sign in sign up
<<
Home , Chip Berlet, New Alliance Party

16430 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS July 26, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS THE RAINBOW COALITION AND spect for human rights

e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. July 26, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 16431 lence. Labor is not a "special interest." It is but is not an attempt to bait the organiza­ , Delaware, Georgia, , In­ a "legitimate interest" that we must support tion on the basis of its publicly-espoused po­ diana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, and protect. Thus, the NRC will continue to litical views. Michigan . Missis­ stand with the miners on strike in West Vir­ CURRENT NAP ACTIVITIES sippi, Montana, , New Jersey, New ginia and elsewhere, with the Eastern Air­ In May of 1985 the New Alliance Party Hampshire, (Albany, New York line workers, and with workers everywhere held a national funding convention in Chi­ City and Buffalo), North Carolina, Pennsyl­ who are fighting for economic justice. The cago. The significance of the event is vania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Ten­ NRC will also fight for a raise in the mini­ blurred by the fact that its own history nessee, Vermont and Washington, D.C. mum wage so that the poorest workers can dates the original founding of the New Alli­ FRED NEWMAN AND THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF work with dignity and a degree of economic ance Party as 1979. The chairperson elected security. NAP at the 1985 Chicago meeting was Emily The history of the New Alliance Party 10. The NRC supports a major "Invest Carter, an organizer from Jackson, Missis­ America" plan that involves the creative use sippi who joined the New Alliance Party in starts with a history of its primary theoreti­ and leveraging of workers' pension fund New York in 1981. She calls herself a cian, Dr. Fred Newman. In 1968 Newman monies. Pension funds are the largest and "former organizer, now therapist." and several followers formed "IF.... fastest growing source of capital formation. When the New Alliance Party moved its THEN", a political collective in New York There is approximately $2.3 trillion dollars national headquarters to Chicago, it came City. "IF.... THEN" prided itself on its an­ in pension funds-$1.5 trillion in private with a related "medical and therapeutic archistic and confrontational approach to funds, and about $800 billion in public pen­ center." In fact, wherever the New Alliance organizing and consciousness-raising. sion funds. Party has a major organizing effort under­ During the early 1970's Newman and his fol­ The NRC has put forth a plan to use 10 way, there is a related "therapy" group lowers established a group called Centers percent of public pension funds, $8 billion reaching out to persons with progressive for Change in . Centers for per year, over a ten year period-federally politics who are also seeking emotional or Change was characterized by a more secured, with a fair rate of return guaran­ psychological counseling. The therapy introspective approach to political organiz­ teed. That $8 billion will be leverated 5 groups use a technique they call "Social ing. CFC described itself as: times <$40 billion), and would generate $400 Therapy" or "Crisis Normalization" de­ " ... a collective of liberation centers in­ billion over a 10-year period to build afford­ signed to provide "immediate help for the cluding: a school for children, ages 3 to 7; a able housing, create small businesses, jobs everyday crisis situations that happen to ev­ community oriented therapeutic and dental and a broader tax base. Enough of excuses eryone." Both the political organization and clinic located in the Bronx; and a press and questions of, "Where's the money? the therapy institutes make a point to in­ operating out of the CFC of­ Where's the plan?" We have the money and volve persons of color, gay men and lesbians, fices. . . . Also, the Community Media the plan and, though political organization, and political radicals. Project; information service for the the NRC intends to increase the political Closely allied with the New Alliance Party people of the upper west side.... " will. is the Rainbow Alliance and the Rainbow While involved with CFC, Newman and HOW ARE WE DEVELOPING? Lobby. That the slogans of the New Alliance others in his circle began developing a To achieve these goals the NRC has en­ Party, Rainbow Alliance and the Rainbow unique perspective within the evolving gaged in specific programs. NRC organiza­ Lobby tend to reflect a progressive political theory of radical psychology. This move­ tions across the country have constantly framework is not questioned. Here for ex­ ment attracted attention and debate in pro­ fought racial and sexual discrimination ample are some of their slogans and issues: gressive circles; Newman, however, soon wherever it has occurred. Many state Rain­ Put teeth back into Civil Rights laws; branched off from the mainstream of the bow Coalitions have been in the forefront of Repeal Gramm-Rudman; radical psychology movement and eventual­ voter registration and political education ac­ Support the Fair Elections bill introduced ly developed a theory of "social therapy." tivities, bringing new voters to the polls. by Rep. John Conyers posing the Right's misuse of federal funds Labor Caucus of the Students