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Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
05 May 2004
I was approached by three people from a group called the "Eastern Service Workers Association" at the Wake Up The Earth fest in JP this weekend. They said they were organizing a "mutual-benefits" network for non-union precarious and service workers. But something seemed off. When I asked direct questions about their structure and the size of their organization, they were deflected with totally non sequitur bits of pseudo-revolutionary rhetoric. I half-assed a commitment to buy time and logged on to the internet. Ten google-seconds later, a bunch of "cult-watch" type sites came up. Turns out the "Eastern Service Workers Association" is a branch of the "National Labor Federation" (NATLFED), in turn a front group for the "Communist Party USA (Provisional)". This is a serious, cut-you-off-from-your-friends, work-you-18-hour-days cult.
This may come as old news to folks who've been in the area for a while, but if it's not, spread the word, because this shit is hazardous to our communities.I was approached by three people from a group called the "Eastern Service Workers Association" at the Wake Up The Earth fest in JP this weekend. They said they were organizing a "mutual-benefits" network for non-union precarious and service workers. Being a class-struggle anarchist who believes in building dual power organizations, and more to the point being a temporary worker, this caught my interest (though I was suspicious from the start--I've been in town for a short time, but long enough that I should've heard of this effort...).Thinking that they were, at worst, an ISO-type group, crippled by a Leninist belief that they could "represent" a sector of the working class, and at best a little clueless about approach, I made the mistake of giving them my phone number, thinking that I would at least get a better chance to study their organization and take a couple lessons away. After all, they probably had some kind of experience I could apply in the long run to building mutual-aid networks; among their literature was a "sponsors' guide" with the names of local dentists, workers' comp lawyers, exterminators, caterers, etc. who have apparently donated (discounted?) services through their network. While I wouldn't join, I'd talk to the organizers a bit and gain another incomplete fragment of knowledge possibly relevant to class recomposition (or whatever).But something seemed off. When I asked direct questions about their structure and the size of their organization, they were deflected with totally non sequitur bits of pseudo-revolutionary rhetoric. And the two sunglassed hippies doing most of the talking seemed to not be talking, but rather performing for the third, a middle-aged woman who remained mostly silent but occasionally nodded her approval or steered their answers.Hmmm.But it was far, far worse than I guessed. The woman called me back tonight (Monday) to try to get me to agree to "canvass" (!) for them. I tried asking direct questions about their organization, but she again brushed them aside, muttering something about them being of "academic" concern and about how learning while working was better, each one teach one. What? Uh-oh.I half-assed a commitment to buy time and logged on to the internet. Ten google-seconds later, a bunch of "cult-watch" type sites came up.SHIT.Turns out the "Eastern Service Workers Association" is, like the Northwest Seasonal Workers Association, the National Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals, the Women's Press Collective, the California Homemakers Association, etc., etc., a branch of the "National Labor Federation" (NATLFED), in turn a front group for the "Communist Party USA (Provisional)". This is no run-of-the-mill RCP/ISO/ANSWER type group, sustaining itself by recruiting college kids to sell papers for the bureaucracy. This is a serious, cut-you-off-from-your-friends, work-you-18-hour-days cult.There was a big bust in their headquarters in Brooklyn back in 1996; cops responding to child-abuse complaints happened upon their stash. Fifty guns and a shitload of ammo. I guess the group was all started by one charismatic leader in San Francisco in the early '70s; they were pretty much a failed version of the SLA. There's a collection of articles on them here, but the most informative one is this one.Those links are all from one site, but tool around on the net a bit and more comes up. So anyway, I called the woman back and told her on no uncertain terms that I was uninterested and that she did not have permission to call me back. Why? Because your organization is a front for a democratic-centralist Stalinist organization. (Grounds enough for me anyway!) What? what? Where did you hear that? Huh? It's publicly available information. You looked on the internet. Of course I did! Well, there's so much trash on the internet... just anybody can write and, well, I've seen what's on there, I know exactly what's on there. Well, then you know why I'm not interested. I'm sorry you believe that crap. I'm sorry you believe that crap. Don't call me back. I don't know why I would. Good.Anyway, this is just a "head's up" to anyone out there who might be new to town or just hasn't run across these people. They're worse than they look. I'm positively seething at the idea of them going door-to-door in Roxbury trying to dupe working-class folks into giving them their names and information, and ultimately paying them dues to keep their cult running. Fucking poison, and arguably some of the only living examples of true "red fash" in today's USA. Fortunately, they mentioned several times that they're in dire need of volunteer labor. Let's make sure they don't get a foothold again--spread the word.
This work is in the public domain.

Comments

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by mj(No verified email address)	03 May 2004
OOPS! None of my HTML tags worked (my fault!)These are the links:There was a big BUST in their headquarters in Brooklyn back in 1996: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/n/natlfed/rayman.htmThere's a collection of articles on them HERE: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/n/natlfed/...but the most informative is THIS one: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/n/natlfed/bestwhitnacAgain, if you don't trust this one cult resource site look around the internet for yourself.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by mj(No verified email address)

03 May 2004

OOPS! None of my HTML tags worked (my fault!)These are the links:There was a big BUST in their headquarters in Brooklyn back in 1996: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/n/natlfed/rayman.htmThere's a collection of articles on them HERE: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/n/natlfed/...but the most informative is THIS one: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/n/natlfed/bestwhitnacAgain, if you don't trust this one cult resource site look around the internet for yourself.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by humorous(No verified email address)	04 May 2004
what's even more funny is that the idiots at Harvest Coop let them run a table at Thanksgiving and Xmas for their "turkey drives" for poor families. . .doubt anyone ever sees a turkey, but more hapless college kids get sucked up into their cult thanks to the great tabling op

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Friend of Huey and Bobby(No verified email address)	04 May 2004
Yea, them and their crew have been around for a while . Just barely existing. I have lived in Mission Hill/Roxbury for 10 years and never actually seen them in the 'hood.Anyway, no one is going to trust a white wierdo Stalinist psuedo-cultist knocking on the doors or Black and Latino Roxbury.Solidarity and thanks for the heads up!

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by i worked with them for a week a while ago(No verified email address)	04 May 2004
after we "systemically canvassed" a neighborhood, knocking on doors and handing out flyers in a robotic way, we went back to HQ, where one of the cadre members gave us a congratulations speech on our first revolutionary action.i looked at the book she had in front of her, she was reading the speech, and in the book, there was text indicating to the middle aged woman reading when to smile, when to laugh, and when to use various other facial expressions and inflections. and so the speech went, for a half hour.needless to say, i got the hell out of there.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by i worked with them for a week a while ago(No verified email address)

