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Singapore On The Sound

ETS!,

Just when the whole Singapore fracas was starting to die down, along comes the worst fawning editorial yet. It's in the Puget Sound Business Journal for April 17, by J. Tayloe Washburn, who just happerns to be an attorney for--who ever would thunk it--Foster, Pepper & Shefelman, and Chair of the Seattle/KC Economic Development Council.

He fawns over Singapore's "remarkable accomplishments," and how they provide "a powerful reminder of the benefits that come from coordinated, sustained, fully funded regional planning efforts." Among other benefits, people who disagree with the Chamber of Commerce types get thrown in jail. What a country.

In comparing the decison-making process of Singapore and Seattle, Washburn notes that "a very noticeable difference lies in the process and time taken to make major decisions (you're kidding! Democracy and fascism are different?!). Singapore's form of benevolent authoritarianism (benevolent for whom doesn't seem to be a question that occurs to our Mr. Washburn) emphasizes technical excellence in planning (unlike our weak technical abilities, which have only produced Boeing and Microsoft) with limited public input (i.e. anyone who wants to be part of the public process, and is stupid enough to say so, gets thrown in jail).

"Once a decision is reached, the decision is final and, generally speaking, not subject to any further delays or public appeals process." If Singapore were implementing our RTA, they probably would have thrown Mayor Schell in jail for daring to try to revisit already-set plans.

Come to think of it, maybe there is something to be said for Singapore-style governance....

But that's not all the good news. Fortunately, in King County, the Seattle-KC Economic Development Council, led by Washburn, is developing--and planning to implement--a countywide economic development plan. What? You hadn't heard about this? Well, of course you hadn't--this is being brought to us, for our own good, by the Singapore crowd.

And no, you're not invited.

--Seybold Powers, Seattle

Gustafsen Lake!

Dear ETS! Readers,

As you may know, the Native Youth Movement in Canada is currently in its fourth day [as of 4-21--eds.] of "re-occupying" the offices of the British Columbia Treaty Commission (BCTC). The Free Wolverine Campaign stands in solidarity with the Native Youth Movement against colonialism, and hopes that you will join in resistance to our common enemy. The NYM's courageous action is the most recent attempt of the Native Sovereignty Movement to defend the unsurrendered Indian land of "British Columbia" against the land-hungry police-state labor-exploiting machines we call Canada and America--the same machines that attempted to massacre Wolverine, O.J. Pitawanakwat, and other sisters and brothers during a 1995 sacred Sundance ceremony.

During the summer of 1995, a Sundance ceremony was held on sacred, unceded Indian land in Shuswap Nation territory. The land is called Ts'peten (pronounced "Chuh-pet-tin, also known as "Gustafsen Lake"), located near the town of 100 Mile House. In an attempt to terminate this assertion of Native sovereignty, and to send a message to all Natives who would resist the land-theft policies of the transnational corporations in North Amerikkka, Canada and its twin-oppressor, the USA, attempted a genocidal massacre of the 21 Sundancers.

Gustafsen Lake was the largest paramilitary action ever in the history of Canada--77,000 rounds of ammunition were fired at the Ts'peten Defenders! The invasion included the RCMP; Canada's secret police and national military; armed, white fascists; the U.S. FBI; and a massive media "smear and disinformation" campaign. Miraculously, nobody was killed. In Sept. 1995 the Defenders voluntarily walked out of their encampment.

In July 1997, thirteen Defenders were sentenced to prison. Of the Defenders still imprisoned, two maintained the "no jurisdiction" argument, which asserts that because the Shuswap Nation is sovereign, Canada cannot legally interfere in Shuswap affairs: Wolverine, a 67-year old Shuswap elder; and "O.J." Pitawanakwat, an Anishinabe/Odawa warrior. Because of Wolverine and O.J.'s continuing resistance, and their refusal to surrender the struggle of the Native Sovereignty Movement, they are caged as political prisoners. Their appeal is expected to be heard by the Canadian "just-us" system this summer.

We hope that you'll support the Native Sovereignty Movement by getting involved in the struggle to free Wolverine and O.J.

In Solidarity,

--The Seattle Office of the Free Wolverine Campaign 206-233-7982; tspeten@aol.com; http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/FWC/main.html

G.P. comments: Support for B.C.'s First Nations peoples, including the Gustafsen Lake defendants, is a widespread and vital movement. In much of Western and Northern Canada imposition of Euro-culture happened within living memory. Between alcohol, snowmobiles, environmental destruction, bureaucracy, and satellite dishes, the effect has been devastating. As usual, it's all about land, money, and greed.

That said: I can't be the only one with a kkknee-jerkkk reaction every time a leftie inserts superfluous k's in their rhetoric, or throws around words like "genocide" (of 21 people?) without including the information that backs it up. Put simply, such language says: "We're fanatics. Avoid us." This kind of thick rhetoric, even when true, tunes out everyone except the choir. It's a real shame, especially on deserving issues like this one.

Peltier!

ETS!,

Leonard Peltier has a parole hearing next month. In the past he has been denied parole, because he has consistently denied guilt in the deaths of the federal agents killed at Pine Ridge. It is unlikely that that will change. A petition for commutation of his sentence was submitted to the Justice Department five years ago. Although such petitions are usually either approved or denied in five to eight months, there's been no word one way or the other in all that time. t.

On May 9, there will be a rally to fight racism co-sponsored by the Anti-Racist Emergency Action Network and the NW Leonard Peltier Support Network at the State Capitol in Olympia, and on May 16th a rally in support of tribal sovereignty and justice for Leonard Peltier on the Seattle Waterfront. If you can't come to either of those--or even if you can-- contact Murray, Gorton the fish-man, Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, and president@whitehouse.gov and demand freedom and justice for Leonard Peltier!

--Tom A, Tacoma

Revolutionary Chic

ETS!,

Re: Designer Marxism, in your last issue. The new "designer" edition of Communist Manifesto reminds me of the "revolutionary chic" of Seattle's own new nightclub, ARO-space. If you haven't already heard, ARO stands for Art and Revolution Organization. I went the other night and had a great time dancing but it sure didn't even make me feel like a revolutionary. The real irony is that the second annual Art & Revolution Convergence is coming up May 15-18 (contact Cascadia Art & Revolution, 206-632-2954) and I have a funny feeling ARO-space has nothing to do with it.

--Charles Rosenberg, Seattle

Sweet Home Whatcom County

ETS!,

I'm really enjoying "Eat the State!" I'd like to write in to reinforce your message in the last issue we received: that race problems are not endemic to the South only. Last summer when I was in Birmingham I came to understand just what a segregated society the Pacific NW is, and how unfortunate that is.

--Charlie Brown, Sumas, Wash.