War, Torture, and now Border Fences

So the Republicans in the House want to make illegal immigration a felony—and to build a 700-mile fence on the Mexican border. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. But consider the source: These are the same fools who most ardently supported Bush’s war in Iraq without real evidence (including backing the Patriot Acts’ most insidious provisions); they’re the same ones who failed the people of the Gulf States when Hurricane Katrina swept through there; they’re the same ones who have enriched their corporate friends (Halliburton and the oil companies never had it so good)—but moreover, they’re helping turn the US government into the administrative arm of the capitalist class.

Since the Republican’s control of the White House, the Supreme Court, and most of Congress, we’ve seen our liberties erode, our economy throw more people into poverty, and our government deeper in collusion with the most powerful corporations. Now supposedly alien concepts like “torture,” “voter fraud,” “illegal wire tapping” and “partisan corruption” (Delay and others) are linked to this country (the US always had these, but they were never part of the national debate as they are now).

And they also want to make felons out of people who just want to live? To make a fence that will cost billions that should go instead to housing, healthcare, jobs, and real security (economic as well as from natural or man-made disasters)?

As Bush once said, “Fool me once, shame on me…uh, fool me twice... uh, and you’ll never fool me again”—something like that.

Actually the saying is: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

How long are we going to be snowed over by these narrow-minded, incompetent, and callous people? And, still, they come back with more inane ideas and debacles (I must say they’re persistent).

Enough already.

Of course, I’m not saying the Democrats are doing any better (remember, 30 House Democrats voted for the latest immigration bill). They have no real challenges or meaningful responses to Empire, war, economic polarity, and racist and mean-spirited border policies. Both Republicans and Democrats are trapped in the past—the Democrats for the most part are in the New Deal era; the Republicans, unfortunately, are back there in the 19th century.

Who’s got a vision for our future? A vision that does not require war, fences, dividing the country (we are more divided now than anytime since the Civil War). Who’s got a vision based on cooperation and laying the economic, political, and cultural foundation for the full and healthy development of everyone?

Who’s got the vision that utilizes the massive social energy of people—our greatest resource—and the most advanced technology ever known to humanity to better our lives, our connections, and our world?

I heard a Republican once say that the border fence was to keep the “third world” from coming to our country. He forgets that we already have a “third world” here—parts of the de-industrialized Midwest and much of the South; inner-city LA, Chicago or New York City; and just about any rural hamlet in the country. We helped defraud and exploit most of the world’s resources and labor—now we don’t want the people who have paid the price for this from coming over to our shores?

What about consequences? Oh, these Republicans are gung ho about the death penalty; three strikes and you’re out; and having poor people suffer just for being poor—but not about their own crimes?

This situation is, as Malcolm X prophetically and truthfully once said, “the chickens coming home to roost.”

Only these “chickens” are not our enemies. They are not terrorists. They are human beings, like us, wanting to feed their families. As long as the extreme inequalities exist between the United States and Mexico (and the rest of the so-called third world) you will have people trying to come over (the 10 million Mexican undocumented and legal residents in the US make more money than all of the close to 100 million still in Mexico).

Enough already.

The Republicans and Democrats do not represent our interests—as poor and working people; as families with mouths to feed; as they ones who labor at the lowest levels of economic life and keep this economy going (despite never getting enough to cover the basic needs).

We have more in common with Mexicans, Central Americans and others who have had to come to this country to survive than we do with Halliburton, Bush, Cheney, DeLay or any of the other Republicans (and most of the Democrats) running this government.

The real con is thinking that these fools have the same interests as we do.

The real shame is having a significant portion of Americans falling for their schemes, their lies, and the deep mess they’ve put us all in.

Be the first to comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.