04 May 2004

after we "systemically canvassed" a neighborhood, knocking on doors and handing out flyers in a robotic way, we went back to HQ, where one of the cadre members gave us a congratulations speech on our first revolutionary action.i looked at the book she had in front of her, she was reading the speech, and in the book, there was text indicating to the middle aged woman reading when to smile, when to laugh, and when to use various other facial expressions and inflections. and so the speech went, for a half hour.needless to say, i got the hell out of there.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by also(No verified email address)	04 May 2004
it is explained when you work in the group, you are not to learn all of the specific details of what's going on unless you become a cadre member. you don't have a vote or say in the organization unless you are a cadre member. there are areas in the office that are off limits unless you become a cadre member.what does being a cadre member involve? well, you live entirely in the offices. every second of your waking life is dedicated to working for them. there's no time to read non-related books, see non-related movies, or socialize at all, when there is serious work to be done! in fact, there is no reason one should selfishly sleep more then 6 hours a night! and of course, they'll supply your cigarettes for you.this is a straight up cult. however, they are doing something right now that i have never seen them do before. they never used to go to political events, they would always remain completely secluded in their neighborhood, with occasional turkey drive type things (and to be fair, they did distribute turkeys to low income family, and their food and clothing drives did benefit a fair amount of lower income families (it's just ashame that they are stalinist freaks)).but now i'm seeing them in, what phyllis (that middle aged woman you speak of) used to call "pointless youthful indulgences". so they are enacting a new tactic.i think people should actively engage the younger folk that are in this group, as they are most likely brand new to the group. if they are seen at events, we should confront them, and call them on their cult like shit, and try and get the younger members to leave. the ESWA generally targets young people who are trying to break away from arm chair activism, and are looking for some organization to give them answers. the younger folk in the group are not bad people, but victims of the ESWA, and they really need to be rescued from it.although the ESWA can't really retain members, since they are just SO OBVIOUSLY A TERRIBLE STALINIST CULT, hehe

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by also(No verified email address)

04 May 2004

it is explained when you work in the group, you are not to learn all of the specific details of what's going on unless you become a cadre member. you don't have a vote or say in the organization unless you are a cadre member. there are areas in the office that are off limits unless you become a cadre member.what does being a cadre member involve? well, you live entirely in the offices. every second of your waking life is dedicated to working for them. there's no time to read non-related books, see non-related movies, or socialize at all, when there is serious work to be done! in fact, there is no reason one should selfishly sleep more then 6 hours a night! and of course, they'll supply your cigarettes for you.this is a straight up cult. however, they are doing something right now that i have never seen them do before. they never used to go to political events, they would always remain completely secluded in their neighborhood, with occasional turkey drive type things (and to be fair, they did distribute turkeys to low income family, and their food and clothing drives did benefit a fair amount of lower income families (it's just ashame that they are stalinist freaks)).but now i'm seeing them in, what phyllis (that middle aged woman you speak of) used to call "pointless youthful indulgences". so they are enacting a new tactic.i think people should actively engage the younger folk that are in this group, as they are most likely brand new to the group. if they are seen at events, we should confront them, and call them on their cult like shit, and try and get the younger members to leave. the ESWA generally targets young people who are trying to break away from arm chair activism, and are looking for some organization to give them answers. the younger folk in the group are not bad people, but victims of the ESWA, and they really need to be rescued from it.although the ESWA can't really retain members, since they are just SO OBVIOUSLY A TERRIBLE STALINIST CULT, hehe

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)

04 May 2004

Yeah, I'm not sure how Stalinist they actually are, but by all accoutns, these fokls are a cult. And while their retention probably is horrible, some peopel do get sucked in--that's what's kept some form of the group going for over 30 years now, it seems, even after the death of their founder.So be careful and stay away. They have a number of other front groups elsewhere--I believe that in Western Mass they go by (or have gone by) the name At Wake Up the Earth, were they tabling? Spontaneous should NOT give them that kind of a platform. I'm also disturbed that the Harvest Co-op gives them space--any members who want to raise the issue there?

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)	04 May 2004
Ooops--had a number of typos above. The biggest was that I accidently deleted the name they go by in Western Mass--"Western Massachusetts Labor Action." Be wary.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by muskrat(No verified email address)

05 May 2004

Probably Spontaneous Celebrations and the Harvest Co-op have no idea how screwy this group is. There's also always the problem of being accused of red-baiting if you don't let a group like this in, although these folks seem to like to keep their political beliefs under wraps.I had an encounter with them a few years back when they were tabling at Wake Up the Earth. I was temping for a living at the time and they sounded interesting. I met with one of their organizers at their office and had a conversation. I though they sounded a little odd--the organizer was saying that there is one right way to engage in a labor-organizing campaign or something like that--but I didn't think much of it. Forunately, I mentioned the group to a friend and he warned me about them.It's unfortunate that there's so many groups that aren't honest about their intentions out there. ANSWER, while no where near as bad as this group, is also deceptive--it's not clear to a lot of people that they're a front for Workers World, that they're undemocratic, and that they've taken a number of questionable political positions (most recently, apologetics for Hussein and Milsoevic). I worry that new comers to the progressive community see these groups, think they look good, join them, get turned off after a while--and not just to the group in question, but to the entire left.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)	05 May 2004
Yeah, I'm a big critic of ANSWER and their deceptive ways and multiple front groups--not to mention their self-righteousness. But they are nothing compared to a group like this. Reading testimonies from former members, they're not just turned off from the left--some are trying to reclaim their lives after spending years in this group. People need to know to stay far, far away. And I doubt that they'd even accuse anyone of red-baiting, since they aren't upfront about being connected to the "Provisional Communist Party."I guess that I react strongly because they tried to approach me, too, back in 2000. I bought a paper and signed smoething at a conference, andthey started calling repeatedly (perhaps fortunately, I was rarely at home, so I kept missing their calls. When I finally ended up talking with someone, I told them how busy I was, and that a contnigent job I was workign (and making VERY little money in) was likely to end soon, so things were very up in the air. The person I was talking to didn't pursue it further, to her credit (or perhaps becauase I didn't sound like a good prospect). We hung up cordially. But I was terrified to learn a year or two later what they were really about, and to consider the possibility that had I had more time and fewer commitments, I might well have volunteered with them.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)

05 May 2004

Yeah, I'm a big critic of ANSWER and their deceptive ways and multiple front groups--not to mention their self-righteousness. But they are nothing compared to a group like this. Reading testimonies from former members, they're not just turned off from the left--some are trying to reclaim their lives after spending years in this group. People need to know to stay far, far away. And I doubt that they'd even accuse anyone of red-baiting, since they aren't upfront about being connected to the "Provisional Communist Party."I guess that I react strongly because they tried to approach me, too, back in 2000. I bought a paper and signed smoething at a conference, andthey started calling repeatedly (perhaps fortunately, I was rarely at home, so I kept missing their calls. When I finally ended up talking with someone, I told them how busy I was, and that a contnigent job I was workign (and making VERY little money in) was likely to end soon, so things were very up in the air. The person I was talking to didn't pursue it further, to her credit (or perhaps becauase I didn't sound like a good prospect). We hung up cordially. But I was terrified to learn a year or two later what they were really about, and to consider the possibility that had I had more time and fewer commitments, I might well have volunteered with them.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by mj commodityform (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified)	05 May 2004
Reading people's comments, I'm considering making a couple documents and distributing them. One photocopiable, one-sided paper directed at potential recruits, and one brochure directed at people giving them resources & platform (e.g. Harvest, and the "sponsors" listed in their literature).If anyone else who's come across them wants to help me out, or thinks it's a bad idea, email me at the above address.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by mj commodityform (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified)

