|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By a contributor March 31, 2005
"Historians will write about how a lax America let its unique and coveted form of government and society sink into a quagmire of mutual acrimony among the various sub-nations that will comprise the new self-destructing America."(1)
--From a project of the Amerikkkan so-called workers, The Minuteman
Lou Dobbs on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight has been harping on the "immigrant invasion" almost every night recently. The "Broken Borders" series is Dobbs' most recent sustained attack against what the exploiters call "illegal immigrants" and which MIM refers to as "undocumented proletarians." Self-identified white nationalists have praised Dobbs' reporting.(2)
Overshadowed by media coverage of Michael Jackson's trial and brain-injured bulimia patient Terri Schiavo, the Minuteman Project beginning in April will monitor the Mexican-u.$. border in Arizona for activity for a month. The Minuteman Project, whose volunteers number at least a 1,000 people supposedly, claims that it will only observe and report violations to the u.$. border patrol.(3)
Considering that most undocumented proletarians cross borders at night, in the dark, the question arises how does the Minuteman Project expects to make credible reports of undocumented border crossing activity without detaining anyone at least for a short period of time. It seems that getting good descriptions of individuals would be difficult even with night vision equipment and cameras. From their bureaucratic viewpoint and despite their self-interested reasons, President Bu$h and Mexican President Vicente Fox are correct to characterize the Minuteman Project as "vigilantes." Although closely allied with the smaller exploiters of the Minuteman Project, imperialist Bush reflects the general bourgeois internationalist line. It is the smaller exploiters seeking to protect the virtue or monogamy of their relationship to their own imperialists carrying out the Minuteman Project: these smaller exploiters we call "labor aristocracy" carry out the repression of the world's real proletariat. These actions such as the Minuteman Project enable the imperialists to pay lower wages to proletarians constantly scared and on the look out for deportation, which is why there is not too much tension between the imperialists and smaller exploiters, despite differences of emphasis.
The Minuteman Project claims to be a neighborhood watch group, but most neighborhood watch groups do not invest money in night vision equipment and even guns (in the cases of some Minuteman Project volunteers) just to report unidentified people's violations. It seems likely that Minuteman Project volunteers will manhandle people who do not present an immediate danger to anyone. The Minuteman Project purports to want to expose the so-called problem of undocumented proletarian border crossings, but estimates of such border crossings already exist. The pigs and their supporters in academia for example already do rigorous and systematic research on all types of borders crossings (to the extent that such ideologically motivated research can be scientific), so what exactly the Minuteman Project wants to accomplish is unclear on the surface.
It is not enough for Minuteman Project volunteers to protest illegal immigration; they feel compelled to take action themselves to step up the repression of undocumented proletarians. This fact is a blow to all the bleeding-heart academics who constantly harp on a supposed lack of "agency" by the Amerikan so-called workers. These so-called workers do carry out countless political activities in the interests of their short-sighted exploiter class--petitioning to keep the name of their sports teams the "Braves," working to make sure "tomahawk chop" stays in sports lingo, kicking Bu$h's Arab-looking secret service agents off planes for fear of terrorism and setting up the Minuteman Project just to name a few.
The Minuteman Project, far from investigating border crossings in a systematic way, will whip up sensational support for further repressive immigration policy that mainly affects the world proletariat. That's not to say the pigs at the border aren't fascist against the Third World already; the Minute Project represents the pigs' getting ahead of themselves. The pigs with badges are already engaged in efforts to refine the surveillance of immigrants and intensify the repression of immigrants. They are annoyed with the pig-wannabes calling themselves "Minuteman Project" because the Minuteman Project accuses them of being ineffective, and the Minuteman Project makes the official pigs look bad. The real underlying problem is the distrust between the smaller exploiters and the imperialists: the repressors with badges take their orders from imperialists, while the Minuteman Project seeks to protect the short-sighted and short-run economic interests of the lower rungs of exploiters by keeping out potential competitors.
