the circuit.
Favorite
local bands?
M:
Dark Skies, Menacer, Order of the Gash, Order of the
Vulture, etc.
E:
I’d rather not comment for fear of leaving someone out,
aside from the fact that I haven’t been to a show in a couple of months.
G:
I just like to check out the open mike scene.
(sarcastic laugh.)
M:
Quasi
Any
further comments?
M:
Smoke a doober, dim the lights, listen to Black
Sabbaths “Sabotage” LP, and then check out our myspace page at www.myspace.com/deadbydawn13
E: It’s not much to look at but there are a few songs up
there and ways to contact us as well as how you could acquire some old
or new vinyl via mail or in person if you’re local. Look for shirts in
the not so distant future. If this interview comes out soon enough,
we’re playing a show at the Tonic Lounge with a barrage of stoner rock
bands from here to Vancouver BC on Friday April 18th.
Doors open at 8pm.
M: Thanks to Zach and Sean @ Defector for putting out the
L.P. Go out and buy it.
Discography
2001: Demo
2001 CD (out of print)
2002: S/T
4 song 7” on Born to Die records (out of print)
2003: S/T
LP self-released with silk screened covers (still available)
2003: 6
songs recorded but unreleased (last recording with Helix)
2007: 2
song s/t 7” released on The Party’s Over (still available)
2008: “The
Coming Plague” LP released on Defector Records (still available)
(top)
Dispatches
from Iraq
FEVER NAMED AFTER BLACKWATER
Inter
Press Service, by Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail*
FALLUJAH,
Mar 26 (IPS) - Iraqi doctors in al-Anbar province warn of a new disease
they call "Blackwater" that threatens the lives of thousands. The
disease is named after Blackwater Worldwide, the U.S. mercenary company
operating in Iraq.
"This
disease is a severe form of malarial infection caused by the parasite
plasmodium falciparum, which is considered the worst type of malarial
infection," Dr. Ali Hakki from Fallujah told IPS. "It is one of the
complications of that infection, and not the ordinary picture of the
disease. Because of its frequent and severe complications, such as
Blackwater fever, and its resistance to treatment, P. falciparum can
cause death within 24 hours."
What
Iraqis now call Blackwater fever is really a well-known medical
condition, and while it has nothing to do with Blackwater Worldwide,
Iraqis in al-Anbar province have decided to make the connection between
the disease and the lethal U.S.-based company which has been
responsible for the death of countless Iraqis.
The
disease is most prevalent in Africa and Asia. The patient suffers
severe intravascular haemolysis -- the destruction of red blood cells
leading to kidney and liver failure. It also leads to black or red
urination, and hence perhaps the new name 'Blackwater'.
The
deadly disease, never before seen in Iraq on at least this scale, seems
to be spreading across the country. And Iraq lacks medicines,
hospitals, and doctors to lead a campaign to fight the disease.
"We
informed the ministry of the disease, but it seems that they are not in
a mood to listen," a doctor from the al-Anbar Health Office in Ramadi
told IPS, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We are making personal
contacts with NGOs in an attempt to get the necessary medicines."
The
three doctors who spoke to IPS in Fallujah and in Ramadi in al-Anbar
province that lies west of Baghdad, seemed sure that the Iraqi
government would do little to face the plague.
"They
have not even made any announcement so that people can take
precautions," one of the doctors from Fallujah told IPS.
The
doctor said a patient usually suffers three stages of malarial
infection. "First is the cold stage where the patient will have chills
and shaking, the second is the hot stage when fever takes over, and the
third is the sweating stage."
Doctors
in Fallujah say the new complication of the disease that may develop
from malarial infection can be treated in its early stages, but is
difficult to control when complications develop. Drugs currently being
used to treat the disease include Chloroquin, Mefloquin, Pyrimethamine,
Suladox, Halfotrin and Primaquine.
Patients
seem unaware of the seriousness of the disease, though doctors tell
them it is essential to buy medicines from private pharmacies because
they are not available at general hospitals.
"Many
have died within the past two weeks in my town," Mahmood Nassir, a
schoolteacher from Saqlawiya, north of Fallujah, told IPS. "We know it
is a deadly disease, but what can we do about it? We have no government
to refer to, and everyone in the Green Zone (the government district of
Baghdad) is too busy preparing to escape with their share of the money
they stole from us."
Talat
al-Mukhtar is an Iraqi doctor now studying abroad. IPS asked him to
comment on the Blackwater fever outbreak in Iraq.
"Malaria
is endemic in Iraq, mainly in the northern part. However, it is
prevalent in the milder forms; the severe form had been reported but
not at an epidemic level."
Dr.
Mukhtar said this form of malaria requires a "triple-drug treatment
programme because it is an aggressive infection." He said the patient
"requires meticulous medical and nursing care, and might even need time
in an intensive care unit, as it can easily lead to kidney and liver
failure."
Like
the other doctors IPS spoke with, Dr. Mukhtar was clear that the Iraqi
ministry of health needs to take a proactive role before the disease
spreads further. "These cases of severe fever that follow haemolysis
should warrant immediate action from the ministry of health to
investigate thoroughly these cases and assess whether they are malaria
or other conditions."
Dr.
Mukhtar added, "Considering the poor health situation and poor
resources in Anbar province, even though clinical judgment is
important, laboratory tests are not easily verified, and many other
diseases can give the same clinical picture. That is why standard lab
investigation is needed, may be with the help of WHO (World Health
Organisation)."
The
disease seems too sensitive for journalists to talk about.
"There
was a great deal of anger when we wrote about cholera in Iraq last
summer," a journalist in Fallujah told IPS. "Neither the government nor
the occupation forces would accept our covering such a story."
IPS
was not allowed to take pictures at the Fallujah General Hospital. A
doctor refused to disclose how many may have been infected or how many
may have died.
The
spread of this condition follows the outbreak of other diseases.
According to the WHO, as of Oct. 3, 2007 cholera outbreaks in Iraq had
spread to nine of 18 provinces, and roughly 30,000 people had fallen
ill with acute diarrhoea, with 14 deaths.
An
Oxfam International report released last July showed that the
humanitarian disaster in Iraq is compounded by a mass exodus of medical
staff fleeing chronic violence and lawlessness. The report said the
lack of doctors and nurses is breaking down a health system now on the
brink of collapse.
The
report said many hospitals had lost up to 80 percent of their teaching
staff.
SYRIA NOW HOME TO A MILLION
'PILLOW DRIVERS'
Inter
Press Service, by Maki al-Nazzal and Dahr Jamail*
DAMASCUS,
Mar 24 (IPS) - More than a million Iraqis in Syria cannot find work.
For their idleness, they have come to be called the "pillow drivers".
The
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says there are at
least 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria. If they seek work, they will
lose their status as refugees.