05 May 2004

Reading people's comments, I'm considering making a couple documents and distributing them. One photocopiable, one-sided paper directed at potential recruits, and one brochure directed at people giving them resources & platform (e.g. Harvest, and the "sponsors" listed in their literature).If anyone else who's come across them wants to help me out, or thinks it's a bad idea, email me at the above address.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by muskrat(No verified email address)	05 May 2004
I didn't mean to imply that ANSWER was as bad as this group. ANSWER actually does do some constructive stuff--like organizing protests--along with their more problematic behavior, but the ESWA/Provisional Communist Party sounds totally predatory.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Matthew PeopleUnite (nospam) aol.com (unverified)	06 May 2004
Just to be clear, this group isn't associated with the CPUSA - the Communist Party that split off from the Socialist Party of America to support the Bolshevik revolution and tow the Comintern line up until the fall of the USSR. They've really mellowed out since the fall of the USSR (and unfortunately fallen into the orbit of the Democratic Party). As far as I can tell, the CPUSA doesn't maintain the strict discipline that they once had. According to one of the referenced articles, "Many devote practically every waking hour to the group's inner circle, called the Communist Party Provisional Wing, although it has no connection to the American Communist Party." I've never heard of the "Communist Party Provisional Wing" before.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Matthew PeopleUnite (nospam) aol.com (unverified)

06 May 2004

Just to be clear, this group isn't associated with the CPUSA - the Communist Party that split off from the Socialist Party of America to support the Bolshevik revolution and tow the Comintern line up until the fall of the USSR. They've really mellowed out since the fall of the USSR (and unfortunately fallen into the orbit of the Democratic Party). As far as I can tell, the CPUSA doesn't maintain the strict discipline that they once had. According to one of the referenced articles, "Many devote practically every waking hour to the group's inner circle, called the Communist Party Provisional Wing, although it has no connection to the American Communist Party." I've never heard of the "Communist Party Provisional Wing" before.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)	06 May 2004
No, definitely no connection to the CPUSA. Actually, after their Brooklyn HQ was raided in 1996, I remember that the CPUSA got a letter published in the New York Times saying that they had no connection to them. One can criticize the CP for plenty, esp in their historical support for the USSR's totalitarianism (I think they denounced Stalin, but only after Kruschev did). But again, the Eastern Service Worker's/Naqtional Labor Federation/Provisional Communist Party are a whole different kettle of fish.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)

06 May 2004

No, definitely no connection to the CPUSA. Actually, after their Brooklyn HQ was raided in 1996, I remember that the CPUSA got a letter published in the New York Times saying that they had no connection to them. One can criticize the CP for plenty, esp in their historical support for the USSR's totalitarianism (I think they denounced Stalin, but only after Kruschev did). But again, the Eastern Service Worker's/Naqtional Labor Federation/Provisional Communist Party are a whole different kettle of fish.

Another article
by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)	06 May 2004
This article is from the New York Times around the time that the group was busted in NYC. I'm reprinting it here under fair use guidelines (etc etc). Obviouslym, the Times can distort things, but Chip Berlet, whom the article references, is based around here and is widely respected.Group's Leader Is Said to Have Used Cult TacticsBy Richard Perez-PenaNew York Times, 11/13/96NEW YORK -- The people arrested in Monday night's raid on a Brooklyn building were followers, police say, of a labor organizer turned cult leader who died last year, a man whose past is clouded by aliases, murky organizations and questionable claims.Gerald William Doeden, known for much of his life as Eugenio Perente-Ramos, was the founder and leader of the National Labor Federation, a group that, according to cult experts and police, operated through a series of front organizations around the country. Some of the federation's front groups were based at 1107 Carroll St., the Crown Heights building where police arrested 28 people and seized weapons.On his death last year, Perente-Ramos -- who was also, at times, known by the name Gino Perenti -- was hailed by his followers in a handbill as "America's most experienced and successful labor leader." He and his organizations held themselves up as important labor groups and revolutionaries, but neither labor leaders nor more prominent radicals knew of them."I've never heard of these guys," said Stanley Cohen, a lawyer whose clients range from East Village squatters to Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, the political leader of Hamas, the Palestinian political group.The police and people who investigate cults contend that Perente-Ramos' many groups were, in fact, nothing more than cults posing as radical political organizations. Chip Berlet, who has written extensively on cults and is a senior analyst for Political Research Associates in Cambridge, Mass., which studies extremist groups, said that Perente-Ramos' groups sought out troubled young people, housed them in communal quarters, deprived them of sleep and convinced them that they were the true leftist underground. Others also questioned the group's legitimacy."He was a small-time operator who obviously got kicks out of controlling 40 to 100 people," said Janja A. Lalich, a California researcher who writes about cults and has studied Perente-Ramos' followers. "I don't think money was the big thing for him. Power was the big thing, power and sex."In the 1970s and early 1980s, she said, female members of Perente-Ramos' organization were expected to sleep with him. She said the members were cut off from the outside world, and that Perente-Ramos would give hours-long lectures, beginning at 2 a.m.In his later years, Perente-Ramos had a leg amputated and used a wheelchair, Ms. Lalich said.Perente-Ramos adopted a partly Spanish surname, said he was of Mexican heritage and that he was born in Montana, in 1935. Cult researchers contend that he was not Hispanic, and that he was born in Minnesota, in 1935 or 1937.Ruth Mikkelsen, who was married to Perente-Ramos from 1960 to 1962, said after his death that he had changed his name several times. She described him as mentally unstable. There seems to be agreement that in the 1960's, he worked as a disc jockey in San Francisco and ran a book store that sold Communist literature.He often said he played a prominent role during the same period in the United Farm Workers, the union founded by Cesar Chavez, but Ms. Mikkelsen said those claims were greatly exaggerated. The farm workers union did not return telephone calls Tuesday.In the early 1970s, he moved to Long Island and organized the Eastern Farm Workers Association, and in 1972, led the group in a strike against I. M. Young Co., a major potato processor.After that strike, he largely receded from public view, but over the years he drew the attention of law enforcement. The Carroll Street building that was raided this week was also raided in 1984, by the FBI, which claimed it had evidence that the Provisional Party of Communists, led by Perente-Ramos, "planned a series of violent acts."But police officials said Tuesday that none of the related groups was known to have a history of violence.

Another article

by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)

