Capitalism and Gardens
While I can't speak for the other occupations that are mushrooming all over the world (think about that for a moment), the most important aspect of Occupy Philly, and the hardest to express through the media, is our sense of community. We have established for ourselves what our society has failed to provide for many of us-- food, medical assistance, education, to name a few. All of this is provided at no cost, no question.
To me, this is the most profound form of protest emerging from these occupations--community self-reliance.
Of course, still existing quite literally in the middle of a capitalist metropolis, we are still dependent on the donations of others--both monetary and material, which holds fast our bind to this society's financial infrastructure. But this is a bond we are thinning slowly, day by day.
To me, what this movement needs to acknowledge is that rampant capitalism (aka accepted, unchecked, human greed) is quickly destroying the earth, and all of its inhabitants.
- Because of capitalism (ie the ability for a few people to gain unregulated amounts of wealth), we refuse to seriously research efficient alternative energies because a few rich people can still profit off of whatever oil and coal is left in the earth. This greed is why we have decided to claim the Middle East as our own; it's why we are cutting up mountains that were once national treasures. Our unwillingness to seriously develop alternative energies such as geothermal, tidal and wind energies, and thorium as nuclear fuel, is perhaps the largest atrocity perpetrated against the earth and all of its creatues, especially when we consider how much money and brain power is poured into our military (which is, at this point, nothing more than a resource-stealing international bully). 60% of the 2012 federal budget has been allocated for military spending. Our government funded the atomic bomb, for christ sake. I refuse to believe that we don't have the funds to explore these energy alternatives when we were able to front the bill for THAT insane monster. Put the same dollars and geniuses to alternative energies and the result could eternally benefit our planet and its inhabitants.
- Because of capitalism, we have somehow found justification in paying some human, even a child, dollars a day to make our clothes, toys, gadgets and shoes, most of which are completely unnecessary. Capitalism is also the reason these products are sold to us for hundreds of times the cost of labor. What we are actually paying for (when we buy our Saphora makeup, iphones, or our Urban Outfitters jeans) is the companies' advertising, which means we are essentially paying for the their means of convincing us that we need what they're selling--does that make sense?
- Because of capitalism, our children have become nothing but a consumer demographic. And because of capitalism, someone else's child and 32,000 others, died today from starvation or preventable disease.
- Because of capitalism, we have turned agriculture into industry, which has severed one of the most profound connections we has humans depend on: our connection with the earth that sustains us. Our fruit and vegetables come from thousands of miles away; they are grown with poisons and practices that are physically, economically and culturally damaging to the environment and communities that grow and harvest them for us.
- Because of capitalism, nearly all of the animals that we use for food, clothing, experimentation and entertainment, know nothing but suffering. Amidst "developed nation" abundance, I can find no justification for the consumption of animals or any of their byproducts.
- Because of capitalism, the creative expression-- one of the most profound phenomenons of our species-- has been deformed into empty, elitist art for the 1% and mindless music, nothing more than background noise for flashy product placement.
- People often think that a critique of capitalism is automatically a praise for socialism/communism/whatever. I am not supporting any already formulated ism, I am just observing the state of the world as it is run by capitalist incentive.
It's no coincidence or surprise that the only recorded instance of Jesus of Nazareth acting violently was toward money changers (i.e. modern bankers) in the temple. (Also note that this was closely followed by the betrayal of Judas).
So this is what I am thinking: total community self-reliance. More specifically, the education of self-reliance to as many people as possible. Because, in my mind, collapse is inevitable. The early stages of capitalism developed out of the turmoil of the dark ages. It replaced feudalism, which was something that needed replacing. But now we are in turmoil again. We, as Americans, may not think that, but that is because we are on the easy end of our country's relationship with the rest of the world. We, as a country, like capitalism because we're on the receiving end of the consumer trail. If we lived almost anywhere else in the world, we would see the unfathomable human, non-human, environmental, cultural costs that are required to keep our little kingdom fat and happy. Capitalism had it's fun. It's time for something that works for more than just our CEOs and money changers (What Would Jesus Do, everybody?)