And
so Iraqi refugees who were once doctors, engineers, athletes, artists
and businessmen sit it out in Syria with nothing to do.
"They
call us the pillow drivers here," says Dr. Jassim Alwan who fled
Baghdad after he was arrested by U.S. forces in 2003. "I was humiliated
like an animal by those who call themselves soldiers of liberty, so I
decided to flee to Syria."
He
has no work now, he says. "All I do is stay up late at night thinking
of myself and my family's dark future, and sleep all day like a drugged
man. Most Iraqis do the same."
Many
Iraqi refugees gather at night at Damascus teahouses. They spend much
of the night talking over strong Iraqi tea, some smoking the water pipe.
"Not
all of us can afford the water pipe," Salim Khattab, earlier an
engineer from Mosul told IPS. "Most of us have run out of money after
the long years of spending while there has been no income. I accepted a
job of salesman for 100 dollars a month for a while, but I quit when I
was asked to clean the shop and the doorsteps. A hundred dollars would
not be enough for more than a few days anyway. Now I spend the days in
bed waiting for night so I can meet my new friends."
Many
Iraqis have turned to reciting poems about their condition, or trying
to joke about it. Audiences do not always laugh; more often they have
tears in their eyes. Some poets and writers frequent particular
teahouses, and their fans follow them there.
"Iraq
has become the wasteland we've been reading about by (English poet
T.S.) Eliot, and worse," said an Iraqi poet, who wanted his name
withheld. "Those thieves who took over the country with the help of the
bigger thieves, the occupiers, are the reason for our agony."
From
the outside, such thoughts and observations are seen as idleness. Many
Iraqi refugees ponder these days over their new status as "pillow
drivers".
"Better
to be a pillow driver than worm feed my friend," Mohammad Adnan, who
was a trader in Baghdad told IPS. "I think Americans invaded our
country to turn us into good for nothing people. They want us to stay
outside Iraq so that it stays retarded until they bring more capitalist
corporations to loot what is left."
The
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a report Mar. 19
that there are 2.7 million Iraqis displaced within their own country,
and another 2.4 million who have fled, mostly to Jordan and Syria. The
IOM, an independent body that cooperates with the UN and its agencies,
said the situation for Iraqis who are outside their country is
deteriorating.
"There
is very little light at the end of the tunnel in Iraq's humanitarian
crisis," IOM spokeswoman Jemini Pandya told reporters. "Conditions for
the displaced, and refugees, have been getting steadily worse."
Yet,
bad as it is for the refugees outside, the situation for Iraqis within
Iraq continues to be far worse. "Many IDPs (internally displaced
persons) live in sub-standard or overcrowded shelters as they are
largely without an income to afford escalating rent prices," the IOM
report said.
More
than 75 percent of them have no access to government food rations, and
nearly 20 percent lack clean water supply, the report said. Some 33
percent cannot get the medicines they need. Only 20 percent have had
any help from humanitarian agencies.
(*Ali,
our correspondent in Baghdad, works in close collaboration with Dahr
Jamail, our U.S.-based specialist writer on Iraq who has reported
extensively from Iraq and the Middle East)
(top)
Normality
in the West Bank
By Maria Urkedal
A familiar
scenario takes place in front of me. A little boy, no more than four
years old, is laughing as he runs back and forth between the line of
adults' feet, feet twice the size of his. Typically, with a combination
of innocence and courage only found in children's eyes, he is testing
how far he can go before his mother will call him back. The reason why
this ordinary scene remains in my consciousness is that it is took
place at Huwwara military checkpoint, one of the manned posts
restricting the movement of people and goods in and out of the West
Bank town of Nablus. Although the boy is laughing, making some of us
waiting in the line smile, he is also about to be checked by young
armed soldiers before he is let out on the other side where dozens of
yellow taxis are waiting to take people traveling from Nablus to
Huwwara, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Qalandia, and the elsewhere in the West
Bank.
Unsettling combinations of familiarity and unfamiliarity seem to
manifest themselves in every aspect of life here in the West Bank.
Recalling the first time I passed through Huwwara checkpoint, I
remember that my physical and psychological reaction revealed fear. As
I and two colleagues moved slowly forward in the line of other women,
children and elderly, the unbalanced and disturbing power relationship
between us in the line and the soldiers was mercilessly perceptible.
The young men and women, dressed in olive green uniforms, wearing
helmets and carrying weapons, have the authority to deny anyone to
pass. The people who live here in the West Bank have green permit cards
that are checked by the soldiers.
I remember that my heartbeat increased and I felt that I had done
something wrong that was about to be exposed. One minute I felt cold,
the next warm. I felt like shouting to the soldiers, "Can't you see
what you are doing here?" but instead took some deep breaths while
trying not to look at the people around me. I pretended that I could
not feel the little boy squeezed between me and the elderly lady next
to me. I smiled at the grimace my colleague made as she struggled not
to be pushed off-balance by the woman. This was just a normal day. We
were just going for a weekend trip to Ramallah, a trip which should
take only about 40 minutes if there were no checkpoints. The sun was
shining, everyone seemed to know what to do. I remember thinking, "what
am I afraid of?" Now as I go though checkpoints, the initial fear I
felt the first time has been transformed into a sense of injustice and
frustration.
When I ask students who have to pass through checkpoints everyday to
get to their university if they feel afraid, most of them will answer
that no, they are usually not afraid. Going through the procedures of
waiting in line with hundreds of other people in order to be let
through to the other side, only a few meters away, has become normal, a
necessary routine for many. They have had to go through it so many
times. But not being afraid does not mean that you do not feel
humiliated, angry, sad and tired. It does not keep you from feeling the
biting cold wind or protect you from shivering in your coat. Neither
does it make you feel any better as you hand over your shekels to the
taxi driver, knowing how little money most families have to spare these
days.
As someone who came here hoping to bring clarity to the hazy and
media-influenced image I had of the life and people in Palestine, the
contrasts visible everywhere still continue to astonish me even after
four months. No matter how trivial and shallow some of the traces of
the military occupation might seem at first, their marks are
everywhere, forcing themselves onto the landscape and people's lives,
hinting to the many layers and the depths of the effects of the
occupation.