06 May 2004

This article is from the New York Times around the time that the group was busted in NYC. I'm reprinting it here under fair use guidelines (etc etc). Obviouslym, the Times can distort things, but Chip Berlet, whom the article references, is based around here and is widely respected.Group's Leader Is Said to Have Used Cult TacticsBy Richard Perez-PenaNew York Times, 11/13/96NEW YORK -- The people arrested in Monday night's raid on a Brooklyn building were followers, police say, of a labor organizer turned cult leader who died last year, a man whose past is clouded by aliases, murky organizations and questionable claims.Gerald William Doeden, known for much of his life as Eugenio Perente-Ramos, was the founder and leader of the National Labor Federation, a group that, according to cult experts and police, operated through a series of front organizations around the country. Some of the federation's front groups were based at 1107 Carroll St., the Crown Heights building where police arrested 28 people and seized weapons.On his death last year, Perente-Ramos -- who was also, at times, known by the name Gino Perenti -- was hailed by his followers in a handbill as "America's most experienced and successful labor leader." He and his organizations held themselves up as important labor groups and revolutionaries, but neither labor leaders nor more prominent radicals knew of them."I've never heard of these guys," said Stanley Cohen, a lawyer whose clients range from East Village squatters to Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, the political leader of Hamas, the Palestinian political group.The police and people who investigate cults contend that Perente-Ramos' many groups were, in fact, nothing more than cults posing as radical political organizations. Chip Berlet, who has written extensively on cults and is a senior analyst for Political Research Associates in Cambridge, Mass., which studies extremist groups, said that Perente-Ramos' groups sought out troubled young people, housed them in communal quarters, deprived them of sleep and convinced them that they were the true leftist underground. Others also questioned the group's legitimacy."He was a small-time operator who obviously got kicks out of controlling 40 to 100 people," said Janja A. Lalich, a California researcher who writes about cults and has studied Perente-Ramos' followers. "I don't think money was the big thing for him. Power was the big thing, power and sex."In the 1970s and early 1980s, she said, female members of Perente-Ramos' organization were expected to sleep with him. She said the members were cut off from the outside world, and that Perente-Ramos would give hours-long lectures, beginning at 2 a.m.In his later years, Perente-Ramos had a leg amputated and used a wheelchair, Ms. Lalich said.Perente-Ramos adopted a partly Spanish surname, said he was of Mexican heritage and that he was born in Montana, in 1935. Cult researchers contend that he was not Hispanic, and that he was born in Minnesota, in 1935 or 1937.Ruth Mikkelsen, who was married to Perente-Ramos from 1960 to 1962, said after his death that he had changed his name several times. She described him as mentally unstable. There seems to be agreement that in the 1960's, he worked as a disc jockey in San Francisco and ran a book store that sold Communist literature.He often said he played a prominent role during the same period in the United Farm Workers, the union founded by Cesar Chavez, but Ms. Mikkelsen said those claims were greatly exaggerated. The farm workers union did not return telephone calls Tuesday.In the early 1970s, he moved to Long Island and organized the Eastern Farm Workers Association, and in 1972, led the group in a strike against I. M. Young Co., a major potato processor.After that strike, he largely receded from public view, but over the years he drew the attention of law enforcement. The Carroll Street building that was raided this week was also raided in 1984, by the FBI, which claimed it had evidence that the Provisional Party of Communists, led by Perente-Ramos, "planned a series of violent acts."But police officials said Tuesday that none of the related groups was known to have a history of violence.

Workers fighting workers
by musides(No verified email address)	07 May 2004
No matter how distorted they may be, they are working class people. Direct your struggle at capitalists, not fellow workers. Christ, religious fuckers go door to door duping workers into joining the church, giving money, and volunteering their time for that. Why the fuck don't you direct your energy into that? Those people have institutions that actively support the ruling class, instead of urging others to fight within the working class. Talk to the people of the cult, try to convince them, that is well and good, but raising alarm as you do is wrong.

Workers fighting workers

by musides(No verified email address)

07 May 2004

No matter how distorted they may be, they are working class people. Direct your struggle at capitalists, not fellow workers. Christ, religious fuckers go door to door duping workers into joining the church, giving money, and volunteering their time for that. Why the fuck don't you direct your energy into that? Those people have institutions that actively support the ruling class, instead of urging others to fight within the working class. Talk to the people of the cult, try to convince them, that is well and good, but raising alarm as you do is wrong.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)	07 May 2004
Musides, I would question whether the folks working for this group are working class. Some probably are, some are probably middle-to-upper-class college students who got sucked in because they wanted to help.You say that these institutions actively support the working class. Is that true? Read some of the articles that mj offers links to. These folks take in lots of money and materials in donations, and it's very unclear how much of it has gotten to those they purport to serve. Does directing resources--not to mention people's time--away from the working class somehow help the working class?I have a feeling that we actually agree. You suggest in your last sentence to, "Talk to the people of the cult, try to convince them." How is it different to also try to get the truth about the group out to potential cult members? Once one is involved with a group like this, especially if one has gotten in pretty deep and cut ties with friends, it's very hard for others to talk to them.I consider myself lucky that I was too busy to get involved when they tried to recruit me. I would very much have liked it if someone had approached me to let me know that their stories of their founders' exploits were false, that they had little to show tfor their accomplishments, and that many people had experiences of isolation, overwork, and other mind control techniques with them.I don't see how it's wrong to "raise the alarm," as you say, about this. I think it's wrong for this group to be deceptive and waste so many people's time, money, and energy.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)

07 May 2004

Musides, I would question whether the folks working for this group are working class. Some probably are, some are probably middle-to-upper-class college students who got sucked in because they wanted to help.You say that these institutions actively support the working class. Is that true? Read some of the articles that mj offers links to. These folks take in lots of money and materials in donations, and it's very unclear how much of it has gotten to those they purport to serve. Does directing resources--not to mention people's time--away from the working class somehow help the working class?I have a feeling that we actually agree. You suggest in your last sentence to, "Talk to the people of the cult, try to convince them." How is it different to also try to get the truth about the group out to potential cult members? Once one is involved with a group like this, especially if one has gotten in pretty deep and cut ties with friends, it's very hard for others to talk to them.I consider myself lucky that I was too busy to get involved when they tried to recruit me. I would very much have liked it if someone had approached me to let me know that their stories of their founders' exploits were false, that they had little to show tfor their accomplishments, and that many people had experiences of isolation, overwork, and other mind control techniques with them.I don't see how it's wrong to "raise the alarm," as you say, about this. I think it's wrong for this group to be deceptive and waste so many people's time, money, and energy.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Pete Stidman petestid (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified)	07 May 2004
I also had the chance to talk with these folks at the WUTE Festival. I remember thinking how odd it was that they seemed to have an objection to using the internet for anything. No website, no email. hmm. Anyway, if any one wants to investigate, their phone number is 617-541-8600 and their address is ESWA, 48 Blue Hill Ave, Roxbury, MA 02119. If anyone happens to check them out and gets a fair idea of their operations in Boston, please post it to the newswire...

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Pete Stidman petestid (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified)

07 May 2004

I also had the chance to talk with these folks at the WUTE Festival. I remember thinking how odd it was that they seemed to have an objection to using the internet for anything. No website, no email. hmm. Anyway, if any one wants to investigate, their phone number is 617-541-8600 and their address is ESWA, 48 Blue Hill Ave, Roxbury, MA 02119. If anyone happens to check them out and gets a fair idea of their operations in Boston, please post it to the newswire...

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by mj commodityform (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified)	07 May 2004
Musides, I have a feeling you made that comment without reading this article: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/n/natlfed/bestwhitnacJust because people are working class doesn't mean they're not a class enemy. Lots of cops are working class. Lots of white supremacists are working class. I'm not exaggerating; read the article. This isn't just a group whose analysis and praxis I disagree with--it's a group that is actively, currently, dangerous to people.Pete Stideman, I'd hold off on calling them and harassing them, unless you really want to. If people want to discuss actions email me at the above address.Indymedia collective: can you please fix the third link above? the "k.htm" was cut off. thx friends.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by mj commodityform (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified)

