From: Ian Hunt (ian.hunt@FLINDERS.EDU.AU)
Date: Mon Dec 19 2005 - 00:09:59 EST
That is a very ominous sign of the times: the opportunism of the capitalist ruling class knows no bounds, it seems... Associate Professor Ian Hunt Dept of Philosophy School of Humanities Flinders University Box 2100, GPO, Adelaide, 5001 On 19/12/2005, at 1:20 PM, glevy@PRATT.EDU wrote: > Another ominous sign of the times -- > > The investigation was launched after the student, who was doing > research for a paper, requested a copy of 'The Little Red Book' > from a university library! > > In solidarity, Jerry > > > ---------------------------- Original Message > ---------------------------- > Subject: Agents' visit chills UMass Dartmouth senior 12- 17- 2005 > > Agents' visit chills UMass Dartmouth senior > By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer > > NEW BEDFORD -- A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by > federal > agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's > tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book." > Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn > Williams and > Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book > through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan program. > The student, who was completing a research paper on > Communism for > Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled > out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number > and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' > home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland > Security, the professors said. > The professors said the student was told by the agents that the > book is on a "watch list," and that his background, which included > significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student > further. > "I tell my students to go to the direct source, and so he > asked for > the official Peking version of the book," Professor Pontbriand > said. "Apparently, the Department of Homeland Security is > monitoring inter-library loans, because that's what triggered the > visit, as I understand it." > Although The Standard-Times knows the name of the student, > he is > not coming forward because he fears repercussions should his name > become public. He has not spoken to The Standard-Times. > The professors had been asked to comment on a report that > President > Bush had authorized the National Security Agency to spy on as many > as 500 people at any given time since 2002 in this country. > The eavesdropping was apparently done without warrants. > The Little Red Book, is a collection of quotations and speech > excerpts from Chinese leader Mao Tse-Tung. > In the 1950s and '60s, during the Cultural Revolution in > China, it > was required reading. Although there are abridged versions > available, the student asked for a version translated directly from > the original book. > The student told Professor Pontbriand and Dr. Williams that the > Homeland Security agents told him the book was on a "watch list." > They brought the book with them, but did not leave it with the > student, the professors said. > Dr. Williams said in his research, he regularly contacts > people in > Afghanistan, Chechnya and other Muslim hot spots, and suspects that > some of his calls are monitored. > "My instinct is that there is a lot more monitoring than we > think," > he said. > Dr. Williams said he had been planning to offer a course on > terrorism next semester, but is reconsidering, because it might put > his students at risk. > "I shudder to think of all the students I've had monitoring > al-Qaeda Web sites, what the government must think of that," he > said. "Mao Tse-Tung is completely harmless." > > Contact Aaron Nicodemus at anicodemus@s-t.com > > This story appeared on Page A9 of The Standard-Times on > December 17, > 2005.
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