It is the feeling of sunshine on one's face and Arabic music on the
radio as one waits in line and looks at the long line of cars held up
at Za'atara checkpoint on the road from Huwwara to Ramallah. It is in
the guitar music played by students at the university, as my friend who
is an ambulance driver told me about the night before when he had been
covered in blood while carrying a young man who had been killed in the
Balata refugee camp. It is in the eyes of the teacher at a school in
Huwwara who tells us how he has to protect his students by confronting
the Israeli forces who invade the school, interrupting the education of
over 500 students, several times a month. It is the beautiful view,
spring blossoms from the almond trees and rolling hills, marred by a
settlement, illegal under international law, perched strategically on a
hill top. It is the taxi-driver who tells you how difficult it is to
support his three girls at university. It is the children who lie awake
as soldiers invade Nablus every night and the parents who worry about
their children going to and from school. It is the mixed feeling of
despair and surprise when one finds oneslef on the bus driving next to
the imposing West Bank barrier in East Jerusalem, cutting off Jerusalem
from the population in the rest of the West Bank. It is the hundreds of
men one will find at Gilo checkpoint between Bethlehem from Jerusalem,
from 4am in the morning, running and jumping the queue as they are
desperate to get to their work in Israel on time. It is one's friend
telling one how their father was arrested last week, another friend
explaining her brother's imprisonment, it is one's student who
apologizes for not being able to come to class because he was held in
prison for a month. It is the hairdresser in Ramallah who says he used
to love going to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv every night before they built
the separation wall.
It is the constant reminder that every aspect of people's lives here is
affected by the occupation. My Palestinian friends who have lived their
whole lives in this context tell me that one of the worst things of
existing under such conditions is that after a while it becomes normal.
One comes to expect everything. One has to endure everything. One has
to remain hopeful that life will become easier one day. But when I ask
how they understand the situation, they tell me that it is just getting
worse; although they want to remain hopeful for future improvements,
reality has shown them too many times that hope can be deceiving.
Imagine yourself living in conditions of constant oppression,
discrimination and insecurity I tell my friends back home, and I know
they cannot. I cannot even imagine it myself. My little red passport,
always kept in my pocket, feels somehow like a protective
shield.
Maria Urkedal York is from Norway and currently lives in
Nablus where she works with the Right to Education Campaign at An-Najah
University.
(top)
US
Attorney exploits 9/11
Mar.
27, 2008 | In the early morning hours of May 21, 2001, a group of five
men and women dressed in dark clothing and carrying backpacks crept
close to the Center of Urban Horticulture on the University of
Washington campus in Seattle. One of the intruders cut open a window of
a ground-floor office; another climbed through it and placed a digital
alarm clock wired to a 9-volt battery and a model-rocket igniter in the
drawer of a filing cabinet. Next to the cabinet, he filled plastic tubs
with gasoline. He set the timer and climbed back out the window.
Not
long after, at about 3 a.m., a university security officer driving on
his rounds saw "billowing smoke and flames" rising from the building.
The building's cedar latticework had acted as kindling and the fire
raced to the roof. From a city park a few miles away, the arsonists
listened to the firefighters on an emergency scanner.
It
took firefighters two hours to put out the flames. By that time the
office where the fire had started had burned down to the studs, and the
central hall and several botany labs were damaged. Damages were
estimated at $2.5 million. The morning after the fire, agents from the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms sifted through the ash but
found no fingerprints. Any hairs that might have yielded a DNA
signature had been incinerated.
Ten
days later, the Earth Liberation Front, a loose group of underground
activists who had burned a horse-slaughtering plant, logging company
headquarters, SUV dealerships and a luxurious Vail ski lodge built on
mountain lynx habitat, claimed responsibility for the fire. The group
explained that it had targeted the office of Toby Bradshaw, a plant
geneticist who they believed was genetically engineering trees for the
benefit of the timber industry. They said his research would "unleash
mutant genes into the environment" and "cause irreversible harm to
forest ecosystems."
Federal
and local authorities launched an exhaustive investigation, code-named
Operation Backfire. For nearly two years, the FBI had no real leads in
the Washington case or 16 other ELF arsons. The Earth Liberation Front
is a secretive, amorphous group, with no structure or leaders or formal
membership. It is more of a movement than an organization; anyone with
a rage against ecological destruction and a match can act in the name
of the ELF. The FBI didn't know where to go looking for them.
In
spring 2003, FBI agents finally got their first break. They closed in
on Jacob Ferguson, a heroin-addicted drifter who played in a metal band
called Eat Shit Fuckface, and who had insinuated himself into the
radical environmental movement -- no doubt finding a convenient outlet
for the pyromaniacal tendencies he'd exhibited since the age of 8.
Ferguson
quickly turned informant. He admitted to setting the first fire
attributed to the ELF in the United States, in 1996, and to 12
additional arsons, mostly in Oregon. Although many ELF "elves" knew
only two or three others, Ferguson knew pretty much everyone.
Prosecutors dispatched him across the country -- from Arizona to
Massachusetts -- to meet with his former compatriots and record their
conversations with a hidden wire. Soon the FBI was knocking on doors
across the country.
Most
of the suspected arsonists, if convicted, would face at least 30 years
in prison. Lured with promises of reduced sentences, friends turned in
friends, boyfriends offered up the names of girlfriends. Recriminations
flew. Those who named names "have dishonored themselves ... by becoming
vicious traitors and tools of the state," wrote two non-cooperators in
the Earth First! journal. In 2006, the trail of accusations led the FBI
to the door of a quiet 32-year-old violin teacher in Berkeley, Calif.,
named Briana Waters.
Earlier
this month, on March 6, a federal jury in Tacoma, Wash., found Waters
guilty of two counts of arson for serving as a lookout at the
University of Washington fire. According to two women who testified
against her in return for dramatically reduced sentences, Waters hid in
a shrub near the Center for Urban Horticulture with a walkie-talkie,
ready to alert the others if the campus police strolled by. Waters
testified she wasn't even in Seattle that night.
Although
Waters was on trial for only the University of Washington arson,
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Friedman charged that she was part of a
conspiracy -- a member of a "prolific cell" of the Earth Liberation
Front, responsible for 17 fires set in four states over five years. Ten
conspirators have pleaded guilty and been sentenced; four have fled the
country; three are awaiting sentencing. Waters, the only one of the
accused to have pleaded innocent and therefore the only one to have
stood trial, now faces 20 years in prison.
The
group's alleged ringleader, William Rodgers, avoided a trial in his own
way. From his jail cell in Flagstaff, Ariz., two weeks after his arrest
in December 2005, he wrote, "I chose to fight on the side of the bears,
mountain lions, skunks, bats, saguaros, cliff roses and all things
wild. But tonight ... I am returning home, to the Earth, the place of
my origins." He placed a plastic bag over his head and suffocated
himself. According to medical records, Rodgers was found with his right
arm raised, his hand held tight in a fist -- the Earth First! symbol of
resistance.
Prosecutors
celebrated the guilty verdict against Waters as a signal victory in the
campaign against "eco-terror," a mission that the U.S. Department of
Justice has made the centerpiece of its domestic counterterrorism
program. "This cell of eco-terrorists thought they had a 'right' to sit
in judgment and destroy the hard work of dedicated researchers at the
UW and elsewhere," U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan declared in
announcing Waters' conviction. "Today's verdict shows that no one is
above the law."