07 May 2004

Musides, I have a feeling you made that comment without reading this article: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/n/natlfed/bestwhitnacJust because people are working class doesn't mean they're not a class enemy. Lots of cops are working class. Lots of white supremacists are working class. I'm not exaggerating; read the article. This isn't just a group whose analysis and praxis I disagree with--it's a group that is actively, currently, dangerous to people.Pete Stideman, I'd hold off on calling them and harassing them, unless you really want to. If people want to discuss actions email me at the above address.Indymedia collective: can you please fix the third link above? the "k.htm" was cut off. thx friends.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Matthew Williams plaid_baboon (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified)	07 May 2004
When I went into the Edit page to fix the link, the whole thing was there. I guess the URL is too long for the whole to show up on the page, odd as that may sound. In any case, the link does seem to work.I don't know what to make of that little quirk, but I'll pass the word along to our tech team.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by get a life, or do something productive with it...(No verified email address)	10 May 2004
http://www.naz.edu/dept/campus\_ministry/communityservice.htmlNice stalinist cult?Oh, and on another note, I haven't seen any college students selling the Worker's World newspaper. Also, their paper is free.Maybe you should target the Sparticus League with all the time you obviously have on your hands.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)	10 May 2004
Get-a-life, I don't see the point of your post. You include a link to a college in New York State that includes this group among their community service listings. If you do a quick google seazrch, you can find a similar link for Northeastern. And the articles for which mj provided links include stories of colleges and at least one church that have given this group free publicity. Some have stopped doing so upon hearing stories from students who worked with them; some have not. But you're not dropping any bombshells. I'd actually saying that you're reinforcing the point that people need to know what this group is about.Did you read the articles to which mj provided links?As for your comment about Workers' World papers--who said that students sell them? I can't find any references to that in this thread. Creating a straw man just to tear it down is not much of a debating technique.I'm not sure who it is you say has too much time on their hands. If it's me, I can tell you that it's taken me very little time to post a few things here. How long did it take you to find the link you posted? Either way, it's not especially relevant--since we don't even know the real names of most people involved here, we don't know how many jobs they hold, what their social life is like, etc. And it doesn't much matter. I'm not clear why you feel like insulting people you don't know, but it doesn't make your argument stronger.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Goatmuffin(No verified email address)

10 May 2004

Get-a-life, I don't see the point of your post. You include a link to a college in New York State that includes this group among their community service listings. If you do a quick google seazrch, you can find a similar link for Northeastern. And the articles for which mj provided links include stories of colleges and at least one church that have given this group free publicity. Some have stopped doing so upon hearing stories from students who worked with them; some have not. But you're not dropping any bombshells. I'd actually saying that you're reinforcing the point that people need to know what this group is about.Did you read the articles to which mj provided links?As for your comment about Workers' World papers--who said that students sell them? I can't find any references to that in this thread. Creating a straw man just to tear it down is not much of a debating technique.I'm not sure who it is you say has too much time on their hands. If it's me, I can tell you that it's taken me very little time to post a few things here. How long did it take you to find the link you posted? Either way, it's not especially relevant--since we don't even know the real names of most people involved here, we don't know how many jobs they hold, what their social life is like, etc. And it doesn't much matter. I'm not clear why you feel like insulting people you don't know, but it doesn't make your argument stronger.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by watch out?(No verified email address)	11 May 2004
Oh man, this is that stupidest thing I've ever seen. You guys are a bunch of loonies.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by mj(No verified email address)	11 May 2004
Looks like the ESWA has finally come across this thread.You hole up with an arsenal of weapons, waiting to be the vanguard of stalinist revolution, and make the subordinate members of your cadre put in 18-hour work days, then you come here and call us "loony" for trying to spread the word?

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by heads up(No verified email address)	13 May 2004
The existence of a group like this tends to demonstrate the differences between real cults and sects and the way words like that get thrown around loosely to apply to groups actually in the left.These guys have as much to do with leftism as the LaRouche people have to do with it. In other words, nothing.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by sc(No verified email address)	16 May 2004
I volunteered for over a year an a half for ESWA. I volunteered almost every saturday (for the canvass) and some nights during the week for legal advice meetings and such. After a while there, I was asked to become a full-time volunteer organizer--"don't worry about your bills, school loans, food, etc. we'll find a place for you to live and all our resources are donated from the community." still in college, and worried about going a summer without working full time, i refused their offer.i always had a funny feeling about this organization, but i usually felt better when I remembered how much support they had from community organizations, pro-bono lefty type lawyers, and others. they did do some good things, and some community members were really involved on a regular basis--they held clothes and food distributions, thanksgiving drives (and yes, the turkeys WERE given to families), halloween, easter and other holiday parties for kids, etc.however, i did not feel that ESWA was building anything sustainable or effective.as far as the lack of technology goes, phyllis and drew, the two full-time organizers explained to me that a website can't substitute for a face-to-face conversation. this makes sense, and it is true. on the same token, i was told that web sites did exist that listed ESWA as a cult, on a list with such groups as the KKK and other extremist groups, but that was completely nonsense. i didn't know whether or not to believe them, and i did look up ESWA in google, did come up with the site, looked at it shortly, but i didn't do further investigation. it looks like i should have. another thing, ESWA did seem to be rather isolated in that it did not reach out to other political, labor, social justice, progressive organizations, which would actually help to build an organization and a movement. when i asked about this, i was not given an answer. the work i did with other groups, such as the student labor action project, was constantly criticized as armchair activism, ineffective academic nonsense.another tid bit: one day, there was a reading of one of fidel castro's speeches. afterwards, there was a conversation, and i brought up such things as political repression in cuba, and was told that all that mattered was that their economics were right. any question i had was answered with some convaluted marxist line.so, one day, feeling that what i was doing with ESWA was not productive or conducive to building a true social movement, i decided to stop going. this was about 2 years ago, and until very recently, i still received phone calls constantly. they wouldn't give up on me--they wouldn't leave me alone. anyway, i am going to stop here. i could go on and on and on about this, but i'd rather leave further discussion for later.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by sc(No verified email address)