In terms of self-reliance, the best place to start is food (probably water, actually, but I'm going to need to make some more scientific friends before I can wrap my head around that mountain of a thought). Our food doesn't need to come from Central America (history lesson: wiki United Fruit Company), Mexico, Holland, or New Zealand. It doesn't even need to come from California, not when our very own city is full of empty lots, growing weeds (some edible, but that's another note).
Growing our own food has many profound benefits. Here are just a few I can think of:
- Growing our own food is political action. It is an act of independence and an act of defiance
- Growing our own food removes our role in an industry that is environmentally, economically and culturally devastating to much of the world
- Growing our own food reconnects us to the planet that sustains us
- Growing our own food builds community
- Growing our own food means we are eating less processed crap that is of little or no nutritional content
- Growing our own food means the food we prepare is going to taste AMAZING
- Growing our own food is cheaper
During the next few months we need to decide where to grow, what to grow, and what structures to build. We need a lot of help with this-- knowledge and muscle. Anyone who knows anything about growing food, finding land, building things, medicinal herbs, composting, hydroponics, organic gardening, is a needed ally. Anyone who can pull weeds, till soil, use a hammer is a needed friend.
More to come on all of this latter. Food for thought. Please let me know if you feel I am totally off base.
Why I am Here
October 10, 2011 at 10:44am
For the past four days, I have been living at City Hall in Philadelphia with a few thousand people during the day, and a few hundred people at night. A lot of the coverage I have been hearing about these numerous occupations has reported an inability to organize and a lack of focus. I can understand that coming from people looking at us from across the street or through the television. But why don't you just come over and take a look around?
We have medics and legal aid. We have food being made for all who live at city hall nearly around the clock. We have a growing library and free classes. Everyday, people with tears in their eyes, have thanked me for being here because they are unable to. We are not unorganized. We are growing, and learning every day. In a society that seems to more and more encourage people to keep to themselves, we are doing a damn fine job trying to hear what everyone has to say.
"So what's your message, then?" People ask us this question like there's only one problem the world is facing. People ask us this like we're some political party that has been around for years--like we're suddenly expected to know what a million other dissenting people all across the country and world are thinking. We don't. Not yet. That's why we're doing this. Ask us in three weeks.
Each day we are learning more and more about what we have in common, what we wanted changed in the world, and how we can accomplish that.
And while I'm pretty sure that most of my brothers and sisters would find some resonance in why I am subjecting myself to weather that's only going to get colder and wetter, I cannot say why each individual is with us. You know who I can speak for? Myself.
This is why I am here:
I want people to stop dying because of my country.
Is that too simple?
Okay.
I want people to stop dying because our society (not just America) has an oil addiction, and my country's government would rather play puppet master with the Middle East and build a horrendous pipeline from Canada to Texas than try and kick the habit. The oil is finite and quickly dwindling. This world is going to become a MUCH harder place if we don't start HUGELY funding oil alternatives research.
I want people to stop dying because they can't afford the medicine they need to stay alive.
We have an unnatural obsession with our stuff, and this obsession is infecting the entire world.
I want people to stop living and dying for the size of their house, and the shit they can put in it. I don't want children and adults in China, Mexico, Indonesia and so many other countries, making the shit that goes in our houses for pennies an hour.
I want to be able to purchase items I need without contributing to this problem--I want to be paying for someone's labor, not for a corporation's ad campaigns and CEO pensions.
I want my generation to have a future. I want a cancellation of all student debt.
I want my fellow Americans to realize their role in the suffering that is taking place all over the world.
I want lobbyists out of Washington DC.
I want my food to come from where I live. I don't want bell peppers from Holland or tomatoes from Mexico in January. If that means no more guacamole, that's fine with me.
I want my country to own up to and reverse its role as global tyrant. I don't want 60% of my country's budget to be going towards military when schools, libraries and hospitals are being shut down.
I want my children to be born into a world I am proud to give them.
