Former Earth Liberation Front spokesman Craig Rosebraugh gave a lengthy interview to a small anarchist magazine, “The ‘A’ Word” which was posted to the far Left Infoshop.Org web site. In the rambling interview, Rosebraugh outlines his justification for a violent political revolution in the United States.
For Rosebraugh, the violent acts committed by the Earth Liberation Front were not radical enough,
Question: In the past decade we have seen inspiring developments within the radical environmental movement, where do you hope this movement will go in the coming years? (since you say that ELF isn’t necessarily a revolutionary movement)
Rosebraugh: While there have been inspiring developments within the radical environmental movement, realistically the actions at least to me are only inspiring in comparison to many other ineffective and shameful strategies. The ELF, which 1997 has inflicted approximately $45 million in damages on entities destroying life on this planet, still has demonstrated itself to be a reformist organization. While I have and continue to support the group and all of the actions it has taken, I consider it a reformist group because it is targeting single (or even multiple) issues under the existing power structure. The ELF definitely serves a needed purpose, to effectively demonstrate to individuals, corporations, and governmental agencies that they will be held accountable for their environmentally destructive practices. However, until a revolutionary movement changes the political structure of the United States government, serious environmental threats will not cease, nor will overall societal injustice both domestically and as a matter of foreign policy.
Whether one is concerned with human rights, environmental protection, or even animal advocacy, none of these single-issue concerns can be thoroughly addressed by reformist pursuits. A revolutionary movement is needed in the United States to at minimum allow for an atmosphere where there is a possibility of justice for all of these single-issue concerns.
The interviewer asks Rosebraugh about another violent terrorist group (emphasis added),
Question: What similarities do you see between the ELF and the Weather Underground Organization? Are there strengths/weaknesses you see between the two? What can we learn from the WUO and how does it apply now?
Rosebraugh: One perhaps obvious similarity is that both organizations have been considered marginal by their movements. The Weather Underground, while being a self-described anti-imperialist organization, was considered a hindrance to the Vietnam anti-war movement by those in more mainstream groups. Similarly, the ELF has been condemned by organizations such as the Sierra Club who have gone as far as to work directly with the FBI to stop ELF actions. While the ELF has considered itself a part of the environmental movement, the Weather Underground, at least in theory, considered itself more focused on anti-U.S. government and anti-imperialist activity. This, again in theory, is the direction I believe justice pursuits need to go. However, the actual policies and actions of the Weather Organization I considered to be ineffective. For one, the group failed to educate even a small sector of the U.S. population on the need for a political and social revolution. As a result when their actions were committed people judged them as extremist and marginal. Secondly, the actions the Weather Organization took were far too reactionary and geared toward publicity. This may have not been a conscious decision to go for publicity but due to their being no revolutionary or anti-imperialist movement, the actions of the WU were very isolated and exclusionary. The ELF at least is directly involved in the environmental movement. The counter culture of drug use, among other forms of liberation experimentation were also implanted into the daily lives of those in WU. I think this had a negative effect overall and helped in the ineffectiveness of the organization. A final easily noticeable difference between the two groups is that the WU used explosives and the ELF has only thus far used incendiaries. This may be of no importance or it may have some relevance due to public support. I am not certain this can easily be answered.
The main lesson I believe that should be taken from the WU is that certainly a revolutionary movement is needed in this country. But it must be that, a movement not one small group acting as a revolutionary force. This movement must begin simply with public education. Until at least a portion of the U.S. public understands and believes in the necessity for a political and social revolution, that movement cannot be successful. A group or groups can work as a catalyst, but in order for a movement to be built their actions must not remain exclusionary.
Ah, so the main problem with the Weather Underground is that they preferred publicity over educating the public, not that these terrorists were responsible for killing two police officers and a bank guard during the armed robbery of a Brinks armored car.
Source:
Fighting to Win: An Interview with Craig Rosebraugh. Darby Kargymm, The ‘A’ Word, 2003.