Civil
libertarians draw a different moral from the verdict. For them it is
evidence of how the Justice Department has exaggerated the threat of
eco-sabotage; they see Waters' story as a disturbing example of the
misuse of federal authority and the excessive reach of the American
counterterrorism program in the wake of 9/11. As Lauren Regan, director
of the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Eugene, Ore., remarks:
"There's a question of whether burning property is really the
equivalent of flying a plane into a building and killing humans."
Briana
Waters wouldn't seem to fit the profile of a dangerous terrorist. The
daughter of an engineer and a stay-at-home mother, Waters was raised in
suburban Philadelphia and migrated west to attend Evergreen State
College in Olympia, Wash., a magnet for left political activists. She
has long, straw-colored hair and blue-gray eyes, and always seems to
hold her shoulders forward, like a girl who is shy about being tallest
in her sixth-grade class. At Evergreen, she became head of the campus
animal rights organization and led nature hikes through the nearby
woods, teaching people how to identify native plants.
In
her senior year, she participated in a prolonged campaign to prevent
logging in the old-growth forest on Watch Mountain, part of the Cascade
Mountain range. Her senior project was a documentary film about the
protest, an elegy to the cooperation between Earth First! members and
the residents of a small town, who together climbed into the canopy and
refused to come down for five months, until Congress promised the
public lands would not be handed over to the timber company. The
protest saved 28,000 acres of wilderness.
Kim
Marks, an Evergreen graduate who joined the tree-sit, remembers Waters
playing her violin as she perched in the treetops. "It was the most
amazing thing to be 120 feet up in the canopy and hear this beautiful
fiddle music floating through the forest," Marks says.
Waters
certainly brushed up against the radical environmentalist milieu, even
if she was not one of the "elves." Her boyfriend at the time, fellow
Evergreen student Justin Solonz, has been indicted for building the
device that sparked the Center for Urban Horticulture fire, and she was
friendly with others in the ELF underground.
But
Waters has insisted she had nothing to do with underground activities.
She testified at her trial that in May 2001, the month of the arson,
she was busy promoting her film, showing it to college audiences on the
West Coast. She has no specific recollection of where she was on the
21st; most likely, she said, she was sleeping at home in Olympia. She
told the jury that the Watch Mountain protest, especially her
experience building bridges between students and locals, and even
logging families, impressed her as a model of sound activism, and
confirmed her belief that more extreme measures, like arson, were
"alienating" and counterproductive.
As
it turned out, the University of Washington Horticulture building was a
poor target for arson. Among the items destroyed were hundreds of
photographs documenting plant regeneration on Mount St. Helens after
the volcanic eruption, research on wetlands and prairie restoration,
and a collection of rare showy stickseed plants that were being raised
to replenish dwindling wild stocks in the Cascade Mountains. Bradshaw,
the targeted professor, has said that although he had considered doing
genetic engineering, he was not at the time of the fire. Rather he was
conducting basic research on hybrid poplars, a fast-growing species
that could reduce the pressure for logging in natural forests.
About
a year after the fire, in 2002, Waters left her college town and moved
to Berkeley, where she made her living teaching children violin and
playing in Balkan and Irish folk music groups. She met her partner,
John Landgraf, a carpenter, at a summer music retreat, and had a baby
girl, Kalliope. She had little contact with the radicals she'd met in
Olympia, and was only marginally involved in environmental causes.
But
while Waters had moved away from the old radical environmental circles,
the hunt for "eco-terrorists" was intensifying. During the 1990s, the
FBI's domestic terrorism division focused on militias, white
supremacists and cults like the Branch Davidians. But after 9/11, the
agency began shifting its priorities.
Then-Attorney
General John Ashcroft and FBI director Robert Mueller decided "they
were going to restructure the FBI as a terrorism prevention
organization rather than just a crime-fighting organization," explains
Ben Rosenfeld, a civil rights attorney in San Francisco. The FBI vastly
expanded its domestic and international terrorism capabilities, adding
whole new categories of crime to its terrorism portfolio. Acts once
considered property crimes -- like the arson at the University of
Washington -- were now assigned not to the bureau's criminal division
but to the terrorism division.
In
testimony before a Senate committee in February 2002, James Jarboe, the
FBI's domestic terrorism chief, alerted the public to this new mission,
warning that the ELF and its sister organization, the Animal Liberation
Front, had become a "serious terrorist threat." By May 2005, agents in
35 FBI offices would be investigating 104 separate incidents of "animal
rights/eco-terrorist activities," including the fires set by the ELF in
the Pacific Northwest.
In
the wake of 9/11, federal prosecutors had some new legal tools at their
disposal. Historically, the crime of terrorism has required civilian
deaths. In fact, the State Department defined terrorism as
"premeditated politically motivated violence perpetrated against
non-combatants." But the USA Patriot Act created a new category of
domestic terrorism, which is defined as an offense "calculated to
influence or affect the conduct of government" or "to intimidate or
coerce a civilian population." Under this broad definition,
eco-saboteurs become terrorists if their crime seeks to change
government policy or action.
Several
Republican members of Congress didn't want to stop there. In a letter
sent to eight mainstream environmental groups such as the Sierra Club,
Colorado Rep. Scott McInnis and six other congressmen demanded that
respectable environmental organizations "publicly disavow the actions
of eco-terrorist organizations." In 2006, Congress passed the Animal
Enterprise Terrorism Act, which imposes severe punishments on anyone
who "intentionally damages or causes the loss of any real or personal
property used by an animal enterprise."
During
her trial at the Union Station Courthouse in Tacoma, Waters sat
straight in an oversize leather chair, her hair pulled back in a rubber
band. She wore gold wire-rimmed glasses and sometimes bit her nails as
she listened to the proceedings.
In
his opening statement before the jury, Assistant U.S. Attorney Friedman
described how Rodgers, the unofficial leader of the University of
Washington arsons, organized a series of instructional and strategizing
meetings, which took place in five different cities. The group shared
information on lock picking, reconnaissance, and the construction of
devices that could ignite a fire. They also used the meetings to select
targets and gather recruits for their "actions." They called their
gatherings Book Club meetings because they communicated with coded
messages, using passages from a book as the key. (At one meeting it was
Ursula Le Guin's portentous novel "The Dispossessed"; at another, "The
Only World We've Got," by environmental philosopher Paul Shepard.)
Waters
and the other members of the group took "extraordinary measures,"
Friedman told the jury, to conceal their identities and their
movements: adopting aliases, meeting in public places not associated
with any of them, building their incendiary devices in a "clean room"
to eliminate DNA evidence. The ELF activists were "organized in cells
so if some are discovered the others can continue," Friedman explained.
"It's a classic structure for a terrorist or a guerrilla organization."