Yes, we're going to get smelly, and cranky, and cold, and probably sick, and probably arrested. I don't care. There is too much at stake. Things are going to get a lot harder before they get easier. Patience and strength--that is what we need.
I love you all,
Bri
Why I am Here
October 10, 2011 at 10:44am
For the past four days, I have been living at City Hall in Philadelphia with a few thousand people during the day, and a few hundred people at night. A lot of the coverage I have been hearing about these numerous occupations has reported an inability to organize and a lack of focus. I can understand that coming from people looking at us from across the street or through the television. But why don't you just come over and take a look around?
We have medics and legal aid. We have food being made for all who live at city hall nearly around the clock. We have a growing library and free classes. Everyday, people with tears in their eyes, have thanked me for being here because they are unable to. We are not unorganized. We are growing, and learning every day. In a society that seems to more and more encourage people to keep to themselves, we are doing a damn fine job trying to hear what everyone has to say.
"So what's your message, then?" People ask us this question like there's only one problem the world is facing. People ask us this like we're some political party that has been around for years--like we're suddenly expected to know what a million other dissenting people all across the country and world are thinking. We don't. Not yet. That's why we're doing this. Ask us in three weeks.
Each day we are learning more and more about what we have in common, what we wanted changed in the world, and how we can accomplish that.
And while I'm pretty sure that most of my brothers and sisters would find some resonance in why I am subjecting myself to weather that's only going to get colder and wetter, I cannot say why each individual is with us. You know who I can speak for? Myself.
This is why I am here:
I want people to stop dying because of my country.
Is that too simple?
Okay.
I want people to stop dying because our society (not just America) has an oil addiction, and my country's government would rather play puppet master with the Middle East and build a horrendous pipeline from Canada to Texas than try and kick the habit. The oil is finite and quickly dwindling. This world is going to become a MUCH harder place if we don't start HUGELY funding oil alternatives research.
I want people to stop dying because they can't afford the medicine they need to stay alive.
We have an unnatural obsession with our stuff, and this obsession is infecting the entire world.
I want people to stop living and dying for the size of their house, and the shit they can put in it. I don't want children and adults in China, Mexico, Indonesia and so many other countries, making the shit that goes in our houses for pennies an hour.
I want to be able to purchase items I need without contributing to this problem--I want to be paying for someone's labor, not for a corporation's ad campaigns and CEO pensions.
I want my generation to have a future. I want a cancellation of all student debt.
I want my fellow Americans to realize their role in the suffering that is taking place all over the world.
I want lobbyists out of Washington DC.
I want my food to come from where I live. I don't want bell peppers from Holland or tomatoes from Mexico in January. If that means no more guacamole, that's fine with me.
I want my country to own up to and reverse its role as global tyrant. I don't want 60% of my country's budget to be going towards military when schools, libraries and hospitals are being shut down.
I want my children to be born into a world I am proud to give them.
Yes, we're going to get smelly, and cranky, and cold, and probably sick, and probably arrested. I don't care. There is too much at stake. Things are going to get a lot harder before they get easier. Patience and strength--that is what we need.
I love you all,
Bri
We have medics and legal aid. We have food being made for all who live at city hall nearly around the clock. We have a growing library and free classes. Everyday, people with tears in their eyes, have thanked me for being here because they are unable to. We are not unorganized. We are growing, and learning every day. In a society that seems to more and more encourage people to keep to themselves, we are doing a damn fine job trying to hear what everyone has to say.
"So what's your message, then?" People ask us this question like there's only one problem the world is facing. People ask us this like we're some political party that has been around for years--like we're suddenly expected to know what a million other dissenting people all across the country and world are thinking. We don't. Not yet. That's why we're doing this. Ask us in three weeks.
Each day we are learning more and more about what we have in common, what we wanted changed in the world, and how we can accomplish that.
And while I'm pretty sure that most of my brothers and sisters would find some resonance in why I am subjecting myself to weather that's only going to get colder and wetter, I cannot say why each individual is with us. You know who I can speak for? Myself.