for a Demo­ WHAT IS THE NEW ALLIANCE PARTY? for AIDS." cratic Society until SDS voted to The New Alliance Party describes itself as The New Alliance Party moved its nation­ expel LaRouche and his followers in 1969. a Black-led, women-led, multi-racial, pro-gay al headquarters to Chicago to be closer to The controversy inside SDS arose when the independent political organization. Its most Minister , The Rev. Jesse SDS Labor Caucus under LaRouche called outspoken critics call it an opportunistic po­ Jackson and Mayor Harold Washington, ac­ for support of striking members of New litical movement controlled by an unethical cording to NAP chairwoman Emily Carter. York City's teacher's union. A key union therapy cult whose white male guru once The office is located on Chicago's north side issue was opposition to community control led his followers into an affiliation with

. . - .. ~ . .. . - - . ~ - ' . -· July 26, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 16433 believe it was not known to Newman and his USING THE FBI TO HARASS DISSIDENTS and, failing that, attempts to undermine the followers when they first contacted NCLC a It was during the period that the New­ group and establish parallel organizations; few weeks after Operation Mop-up was de­ manites were involved with NCLC that Virulent and unprincipled attacks on crit­ clared a success by LaRouche. Furthermore, NCLC began to collect and disseminate in­ ics, including insults, agent-bating, threats physical assaults by NCLC members against telligence on progressive groups. It is well by attorneys and defamation lawsuits; critics were reported regularly well into documented that NCLC went on to provide A shared political strategy ; fundraisers still occur. In 1974, many former ment agencies. While documents released Re-writing of the group's political and or­ NCLC members report, they were still re­ under the Freedom of Information Act ganizational history to meet current needs; quired to take paramilitary training classes reveal that U.S. government agencies fre­ A closed and covert hierarchical internal led by fellow members. quently dismissed the material provided by structure that is not necessarily congruent The trigger for Operation Mop-up was a the NCLC, it was provided nonetheless. As with the public organizational structure; March, 1973 warning by NCLC to the Com­ early as February, 1974, NCLC representa­ and munist Party, USA to stop opposing the cre­ tives met with an official in the U.S. Depart­ Differentiation between internal in group ation by LaRouche of an alternative to the ment of Commerce to "provide substantial and external out-group reality, use of propa­ Black-led National Welfare Rights Organi­ evidence which would exonerate President ganda, and implementation of a "secret-soci­ zation which LaRouche denounced Nixon from Watergate charges," according ety" style-all markedly similar to that of a as being part of a "union-busting slave­ to a Commerce Department memorandum totalitarian movement. labor" alliance. LaRouche set up an alterna­ released under the Freedom of Information These similarities do not change the fact tive, the National Unemployed and Welfare Act. that LaRouchite philosophy is apparently Rights Organization . and, ac­ The Newmanites were at the center of the neo-fascist while Newmanite philosophy is cording to LaRouche, NCLC then sent dele­ first documented instance of NCLC collabo­ apparently left-progressive, but it does gations into public Communist Party meet­ ration with U.S. intelligence agencies. In mean that internally both groups have an ings, "demanding that this criminal behav­ 1974, several Newmanites in NCLC attempt­ authoritarian hierarchy whose existence is ior of the CP leadership"-that is, support ed to use the FBI to locate and spy on a denied, and both groups rely on psychologi­ for the original NWRO-"be openly dis­ former Newmanite who had left at the time cally-manipulative theories to control core cussed and voted down by the body assem­ of the NCLC Newmanite merger and taken members. Both groups match a cult para­ bled." his child with him. Jim Retherford had left digm and are far from democratic, despite Eyewitnesses recall this "discussion" usu­ the Newmanites citing psychological manip­ outward claims and appearances. ally consisted of primarily-white and young ulation among other reasons. His spouse, It is crucial to note the relationship of NCLC members standing up and disrupting Ann Green, remained in the organization LaRouche, Parente, and Newman during meetings of the primarily-Black and older and quite reasonably sought access to their the early 1970's in light of their subsequent NWRO with calls for a debate on La­ child. Green and Newmanite Harry Kresky, activities. All three white male political Rouche's charges against NWRO leaders an attorney, contacted the FBI and suggest­ leaders saw Marxist revolution through the until members of the audience were forced ed that Retherford was a former member of prism of ego-mania, and used psychological­ to physically drag the NCLC members out the Weatherman faction of SDS, had har­ ly manipulative techniques to enforce obedi­ of the meeting. These confrontations bored Weather Underground fugitives, and ence in the institutions they have built-in­ became formalized under Operation Mop- was in contact with Jane Alpert, a fugitive stitutions which sought political hegemony Up. . the FBI was particularly