On
the witness stand, Waters declared that she never had an alias, never
attended the clandestine Book Club meetings, and never saw any
fire-starting device being built anywhere near her house. The
prosecution argued that Waters had met with the arsonists at 8 p.m. in
Seattle on the night of the crime. Defense lawyers presented a bank
card receipt that shows Waters made a purchase at 7:12 p.m. in Olympia,
60 miles away, which would have made it difficult for her to have been
in Seattle at 8 p.m.
The
government's case against Waters rested heavily on the testimony of two
informants, a radical journalist named Lacey Phillabaum and a
yacht-racing aficionado with a master's degree in astrophysics named
Jennifer Kolar. Both testified Waters was the lookout on campus that
night.
Yet
as Waters' defense attorneys pointed out, their initial statements to
the FBI about the University of Washington fire contradicted one
another. Kolar, who worked in high-tech jobs in Seattle and used her
expertise to teach encryption at the Book Club meetings, apparently did
not identify Waters as a co-conspirator the first time she was
interviewed by the FBI in December 2005; instead, she named four
others, giving their aliases. Neither did she identify Waters the next
four or five times she spoke with the authorities.
During
the trial, FBI special agent Anthony Torres acknowledged that nearly
two months before Kolar named Waters as a participant in the arson,
she'd been shown a photo of Waters and had identified her by name. But
she did not say then that Waters had been involved. It was only several
weeks after Kolar's first FBI interview, during the time she was
seeking to trade information for an advantageous plea deal, that she
told her lawyer that she suddenly "remembered" Waters had been at the
Center for Urban Horticulture that night. A third cooperating
defendant, Stanislas Meyerhoff, who had earlier implicated Phillabaum,
his own fiancée, in the fire, told investigators that he was "familiar"
with Waters but that she was "not involved" in the arson.
During
the tense three-week trial, Waters' lawyers accused the prosecution of
misconduct, including falsification of FBI reports to conceal evidence
favorable to her defense. Documents produced in court reveal that FBI
agents taking notes during their first conversation with Kolar
dutifully recorded that she specifically named four collaborators. None
of the four was Waters. A typed version of that interview, admitted
into evidence in the trial, says only that Kolar identified "Avalon"
(the code name of Rodgers) and "some others."
The
jury was unconvinced that these inconsistencies constituted reasonable
doubt. Although the jurors could not reach a unanimous decision on
several counts -- including a "destructive device" charge -- they
convicted Waters on two counts of arson, each of which carries a
minimum sentence of five years (running concurrently) and a maximum of
20. She could spend as much as two decades behind bars for allegedly
holding a walkie-talkie.
"Obviously
we were thrilled by the verdict," says First Assistant U.S. Attorney
Mark Bartlett. "There is a price for people to pay for not showing any
remorse, for not accepting responsibility. It will be up to the judge
to determine how big a price that is."
Waters'
lawyer, Robert Bloom, remains outraged. Prosecutors "used
scare-mongering to get the jury to convict an innocent person," he
says. "This is really a study in American prosecution. It was an
absurdly slanted American prosecution."
If
Waters encounters the full force of the government's anti-terror zeal,
it will be when she is sentenced on May 30. Prosecutors have not yet
decided whether to seek a "terrorism enhancement" -- a sentencing rule
that was written into the federal sentencing guidelines in 1995, after
the bombings in Oklahoma City and at the World Trade Center, and would
allow the judge to add up to 20 years to her prison term if her crime
can be construed as a terrorist act.
Prosecutors
sought the enhancement for six of the 10 Operation Backfire arsonists,
who have been sentenced already, a significant departure from legal
convention. (Meyerhoff, despite his cooperation, received a 13-year
sentence.) "Never before has the terrorism enhancement been applied
where there were no deaths," says Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties
Defense Center.
If
Waters spends more than the minimum of five years in prison, her
sentence would be disproportionate to punishments received by other
arsonists. "That would be a far harsher standard than fits the crime in
a lot of arsons," says Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the
National Lawyers Guild. James King, for example, a seasonal
firefighter, set two fires in California's Cleveland National Park in
the summer of 2001 in order to score some extra paydays. More than 50
acres of pristine wilderness were razed. King received a jail term of
30 months and a fine; he was also ordered to retire from the
firefighting profession.
Today,
as Waters sits in the Federal Detention Center in Seattle, awaiting
sentencing, environmentalists and civil libertarians worry that her
conviction may beat a path to more convictions, including of nonviolent
protesters. In recent years, a number of states have passed laws aimed
at eco-sabotage that could implicate law-abiding groups along with the
lawbreakers. The American Legislative Exchange Council, a
right-leaning, corporate-backed association of state legislators, has
written legislation that defines any act of destruction aimed at
protecting animal rights or punishing ecological despoilers as
terrorism. At least 14 states have introduced bills since 2001 based on
this model, and they have passed in Arizona, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The
problem with such laws, says David Willett of the Sierra Club, is they
can be used "to crack down on environmental groups engaged in
legitimate activities as well."
Nonviolent
protesters have already felt the heat. Documents obtained in 2005 by
the ACLU reveal that the FBI has been surveying animal rights and
environmental groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
and Greenpeace, sending undercover agents to activist conferences and
cultivating inside informants. Some of the documents suggest that the
bureau was also attempting to link those groups with the ELF and ALF.
The National Lawyers Guild reports that it receives calls regularly
from environmental and animal-rights activists all over the country who
had been contacted by the FBI after attending political events. "It has
a chilling effect on free speech," says Guild director Boghosian, "and
that's where the real damage to the Constitution is happening."
On
March 3, while jurors in the Waters trial were deliberating, three
luxury houses for sale in a suburban Seattle cul-de-sac called "Street
of Dreams" -- a plot of land surrounded by wetlands -- were destroyed
by fire. A banner at the scene pointed to the culprit: the Earth
Liberation Front. The FBI immediately announced that the fire "is being
investigated as a domestic terrorism act.-- By Tracy Tullis
(top)
Defect Defect Talking About Brazil
Welcome
back, how was it?
C:
Fucking rad. Probably the best tour I've been on.
M:
Thanks. It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I spent more money on my plane ticket to
Brazil than I've ever spent on anything in my life, and if my finances
permitted I'd spend it all over again in a heartbeat.
K:
It was totally amazing. so much fun. the best tour we've had by far.
Any
good stories to share with the class?
C:
All sorts of shit. The best show was in this tiny bar in Osasco that
was packed and the mosh started from the first second. The front of the
place is totally open air and it is 2 blocks away from the police
station. The show ran late and I guess the cops weren't stoked since
they drove by and pepper sprayed everyone out front, like threw a
little bomb of it and everyone was running away with their shirts over
their faces. OR maybe the story about how we played this fest called
Verdurada which is done 4 times a year and it's really political, has a
speaker each day, serves vegan food to everyone at the end, it's rad,
and we covered a song by the old Brazilian band COLERA pretty much
every show, but at this show the singer for Colera came and me and him
sang it together.