16 May 2004

I volunteered for over a year an a half for ESWA. I volunteered almost every saturday (for the canvass) and some nights during the week for legal advice meetings and such. After a while there, I was asked to become a full-time volunteer organizer--"don't worry about your bills, school loans, food, etc. we'll find a place for you to live and all our resources are donated from the community." still in college, and worried about going a summer without working full time, i refused their offer.i always had a funny feeling about this organization, but i usually felt better when I remembered how much support they had from community organizations, pro-bono lefty type lawyers, and others. they did do some good things, and some community members were really involved on a regular basis--they held clothes and food distributions, thanksgiving drives (and yes, the turkeys WERE given to families), halloween, easter and other holiday parties for kids, etc.however, i did not feel that ESWA was building anything sustainable or effective.as far as the lack of technology goes, phyllis and drew, the two full-time organizers explained to me that a website can't substitute for a face-to-face conversation. this makes sense, and it is true. on the same token, i was told that web sites did exist that listed ESWA as a cult, on a list with such groups as the KKK and other extremist groups, but that was completely nonsense. i didn't know whether or not to believe them, and i did look up ESWA in google, did come up with the site, looked at it shortly, but i didn't do further investigation. it looks like i should have. another thing, ESWA did seem to be rather isolated in that it did not reach out to other political, labor, social justice, progressive organizations, which would actually help to build an organization and a movement. when i asked about this, i was not given an answer. the work i did with other groups, such as the student labor action project, was constantly criticized as armchair activism, ineffective academic nonsense.another tid bit: one day, there was a reading of one of fidel castro's speeches. afterwards, there was a conversation, and i brought up such things as political repression in cuba, and was told that all that mattered was that their economics were right. any question i had was answered with some convaluted marxist line.so, one day, feeling that what i was doing with ESWA was not productive or conducive to building a true social movement, i decided to stop going. this was about 2 years ago, and until very recently, i still received phone calls constantly. they wouldn't give up on me--they wouldn't leave me alone. anyway, i am going to stop here. i could go on and on and on about this, but i'd rather leave further discussion for later.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by watching out & digging deeper(No verified email address)	23 May 2004
my conclusion from reading this thread? there's a paradigm chasm separating "mj" and the target of his attentions: "Eastern Service Workers Association". But instead of simply chalking that up to anti-communism we get "invasion of the body snatchers":"...When I asked direct questions about their structure and the size of their organization, they were deflected with totally non sequitur bits of pseudo-revolutionary rhetoric. And the two sunglassed hippies doing most of the talking seemed to not be talking, but rather performing for the third, a middle-aged woman who remained mostly silent but occasionally nodded her approval or steered their answers..."; "This is a serious, cut-you-off-from-your-friends, work-you-18-hour-days cult", etc.Surely they eat babies, tooFirst define your terms. What is a "cult"? What is a "political organization"? The links provided by mj in the first comment on this post are all from the website of Steven Alan Hassan, "cult counselor and mind control expert". He apparently bases his definition of "cult" on a cold war [ie: anti-communist] paradigm [first articulated by Robert Jay Lifton in his work on "brainwashing" of US POWs during the Korean War, most recently refined by the Berkeley psychologist Margaret Thaler Singer]. In short, "cult" is here a perjorative used to express an anti-communist worldview. NOT a universally-valid & objective classification.Because many communist organizations functioning in the world today would deflect or be reluctant to answer "direct questions about their structure and the size of their organization". Wonder why? Because they fear government attacks on their organizations. For very good reason.And many are also "serious, cut-you-off-from-your-friends, work-you-18-hour-days" organisations. In fact,they all are.Is the New Peoples Army (Philippines) a cult? Is the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) a cult? In the People's War Group (Andhra Pradesh) a cult? The Maoist Communist Centre (Bihar / Jharkhand)? The FARC? Or the Tamil Tigers? Because all of those organisations use front groups for similar methods of recruitment & impose similar discipline on their members.in short: what if there really was a revolutionary communist organization in the USA? wouldn't it probably look & behave a lot like those above-mentioned organizations? Whose practice is not merely handing out newspapers & engaging in empty sloganering but in quietly & slowly attempting to "build a base" among the masses as a prelude to a revolutionary insurgency? And using every conceivable recruitment ploy to expand their cadre base. Perhaps some of the "lefties" on this thread need to dig a little bit deeper & broaden their perspective a bit by doing some comparative studies of contemporary revolutionary movements. Instead of taking their cue from hysterical "anti-cult" crusaders

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by watching out & digging deeper(No verified email address)

23 May 2004

my conclusion from reading this thread? there's a paradigm chasm separating "mj" and the target of his attentions: "Eastern Service Workers Association". But instead of simply chalking that up to anti-communism we get "invasion of the body snatchers":"...When I asked direct questions about their structure and the size of their organization, they were deflected with totally non sequitur bits of pseudo-revolutionary rhetoric. And the two sunglassed hippies doing most of the talking seemed to not be talking, but rather performing for the third, a middle-aged woman who remained mostly silent but occasionally nodded her approval or steered their answers..."; "This is a serious, cut-you-off-from-your-friends, work-you-18-hour-days cult", etc.Surely they eat babies, tooFirst define your terms. What is a "cult"? What is a "political organization"? The links provided by mj in the first comment on this post are all from the website of Steven Alan Hassan, "cult counselor and mind control expert". He apparently bases his definition of "cult" on a cold war [ie: anti-communist] paradigm [first articulated by Robert Jay Lifton in his work on "brainwashing" of US POWs during the Korean War, most recently refined by the Berkeley psychologist Margaret Thaler Singer]. In short, "cult" is here a perjorative used to express an anti-communist worldview. NOT a universally-valid & objective classification.Because many communist organizations functioning in the world today would deflect or be reluctant to answer "direct questions about their structure and the size of their organization". Wonder why? Because they fear government attacks on their organizations. For very good reason.And many are also "serious, cut-you-off-from-your-friends, work-you-18-hour-days" organisations. In fact,they all are.Is the New Peoples Army (Philippines) a cult? Is the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) a cult? In the People's War Group (Andhra Pradesh) a cult? The Maoist Communist Centre (Bihar / Jharkhand)? The FARC? Or the Tamil Tigers? Because all of those organisations use front groups for similar methods of recruitment & impose similar discipline on their members.in short: what if there really was a revolutionary communist organization in the USA? wouldn't it probably look & behave a lot like those above-mentioned organizations? Whose practice is not merely handing out newspapers & engaging in empty sloganering but in quietly & slowly attempting to "build a base" among the masses as a prelude to a revolutionary insurgency? And using every conceivable recruitment ploy to expand their cadre base. Perhaps some of the "lefties" on this thread need to dig a little bit deeper & broaden their perspective a bit by doing some comparative studies of contemporary revolutionary movements. Instead of taking their cue from hysterical "anti-cult" crusaders

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by obj(No verified email address)	26 May 2004
This is a fascinating conversation for me, being an ex-cadre. I left the group in the early 80’s and have spoken very little of it since. There used to be a web site called “the truth about Natlfed” that must have closed down in the last year after not being updated for years. A letter in the feedback section by former cadre Robin Spellman put this group into a better perspective. We all entered it for a reason, and stayed for a reason. I had worked a long time in politics on the left, raised in a family very active on the left, and was sick of countless meetings and coalition building exercises, factionalizing and policy “line” struggles resulting in low turnouts at marginalized events where our only hope was that we might get some media coverage. Natlfed was an entirely new approach to me and in my excitement I made allowances for their weirdness and quirks.For two years I worked my butt off and was isolated from my friends and family – but, as “watching out and digging deeper” (who may well be toeing the Natlfed line) points out, certainly no harder than cadre of other organizations who are passionately serious about their agenda. The articles and exposes listed fail to mention that the catholic church has cadre, the democratic and republican parties have their cadre who sleep in the office, are constantly on the phone and out of touch with their families. Capitalism has its cadre. Stockbrokers work unbelievably long hours. Of course, in those cases they are compensated with more than free cigarettes and thin rations because they are cadre of successful and powerful groups.But in that period of time I was in regular contact with many impoverished and hard working people who relied on us for supplemental food (even turkeys and Christmas baskets), clothing and what little medical and legal advocacy we could supply. There were many people who looked to ESWA as “their organization”. I built some very solid friendships with people I would never have come to meet or care about otherwise. I learned a lot about organizing, and eventually, learned a lot about B.S. and what you can hide behind smoke and mirrors. All of it, in retrospect, was valuable. Painful, but valuable.I left for my physical and mental health, and I left because I lost faith in the group’s ability to accomplish its goals. I did not want to end up like “Phyllis” years later still pushing an old line. I did not want to be beholden to a leader, Gino, who was satisfied boffing the females among his recruits and central committee and ensuring a continued supply of private narcotics. He was a genius, but he delighted in abusing his “subjects. ”Nor did I want to end up always sneaking a drink to keep up a stoic dedicated appearance. I am not impressed with Stalinism and the fall of the USSR has thankfully left us free of the need to constantly apologize for a bad system that fell under its own weight. Would I go back to Natlfed? Never. Would I recommend it to anyone else? Never. But keep their work in perspective. I would like to see a functional non-abusive group that works that hard and has established even some tenuous roots in working class communities emerge on the political scene. I think the powers that be would be afraid and would do whatever they could to squash it.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by obj(No verified email address)