keen on locating. over other groups. When the Socialist Workers Party joined Supporters of Newman claim he was un­ All three groups share many elements of a in supporting the original Black-led NWRO, aware of the contact with the FBI. Howev­ totalitarian movement as outlined by Hanna they too were attacked by the predominant­ er, a former member of Newman's Centers Arendt in "The Origins of Totalitarianism." ly white NCLC supporters. While the Oper­ for Change who joined and left NCLC with In recent years there has been a revisionist ation Mop-Up attacks were officially ended Newman, and then later split with the New­ interpretation of Arendt's work, linking in late 1973 or early 1974, another campaign manites, recalls the FBI incident was widely nazism and communism as two sides of the of assaults was launched in 1974 against known within NCLC and the Newmanite same ideological coin, or claiming that all local rank-and-file leaders of the United faction. "The CFC [Centers for Change/ communist or Marxist movements are to­ Autoworkers and other industrial unions. Newmanitel people for the most part stuck talitarian, or that only nazi and communist Reports of these assaults continued through together while in the NCLC . . . denying ideologies can become totalitarian. Arendt 1976, and NCLC members have continued Fred Newman knew about the communica­ specifically repudiates this simplistic inter­ until recently to assist in assaults on mem­ tions with the FBI is utterly absurd." pretation of her work when she writes " ... bers of Teamsters for a Democratic Union THE INTERNATIONAL WORKERS PARTY ideologies of the nineteenth century are not and another rank-and-file Teamster reform After leaving the NCLC, Newman formed in themselves totalitarian," and that al­ group, PROD. the International Workers Party (!WP). though fascism and communism became In 1974, according to former NCLC mem­ The Newmanite document issued upon their "the decisive ideologies of the twentieth bers, LaRouche first began to seek contact leaving NCLC and establishing the Interna­ century they were not, in principle, any with extremist and anti-Semitic right-wing tional Workers Party re-affirms a commit­ 'more totalitarian' than others." According groups and individuals around the idea of ment to carry out current and future joint to Arendt, the ideological victory of fascism tactical unity in opposing imperialism and work with the LaRouche organization. The and communism over other twentieth centu­ the ruling class in general, and the Rocke­ charge of a direct and ongoing LaRouche ry belief structures was "decided before the fellers in particular. LaRouche's obsession connection to the Newmanites, however, ap­ totalitarian movements took hold of precise­ with conspiracy theories blossomed in 1974, pears to be speculation-no credible reports ly these ideologies" as a vehicle for seizing and during this period he began expounding of a direct connection between Newman and and holding state power. a view linking certain Jewish institutions to LaRouche since the mid-1970's have been A totalitarian movement is correctly de­ a plot to destroy Western civilization and documented, and it is unlikely that any such fined by its style, structure and methods, usher in a "New Dark Age". relationship exists today. not by its stated or apparent ideology. This is the character of the NCLC that at­ MANIPULATIVE AND CONFRONTATIONAL THE INTELLECTUAL VANGUARD tracted Newman and his followers in early In many ways the theory, ideology, strate­ The early theoretical writings of La­ 1974. In his 1974 book "Power and Author­ gy, tactics, and internal organizing practices Rouche and the early and current theoreti­ ity," Newman wrote that his followers of the LaRouchites and the Newmanites are cal writings of Newman reflect a derivative would "organize in the spirit outlined" by very similar: and the "Some people are fooled, especially the It is difficult to resolve the issue of psy­ "organic" members (primarily people of uneducated or emotionally ill, they use chological manipulation because there are color>. According to King, the primarily­ them. It is disgusting. They don't care about undoubtedly NAP supporters who are sin­ white intellectual vanguard trained by people-they want numbers: more money, cere and genuine in their beliefs and have Newman through "therapy" is in the proc­ more people, more power. The social ther­ no connection to the Newmanities, the IWP ess of using "therapy" to raise the con­ apy is just an excuse to recruit members. It nor the Social Therapy Institutes. Still, sciousness of the primarily Black and Latino is just like their many other activities, con­ most of the functional core leadership of recruits so that some day in the future they certs, rallies, they are active in many areas, NAP has a connection to the Therapy Insti­ will have the wherewithal to actually lead but they accomplish nothing." tutes and the Newmanite political philoso­ the organization ... but not yet. King has Certainly it is legitimate as part of psy­ phy. Ultimately the question of psychologi­ described this as "paternalistic racism." chological counseling to recommend that a cal manipulation, cultism and cult of per­ person become involved directly in the com­ sonality can only be resolved by each person INSTITUTES FOR SOCIAL THERAPY munity-even to the extent of becoming who comes into contact with NAP on the Dr. Fred Newman's