Thanks for answering my question, anonymous. Now let me try to answer your questions as best I can. I know what I know about NATLFED, and some of the east coast entities (Eastern Service Workers Association), from personal experience. Unpleasant personal experience. Since then I've been collecting information about NATLFED and NATLFED entities and posting it on this blog.
I've had suspicions about Students for Comprehensive Medical Care for some time. Your account provides some confirmation.
The Coalition of Concerned Medical Professionals is a classic NATLFED entity. They were actually the point of entry into the cult for Jeff Whitnack, who then went on to become the most famous of anti-NATLFED gadflies (http://politicalcults.blogspot.com/2006/12/natlfed-public-eye-1984.html).
I can’t really speculate as to whether or not they were trying to brainwash you, or how many people in the office know the truth of the organization. Some of them certainly know elements of the truth about CCMP and NATLFED. The Operations Manager was NATLFED cadre, and thus also a member of (what is left of) the Provisional Communist Party.
Don't be fooled by the name "Provisional Communist Party." This is not an actual left-wing political organization. Instead it is just the name the self-important NATLFED inner circle gave to themselves.
Currently, I’m not sure that NATLFED entities are having much luck brain-washing people. NATLFED used to (emphasis on USED TO) really take over the lives of recruits, with isolation from family and friends, hardcore psychological pressure and manipulation, group humiliation, the occasional beating, drug addiction, drained bank accounts, the whole messy platter of harms one usually associates with a destructive cult.But they don’t seem to be doing much of that recently. NATLFED’s charismatic leader has been dead for a dozen years, and most of these entities are just on auto-pilot.
So what do the entities do? They run fraudulent social welfare programs. They take advantage of the big hearts and deep pocket books of people in the philanthropic and charity community. They prey on the good intentions of progressives and people who just want to help the poor, or end injustice. They consume most of the resources they collect. Some of those resources, cash especially, gets funneled back to NATLFED headquarters in
Generally, these entities provide just enough services to the poor to keep up the appearances. But they are corrupt and dishonest to the core. So while they are currently unsuccessful as a cult, they are fairly successful as a scam.
Either way, staying clear is the best bet.
For more information, check out the Wikipedia entry on NATLFED. It is well written and fair.
Rico
2 comments:
As one who has some familiarity with CCMP, I would state that they are at the very least, strange. Volunteers are subjected to initial and continued attempts at political and organizational indoctrination that will go as far as one will allow it to. Many tasks are done inefficiently and a lot of "wheel spinning" takes place. I have witnessed underlings, (not volunteers), endure verbal brow beatings from self important members in the higher echelons of this organization. The well intentioned goal of delivering medical care to the poor and the uninsured is realized, but it could be done so much better. An audit of the money and goods donated may reveal some telling information. To use the noun "cult" to describe CCMP may be right on target.
I had never heard of this organization until a few weeks ago when a rather charismatic, bearded man, the Operations Manager, was leafleting and taking names in my area. I gave him mine because the idea of advocating for uninsured, low income folks strongly appeals. I went to an orientation today, though the ops manager wasn't present. Alarm bells have been going off since I first contacted these people, and doing some reading here tells me why. There is some highly charged political language along with the "services" aspect. The word "fight" is central to the pitch. Anyway, thanks for this info and referral to Wikipedia article. Any other info on this group in Oakland would be appreciated.
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