This is why I am here:
I want people to stop dying because of my country.
Is that too simple?
Okay.
I want people to stop dying because our society (not just America) has an oil addiction, and my country's government would rather play puppet master with the Middle East and build a horrendous pipeline from Canada to Texas than try and kick the habit. The oil is finite and quickly dwindling. This world is going to become a MUCH harder place if we don't start HUGELY funding oil alternatives research.
I want people to stop dying because they can't afford the medicine they need to stay alive.
We have an unnatural obsession with our stuff, and this obsession is infecting the entire world.
I want people to stop living and dying for the size of their house, and the shit they can put in it. I don't want children and adults in China, Mexico, Indonesia and so many other countries, making the shit that goes in our houses for pennies an hour.
I want to be able to purchase items I need without contributing to this problem--I want to be paying for someone's labor, not for a corporation's ad campaigns and CEO pensions.
I want my generation to have a future. I want a cancellation of all student debt.
I want my fellow Americans to realize their role in the suffering that is taking place all over the world.
I want lobbyists out of Washington DC.
I want my food to come from where I live. I don't want bell peppers from Holland or tomatoes from Mexico in January. If that means no more guacamole, that's fine with me.
I want my country to own up to and reverse its role as global tyrant. I don't want 60% of my country's budget to be going towards military when schools, libraries and hospitals are being shut down.
I want my children to be born into a world I am proud to give them.
Yes, we're going to get smelly, and cranky, and cold, and probably sick, and probably arrested. I don't care. There is too much at stake. Things are going to get a lot harder before they get easier. Patience and strength--that is what we need.
I love you all,
Bri
Why I WeGot Arrested--hardly eloquent, mostly just honest
October 25, 2011 at 10:44am
We marched on National Police Brutality Awareness Day. I was not planning to get arrested when I woke up on Saturday. I wasn't even planning on getting arrested when we started marching towards the police station. The success of the sit-in was how naturally it happened.
The demands came from a long session of peoples' mic Saturday night. It's a beautiful document that emerged out of people simply saying out loud what they needed and wanted from this action. Please read them: http://occupyphillymedia.org/content/statement-occupiers-protesting-police-brutality
I saw real love that night. People I didn't know where running food for us, getting packs of cigarettes and endless cups of coffee. People brought cardboard and blankets and hats and gloves. Four beautiful people actually ran a twenty foot long canopy tent from City Hall down Market St, up 8th, just for us. I will never forget that image, running, smiling, in the middle of the night. The white canopy was blazing orange from the street lights, like a freaking chariot of fire.
We were arrested at noon on Sunday. When it came down to it, we told them we'd get up it they only made a public apology for their department's past wrongs, and they couldn't do it. That was all we were asking for when armed police circled us with their bikes.
Some of our fellow occupiers who didn't get arrest stayed outside the headquarters the entire time-- cheering for us until their voices were gone, making phone calls, talking to media, doing everything they could.
We were in there for fourteen hours. I want to make something clear real quick. My time in jail was pie. Yeah, it was uncomfortable, yeah we were hungry and thirsty, and I'm pretty sure most of us were beat when we got out. But that is nothing compared to what most prisoners experience. Bradley Manning was in solitary confinement for over a year. All he did was tell the truth. When we got out at 2am, we were embraced by friends formed in solidarity.
I've never been arrested before. At first I was scared, and then I realized why we were there, the weight behind our actions, and my personal convictions washed over any fear I may have had.
We are told in school that America is the, "Land of the Free." I grew up, however, and realized how blatant of a lie that is. As of 2009, the United states as an incarceration rate of 743 per 100,000 people. The number has since grown larger and prisons are expanding in frightening ways. Philadelphia is shutting schools down while $400,000,000 is going in to Philadelphia prison expansion. I mean, 25% of the world's incarcerated population is incarcerated in American prisons. 25%! Isn't that number deeply troubling? Most of these inmates are in for nonviolent, or victimless crime.
Cops play a big role in our country's incarceration epidemic. They feed this system arrest by arrest. They can stop as individuals with conscience, but most of me doubts that that would happen on their own accord.