Minuteman Project founder Chris Simcox reportedly has described his Project as being anti-extremist. "The Minuteman Project is in no way associated with these extremists [the National Alliance]."(4) MIM would agree with Simcox that the Minuteman Project is not that extremist in the sense of having an extreme ideology. In fact, the Minuteman Project is ideologically All-AmeriKKKan by all indications. For instance, an October 16, 2004, Democracy Corps telephone poll of "likely voters" shows that 48% of Amerikans thought "not doing enough to close our borders to illegal immigration" characterized Bu$h "well" or "very well." 44% said "not too well" or "not well at all." Only 7% said they didn't know or refused to answer. A April 5, 2004, Gallup telephone poll (field date: March 8-11, 2004) shows that 37% of Amerikans "personally worr[ied] about illegal immigration" a "great deal." 22% were a "fair amount" worried; and 25%, "a little." Only 16% either said "not at all" or had "no opinion."
When Lou Dobbs almost makes David Duke looks redundant, it is hard to blame just the Minuteman Project for its ideology. Its ideas are indeed common among Amerikans, and anti-imperialists should not seek to hide this fact. Yet, there is a need to expose Minuteman Project volunteers' affiliations with consciously white nationalist organizations like National Alliance. National Alliance spokespersyn Shawn Walker has reportedly said National Alliance members have infiltrated the Minuteman Project's volunteers.(4) Minuteman Project organizers must not be allowed to feign ignorance about who actually composes their volunteers. The Minuteman Project naturally attracts fascists disguised as so-called concerned citizens, and no amount of verbally opposing racists and supremacists can stop this influx of crypto-fascists. It is just cheap public relations maneuvering for the Minuteman Project to organize an event whipping up support for fascism and then not expect fascists to attend and act indignant when they do attend.
"The Minuteman Project is a grassroots effort to bring Americans to the defense of their homeland, similar to the way the original Minutemen from Massachusetts (and other U. S. colonies) did in the late 1700s."(1) The terrorist connotation of "defense of their homeland" is obvious, but the reasons why Amerikans buy into this manipulation also have to do with the ideological similarities between liberalism and fascist ideology. Most Amerikans are Liberals of one kind or another, "conservative" Liberal or "liberal" Liberal. In their imperialist-country patriotism and chauvinism, ordinary conservative/liberal Liberals do not differ fundamentally from fascists. Fascists in the united $tates typically do not say they want to dominate other nations. They claim they just want to defend their racial heritage and quality of life. What Liberals do in effect is substitute "country," or Amerika as a single "nation," for "race." The fascists, on the other hand, are more transparent about their pre- and pseudo-scientific origins and their superior race mythology.
"[W]e must again have a racially clean area of the earth for the further development of our people. We must have White schools, White residential neighborhoods and recreation areas, White workplaces, White farms and countryside. We must have no non-Whites in our living space, and we must have open space around us for expansion"--which suggests that National Alliance does not openly seek to dominate other nations.(5) Oppressed nationalities are turned off by such statements of course, but race chauvinism is only a step away from nation chauvinism ideologically.
In fact, the white "race" in the united $tates is the Euro-Amerikan nation (so, race chauvinism blurs with nation chauvinism), and on top of that the reactionaries portray the united $tates as a single nation. Thus, some oppressed nationalities take up fascist ideology, finding it not too dissimilar from liberalism in their conceptualization of the social groups that exist in the world (individuals, nations, as well as races). The oppressed-nation fascists who are not race chauvinists are imperialist-country patriots and chauvinists: they often believe that fascism at the country level would benefit the internal semi-colonies. For example, Black, anti-proletarian radio host Terry Anderson believes that Latino mobility harms Black people.(6) Terry Anderson is proud to be an "American." Also, Anderson is proud of his "race."
Liberals typically uphold nation chauvinism in the form of Amerika-first mentality, and then oppressed nationalities think "America" must include them. Terry Anderson is an example of someone who has accepted the underlying integrationist premise of Amerika--so much so that he sees Blacks as likely to benefit from upholding the same nation and related political line as whites. In a short-sighted way, Terry Anderson is also correct, because the small exploiters among Blacks are sharing the super-profit pie distributed by Amerika as one entity.
