I got a couple insulting emails from one of the long term civic ass. presidents (FOCP), because I drew attention to the new corporate programming of Clark Park.
These self anointed operatives schemed for over a decade to turn over Clark Park, and under Nutter, all Philadelphia parks to corporate control. Of course, these local foot soldiers of the neoliberal gentrification are wedded to their anti-democratic tactics against the population and future generations! (They don't like me and they don't like any truth telling.)
As people wake up to the realities of our neighborhood, city and country, these civic gang leaders want everyone to forget their active role; their anti-democratic tactics against all; their disinformation campaigns; and personal attacks against dissent, which blazed the way for the end of local accountability, the end of local transparency and the secret monopolistic economic goals of neoliberal gentrification.
It would be great if some of the civic gang insiders from previous years would come forward as whistle blowers, and tell the community how they were pawns for the corporate/institutional plots against the neighborhood!
If they really want reconciliation with the people of this neighborhood, and for betraying younger generations; they must understand that a period of 100% truth telling must precede true reconciliation!
All societies and periods of history will throw up certain individuals to control their neighbors, when a conquering power declares its rules. The feudal lord, the colonial overseer, the Vichy bureaucrat,the civic bully, etc. can always be found to serve power and do any and all work against the people.
What personally drives these civic gang leaders is no longer the most pressing issue, because for all practical purposes, their corporate usefulness is over. Sure, we should all insist that some of them come forward as gentrification whistle-blowers! (Many years ago, a list mate came forward to expose the initial process by which, "community representatives" aka civic association leaders to the UCD Board, were to be picked by the UCD itself! This anti-democratic technique was a fundamental process of control dating to feudal Europe.)
Remember: When the neoliberal transition of this neighborhood was going on, the overwhelming majority of people did not want the "vision" put forward by the "outside experts." We saw this at the few public meetings about the redesign of Clark Park, and when Penn wanted taxation authority over us, called a Business improvement district! So how did the corporate/institutional vision so completely conquer the people of this neighborhood???
We do need to study the role of these civic gangs in the problems we face today. Similar co-opting of dysfunctional anti-democratic gangs occurred around the country. Here, the gangs led the attacks on truth and mounted a massive disinformation campaign. They led the attacks against transparency and accountability. They led the attack for secret meetings and exclusion of stakeholders to any neighborhood issue. And they led the personal attacks against questions and dissent, so ubiquitous today, to intimidate everyone in the neighborhood against speaking out as a citizen and resident.
Rather than wasting time trying to decipher the motivations of these individual anointed bullies, I think it is much more important to study the literature on insular gangs, as well as the vital fundamental principles of representative democracy!
When the people of the neighborhood assembled at the few public meetings during the gentrification, we did not fail to clearly tell these civic leaders and the corporate NGO what WE WANTED. But when they used their power and lies to circumvent the will of the neighborhood, we failed to recognize the serious implications that their deceptive tactics and goals included!
Their demands that all public spaces are corporate commodities, and their demands for absolute secrecy and total power, as experts; should have been universally rejected according to American principles! We failed to stand up against these civic gangs and demand our rights and the rights of all neighbors as citizens, and to stand for the fundamental principles of fairness and democracy! That was the one important struggle that all subsequent struggles depended upon!
Were our civic leaders deceptive and bullying? You bet! But we let them bully and deceive, because we didn't stand up on the vital principles, with which, the neoliberal police state would not have been possible!
I strongly believe, that if we don't study and consider how we lost our rights and this once great community; we don't have a chance at turning our neighborhood and society back to the people!!! The individual bullies are now inconsequential and rather pitiful, as they admire whatever carrots their masters flung to them.
Glenn, a citizen
PS: Some weeks ago a poll was released about American's trust of their neighbors and each other. Over the past several years, trust has plummeted! Did the "divide and conquer" divisiveness used in the gentrification of the country play a role in the isolation, mistrust, and unhappiness of the American people????
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