doctorate is not in a part of a political movement. But for a pa­ basis of the individual practice and process health-related field, but in the philosophy tient to know the therapist is involved in a observed, and within the framework of one's of science and foundations of mathematics. particular political movement is to con­ own sensitivity to and wariness about cult­ For several years psychologists and groups sciously or unconsciously steer the patient, ism. concerned about cults have questioned the who is in a dependent and fragile relation­ ethics of the process used by the Institutes ship with the therapist, toward that politi­ OPPORTUNISM for Social Therapy. These criticisms are cal movement. This error is compounded by One example of what critics call the polit­ crystallized in the following statement by the fact that, according to several Therapy ical opportunism of the N ewmanites and an East Coast Latina activist workqig in the Institute staff members, a portion of the the New Alliance Party is their continuing area of support for Central Americans: fees for the therapy go to support the world effort to imply a connection with Rev. Jesse "I first came into contact with the Social of the New Alliance Party. Jackson and the Rainbow Coalition. For in­ Therapy Institutes through a friend who Therapy centers with ties to the New Alli­ stance the Newmanites have established in . . . said there was a group that offered ance Party include the following locations Washington, D.C. the "Rainbow Lobby" therapy for people with progressive views, listed in the November 27, 1987 issue of the billed as "The Lobbying Office of the Rain­ so I went to see what they offered. National Alliance; bow Alliance." The Rainbow Lobby has of­ "I was told everybody has problems, New York: Harlem Institute for Social fices at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., which is true everyone does, but they use Therapy and Research; Bronx Institute for and lists Nancy Ross as Executive Director that as an excuse to recruit people. People Social Therapy and Research: South Bronx and Tamara Weinstein as Assistant Direc­ with emotional problems think they are Annex; West Side Social Therapy Network; tor. going to be helped but they don't help East Side Center for Short Term Therapy: The Rainbow Lobby office has been fre­ people. Brooklyn Institute for Social Therapy and quently mistaken for the Washington office "Before or after the therapy session, they Research; Long Island Institute for Social of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, a mis­ would say "why not sell the newspaper or Therapy and Research. take that in the past, NAP leadership seems maybe you could do us a favor and hand out Massachusetts; Boston Institute for Social to have gone out of its way not to clarify. these leaflets. The therapy offices are full Therapy and Research. Newspaper articles have appeared about of their political propaganda. In the group Illinois: Chicago Center for Crisis Normal­ NAP's Rainbow Lobby in which throughout, therapy sometimes we discussed politics and ization. the reporter assumes the Rainbow Coali­ their political party. They want people to California: Los Angeles Center for Crisis tion-a circumstance NAP leadership could get involved in their political activities, but Normalization. have easily avoided by explaining upfront they don't really give any treatment. This Pennsylvania: Social Therapy Associates. that the two groups are unrelated. was something I didn't like. Washington, D.C.: Washington Center for Jackson has had to publicly distance him­ "Some people get involved because they Crisis Normalization. self and the Rainbow Coalition from NAP think the political work will help them get Mississippi: Jackson Center for Crisis Nor­ and its Rainbow Alliance and Rainbow better emotionally. They told us societal malization. Lobby on several occasions. Most recently problems are making people ill and the New New Jersey: New Jersey Center for Crisis Jackson told Chicago Sun-Times reporter Alliance Party is going to change things so Normalization. Basil Talbot that "we have no relationship people will get better. at all." "They got angry with me when I asked for CULTISM In the June 21, 1985 issue of the National individual therapy. 'You need group ther­ Chicago-based political consultant Don Alliance, an article on the Rainbow Alliance apy not individual therapy, I was told so I Rose summed up the feelings of some NAP shows how artfully the question of a rela­ left. Then they started sending me litera­ critics when he told Chicago Sun-Times col­ tionship has been dodged in the past: ture about their political organizations. umnist Basil Talbot that NAP "is a left "Hostile critics and curious allies are for­ "In the literature and in the therapy ses­ group with the modus of a cult." Talbot ever saying to Nancy Ross, "Does Jesse sions they try to destroy any other left or­ noted that critics call NAP the "LaRouchies Jackson support what you're doing? ganization by saying bad things about it. of the Left." Several cult watchdog groups "Ross, who heads the Washington office They also destroy a progressive organization list the Newmanities as a cult, other critics of the Rainbow Alliance Confederation's by recruiting away its members. say the core of the cult is the Therapy Insti­ lobbying arm, has learned how to respond "They call themselves Leftists but they tute, while a few