Private contractors and governments keep building these prisons, privatizing them, and it scares the hell out of me. When incarcerating people becomes a business, a decrease in inmates is bad business. Who are they going to start coming after? The War on Drugs has been an utter failure for everyone except those in the prison business.
America is a fucking bully, and people need to own up to that. We royally screw over most of the world, and most of our own population, to boot. I don't want to be so miserably ashamed of my country. Right now I am. Right now, America makes me sick to my stomach. We do nothing but steal resources and land and we expect thanks in return.
I mean, no wonder our country works so hard to make sure its population stays so stupid (little education funding, oodles of entertainment)-- if people learned what this country has been doing NON STOP for the past two hundred years, they would FLIP THEIR SHIT. No decent human being could be given the numbers of lives, lakes, species, mountains, nations we've ruined for our own monetary benefit and be okay with it. OF COURSE THEY'RE NOT FUNDING OUR EDUCATION. They're too afraid of the consequences.
People need to wake up. People need to remember what it feels like to learn something. We need to brush up on their history-- American history, European history, World history. We need to look at the numbers, the facts, and statistics. We need to hear other people's stories. I just want my country to stop killing people. It's as simple as that. There is no sense in the structure of our correctional systems now. Actually, there is no sense of structure in most of the dominate systems in our society (economic, political, agricultural, for example)--nothing we are doing makes sense right now. These systems in general and the prison system specifically allows for racism, murder, slavery, police brutality, profiteering of the 1%, the dependency of the 99%, and the degradation of entire communities. That's why I got arrested on Sunday. When you look at the numbers, when you look at the state of the world around you, blocking traffic at a police headquarters doesn't sound so illogical.
The demands came from a long session of peoples' mic Saturday night. It's a beautiful document that emerged out of people simply saying out loud what they needed and wanted from this action. Please read them: http://occupyphillymedia.org/content/statement-occupiers-protesting-police-brutality
I saw real love that night. People I didn't know where running food for us, getting packs of cigarettes and endless cups of coffee. People brought cardboard and blankets and hats and gloves. Four beautiful people actually ran a twenty foot long canopy tent from City Hall down Market St, up 8th, just for us. I will never forget that image, running, smiling, in the middle of the night. The white canopy was blazing orange from the street lights, like a freaking chariot of fire.
We were arrested at noon on Sunday. When it came down to it, we told them we'd get up it they only made a public apology for their department's past wrongs, and they couldn't do it. That was all we were asking for when armed police circled us with their bikes.
Some of our fellow occupiers who didn't get arrest stayed outside the headquarters the entire time-- cheering for us until their voices were gone, making phone calls, talking to media, doing everything they could.
We were in there for fourteen hours. I want to make something clear real quick. My time in jail was pie. Yeah, it was uncomfortable, yeah we were hungry and thirsty, and I'm pretty sure most of us were beat when we got out. But that is nothing compared to what most prisoners experience. Bradley Manning was in solitary confinement for over a year. All he did was tell the truth. When we got out at 2am, we were embraced by friends formed in solidarity.
I've never been arrested before. At first I was scared, and then I realized why we were there, the weight behind our actions, and my personal convictions washed over any fear I may have had.
We are told in school that America is the, "Land of the Free." I grew up, however, and realized how blatant of a lie that is. As of 2009, the United states as an incarceration rate of 743 per 100,000 people. The number has since grown larger and prisons are expanding in frightening ways. Philadelphia is shutting schools down while $400,000,000 is going in to Philadelphia prison expansion. I mean, 25% of the world's incarcerated population is incarcerated in American prisons. 25%! Isn't that number deeply troubling? Most of these inmates are in for nonviolent, or victimless crime.
Cops play a big role in our country's incarceration epidemic. They feed this system arrest by arrest. They can stop as individuals with conscience, but most of me doubts that that would happen on their own accord.
