To the Eight Former LYM Members
I have read the document: "Why We Left". Amazing. It is very good that you wrote this.
I was a ICLC member at the time when the concept of the LYM was introduced and developed. I left it after a visit to the USA 2003 when I realized that the organization was an authoritarian nightmare.
Some words about myself. My name is Torbjörn Jerlerup from Sweden. I was a member, fulltime från about 1990. I left the movement back in 2003/2004. Mentally I left earlier when I had gradually discovered I had been "living the life of the lie".
After I left the LaRouchemovement I had some years when I recovered and did some serious soul-searching. I became politically liberal.
When I left the movement I rejected the conservative outlook of it (as I regard it now). I no longer believe that it is up to politicians to decide how ordinary people should live their lifes. I have rejected the conspiracy frenzy of the movement too.
I remain politically active. I am not involved in a political party per se, but as a citizen activist. The focus of my activities are to combat rascism and fascism, as well as discrimination of all kinds, like homophobia.
I am writing this about myselkf, not to promote myself, but to show that it is possible to continue to be political active after you have left the movement. I am completely open about my years with the political cult, and the openess is seen by many as a strength. And yes it is actually a sign of strength, not weakness, to admit that you have been wrong and changed your mind.
And I am no agent. I know that I am regarded as that. "Cooperating with the Swedish ADL, sexual pervert, on the payroll on Expo, satanist, best friend of Dennis King". That is what I have heard that my old friend says.
Well... The fact is simply that I realized that I was "living the life of the lie", as Vaclav Havel describes it.
When you think back you will remember several things that made you reflect on what was happening inside the organization. Moments when you realized that something was wrong.processes that made you think and discover the flaws of the "system".
Preserve these memories as you would preserve valuable gems or diamonds. Because they are gems. They are crucial discoveries you made that made you reflect upon the system inside the organization, that made you realize that the "life of the lie".
For me it was several things. But first and foremost the knowledge that the organization would be a disaster if it ever rose to power.
Lyndon LaRouche hates democracy. I realized that he wanted to run the organization in his way, and no other opinion was allowed. And all members, from the top to the slaves in the galleys (phones and booktables), accepted this. If you discovered that LaRouche was wrong you had to hide it. Remember? Yes! No other opinion than LaRouches was allowed.
And people worked as slaves in the organization, in particular in the USA. For two years had the "boomers" worked on the phones and on the field för seven, later six and a half days a week. The organization claimed that it did not like "slave labour" (the primitive accumulation, you know?!) but the internal structure of it was totally based upon slave labour.
If LaRouche had been a military commander on the field, a general at war, he would have been declared a maniac. No general at war would ever let his troops be on the frontline for years and years. All generals know that troops that never rests get exhausted. War exhaustion. Only mad generals let their troops fight month after month without rest. Lyndon forced his troops to be in the trenches for years. How well do you think troops that never get rest fights?
And how would a nation look like run by a maniac that knows no other political method than slave labor (labor intensive work)?
How would a nation run by LC members that usually yelled at their "slaves"? How would a nation look like run by "leaders" that disregard democracy, that believes that force and imposing guilt are legitimate in order to "lead"? How would a nation look like where only one opinion is accepted, and all others opinions are declared to be "treason"? How well would a nation be run by a maniac that for 40 years has claimed that "within a few months there will be a nuclear/financial holocaust", and always have been wrong.
How well would a person lead a nation. that never once in his life has admitted to be wrong?
I still remember the day when I sat down and looked at several things Lyndon had written. I was looking for "hypothesis". Lyndon claims to base his philosophy upon hypothesis and that he is against the notion of a fixed absolute truth. I looked at his writings and realized that I nowhere could find a single hypothesis about anything. I only found absolute truths. I.e. I found statements by Lyndon about things that he had proven to be absolute truths, and all that did not agree with his view was to be seen as traitors and agents.
That was important, for me...
I still remember how some leading ICLC members reacted when I told them about my doubts. "Dont even think about it. Doubts are dangerous. You are blocked."
I could name other such moments. But this will suffice for the moment. But please remeber your "gems of truth". Especially if you want to help others that are still in the organization. It is paradoxes like these that will make them think and leave it.
You have left the organization now. GREAT!
Perhaps you feel guilt or are confused about life now? I dont know, for me it was partly so.
But remember that done is done. You cannot undo your past, but by changing your view of the past you can change the future.
I still love Cusanus.
At one occasion he said that it is not when you believe that you have all the answers that you are close to some kind of truth. You are closer to some kind of truth when you do not know the answers. Truth is in darkness and ignorance, not in the light and in certainity. Not in knowing all the answers, but in the humility that you do not know all the answers and that other people, of other opinions, might have some clues that may help you to form your opinion, your personal "truth".
Please, never let go of the view that you want to do good to other people. Never let go of your will to change the world to the better! And dont be ashamed that you were wrong. Be proud that you realized that you were wrong instead and changed your lives. Learn from your mistakes and grow as human beings.
And take care!