Oppressed nation fascisms are incoherent, because there is this dual "nation"/race chauvinism, falling in-between liberalism and the ideology of National-Alliance types. Yet, there is enough distance from open white supremacism that the Minuteman Project is able to claim Black, Latino and indigenous volunteers.(3) Inevitably, this allows the vigilantes to claim they are not racist. "A 50-year-old Mexican-American ["Henry Esparaza, one of four members of the Civil Homeland Defense board of directors"] is recruiting civilians to serve in armed patrols along the border, saying he hopes his involvement will quell criticism that such groups are racist."(7).
The plain arbitrariness of nation and race chauvinism does not mean the imperialist immigration pragmatists are not chauvinists. Bu$h "supports" some proletarian migrants as temporary workers for pragmatic imperialist reasons. Citing documented immigrants' alleged benefits to the Amerikan economy and national security, Bu$h is a true imperialist-country reactionary patriot. We must be clear about this. However, the fascists oppose Bu$h on immigration for reactionary reasons.
And then they may wonder why there will not be enough workers in the united $tates to pay for the average Amerikan parasite's retirement.(8) There is a potential here for the further development of fascist organizing in the united $tates.
The Minuteman Project is not new and has more violent predecessors. The Minuteman Project is just an example of the anti-Mexican vigilantes becoming more pragmatic, opposing violence and vehemently disowning and distancing themselves from supremacism, while attracting the supremacists nonetheless. Other vigilantes have captured, brutalized and killed alleged illegal immigrants. MIM Notes no. 264, August 15, 2002 , reported on the lethal consequences of Operation Gatekeeper: "The overall effect is the movement of immigrant foot-traffic from the relative safety of the cities and into the deserts of the Southwestern states where they are exposed to the elements and are victimized by smugglers and settler vigilantes."
The media has been reporting on anti-Mexican vigilantism at the u.$.-Mexico border for years:
"The vigilantes stalk them through the bush in chilling midnight forays. When they catch a knot of frightened border crossers there are allegations of beatings and robberies and worse. . . . 'There's always these ones that are the first ones to get it. They usually get beat on to make an example for the others to be quiet,' said one ex-marine. 'And sometimes, like depending on the number of women, a few cases of rape. Children get it the worst, though. They'll tell the kid to run, and they'll shoot at him, or slap him if the kid's crying. In some cases, they've found bodies of children out there.' There have even been reports of booby traps, including pitfalls covered by vegetation and bushy death traps hiding guns rigged to shoot. Some vigilantes compare it to Vietnam. . . . Accusations of violence are not limited to bandits and vigilantes.The border police, hopelessly understaffed, have been accused of brutality and unnecessary shootings."(9)
The vigilantes have made the u.$.-Mexico border in Arizona a particular target before--even before Operation Gatekeeper.
"At 3:23 a.m., July 5, code 'radiator hose' came across the command radio, meaning 'need help, engaged in fire fight.' . . . Twenty armed members of the Civilian Materiel Assistance group (CMA), a paramilitary organization patrolling the Arizona-Mexican border, swung into action, touching off controversy in this part of the country and drawing sharp criticism from law-enforcement officials. . . . Civilian Materiel Assistance, which recently changed its name from the Civilian Military Assistance, is based in Decatur, Ala. It is an anticommunist group founded by Thomas Vincent Posey two years ago to provide military and material aid for the 'contras' fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. It claims an estimated 7,000 members nationwide, including 100 in Arizona. The volunteer group consists largely of veterans and at least one law officer, who was off duty and with the CMA patrol that detained the aliens."(10)
According to the home page of Minuteman Project founder Chris Simcox's Civil Homeland Defense Corps, "Civil Homeland Defense volunteers have recorded 4,112 peaceful, non-violent assists with Border Patrol and Customs agents of people illegally crossing our border with Mexico since November of 2002."(11)
Yet, "[t]he tactics employed by the watchdog groups [including Chris Simcox's Civil Homeland Defense] are 'illegal, unjust and violent,' said Armando Navarro, who heads the National Alliance for Human Rights and the delegation that traveled to Arizona from California on Thursday."(12)
