[Peace-discuss] [Peace] spread the news

Sat Nov 2 17:15:06 UTC 2019

Spread what news?

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/10/us-immigration-laws-unconstitutional-double-standards/599140/

The above article was extensively quoted by Thomas Garza, head of the CU
Immigration Forum, in the his most recent appearance on UPTV (youtube).

This article is from George Mason University, one of the homes of Koch
Brothers-style libertarianism, which includes, I guess, "open borders." It
also, of course, includes rights to desecrate the land.

Sometimes strange political bedfellows are to be desired--apparently even
the Koch Brothers, or the remaining non-deceased Brother, is not happy with
U.S. troops around the world. That's fine, I guess, if they actually want
to do something about that, of which I haven't seen any evidence, although
maybe they have Trump's ear.

But what does anyone think that the sort of libertarian capitalism
advocated by the KBs, and by George Mason, will get us?

The immigrant rights movement is motivated by basic human decency, at least
from the more casual observer. But in its more public expressions, it is
also motivated by liberal political expedience, see Bend the Arc etc., as I
have noted in past letters to the editor, regarding their Zionism and their
liberal hypocrisy, not to mention their obnoxious claim to represent the
"Jewish community."

It is also motivated by good old-fashioned capitalist greed, and a desire
to think that "markets," including the "market" for immigrants to move to
the U.S., well seriously address our economic problems. Capital is free to
move, labor is free to move, welcome to Koch Brothers utopia. See these
recent article from the News-Gazette:

https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/guest-commentary-building-a-welcoming-economy/article_859ff35b-cbd6-546f-97c5-1862fc43ab4c.html

https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/university-illinois/ui-business-school-dean-among-who-signed-letter-to-trump/article_41e30891-7403-57fa-aaf6-5914f59e7684.html

It would appear that immigration is the solution to all of our economic
problems, according to these neoliberal perspectives, subscribed to by both
the Campus YMCA and the Gies School of Business (Dean Jeffrey Brown, arch
Zionist). Disgusting. (Why isn't he proposing that we bring a few million
stateless, well-educated Palestinians to our country in order to solve our
labor problems?)

There is, of course, an implicit disregard of and disrespect for American
citizens, especially including the African-American ones in our own working
class community, who have no voice and no representatives in these matters,
including from anyone named Ammons. Not to mention the notorious "white
working class." But then again, if they opened their mouths and asked a few
obvious questions, like: "Why can't African-American children be the future
skilled workforce?", they risk being called xenophobic.

Thomas Garza, Ricardo Diaz, and the CU Immigration Forum (constituted by
the two of them) honored the Zionist, racist Bend the Arc group in a recent
ceremony at the Urbana Free Library. The UFL seemed to endorse this event,
not just host it. Isn't this crossing the line from the civic to the
political, just as they did when they allowed the "trans-rights" activists
to demonstrate upstairs while Nina Paley was hosting a panel downstairs?
Does the UFL think that anything it does is automatically good and true and
beautiful?

Thomas Garza honors Koch Brothers libertarianism on his WRFU/UPTV program,
without saying so, or even clearly referencing the article from which he is
reading, although he didn't give himself time to finish it.

When I ran for Congress in 2014 and attended (was on the panel at) a
"forum" sponsored by Garza and his group at CPL, my impression was that
Garza was judging people up or down depending on whether or not they agree
with his rather shallow and de-contextualized view of the immigration
issue. Over the years, that impression has been nothing but reinforced.

My impression is that Garza's analytical skills are sorely lacking; he is
far from being the sharpest tool in anyone's shed, and he is arrogant to
boot. He goes on about "playing politics with people" on show after show,
but he doesn't address how economic interests are always "playing politics
with people." Garza and his allies are, in fact, "playing politics with
people," whatever the hell that means. He talks about xenophobic bigotry,
and then describes entire unnamed groups of people in clearly generalized,
stereotypical, bigoted terms; classic projection: "deplorables." Indeed,
it's probably the only clearly bigoted speech that is allowed on UPTV.

I think Garza is a "pro-immigrant" neoliberal, and that he is not in any
way antiwar. He allies himself, generally speaking, with corporate forces
at this university and in this community; they want their fancy,
highly-educated immigrant friends; and they want someone to cheaply clean
their houses and take care of their children. Who needs a higher minimum
wage?

Something to think about as we "spread the word."

As we're doing so, it might be worth noting that we are assuring the
re-election of Donald Trump. Hooray!

People aren't stupid. They know that "open borders" doesn't address their
economic issues; it's a thumb in their eye. They know that the exploitation
of immigrant labor on top of the exploitation of citizen labor is not the
answer to our problems, it is just more corporate neoliberalism, supported
by both parties.

But at least the immigrant issue gives some people plenty of chance to
virtue signal and feel really good about themselves and feel that their
being "welcoming" while they get on with their privileged lives; I will say
that much for it.

DG

On Sat, Nov 2, 2019 at 7:03 AM Debra Schrishuhn via Peace <
peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote:

> Smugglers Cut Through Sections of Trump’s Border Wall
> <https://politicalwire.com/2019/11/02/smugglers-saw-through-new-sections-of-border-wall/>
>
> November 2, 2019 at 7:23 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
> <https://politicalwire.com/author/tdg/> 29 Comments
> <https://politicalwire.com/2019/11/02/smugglers-saw-through-new-sections-of-border-wall/#disqus_thread>
>
> “Smuggling gangs in Mexico have repeatedly sawed through new sections of
> President Trump’s border wall in recent months by using commercially
> available power tools, opening gaps large enough for people and drug loads
> to pass through, according to U.S. agents and officials with knowledge of
> the damage,” the Washington Post <https://wapo.st/2qjWC9V> reports.
>
> “The breaches have been made using a popular cordless household tool known
> as a reciprocating saw that retails at hardware stores for as little as
> $100. When fitted with specialized blades, the saws can slice through one
> of the barrier’s steel-and-concrete bollards in a matter of minutes,.”
>
> “After cutting through the base of a single bollard, smugglers can push
> the steel out of the way, allowing an adult to fit through the gap. Because
> the bollards are so tall — and are attached only to a panel at the very top
> — their length makes them easier to push aside once they have been cut and
> are left dangling.”
> _______________________________________________
> Peace mailing list
> Peace at lists.chambana.net
> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace
>
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