/Torbjörn
PS
And thanks once again for your document. It made me think and reflect and look back. And such things are always valuabl
I was a ICLC member at the time when the concept of the LYM was introduced and developed. I left it after a visit to the USA 2003 when I realized that the organization was an authoritarian nightmare.
Some words about myself. My name is Torbjörn Jerlerup from Sweden. I was a member, fulltime från about 1990. I left the movement back in 2003/2004. Mentally I left earlier when I had gradually discovered I had been "living the life of the lie".
After I left the LaRouchemovement I had some years when I recovered and did some serious soul-searching. I became politically liberal.
When I left the movement I rejected the conservative outlook of it (as I regard it now). I no longer believe that it is up to politicians to decide how ordinary people should live their lifes. I have rejected the conspiracy frenzy of the movement too.
I remain politically active. I am not involved in a political party per se, but as a citizen activist. The focus of my activities are to combat rascism and fascism, as well as discrimination of all kinds, like homophobia.
I am writing this about myselkf, not to promote myself, but to show that it is possible to continue to be political active after you have left the movement. I am completely open about my years with the political cult, and the openess is seen by many as a strength. And yes it is actually a sign of strength, not weakness, to admit that you have been wrong and changed your mind.
And I am no agent. I know that I am regarded as that. "Cooperating with the Swedish ADL, sexual pervert, on the payroll on Expo, satanist, best friend of Dennis King". That is what I have heard that my old friend says.
Well... The fact is simply that I realized that I was "living the life of the lie", as Vaclav Havel describes it.
When you think back you will remember several things that made you reflect on what was happening inside the organization. Moments when you realized that something was wrong.processes that made you think and discover the flaws of the "system".
Preserve these memories as you would preserve valuable gems or diamonds. Because they are gems. They are crucial discoveries you made that made you reflect upon the system inside the organization, that made you realize that the "life of the lie".
For me it was several things. But first and foremost the knowledge that the organization would be a disaster if it ever rose to power.
Lyndon LaRouche hates democracy. I realized that he wanted to run the organization in his way, and no other opinion was allowed. And all members, from the top to the slaves in the galleys (phones and booktables), accepted this. If you discovered that LaRouche was wrong you had to hide it. Remember? Yes! No other opinion than LaRouches was allowed.
And people worked as slaves in the organization, in particular in the USA. For two years had the "boomers" worked on the phones and on the field för seven, later six and a half days a week. The organization claimed that it did not like "slave labour" (the primitive accumulation, you know?!) but the internal structure of it was totally based upon slave labour.
If LaRouche had been a military commander on the field, a general at war, he would have been declared a maniac. No general at war would ever let his troops be on the frontline for years and years. All generals know that troops that never rests get exhausted. War exhaustion. Only mad generals let their troops fight month after month without rest. Lyndon forced his troops to be in the trenches for years. How well do you think troops that never get rest fights?
And how would a nation look like run by a maniac that knows no other political method than slave labor (labor intensive work)?
How would a nation run by LC members that usually yelled at their "slaves"? How would a nation look like run by "leaders" that disregard democracy, that believes that force and imposing guilt are legitimate in order to "lead"? How would a nation look like where only one opinion is accepted, and all others opinions are declared to be "treason"? How well would a nation be run by a maniac that for 40 years has claimed that "within a few months there will be a nuclear/financial holocaust", and always have been wrong.
How well would a person lead a nation. that never once in his life has admitted to be wrong?
I still remember the day when I sat down and looked at several things Lyndon had written. I was looking for "hypothesis". Lyndon claims to base his philosophy upon hypothesis and that he is against the notion of a fixed absolute truth. I looked at his writings and realized that I nowhere could find a single hypothesis about anything. I only found absolute truths. I.e. I found statements by Lyndon about things that he had proven to be absolute truths, and all that did not agree with his view was to be seen as traitors and agents.
That was important, for me...
I still remember how some leading ICLC members reacted when I told them about my doubts. "Dont even think about it. Doubts are dangerous. You are blocked."
I could name other such moments. But this will suffice for the moment. But please remeber your "gems of truth". Especially if you want to help others that are still in the organization. It is paradoxes like these that will make them think and leave it.
You have left the organization now. GREAT!
Perhaps you feel guilt or are confused about life now? I dont know, for me it was partly so.
But remember that done is done. You cannot undo your past, but by changing your view of the past you can change the future.
I still love Cusanus.
At one occasion he said that it is not when you believe that you have all the answers that you are close to some kind of truth. You are closer to some kind of truth when you do not know the answers. Truth is in darkness and ignorance, not in the light and in certainity. Not in knowing all the answers, but in the humility that you do not know all the answers and that other people, of other opinions, might have some clues that may help you to form your opinion, your personal "truth".
Please, never let go of the view that you want to do good to other people. Never let go of your will to change the world to the better! And dont be ashamed that you were wrong. Be proud that you realized that you were wrong instead and changed your lives. Learn from your mistakes and grow as human beings.
And take care!
/Torbjörn
PS
And thanks once again for your document. It made me think and reflect and look back. And such things are always valuabl