M:
I'm not much of a storyteller, and I still haven't quite processed the
events of our trip enough to extract the good stories from it.
Everything in my mind is a blur of amazing people, delicious food,
beautiful beaches, incredible shows, and great bands.
K:
Every day was kind of like an adventure but i can't think of any crazy
stories right now. I'll just say that if you go to Sao Paulo you should
visit Liberdade. It's the neighborhood that has the largest Japanese
population outside of Japan and it's really awesome.
Generally
speaking, what's it like to tour Brazil? How do you even do it? Please
explain the process...
C:
All the booking was done by 2 friends of mine, Gregorio and David and
they basically put so much energy into this, and it was all because of
them. They booked the shows, hired a van, filled the van with punks who
helped pay for it, and dealt with money. It ruled. All places you play,
whether it is a nice bar or some kid's house, provides backline. All of
them. It is totally nuts to Brazilians that we bring our own here.
Staying healthy was pretty easy since half of the crew we hang out with
are vegan so they can help you eat the food you want to eat so you're
not stuck eating Ruffles and french fries. So much good food, there's a
smoothie-type fruit thingy served in a bowl like ice cream called acai
that I ate probably 40 times while I was there, lots of all-vegan
restaurants or all-vegetarian, life there is good.
M:
As a drummer I sometimes have a hard time borrowing equipment –
so many things can go wrong, from the way the whole band
sounds (at least to my ears), to bloody knuckles or sore muscles
resulting from a drum set that couldn't be set up the way I like it.
Thankfully, there were very few problems of this sort on the tour. If
the drums I played were a bit rickety, usually the enthusiasm of the
crowd would redeem the show for me. There was just one horrible time,
which was when I put a hole in the kick drum head of a borrowed drum
set during the first song at what was probably our rowdiest, most
exciting show in Brazil. Fleeting attempts to repair the drum head
proved futile, and the problems distracted me from what was otherwise
an incredible show. That was a bummer.
I
did have some health problems at the end of the tour when a recurring
stomach illness crept up unexpectedly, and I didn't have the means to
treat it properly. It freaked me out to be in a foreign country, unsure
of where to find the necessary remedies, and unable to communicate my
need to the majority of people around me. In the end everything worked
out for the best when I learned that the expensive prescription
medication necessary to treat the disorder is available over the
counter for the equivalent of about four American dollars.
K:
Well one thing that's different about touring there is that shows
generally happen on the weekends so we were mainly stationed
in Sao Paulo and only toured to other cities on the weekends. And that
was really nice and very different from your usual tour. Sao Paulo's
such a massive city it was nice to get to spend a lot of time there and
get familiar with the neighborhood we were staying in and with the city
center a little bit.
Also,
it was really nice that the van we rented came with a driver because
I'd been warned about the shitty conditions of the highways just before
we left and Keith was telling me about how they'd blown something like
3 tires and missed shows and stuff. We kind of have a history of
blowing tires anyway. At least one a tour and one was still blown in
Brazil, just to keep it a real Defect tour, but luckily it wasn't too
big of a deal.
As
far as staying healthy goes it was pretty easy. Maybe because it was
summer there and warm. I'm often sick on tour so i was stoked to be
well and enjoying the summer instead of portland in january. Eating was
great. So much good vegetarian food. I generally avoid eating wheat
because of health problems but i had to give up that idea a week or 2
in because all the cheap vegetarian food was full of wheat, but fuck,
it was so good. The other thing that i forgot to mention that was
awesome about being mainly in sao paulo was that we totally had a crew
that we hung out with the whole time. A pretty big crew, too. So we got
to spend a lot of time with the same people and become close friends
and that was rad.
How
is the Brazilian punk scene different? What were the shows like? How
were you recieved? What are some of the things their scene is concerned
with and/or focused on?
C:
The punk scene's difference is that people of all ages are crazy
stoked. Here, if we play a Ramones cover everyone yawns but there
everybody would freak out with stoke-i-tude. Since so few bands go
there due to not making money, it's special when a band does go there
and says something about why. The shows were great. There were 1-2
alright shows (out of 18) and the rest were great. I was worried about
how we were gonna be received due to not so many bands sounding like us
there but it all went over really well, lots of people came to 5 or 6
shows we played and that was really cool. Their scene is a lot more
straight-edge than we are here, but rarely talks about it or makes
people feel bad for partaking in non-edge items. Veganism is also a bit
more widespread in the basic scene. Shit's just killer fuckin diller.
M:
Personally I think it's hard for us to tell how the Brazilian punk
scene really is different, because I think being foreigners on tour
from another country skews our perspective. For example, we were almost
always received quite enthusiastically at every show. Crowds would
react with an energy this band has rarely seen on our other tours.
Overall, it's flattering and made for an incredible tour, but in the
back of my mind I wonder how much of that is only a result ofwhere we
come from. That having been said, there are noticeable cultural
differences in the way Brazilians interact with one another compared to
Americans. I noticed people being more open and vocal and honest with
one another than I'm used to seeing in the States. And I think that
that cultural difference translates to a more open and enthusiastic
punk scene.
K:
One major difference that you notice at first is how racially diverse
it is, which is so rad. There's nothing like that here that I've ever
seen but i think it's because class is a bigger divider there than race
is. Not to say that race is a non-issue in Brazil but it's just very
different than it is here. The shows were awesome and we were received
really well, i thought. Veganism is a big thing there like it was here
in the 90's for awhile. It was cool, though. It was funny to experience
it all over again- lots of people super-pumped to be vegan. At the
verdurada fest this guy gave a really long lecture about how to be
vegan and healthy. i don't know any Portuguese really but i did
understand that he spent a really long time talking about the
importance of b-vitamins and i thought that was pretty awesome because
i wish people thought more about that kind of shit. It's hard to stay
healthy if you're just a junk-food vegan. Also, there's a
pretty big straight-edge scene there and those are the kids we hung out
with the most, our crew, and it was awesome. They weren't jocks that
were all in your face about being straight-edge. No one was preachy at
all.
Play
with any cool bands?
C:
YES. Fornicators from Florianopolis are amazing, B.U.S.H. and The
Bruttus and Mercedes and Discarga and Justa Causa from Sao Paulo are
amazing, Velho De Cancer from Porto Alegre, Cockney Rejects from
England, we played some wild shows.
M:
We played with a lot of amazing bands, surely all of whom will be
listed here by my bandmates. My personal favorites were Velho De Cancer
from Porto Alegre, O Inimigo from Sao Paulo, Fornicators from
Florianopolis, and Nieu Dieu Nieu Maitre from Curitiba.