26 May 2004

This is a fascinating conversation for me, being an ex-cadre. I left the group in the early 80’s and have spoken very little of it since. There used to be a web site called “the truth about Natlfed” that must have closed down in the last year after not being updated for years. A letter in the feedback section by former cadre Robin Spellman put this group into a better perspective. We all entered it for a reason, and stayed for a reason. I had worked a long time in politics on the left, raised in a family very active on the left, and was sick of countless meetings and coalition building exercises, factionalizing and policy “line” struggles resulting in low turnouts at marginalized events where our only hope was that we might get some media coverage. Natlfed was an entirely new approach to me and in my excitement I made allowances for their weirdness and quirks.For two years I worked my butt off and was isolated from my friends and family – but, as “watching out and digging deeper” (who may well be toeing the Natlfed line) points out, certainly no harder than cadre of other organizations who are passionately serious about their agenda. The articles and exposes listed fail to mention that the catholic church has cadre, the democratic and republican parties have their cadre who sleep in the office, are constantly on the phone and out of touch with their families. Capitalism has its cadre. Stockbrokers work unbelievably long hours. Of course, in those cases they are compensated with more than free cigarettes and thin rations because they are cadre of successful and powerful groups.But in that period of time I was in regular contact with many impoverished and hard working people who relied on us for supplemental food (even turkeys and Christmas baskets), clothing and what little medical and legal advocacy we could supply. There were many people who looked to ESWA as “their organization”. I built some very solid friendships with people I would never have come to meet or care about otherwise. I learned a lot about organizing, and eventually, learned a lot about B.S. and what you can hide behind smoke and mirrors. All of it, in retrospect, was valuable. Painful, but valuable.I left for my physical and mental health, and I left because I lost faith in the group’s ability to accomplish its goals. I did not want to end up like “Phyllis” years later still pushing an old line. I did not want to be beholden to a leader, Gino, who was satisfied boffing the females among his recruits and central committee and ensuring a continued supply of private narcotics. He was a genius, but he delighted in abusing his “subjects. ”Nor did I want to end up always sneaking a drink to keep up a stoic dedicated appearance. I am not impressed with Stalinism and the fall of the USSR has thankfully left us free of the need to constantly apologize for a bad system that fell under its own weight. Would I go back to Natlfed? Never. Would I recommend it to anyone else? Never. But keep their work in perspective. I would like to see a functional non-abusive group that works that hard and has established even some tenuous roots in working class communities emerge on the political scene. I think the powers that be would be afraid and would do whatever they could to squash it.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by another ex-NATLFED(No verified email address)	30 Jul 2004
They are a cult, or worse. I know, I was a voounteer for three years. Never became "cadre" but they sure did try. I was a guest at a number of indoctrination sessions at their West Coast hq in San Francisco. I still am not sure whether they are simply a cult or part of a larger COINTELPRO type effort to turn people off to radical politics. It almost worked...You can see the ex-NATLFED site at: http://web.archive.org/web/20030624185932/users.rcn.com/xnatlfed

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by another ex-NATLFED(No verified email address)

30 Jul 2004

They are a cult, or worse. I know, I was a voounteer for three years. Never became "cadre" but they sure did try. I was a guest at a number of indoctrination sessions at their West Coast hq in San Francisco. I still am not sure whether they are simply a cult or part of a larger COINTELPRO type effort to turn people off to radical politics. It almost worked...You can see the ex-NATLFED site at: http://web.archive.org/web/20030624185932/users.rcn.com/xnatlfed

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Robin Spellman Fahlberg fahlberg_robin_s (nospam) cat.com (unverified)	05 Aug 2004
I was a cadre with Natlfed for 14 years and Operations Manager of EFWA in Upstate New York. Although I have not had contact with Natlfed for over 10 years, at that time every Operations Manager was required to be a member of Provisional Party. It also went by other names. After leaving Natlfed, I went back to school and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. I am now pursuing a law degree while working with a Fortune 100 Company.I think that everyone should be very careful about blindly believing what he or she read on the Internet. There is no requirement of truth to post something. Some of the articles and sites posted in this discussion are true, some are not and some have a mixture of truth and misinformation.In my opinion, one of the reasons that Natlfed initiates such controversy is because the practice of the "front groups" (although they don't really fit that definition) can be very beneficial. The most disenfranchised in our communities are helped when they have nowhere else to go. There is also a hidden, for want of a better description, evil, side of Natlfed. When I was there, and from what I've heard continues to be the case, there were manipulative people in powerful positions. Full-timers were subjected to an increasingly severe mental abuse and subjugation. Many did not and could not leave after an extended period of abuse. They felt the only way to help poor people was through Natlfed, that there was no possible success for them after leaving, and/or they were subject to physical threats if they did. In pursuit of the “mission” they neglected their health and some paid the ultimate price – death.One woman I know of was locked in a room for 2 days when she informed the national leadership she was leaving. She was very concerned about the low-income membership and wanted to make sure someone took her place. Crimes were tolerated and covered up. This included sexual abuse of cadre's children, rape, and physical abuse of other cadre. This was not widespread but it did happen. I would analogize the abuse with spousal mental abuse (not physical). The same reluctance to leave occurs.Many of us got involved during our youthful rebellious days. Everything should go to the "mission" and we neglected family and friends. To be fair however, that happens with college students and people in other situations during their late teens and 20s. Many run away from problems or towards what they believe to be their dreams.But, it is not correct to call the work in the community predatory or to say food and clothing go to no one. In fact, Natlfed probably provides more benefit to the communities where they organize dollar for dollar than most organizations. The benefit however, comes at a high price to the full-timers. Many of us who have left feel an aversion to any political activity. The benefit those working full time could provide through other organizations and means would be incredible.Those who say Natlfed does nothing are misinformed and this fuels the opinions that they are simply political enemies trying to destroy a good organization.I don't know if I would classify Natlfed as a cult. I've seen various definitions of "cult" and from my experience it fits those definitions about as well as the Republican Party faithful. That does not mean I think it's a good group to get involved in on a full time basis.In my opinion, most people look for a way to "make a difference". It is very rare that you find an organization of more than one person that completely meets your beliefs of how to do this. Many volunteer or work with organizations whose philosophy they do not fully endorse, but part of the practice is in line with what they do believe. Practice with ESWA may meet some people's expectations. You can gain experience in providing legal, medical and other benefits to the community, establish friendships with people different from yourself and learn about some of the realities of those on the bottom of the economic ladder. If you choose this, I would advise to be wary of getting involved. Maintain your own residence and support, maintain other relationships and keep site of your own beliefs and values. I strongly advise never to work full-time at the national or regional headquarters.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Robin Spellman Fahlberg fahlberg_robin_s (nospam) cat.com (unverified)