critics think the entire to such inquiries. use the dialectic method just to recruit NAP movement displays cult aspects. Those "The point is not whether Jesse Jackson people. When you get involved there is no that say the Newmanite movement is totali­ supports me, but whether I support Jesse dialectic, it is static, they don't progress tarian in style feel the word cult is superflu­ Jackson," says Ross, a founder of the six­ beyond the criticism of the other group. ous, since totalitarian groups by definition­ year-old independent New Alliance Party, They have no real program, they just say 'if enforce a high level of blind loyalty and un­ and candidate for Jackson delegate in you are not with NAP you are the enemy'. questioning obedience. Harlem in 1984. "And I support Jesse com­ They raise a lot of money by saying they As early as 1977, journalist Dennis King pletely because of the social vision he has raise a lot of money by saying they are was writing of the cult-like nature of the articulated on behalf of the Rainbow move­ doing all these things, but they are a fraud. Newmanities, and interviewed Frank Tou­ ment. Yes, I have real differences with "It is not true that there is no pressure to chet, a New New York professional psy­ Jesse-he thinks independent politics is work with the New Alliance Party when you chotherapist who studies therapy cults such 'prophetic' whereas I believe its time has are in the therapy. They tell you if you are as the Reichians and the Sullivanians. After come right now-but I won't allow anyone working with them you will feel good. I said studying the therapy group which forms to sever the historic ties between Jesse and 'I need help, I need individual therapy'. In­ the core of Newman's followers, Tochet con­ myself, because I am committed to see that stead they had me assisting them in the cluded: his vision of a just society be brought about group therapy sessions. "What you are dealing with is people who today." "They don't like it if you pay a low fee have been criminally tampered with in the While admittedly clever, the above expla­ and don't work for them politically, such as deepest fibers of their being, and who have nation is essentially a dishonest misrepre­ doing propaganda work for the New Alli­ descended into a strange childlike world of sentation of the facts, designed to confuse ance Party. If you pay more, you get a dependency, in which the rational functions the issue and suggest a connection where better work position in the organization. If of the ego are relinquished completely to none exists. The confusion over support July 26, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 16435 from Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow Coali­ of the Public Eye Network>. and tow re­ I'm worried about what they are doing in tion is exacerbated by how the New Alliance searchers who often work closely together, Mississippi." Party describes itself. The February 13, 1987 Ken Lawrence of Mississippi and Dan Stem A long-time gay activist in California edition of the National Alliance newspaper of Illinois. In 1985 Ken Lawrence and Dan voiced similar concerns to the author after contained a centerfold spread with the Stem provided information on NAP to NAP sponsored a gay rights conference in multi-color slogan "The Real Rainbow" Charles Tisdale, publisher of the Jackson that state. He feared the NAP wanted to du­ spanning the two pages. A letter on New Al­ Advocate newspaper in Mississippi. Tisdale plicate the work of existing gay organiza­ liance Party stationery to gay activists on ran a series of articles critical of Newman tions as a way to build credibility and re­ the west coast had the slogan "The Party of and NAP in the Advocate, which for many cruit new members for the NAP. the Rainbow." A petition calling for an in­ years has served as a voice for Black resi­ A woman activist in New York told the dependent Black Presidential campaign was dents in the area. author of a call she received from a friend titled "An Open Letter To Reverend Jesse In reponse to the Advocate articles, NAP in England complaining of disruptive activi­ Jackson." embarked on a smear campaign against its ties by a NAP organizer who attended func­ Ironically, in a 1983 issue of the Newman­ critics-a tactic it frequently employs. An tions of a women's peace group. Disruption ite theoretical journal Practice, Newman at­ article by William Pleasant in NAP's. Na­ has been a hallmark of NAP organizing for tacked Jesse Jackson and Jackson's progres­ tional Alliance newspaper attacked Tisdale, sive supporters in strong terms: years, and reports of this nature have been Lawrence, Stem and Berlet. A photograph consistently surfaced over the year from a "The U.S. ultra-Left has traditionally suf­ of Tisdale which, however, has ing place for agents." sive electoral party which once ran Dr. Ben­ dealt mainly with the symptoms of the dis­ The same article claims that Dennis King jamin Spock for President. In early 1978, ac­ ease by essentially helping the 'client' to and Chip Berlet have shown "a willingness cording to a former People's Party organiz­ feel more comfortable masturbating. Hence, to relent on their earlier false and sectarian er, the People's Party "expelled the New­ some of the rectified ultra-left-for example charges of La-Rouche affiliation of cult­ manite when it was uncovered that they supporters of 'Jesse Jackson, Democrat'­ ism."