K:
Yes. Nieu Dieu Nieu Maitre was awesome. We played with them at this
squat with the Fornicators and both bands ruled. It was one of my
favorite shows of the tour. Os Estudantes were good. Bush, O Inimigo,
Sweet Suburbia. Bands we didn't play with that were awesome were The
Bigs and a Gang of Four cover band. There were more but I can't think
of them right now.
Any
problems with the law?
C:
Just that pepper spray thing. Aside from that it was pretty smooth
sailing.
What
do you see in the cities of a second world country that you may not see
here? What's something you think American punks should know about?
C:
I mean, the third world (not second world, technically) has, obviously,
a lot more poverty. Another band of mine, Visual Biblia played in this
kids backyard. He took some digital pictures on a friend's digital
camera and then he said he would e-mail them to me, but since they
don't have a phone at his house they can't have internet. I asked why
they didn't have a phone and he said it's too expensive. You don't
really get that in Germany or in Portland, you know?
M:
Is Brazil technically a second world country? I don't think it is. Are
you using that term as a reference to its current state of
technological or industrial development? There is a lot of
astonishing poverty in Brazil, and in many cases it exists right
alongside exorbitant wealth in virtually the same neighborhood. It's a
striking example of the giant gap between rich and poor that exists in
our world.
K:
The thing that sticks out in my mind the most is the insane amount of
graffiti everywhere. Literally everywhere. Like whole building facades
covered in tags. People's houses covered in tags. And huge murals
everywhere. So much rad graffiti. And so much not-so-rad graffiti. I've
never seen anything like it before. It was kind of mind-blowing. I was
into it. As far as what American punks should know about, i don't know.
The Amazon rain forrest is being destroyed to grow soybeans. I don't
know how you find out where your soy products come from but maybe it's
worth looking into. The MST is a big landless workers movement in
Brazil that's pretty inspiring. As far as punk music goes, there's a
lot of good Brazilian punk history and awesome bands. Mike and I
brought back a punk documentary that we showed at the Quackhaus but if
there's more interest, then maybe we could show it again at a bigger
event. It's good.
Anything
else?
C:
Party til you puke
K:
If you get the chance to go to Brazil you should. I feel very
privileged to have been able to go and so many of our friends there
will never be able to come to the US because the US makes it so
difficult. Also, apparently the biggest pride parade in the world is in
Sao Paolo and it's really worth checking out.
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Reviews
AGAINST EMPIRE – Destructive
Systems Collapse 7” (Threat To Existence/Rabid Records)
Fuck yes these guys are
playing what I want to hear, and they’re fucking nailing it
down! This band has really found it’s style after beginning
as a much more anarcho-punk band. This is fucking heavy
crust/metal/crust with stenchcore-style D beat, it’s catchy and
upbeat. All the riffage is awesome, and the sound quality a
shit ton better than their previous releases. I really liked
the songs on their last full length, The Ones Who Bear The
Scars, but the recording itself kind of let me
down. This EP is where they finally nail it, and both songs
are even better than the best ones on that LP. This is the
kind of good crust band that makes me want to wear one of their shirts,
know what I mean? Bad to the ass all the way.
HELLSHOCK, LIMB FROM LIMB, STORMCROW, ANGUISH, etc., if you’re into
these bands then you’ll love this new shit from AGAINST
EMPIRE. The songs on here are just as good as the
aforementioned bands’ best songs. Hopefully this EP will
boost AGAINST EMPIRE to the level of notice that they deserve. Zack)
AGE – The Scar Of Lead
LP (Blackwater Music)
This is rocking fucking
d-beat! These guys are from Japan and they totally sound like
it too. This shit is loud Japanese d-beat punk n’ roll,
mostly mid-paced rocking riffs with some cool changeups, quick intros
and a smattering of random chaotic solos fill the gaps. The
vocals seal the deal, totally giving away their Japanese
origin. Overall it’s well recorded, well mixed and
mastered. This shit will appeal to most punks who prefer any
sort of punk subgenre, from those who like charged Japanese chaos
distortion to those who like old school hardcore, this record is pretty
alright. The lyrics are decent too. The only
complaints I have are their name (“armed governmental error”) which
sounds a little forced to me, but whatever… and the cover art or lack
thereof. It’s probably just me but I hate it when bands waste
their record cover space with big pictures of themselves.
Can’t you think of something a littler more creative? Inside
is another picture of themselves standing there posing hard.
But other than that it’s worth a have. (Zack)
DAYMARE – s/t 7” (Ratbone/Stonehenge)
Honestly I downloaded this
from soulseek only because I thought they had such a cool
name. Holy fuck I was happy with that decision so I was
really excited when I stumbled across this at Despotic Records in
LA. This record is a fucking gem. It’s very heavy,
dark melodic d-beat with female vocals. She actually sings a
little too, there’s less all out screaming but she does both and they
both sound really good. All the breakdowns are good and this
is very much a great band in that great new genre (“millennium d-beat”)
of dark d-beat of which TRAGEDY blew the doors wide open, leaving a
trail of “tragicore” bands all over the place. Some are good,
some are not so good. This band is really fucking
good. (Zack)
DROWN IN BLOOD – Blood Red Path
LP (Institut Fur Mentale Hygiene)
Holy fucking shit these guys
are H-E-A-V-Y!!! No wonder I had to pay so much for
postage!! This is some of the heaviest crust out
there. It’s total Bolt Thrower worship, with a big
Scandi-metal influence. I was expecting more of a
Sanctum/Stormcrow stenchcore flavor of crust/metal –especially by the
extreme crust cover artwork- so I wasn’t sure at first, but when I
flipped it over to side two I liked how it got real fucking heavy and
Bolt Throwery. By the time I got back over to side one I was sold, but
the second side is definitely a lot better. This is a good
record, really good. If you’re into Euro-crust or any flavor
of crust then you MUST find this record. It’s a little
different, but not in a bad way, and that gives it some creative
breathing space in this recently over stuffed genre. A solid
drummer and a tight recording boost this record to the top tiers of the
current crust/stenchcore scene. (Zack)
DYSTOPIA
- S/T LP
(Life is Abuse 040)
Ahh...
