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The situation is clear for many people: the War against people of Color and poor and working class people is similar, even if it occurs at different levels of our time and space. There's sexism, imperialism-racism and other diverse oppression in our bodies, as well as in our minds, as well as in our collective bodies and minds, experiences and memories. What used to be slavery now is undocumented labor, to some degree. What used to be chronic malnutrition, remains so, with additives of molecular level manipulation for the benefit of the elite. As serious peoples, committed to seeing a real world instead of the picture, in light of geopolitics, international cartels, 'the global fascist state', internal colonialism, the Minutemen, Arnold S, Pete W, Border Patrol-SDPD-National Guard, all of the negatives, the necessity for long term organizing is simply clearer by the minute. What else are they going to get away with? Why are all our progressive sisters and brothers scrambling to form new Coalitions when we haven't finished our older ones? Why are my progressive sisters and brothers on Defense Mode rather than being on top of things on Offense Mode.
The Minuteman Project is long term organizing, they have had it since 1776. The difference with the Minuteman and the Border Patrol is that the Border Patrol gets more federal funding. The striking feature of the Minuteman is that they do this on the open, just like the Border Patrol, just like the SDPD, just like the Marines over there. It's fine to do virtual sit ins, but instead we ought to forge together in our different groups to allocate organizational time to view the problems at the border and to do something constructively engaging about it. It's more effective to do so from different organizations, from natural turfs, and come together on single issue campaigns, remain autonomous organizationally, but share platforms for social engagement towards radical transformation. I'm critical of the coalition to stop the Minuteman based on that, that the problem we have is that there isn't many long term organizations doing humble dedicated work on whose backs we can nourish new revolutionary generations to push us ever on forward. Its with pleasure that many of us see the concern for the Minuteman, because it brings light to what some of us think is the issue of the region.
Laying the groundwork for radical change is a priority for long term organizing, in which the distractions of shifts in policy, elite crisis, or other events are viewed as branching-off episodes of a pathological situation rather than all consuming signals of apocalyptic proportions. The mechanical nature of the dominant Eurocetric paradigm is long term organizing, and as so, puts out the money for the projects such as the Minuteman, to scramble us, to divide and distract us into forgetting about the groundwork. This Minuteman project enrages me. Half the family I know is under its enemy list of 'undocumented invaders'. But it is the fear that they feel with us, it is the deepness of our eyes, the strength of our hands that have made their 'civilization' occur from rotting shipwrecks to empires doing the bidding of Eurocentrism, it is this recognition that drives many to terrorize us. What have we to loose? A seemingly conquered people, a people divided into two so called ‘countries’. When our young people are systematically assassinated physically and mentally. What else have we to loose when we are loosing our young people, our young women, our young men? In turn, what have they to loose? They have ‘unawareness’ to loose, and they are fighting to stay plugged in to the fantasy of white supremacy, of western democracy ideals, of materialism and individuality and all of that. Because we represent a psychological tidal wave. What we will do is simply to exercise our selves through our selves towards self knowledge that is communal knowledge. In this process the Eurocentrist fantasy will be evacuated, since its foundations rest on a lie, on an old beam that our termites have long made a home in, and fed off from. The spiritually poverty of the Minuteman counsel, and their fantasy driven platform, their horrendously real and murderous plan, their sophisticated chauvinism and blunt supremacist views will be the tail by which the hunter will catch them. History has a place for them. Their struggle is to keep their foot on my neck. Our struggle is to disassociate, separate, move against from those who seek to keep us in chains like that. But however long it takes a man to understand he is a servant of a bigger program called ‘society’, that’s how long it will take him to emancipate from it, towards the duty of all Humans, self discovery through communal action.
In this revolutionary process we can only look safely and assuredly towards long term goals, a perspective that transcends generational divides. In this process we shall use the
tools that make us into ourselves today that resist racism-imperialism, our sports, our culture, our bodies. Recognizing that the architects of western civilization imposed on this continent use the projects like the Minuteman to do exactly this to our progressive communities of Color, we can see pass the curtain, pass the inflammatory rhetoric of those who wish to divide us from our good work in our respective organizations.
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Solidarity across borders in Canada has a network structure and that works incredibly well. You can read about their awesome plans here:
 http://solidarityacrossborders.org/march_en/home_march_en.html
I'm very in favor of a network structure which allows the groups to retain their autonomy, then we can agree on a date or dates or a structure which allows people to plug in at their own levels.
For example, the ORGANIC collective is planning on getting involved with the anti-minutemen coalition (we missed the mtg this week because we couldn't find the room), but we want to advocate a network structure, partly because our goals and visions are different. we feel its critical to not simply focus on the minutemen and support the minutemen vs anti-minutemen binary, but to also reject the border patrol, who kill and have been killing migrants for years, as well as rejecting deportations, detentions, fences and the neo-liberal system which creates these borders and profits from them!
Also, because we want to do direct action against the minutemen. We feel that another protest is just not enough.
lotu5
I don't know why people think and closed and secure border is such a bad thing. The U.S. doesn't owe illegals a damn thing. The faster the troops get put on the border the better.
It's gonna take a terrorist act coming across the border before Bush closes it though.
Joshua
Exactly what are you planning on protesting with the Minutemen?
I dare you to find one CONFIRMED report that the Minutemen harmed or otherwise infringed on civil liberties of illlegals crossing the border in Arizona.
You won't find one.
What they did in Arizona is what they're planning on doing here in California. They won't get in anyone's way - they'll just call Border Patrol to do their jobs.
If anyone is gonna get hurt, it'll be whiny protesters on the border 'watching' the Minutemen and getting stupid by doing stupid things.
Wait and see exactly what happens and exactly WHO is doing....
Random
"They just call the border patrol to do their jobs"
They don't want border patrol to do their jobs. That's what all these "free movement" hippies are about. They think that everyone that manages to sneak in, evade or otherwise make it here deserves unfetteres access to everything us legal Americans have.
That's why they reward them by totally opposing props like 187 and 200. They want to reward these people, here ILLEGALLY; with welfare, schooling and health care.
But always remember, random, we're racist for wanting tight secure borders. Maybe one day, a bio/chem or dirty radiologial bomb smuggled in by M-S-13 or al-qaeda and detonated in their neighborhood will change their mind.
Joshua
 e-mail:: devilmarine@hotmail.com
All I gotta say is that I agree with the article. But, if you wanna play the game of "the borders should be closed" than you gotta be the most ignorant person out there. The majority of the people who cross over "illegally" are hard working people willing to work harder doing the hardest jobs in this country. The Economy depends greatly on the labor they provide, if "Legal" americans would fill those jobs maybe they wouldnt come anymore because they wouldnt be jobs. But, until then we will continue to come, just know that actions against the people will be answered. -Resistv.1
resistv.1
No one said the border should be sealed against all immigrants. Just the ones that don't wanna go through the proper channels.
Your use of "illegal" in quotes tells us that you think every Tom, Dick and Harry should be able to come here with no accountablity. Sorry, that's what has the minitemen on the borders.
Some of us would like some record of just who the hell is coming into this country, whether or not they are felons of some sort, murderers or whatnot, and where they are coming from. To do otherwise is foolish and irresposnsible.
Before you play the race card like you libs always do...my best friend for the last 10 years has been a mexican-american, Mike Dominguez that I served with in the Marine Corps from 94-98.
Take your race baiting shit somewhere else.
Not everyone that wants some accountability is racist, dumb shit.
Joshua
This is directly in response to devilmarine. First of all your arrogance shows with your use of vocabulary. I guess not being face to face in discussion gives your insecurity a boost an you suddenly become confident in your remarks. But, thats fine... but you talk about proper channels. What proper channels? Have you looked at the immigration policy lately, tell me what options do people from Mexico or Guatemala or even further south have. You think that we want to break the "law", if those proper channels existed and were available they would be used. Are they?
Think through you response and read up on it.
resistv.2
....that the U.S. should pay for Mexico being a corrupt government. Because that is what we're doing. It is amazing that immigrants from a multitude of other countries immigrate to the U.S. legally.
What amazes me is you still think that people should just be able to walk on in the U.S. without any consequences whatsoever. "Hey, you are a wanted felon in Mexico with a rap sheet 40 pages long? COME ON IN!"
Am I saying that all illegals have criminal records? No. But I (and many others) would like to know just who the hell is coming here.
There has to be a record of some sort of who is coming in here otherwise you end up with an unorganized clusterfuck, which is what we have now.
Joshua
e-mail:: devilmarine@hotmail.com
The United States government is well aware of how much undocumented workers have contributed to this country. Agriculture, construction, and many service industries have made millions, and in turn, the government has made millions. The concept of "security" or lack thereof in this country is being used in order to scapegoat an easy target, the undocumented "willing worker." This is and has always been a racial issue to those of us who are subjected to scrutiny, whether from the Border Patrol, law enforcement or the general public, for not having the right skin tone. While it is commendable to some that a Caucasian male would subject himself to the friendship of a mexican-american, (or african-american or asian-american...) it makes me sick every time someone uses this as proof that they are not racist. Whether someone is or is not, one supposed frienship makes no difference. The demographics are changing and no matter how many vigilantes they put at the border or how many fences they erect, they will continue to change.
nydia
What hi'pock'racy!
"... The Economy depends greatly on the labor they provide"
That my friends is EXACTLY the same argument the South used to defend Slavery.
Here's an idea! Why not use our collective intelligence to forge a decent economy in Mexico??
In 2000 they ranked 7th globally in terms of GDP...
In 2005 they now rank 14th.
1 out of ever 11 Mexican National has been forced to migrate illegally north to the U.S.
Ever wonder why???
Mexico is the 6th richest country in terms of resources globally - how come 70% of students graduating can't find jobs in Mexico??
Do you really think NAFTA, CAFTA, the FTAA and all that other crap is really good for the US or Mexico?
Do you have any idea how unstable policically and economically Mexico is at the present?
These migrants are hailed as "heros" because they leave Mexico and send home upwards of $20 billion dollars of hard US currency - Of course their "heros" to a corrupt Mexican government!
And as the Mexican economy sinks further into the mire of chaos - more will come.
What happens when the California real estate bubble erupts and the state's economy tanks? What will all those millions of displaced migrants do once there is no more employment??
Unintended consequences of a corrupt economy system and a lousy central bank of Mexico, and a government that doesn't give a damn.
Why do you think the Zapitistas are on Red Alert??
Jackson
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