Although owning a firearm does not normally translate into vigilantism, Simcox has been convicted of misdemeanor firearms violations. "U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Nancy Fiora said Simcox was guilty of knowingly entering the memorial with a weapon and giving false information to a park ranger by denying that he was carrying a weapon."(13)
Simcox has established a willingness to use violent force even compared with other vigilantes:
"A verbal feud between the leaders of two citizen groups that patrol the Arizona-Mexico border erupted after one issued a public warning to would-be illegal border crossers. . . . Chris Simcox, founder of the Tombstone-based Civil Homeland Defense group, and Glenn Spencer, who leads the Sierra Vista-based American Border Patrol, have long disagreed over style and approach to deterring illegal entrants. . . . Spencer said his group aims to document and report illegal immigrants by using video cameras and other surveillance. In contrast, Simcox describes his group as a 'militia,' and he leads armed volunteers on patrols near the border. . . . A recent statement by Simcox has served to incite bickering between the two men. Simcox issued this warning as part of a 'message to the world': 'Do not attempt to cross the border illegally; you will be considered an enemy of the state; if aggressors attempt to forcefully enter our country they will be repelled with force if necessary!' "(14)
The evils of this sort of violence, the stupidity of discouraging migrant workers only for the united $tates to end up with not enough workers to pay for retirement and what anti-migrant repression does to global wages are among the reasons MIM calls for opening the borders of the united $tates legally and consistently with the "Statue of Liberty."
Notes:
1. "About The Minuteman Project," http://www.minutemanproject.com/AboutMMP.html
"Experienced volunteers of Civil Homeland Defense (CHD) will be mentoring groups of novice border watchers who are here for the first time. CHD volunteers will consult, guide and share experience with new volunteers. CHD volunteers will continue to work in every way possible that will support the mission. Future efforts will likely involve the tracking and containment of groups of people who have entered our country illegally. For this mission, you will resist in every way confronting or attempting to make contact with illegals." (http://www.minutemanproject.com/SOP.html)2. Bob Kling, "Illegal immigrant invasion is evidence of 1 world government," March 22, 2005, http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=193044
3. "News media and L.E.O.," http://www.minutemanproject.com/LEO.html
4. Nancy Perla, "Minutemen say 'no thanks!' to white separatists," March 31, 2005, http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3147861&nav=HMO5Y6yv
5. "National Alliance Goals," http://www.natvan.com/what-is-na/na2.html#living
6. Terry Anderson, "African-Americans drowning in wave of illegal immigration," January 31, 2003, http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/text/drowning.html
7. "Hispanic man serves as civil patrol recruiter," Associated Press, December 30, 2002.
8. MC5, "White nationalism on the horizon," September 10, 2004, http://www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/gender/demographics2004.html
9. M. O'Neill, "Rambos stalk US-Mexican badlands for human prey," Sunday Herald, May 6, 1990
10. Nadine Epstein, "Border Patrol gets unwanted vigilante aid," Christian Science Monitor, July 10, 1986
11. http://www.civilhomelanddefense.us/.
12. Sara Thorson, "Rights activists plan to confront border watchdogs," Associated Press, May 22, 2003
13. "Simcox sentenced to probation for misdemeanor firearms conviction," Associated Press, April 30, 2004
14. "Leaders of two citizen patrol groups feud over methods," Associated Press, March 27, 2003
by mousnonya
Hillary Klinton has proven herself to be just what MIM expects of the pseudo-left: the compromise slide into fascism. Pseudofeminist KKKlinton thinks bush has not "protected U.S. borders" and is "adamantly against illegal immigration." That line kills. We can honestly say Bush has a better line than Klinton here, which is shameful.
Though she panders for the labor aristocracy vote with rhetoric about "illegal immigration," Hillary Clinton is still an imperialist with the true underlying international exploitation interests of the imperialists at heart.
If you were thinking of supporting the democrats because they stick up for the little guy think again. They're fucking the little guy over all around the world, just like the republiscams. The answer? Don't vote, organize! Work with MIM to build radical independant media to support the oppressed.
Source:
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041213-124920-6151r.htm
This is a Moonie cult reactionary newspaper; however, the story was reported elsewhere as well. It just shows that the reactionaries notice when Clinton postures to attract cracker votes.