Another band who's gone forever and yet choose to tease me with a new
release. Behold! The self-titled and final(?) release by Dystopia
recorded a few years back. The music churns to a slo-deth filled with
phaser guitars and samples from here to eternity, while listening to
the lyrics has the feel of being drenched in our societies current
mental state: Self-loathing/drug dependency/all caught up in a
maelstrom of conflicting personalities... Basically it sounds like
Dystopia... which is never a bad thing. The lyric book is honestly one
of the best aspects of the packaging as it features some brutal
artwork! Every collage feels cold/distant/detached yet is very
demanding for you to look at every detail... seriously, dude-bro. 5 out
of 5 -Deterrorsean
THE ESTRANGED –Sacred Decay
7” (Dirtnap)
I knew I already liked this
record before I even listened to it, based soley on the cover
art. And let me make something known right now, I hate
art. I’m anti-art. I hate almost everything about
art, so I’m very picky when it comes to art. However, this
record cover is awesome. It’s so simple, but the tones and
the picture itself are just beautiful and they work so perfectly for
this band. I was totally taken by the artwork before I
realized that it was Mark from the band that made it. Good
fucking job! Now that I’ve over hyped it, you’ll probably
look at it and think to yourself, “What’s so great about this?” I don’t
know why I like it so much, but it works for me. Anyway, the
songs on this are even better than the first release. They’re
a little bit mellower with guitar solo effects, straight forward but
still gentle melodic punk and all that other good stuff that comes with
THE ESTRANGED. The tones are good and the song writing is yet
again intelligent, with perfect back up vocals at just the right
places. It hits the mark perfectly. The lyrics are good too,
and both songs seem to compliment each other, as in they both sound
very similar and it seems as if they’re supposed to go
together. I have a feeling I’m going to like this more than
any of their other releases, it worked great for me while I was frozen
in the haze of a severe fever recently. Also perfect for a rainy
day. This 7” will probably be hard to find soon so go grab
this gem as soon as you can. (Zack)
LORDS OF LIGHT/IRON LUNG - S/T 7" (Wretched
Witch 027)
Man
what an awesome find! Though released sometime ago, I can easily say
this is some of my favorite stuff that both of these bands have
released. Lords of Light keeps me guessing which route they shalf
traverese will it be their grindy sudden death attack or yet another of
pysch-rock (not nearly as much as on the "Electric Sun" LP) smirk
inducing lull. On the Iron Lung side you get the classic power of the
violence, honestly Iron Lung could pretty much rehash everything
they've done and it would still sound as good as the first time ever.
Major kill for the record is that it's a 45?! The music is already
short enough, just give me a solid 7 minutes each side! I'll stop
complaining now... 4 out of 5 - Deterrorsean
MALA SANGRE – Ride The Wind…
7” (Threat To Existence)
Here’s another fantastic
release from one of LA’s best punk/crust bands. This EP opens
with its title song Ride the Wind of Battle which I
personally think is pretty cheesy but the song itself rips some serious
fucking shit apart! Its main riff is a very melodic, metallic
rockin-punk punch in your face and Gus’s vocals deliver the knockout
one-two. The recording quality is top notch, and the artwork kicks ass
too. Very epic crust art cover, something I wouldn’t mind
having on a shirt if I wasn’t stupid enough to have forgotten to buy
one when I was in LA. Did that make sense? Anyways,
I first saw MALA SANGRE a few years ago in Portland at the now defunct
Back To Back café with TRAGEDY. I think they sorta jumped on
the show last minute and it was a great surprise. Glad to see them
still raging it up. This is heavy crust punk and it’s good as
hell so if you like that sort of thing and you’ve never heard them then
trust me, you’ll like it. And I’m always right too. (Zack)
MASSGRAVE – People Are the Problem
LP (Unrest Records)
This band pretty much
rules. Yeah, they may cheat on their d-beat and they may have
excessively juvenile corny ass lyrics but they fucking crush live and
that makes up for it. This is top notch thrash/crust/grind.
There’s a difference between metal grind and crust grind, and one of
those differences is that punks are just better at pretty much
everything, and punk are not idiots either. MASSGRAVE are a
bunch of crust as fuck punks that slay at thrashcore grind crust and
there’s really not much more I can say about them. For some
reason they get compared to NASEUA all the time but really it’s not
that close, although if you still like NASEUA you’ll probably like
MASSGRAVE too. The artwork on the cover is pretty awesome, in
fact its level of awesomeness is about equal to the music’s level of
awesomeness. It’s a bunch of mutant zombie punks ripping out
the guts and limbs from a bunch of normals. The record sleeve
is a full color collage of funny and entertaining photos of them
playing live/posing/smoking pot or doing some other silly
shit. MASSGRAVE doesn’t give a fuck about the current fad in
the punk scene to go back to “early 80’s hardcore” and other “light
punk” and the “hate on crust” bullshit trends. I love
MASSGRAVE. So does Pauls to the Wall. Man, that guy
really likes MASSGRAVE. I think I like them
better than him though. J/K!!! And Fuck the NY Giants too!
(Zack)
WORLD BURNS TO DEATH - Totalitarian Sodomy
LP (Hardcore Holocaust 036)
Well talk about a different appoarch for D-beat! Who would of thought
WBD would put out a concept album? Honestly, it has been sometime since
I last listened to WBD and their blistering D-beat nightmare known as
the "Sucking of the Missile Cock." So when I saw that this was
available I got all exicted and gitty for blown out vocals, catchy
choruses, haiku lyric format, etc. But instead I got a mixed bag of
praise and disdain. One incident of such unsure feelings was the album
cover itself or more should I say to whats on the back of the album.
Hands down, the WORST BAND PHOTO I have ever seen. This factor alone
almost made me regret purchasing Totalitarian Sodomy. The whole feel of
the photo feels forced and out of place and it doesn't help that it
takes up the entire back. Outside of that superficial reason this album
is probably one of the best punk recordings I've heard. The actual
music? Considerably slower a pretty steady mid-tempo beat with a-many
of crust n' roll parts as well as solos, a step a way from what I
wanted but some songs still keep true to the fast d-beat. Jumping back
to my concept album claim I feel that it really has in part due to the
longer-than-actual-lyrics-descriptive narrative of tyrants and
dictators and a breif summary of their terrible history on our world
and especially the people who suffered from their wrath. I feel like
this is a great aspect but also big blow to the album considering that
if the lyrics contained all/if not most the content present in these
narritives it would make this band simply amazing and not make it
appear to me like an after thought. But minus some of harsh words I
still like this album though if you are interested in checking WBD out
listen to some of their 7"'s or the aforementioned "Sucking of the
Missile Cock." 3 out of 5- Deterrorsean
Wake
Up Screaming #01 Winter-Spring Issue
Wow, something new from Eugene,OR! It's Wake Up Screaming: a collection
of stories, essays, and overall guide to the scene in Eugene. I really
liked this zine, not just for its awesome Neurosis cover, but because I
feel in the near future it could help give us Portlanders an idea of
what's happening to the south of us. Anyway the bulk of the magazine
touches a lot of issues love, the chronical of certain members of EF,
prison life/abolishment, the hey-days of fascist smashing, modern
slavery, the effect of losing a friend, and of course a writing class
paper about race identity and punk. And that is only half of the issue!
Anyway, I don't know how much this zine costs, but seeing that the zine
is fairly huge it's pretty much worth any punk price. If your
interested in checking the zine out mail: Wake Up Screaming/P.O. Box
3/Eugene,Or/97440 - Deterrorsean
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