The Weather Underground (PBS Documentary about The Weathermen)

PBS ^ | April 2004

[wildbill]

I don't have archival search privileges at the NYT, but i believe another poster is right--It was an article about Bill Ayers and was published on either the 10th or 11the of Sept.

[HamiltonJay]

No, not all.. some are activists, one is serving 75 years for his role in a robery that killed 3 people... another served 14 years for planting a bomb in the 1980s and is now an activist... etc.

I was born in 1971, and so Vietnam is pre my experience, I have always known from what I saw of it in my own research that those oposing the war were just communist activists or their dupes.... Nothing I have seen, read or otherwise been exposed to has remotely given me the belief they were "patriots" or "true americans"..

I was glad to see at least a few of them renounce their past actions and recognize them for what they were. Particularly the bar owner who warned of the dangers of arrogance, and how it can allow you to justify horrendous acts... his own parallels by his own words to the fundamentalist islamists was absolutely spot on, and profound to hear from his own mouth.

However for every one like him, there was another that was not remorseful for what they had done and say they would do it all over again. They were sold and bought into a web of lies, and some of them (most in the greater sense) have come to realize it.. but there are a few zealots still out there thinking the revolution is coming.

[HamiltonJay]

Al Queada targets symbols too.. they didn't pic the WTC just to kill innocents.. they did it to strike at the symbol of our economic system.

A terrorist is a terrorist... the only thing that seperated WU from AQ is that the WU were overprivaleged upper middle and upper class kids with too much time on their hands and not raised with enough discipline... oh wait, that pretty much explains Bin Laden and his comrades as well... nevermind there isn't that much difference at all.

[Zevonismymuse]

Bernadine Dohrn sounded still defiant as did a couple of other women. Amazingly, despite planting bombs and engaging in terrorist activities, many of these Weather (Terror) Underground members are now teaching at college campuses.

I also happened upon the show probably about 20 minutes in. Like you, I could not stop watching.

I was wishing they would have talked to David Horowitz or someone else who could have exposed some of the myths surrounding the Black Panther movement. Still, even with the show being totally PBS-ish, I was hoping some of my pinko Santa Barbarian friends were watching the show. I think even the biggest commies on the planet would feel embarrassed listening to those mannish old Bolshevik hags attempting to justify threir violent behavior.

And yes, many of them now teach at the University level. Except the one guy who teaches math at a Community College. Nice....

[Francis McClobber]

I watched the whole documentary. What struck me is these people still don't get it and never will.

I'm not really suprised that three of them are college professors.

The guy who owns the bar seemed like the most well adjusted of the lot. Probably because he has to work for a living now.

I wonder if he would mind a bunch of anti alcohol radicals ripping up his bar.

[Lost Highway]

The thing it made me wonder is what is the FCC's relation to PBS. Up until I turned it off I heard the f-bomb twice mother-f once and read the f word once. I was interested in the show but did not care to hear that.

[cyborg]

I saw it. Reminds of moveon.org! I was the whole thing while FR was down. It is amazing how far this country has come. My mother does not remember any of this stuff. 'I was too busy working to notice' *LOL* My dad rest his soul used to say they were unwashed scum of the earth and that's cleaning it up A LOT.

[Zevonismymuse]

Bernardine Dohrn, Clinical Associate Professor of Law and Director and Founder of the Children and Family Justice Center

To paraphrase:"Steal a little, you're a thief. Steal a lot, they make you King."

[cyborg]

It was also depressing to see how the government could secretly conspire against people too. The whole COINTELPRO thing was pretty scary.

[HamiltonJay]

The whole weather underground thing is comical... a bunch of overprivileged white kids who are grad students and PHD students with no real world experience or military or political knowlege believe they are going to be the ARMY to overthrow the government?....

Please, revolutions, particularly violent upheaval ones are the results of the MASSES not the pretty boys rising up.

And people say Marajuana doesn't have long term effects...

[HamiltonJay]

COINTELPRO doesn't scare me... you for groups with the stated intent to overthrow the duly elected government by violence and with any means possible, and you don't think you are going to to be targeted?

THese guys were criminals, and their groups were organized crime... of course they were targeted by the FBI and government law enforcment. And frankly these hippie freaks are damned lucky this is america, because in most other nations of the world, they would have just killed em and been done with it.

[cyborg]

I was NOT defending the actions of the Weather Underground or the Black Panther party even. I was speaking the government's ability to secretly move again people, something they've done against people who were NOT criminals.

[HamiltonJay]

Hahaha the WU and the BP were indeed criminals. How many bombs and riots do you have to incite before one is a criminal?

[cyborg]

Did I say they weren't criminals? Wow you're twisting my words, things I didn't even say. If you think that the government leaves law abiding citizens alone, think again. Government HAS organized crimes against innocent people before. THAT IS ALL I WAS SAYING.

[PJ-Comix]

I saw it. Reminds of moveon.org!

Also the DUmmies. In fact, some DUmmie posters use Weatherman imagery in their posts. I predict that if Bush wins by a landslide in November many DUmmies and MoveOn.Org will go into the Weather Underground violent mode.

[cyborg]

First groups I thought of were ANSWER and moveon.org... From what I've seen last night I really hope not. I hope what you say doesn't happen.

[Tribune7]

If it comes on I'll catch it. Thanks for the recommendation, btw. I would have otherwise thought it was a PBS boomer nostalgia thing about how wonderful these terrorists were.

[cyborg]

You get to hear from all the old retreads of the movement. Kathleen Cleaver sheesh!

[PJ-Comix]

From what I've seen last night I really hope not. I hope what you say doesn't happen.

It will if Bush is re-elected. The only thing that keeps these groups from outright violence right now is HOPE. They are desperately hoping that Bush will be defeated. When that doesn't happen, they WILL turn to violence. Count on it. Remember, I monitor the DUmmies frequently and I see their mindset.

[cyborg]

I don't get it. I really can't understand that kind of mentality. The riot I saw last night on tv scares me. Not only because of the anti-war riot crowd sizes but almost for sure law abiding citizens would be affected as well.