Private contractors and governments keep building these prisons, privatizing them, and it scares the hell out of me. When incarcerating people becomes a business, a decrease in inmates is bad business. Who are they going to start coming after? The War on Drugs has been an utter failure for everyone except those in the prison business.
America is a fucking bully, and people need to own up to that. We royally screw over most of the world, and most of our own population, to boot. I don't want to be so miserably ashamed of my country. Right now I am. Right now, America makes me sick to my stomach. We do nothing but steal resources and land and we expect thanks in return.
I mean, no wonder our country works so hard to make sure its population stays so stupid (little education funding, oodles of entertainment)-- if people learned what this country has been doing NON STOP for the past two hundred years, they would FLIP THEIR SHIT. No decent human being could be given the numbers of lives, lakes, species, mountains, nations we've ruined for our own monetary benefit and be okay with it. OF COURSE THEY'RE NOT FUNDING OUR EDUCATION. They're too afraid of the consequences.
People need to wake up. People need to remember what it feels like to learn something. We need to brush up on their history-- American history, European history, World history. We need to look at the numbers, the facts, and statistics. We need to hear other people's stories. I just want my country to stop killing people. It's as simple as that. There is no sense in the structure of our correctional systems now. Actually, there is no sense of structure in most of the dominate systems in our society (economic, political, agricultural, for example)--nothing we are doing makes sense right now. These systems in general and the prison system specifically allows for racism, murder, slavery, police brutality, profiteering of the 1%, the dependency of the 99%, and the degradation of entire communities. That's why I got arrested on Sunday. When you look at the numbers, when you look at the state of the world around you, blocking traffic at a police headquarters doesn't sound so illogical.
March and Vigil on Dow for Human Rights Day
December 11, 2011 at 1:05am
Hey all, This is from the march on Dow. Facts and preachin. Check it all out!
Dow Chemical is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world. It was founded in 1897 and is a provider of plastics, chemicals and agricultural products.
Dow's mission statement is, "To passionately innovate what is essential to human progress by providing sustainable solutions to our customers" with the vision: "To be the most profitable and respected science-driven chemical company in the world".
In the process of embodying this statement, Dow spends hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying to make sure they do in fact define what is essential to human progress. Some things they considered essential to human progress were:
Holmesburg Prison
Dow Chemical Company is guilty of crimes against humanity international, but also right here in Philadelphia. In the far north east corner of Philadelphia is Holmesburg prison, built in 1896 and closed in 1995. Holmesburg is infamous here in Philadelphia. Between 1951 and 1974, Holmesburg Prison was the site of dermatalogical, pharmaceutical and biochemical weapons research projects that used inmates as cheap test subjects. Dow Chemical Company was one of the major funders of this research, carried out by UPenn. Along with beauty and skin product testing, UPenn researchers, lead by Dr. Albert M. Kligman injected inmates with Dioxin, administered hallucinogens, and applied skin-blistering chemicals to the backs and faces of inmates.
Companies and military paid for and profited from the experiments, the prison system supplied the human test subjects, and the universities conducted the experiments. It is sadly only one example of such corruption in our city. Holmesburg Prison shows in every way how our corporate and military-run society is shockingly greedy and tragically violent and broken beyond repair. Worse still is that this happens everywhere. This monster exists in almost every part of the planet. This greed, this oppression and blatant disregard for life is present wherever companies like Dow, Johnson & Johnson, Apple, McDonalds, Chevron, Exxon and Halliburton exist. And it comes in many forms--it's the tearing up of our rainforests--our planet's lungs--to make paper towels and fine wood, the bombing of a people for the resources in their country. It's why our coral reefs are disappearing and it's why our schools and homeless shelters are disappearing. The same fuel that raises this planet's temperature runs our prison systems. It is our corporations and governments, oppressing hand-in-hand, profiting at our expense.
They don’t care that our planet is withering, they don’t care that slavery still exists, they don’t care that our prison system is unjustly tearing families apart or that entire nations are dying because of preventable famines. These corporations and governments don’t care if the bombs they drop land on homes or hospitals, they don’t care if the chemicals they make are going to cause cancer and kill thousands of people. They don’t care that, because of their greed, millions of people live in fear—fear of oppression, fear of loosing everything.