05 Aug 2004

I was a cadre with Natlfed for 14 years and Operations Manager of EFWA in Upstate New York. Although I have not had contact with Natlfed for over 10 years, at that time every Operations Manager was required to be a member of Provisional Party. It also went by other names. After leaving Natlfed, I went back to school and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. I am now pursuing a law degree while working with a Fortune 100 Company.I think that everyone should be very careful about blindly believing what he or she read on the Internet. There is no requirement of truth to post something. Some of the articles and sites posted in this discussion are true, some are not and some have a mixture of truth and misinformation.In my opinion, one of the reasons that Natlfed initiates such controversy is because the practice of the "front groups" (although they don't really fit that definition) can be very beneficial. The most disenfranchised in our communities are helped when they have nowhere else to go. There is also a hidden, for want of a better description, evil, side of Natlfed. When I was there, and from what I've heard continues to be the case, there were manipulative people in powerful positions. Full-timers were subjected to an increasingly severe mental abuse and subjugation. Many did not and could not leave after an extended period of abuse. They felt the only way to help poor people was through Natlfed, that there was no possible success for them after leaving, and/or they were subject to physical threats if they did. In pursuit of the “mission” they neglected their health and some paid the ultimate price – death.One woman I know of was locked in a room for 2 days when she informed the national leadership she was leaving. She was very concerned about the low-income membership and wanted to make sure someone took her place. Crimes were tolerated and covered up. This included sexual abuse of cadre's children, rape, and physical abuse of other cadre. This was not widespread but it did happen. I would analogize the abuse with spousal mental abuse (not physical). The same reluctance to leave occurs.Many of us got involved during our youthful rebellious days. Everything should go to the "mission" and we neglected family and friends. To be fair however, that happens with college students and people in other situations during their late teens and 20s. Many run away from problems or towards what they believe to be their dreams.But, it is not correct to call the work in the community predatory or to say food and clothing go to no one. In fact, Natlfed probably provides more benefit to the communities where they organize dollar for dollar than most organizations. The benefit however, comes at a high price to the full-timers. Many of us who have left feel an aversion to any political activity. The benefit those working full time could provide through other organizations and means would be incredible.Those who say Natlfed does nothing are misinformed and this fuels the opinions that they are simply political enemies trying to destroy a good organization.I don't know if I would classify Natlfed as a cult. I've seen various definitions of "cult" and from my experience it fits those definitions about as well as the Republican Party faithful. That does not mean I think it's a good group to get involved in on a full time basis.In my opinion, most people look for a way to "make a difference". It is very rare that you find an organization of more than one person that completely meets your beliefs of how to do this. Many volunteer or work with organizations whose philosophy they do not fully endorse, but part of the practice is in line with what they do believe. Practice with ESWA may meet some people's expectations. You can gain experience in providing legal, medical and other benefits to the community, establish friendships with people different from yourself and learn about some of the realities of those on the bottom of the economic ladder. If you choose this, I would advise to be wary of getting involved. Maintain your own residence and support, maintain other relationships and keep site of your own beliefs and values. I strongly advise never to work full-time at the national or regional headquarters.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by mj(No verified email address)	25 Aug 2004
To "watching out, digging deeper":I consider myself a communist and a revolutionary. I am certainly not "anti-communist" and my use of the word "cult" has nothing to do with my feelings about communism.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by finbar finbardullea (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified)	11 Nov 2004
I'm in law school in Brooklyn, and students have been approached by the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals. After reading all this internet history and feeling as though someone was trying to take advantage of the goodwill of our public interest students, I approached them at their office in Brooklyn Heights. I got them to talking, and it does seem that they try to do some good things. But, when I asked them about their connection to NATFLED, the woman I talked to flat out denied any history with them. I then brought up a case in federal court that talked about the searches of 1107 Carroll Street in Crown Heights. In discussing the case, she asked, "And, do you know how the case turned out?" I said, "It was dismissed because the search was illegal or something." She replied, "They didn't find anything." That was quite an informed response from someone who claims that there was no connection. I also have a copy of their magazine, Verdict. I did a public records name search to find that some of those people lived or do still live in 1107, 1111, and 1115 Carroll Street. [For those of you who missed the info in the prior postings, those were the houses that were raided.]So, whether they do some good work for a few people or not, there is something they are trying to hide. I'm not aware of many volunteer organizations that are not forthcoming about what the specifics of what they do.There are those of us on the left who don't think it's necessary to act like we are doing something wrong when we try to help others out. Everyone else in New York is loud and proud about the public work they do. I don't know what these people have to hide, but they can take it elsewhere.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by finbar finbardullea (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified)

11 Nov 2004

I'm in law school in Brooklyn, and students have been approached by the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals. After reading all this internet history and feeling as though someone was trying to take advantage of the goodwill of our public interest students, I approached them at their office in Brooklyn Heights. I got them to talking, and it does seem that they try to do some good things. But, when I asked them about their connection to NATFLED, the woman I talked to flat out denied any history with them. I then brought up a case in federal court that talked about the searches of 1107 Carroll Street in Crown Heights. In discussing the case, she asked, "And, do you know how the case turned out?" I said, "It was dismissed because the search was illegal or something." She replied, "They didn't find anything." That was quite an informed response from someone who claims that there was no connection. I also have a copy of their magazine, Verdict. I did a public records name search to find that some of those people lived or do still live in 1107, 1111, and 1115 Carroll Street. [For those of you who missed the info in the prior postings, those were the houses that were raided.]So, whether they do some good work for a few people or not, there is something they are trying to hide. I'm not aware of many volunteer organizations that are not forthcoming about what the specifics of what they do.There are those of us on the left who don't think it's necessary to act like we are doing something wrong when we try to help others out. Everyone else in New York is loud and proud about the public work they do. I don't know what these people have to hide, but they can take it elsewhere.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Mel C hunintingezra (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified)	25 Nov 2004
I am so freaked out right now. I have been doing some research this night and I beleive that I have f-d up big time. Reading the narratives here scares me to think that I have affiliated myself with this cult. Any advice that can be given would be greatly appreciated. Mel C.

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by now(No verified email address)	14 Jan 2005
Anyone know anything about the current opperations of NATLF and its entities (especially the Women's Press Collective in South Brooklyn, NY) ?

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by Christina(No verified email address)	21 Jan 2005
My roommate volunteers for this organization...and let me tell you, all of us (his friends) thought from the very start that this shit was a cult. He could never explain in a clear manner what exactly the group does. And yes, he is your classic, grade A, dreadlocked hippie. He is never at home anymore because he lives and breathes ESWA...he even sleeps there. He is a very talented musician and attends music school, but lately has been saying he doesn't want to spend his life doing music anymore...but rather slaving away for ESWA in exchange for food. These are classic results of a cult: moving further and further away from your friends, giving up the things you love...STAY AWAY FROM ESWA!

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!

by Christina(No verified email address)

21 Jan 2005

My roommate volunteers for this organization...and let me tell you, all of us (his friends) thought from the very start that this shit was a cult. He could never explain in a clear manner what exactly the group does. And yes, he is your classic, grade A, dreadlocked hippie. He is never at home anymore because he lives and breathes ESWA...he even sleeps there. He is a very talented musician and attends music school, but lately has been saying he doesn't want to spend his life doing music anymore...but rather slaving away for ESWA in exchange for food. These are classic results of a cult: moving further and further away from your friends, giving up the things you love...STAY AWAY FROM ESWA!

Re: Watch out--Stalinist cult in Roxbury!
by wikipedian(No verified email address)	12 Mar 2005
please contribute to an article on wikipedia that aims to uncover the truth about NATLFED and its entities. You can access the article at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATLFEDThanks.