Freddy Bastone and the NCP(LC), pathological liars and thugs

1. Decision expelling a suspended member


To:    All of the members of the organization
Date:    6/28/13

The organization is disciplining Freddy Bastone through expulsion for the following reasons:

1. Long pattern of male chauvinism and lack of interest in remolding.

Freddy Bastone's patriarchal behavior continues. On Facebook, he posted “Smile My Dude,” which means “Suck My Dick.” On Facebook, he also made a remark, seen by a member of the WQD, supporting the view of women as property, “All I have to say is Ray J hit it first.”

We spent a lot of time creating a rectification plan to address his male chauvinism, but he has made no serious attempt to remold himself or shown any serious interest in doing so.
    1.
Freddy Bastone has a long pattern of male chauvinism.

    •    He pushed his most recent partner, a recruit of the group, and was verbally abusive toward her, calling her a “fucking bitch” and saying she was “fucking stupid.”

    •    He called members of the group “cunts.”
    •
    •    He made an unwanted sexual advance toward another recruit, driving her out of the work.

    •    He behaved abusively toward a past partner, a member of our organization at the time.

Even while the organization was investigating his behavior toward his most recent partner, another recruit reported male chauvinist comments he made in an entirely separate incident, when he was talking about a woman they encountered on the street.

He has violated the terms of his current suspension by, for example:

    •    Speaking at a public event after being directed not to do so by local leadership.
    •
    •    Attending a march in violation of his suspension.

These violations show that he does not recognize the importance of rectifying his male chauvinism.

2. Serious organizational liberalism.

On a Facebook wall, Freddy Bastone engaged in a heated argument with a Canadian supporter of the PRAC. Freddy Bastone then asked a comrade in VA over Facebook messages to block the Canadian, as a part of waging a campaign against the Canadian and others.

When Gene, the liaison to Canada, asked Freddy Bastone to apologize for his tone in the argument, he refused to do so.

Freddy Bastone used an open and permanently-recorded medium that is exposed to the State to deliberately try to escalate antagonisms with a supporter of the PRAC. He then refused to listen to Gene's suggestions to de-escalate the situation.

This is also not the first time that Freddy Bastone has outrightly violated security practices.

Freddy Bastone named a member of the organization over Facebook messages, speculating that this person wrote the organizational documents.

Freddy Bastone also called at least one individual who is not a member of the organization on the phone and discussed criticisms he had of the organizational documents.

After these incidents, both local leadership and the GS gave Freddy Bastone a warning.

This week, Freddy Bastone again named a different member of the organization over Facebook messages and said that he thinks they should be expelled.

In sum, all of these practices hand over information through open and permanently-recorded channels (Facebook messages and phone) to the State.

Not once did Freddy Bastone alert the organization in good faith that he made these mistakes. Each time, it had to be reported by another member. This makes it impossible for the organization and its leadership to assess our level of exposure.

Any individual who engages in these practices, despite being given a warning, is a liability to the organization. These practices have already done irreparable harm to the organization through the exposure of its members.
10:19 REPORT TEMPLATE

-Yes, the NCP(OC) is not "safe" for any particular oppressed group. In fact, it is a revolutionary organization aiming to overthrow oppressive behaviors and systems, to abolish capitalism and pave the way for socialism and eventually communism. It is not ideal by any means; we are all a product of our conditions, but we are also in a dialectic relationship with them in that we can and aim to change our material reality. No organization should be considered a "safe" space; that is idealism that actually harms the people who believe that. However, we ought to be a "safer" space in which we commit to line struggle and rectify incorrect thinking and behaviors. In that regard, the CC, the WQD, and all other members must be, and are, constantly working to abolish patriarchal, homophobic, and transphobic attitudes and behaviors and replace them with feminist and queer liberating ones. This is the only thing we can claim: we are not “safe,” but we want to get there.

-It is factually incorrect that all women in the organization are involved in sexual relationships with men in the organization. But even if that were the case, that does not inherently imply oppression. It is one thing to raise sexual/romantic relationships between comrades as a concern; indeed, they should be openly discussed. Since the breakup between Joey and Freddy Bastone (among the other problematic relationships we have been struggling with), we have implemented a relationship criticism/self-criticism to minimize the amount and magnitude of problems that may arise in the future. It is another thing to assume that sexual/romantic relations are oppressive, and that women, in particular, are oppressed by such relations, as if they were perpetual victims, without any agency, which is a patriarchal assumption in itself.

-Some structural issues Ariel pointed out, such as not having a recruitment study on patriarchy or an adequate way to respond to patriarchal behavior, were true in that moment. But he knew that the organization was only beginning to get off the ground at that time. The Liaison Committee, responsible for launching the First Congress of the NCP(OC), chose five studies to start recruitment, with the understanding that the studies would become more formalized—and would likely include a study on patriarchy, as well as the national questions—after the NCP(OC) got established. Along those lines, we all knew that the WQD was going to be one of the leading bodies in the organization, and it was going to be officially established during the First Congress. But because the Joey-Freddy Bastone breakup demanded an immediate and effective response to patriarchal behaviors, the WQD hit the ground running prior to being officially established. Ariel was aware that we were just building the organization, yet he presumed that structure would not take time and intentionality; he assumed that structure would just be magicked out of thin air.

-Prostitute-jacketing is certainly patriarchal. That needs to be rectified, without a question. But Ariel had perpetuated the prostitute-jacketing himself, spreading misinformation to be a "devil's advocate." To (1) engage in such deception with others and (2) to avoid self-criticism after having done so are both patriarchal and uncomradely behaviors. To criticize and expose prostitute-jacketing is a good thing. To avoid one's responsibility in fueling prostitute-jacketing is not.

-Finally, Ariel had sent this letter through unsecure channels, putting individuals unnecessarily at risk, when he could have easily hit a button to make the message “off-the-record.” This shows blatant disregard for organizational security and individual welfare and must be criticized.

As a response to the urgency of the Joey-Freddy Bastone situation, as well as the ongoing masculinist behaviors the WQD had observed, the WQD proposed a thorough Rectification Campaign Against Patriarchy. It is of such importance that the CC is directly handling the work plan and timeline of the rectification campaign to make sure it remains one of the organization's biggest priorities to carry it out effectively.

Ariel did not remain in the organization long enough to hear of this progress. We believe that due to his inexperience in a communist organization and his reliance on partial truths, he foreclosed on his ability to rectify himself as well as contribute to the development of the organization. For that, we are truly regretful that he left.

In struggle,

The Women's and Queer Department