We cannot be afraid anymore—we can’t afford it. Our fear makes them stronger. We are not afraid! Because we have the power. Without our cooperation, those in charge can't do shit. We provide them money when we buy their products, when we work small jobs for them. We have the power to not comply-- it is more powerful than we realize.
Dow Chemical is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world. It was founded in 1897 and is a provider of plastics, chemicals and agricultural products.
Dow's mission statement is, "To passionately innovate what is essential to human progress by providing sustainable solutions to our customers" with the vision: "To be the most profitable and respected science-driven chemical company in the world".
In the process of embodying this statement, Dow spends hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying to make sure they do in fact define what is essential to human progress. Some things they considered essential to human progress were:
- manufacturing napalm and the cancerous herbicide Agent Orange to be used in Vietnam, being the sole provider despite mass protests and boycotts until 1969;
- allocating resources and facilities to aid the military in the nuclear arms race, producing plutonium triggers for the attrociously destructive hydrogen bomb;
- Dow continues to ignore, and refuses to apologize for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, the world’s worst industrial catastrophe, which claimed 3,000 lives within weeks, and another 8,000 from gas-related diseases. Lasting contaimination of the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant has afflicted the local communities and still contaminates their drinking water, over two decades later.
- it shares responsibility for some 96 toxic waste sites despite billions of dollars in profits each year, and now Dow has the audacity to be one of the main sponsors of the 2012 Olympics.
- Locally, Dow has funded, in conspiracy with the US government, other private entities, and the University of Pennsylvania, medical and psychological experiments carried out on uninformed prisoners right here in Philadelphia.
Holmesburg Prison
Dow Chemical Company is guilty of crimes against humanity international, but also right here in Philadelphia. In the far north east corner of Philadelphia is Holmesburg prison, built in 1896 and closed in 1995. Holmesburg is infamous here in Philadelphia. Between 1951 and 1974, Holmesburg Prison was the site of dermatalogical, pharmaceutical and biochemical weapons research projects that used inmates as cheap test subjects. Dow Chemical Company was one of the major funders of this research, carried out by UPenn. Along with beauty and skin product testing, UPenn researchers, lead by Dr. Albert M. Kligman injected inmates with Dioxin, administered hallucinogens, and applied skin-blistering chemicals to the backs and faces of inmates.
Companies and military paid for and profited from the experiments, the prison system supplied the human test subjects, and the universities conducted the experiments. It is sadly only one example of such corruption in our city. Holmesburg Prison shows in every way how our corporate and military-run society is shockingly greedy and tragically violent and broken beyond repair. Worse still is that this happens everywhere. This monster exists in almost every part of the planet. This greed, this oppression and blatant disregard for life is present wherever companies like Dow, Johnson & Johnson, Apple, McDonalds, Chevron, Exxon and Halliburton exist. And it comes in many forms--it's the tearing up of our rainforests--our planet's lungs--to make paper towels and fine wood, the bombing of a people for the resources in their country. It's why our coral reefs are disappearing and it's why our schools and homeless shelters are disappearing. The same fuel that raises this planet's temperature runs our prison systems. It is our corporations and governments, oppressing hand-in-hand, profiting at our expense.
They don’t care that our planet is withering, they don’t care that slavery still exists, they don’t care that our prison system is unjustly tearing families apart or that entire nations are dying because of preventable famines. These corporations and governments don’t care if the bombs they drop land on homes or hospitals, they don’t care if the chemicals they make are going to cause cancer and kill thousands of people. They don’t care that, because of their greed, millions of people live in fear—fear of oppression, fear of loosing everything.
We cannot be afraid anymore—we can’t afford it. Our fear makes them stronger. We are not afraid! Because we have the power. Without our cooperation, those in charge can't do shit. We provide them money when we buy their products, when we work small jobs for them. We have the power to not comply-- it is more powerful than we realize.
