The Largest Minority

August 1st, 2007 by Manila Ryce

On June 24th, my brother and I documented a march for immigrant rights in LA, which ended in a rally at Hollywood & Vine. Several days later, important immigration legislation was killed in the Senate. This issue of human rights is not something which can simply be ignored by any government. NAFTA must be canceled, and we need to elect someone who will do that. As for the rally itself: It was hot as hell and my bald head suffered a wicked sunburn for these brief moments of footage. I hope you enjoy my sacrifice.

July 17th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Like the Constitution, we’re told that American culture is meant to change as time passes. Our country is a melting pot, incorporating the cultures of various waves of immigrants into the collective. Of course, this ideal has always been a bit of a lie, as minority groups have always been exploited and treated like outsiders for not sharing supposed “American values”. Only now, as such groups threaten to become the majority, have white nativists felt it necessary to make laws preventing this cultural shift. As John Oliver points out, the bill would cause many life-threatening problems, while benefiting no one. Not surprisingly, Our good friend Jim Inhofe has a hand in this one.

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June 29th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Lou Dobbs has warned us that Americans are not just losing jobs because of immigrants, but also body parts. We need to put our foot down while we still have one left. As confirmed by John Hodgman, Faux News correspondents are not racist. They’re simply aware of the undeniable fact that Mexicans are dirty disease-carrying rapists. Conservatives merely want them to stay on their side of the fence so that our white power structure doesn’t fall apart - literally. Okay, enough bad jokes. Enjoy the clip.
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June 18th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Since immigration has come back to the forefront of politics, Noam Chomsky is here to explain the real problem - NAFTA. At least one Democratic candidate has recognized this injustice. Chomsky explains why NAFTA was really about keeping Mexico open to foreign exploitation and building more profit for corporations. The immigration “debate” is regularly oversimplified by anti-immigration xenophobes like Tancredo and Lou Dobbs. Building a wall, plugging our ears, and inspiring hatred towards our neighbors does nothing to help the situation.

I believe this interview is from the Battle for Mexico City DVD, which includes additional footage of the peoples’ struggle there. It’s interesting to see an icon like Zack de La Rocha of Rage Against the Machine turn into a fan when facing Noam Chomsky.

June 18th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

A Homeland Security funding bill has had an amendment attached to it by the House to withhold emergency aid from so-called “sanctuary cities sheltering illegal immigrants”. It passed by the House of Representatives with a vote of 234-189. Fifty Democrats voted for the amendment which is meant to enforce collective punishment towards Americans based on a yet undeclared definition of what a “sanctuary city” is.

The passage was a major victory for Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo. “The issue has come to fruition,” Tancredo told The Rocky Mountain News. “The people of the country really have spoken. It’s a really good indicator of just how much closer to the people the House is than the Senate is.” However, Tancredo didn’t mention that he has failed to pass similar measures seven times since 2004. Perhaps that record is also a “good indicator” of what the people want. Sadly, conservatives like Tancredo and Bill O’Reilly continue to claim that their personal beliefs reflect those of most Americans, despite polls and common sense to the contrary.

Though the exact definition of what a “sanctuary city” is remains vague, Tancredo has given his own racist opinion of one such qualifying city in the past. While criticizing President Bush’s immigration policy last year he said, “Look at what has happened to Miami. It has become a Third World country. You just pick it up and take it and move it someplace. You would never know you’re in the United States of America.” He continued, “You would certainly say you’re in a Third World country.” Tancredo then went on to back up his supremist beliefs by citing the “Islamization of Europe” as the cause of conflict across the continent. Not surprisingly, Tancredo is also one of the three Republican presidential candidates who doesn’t believe in evolution.

The Homeland Security appropriations bill now moves on to the Senate. Due to the fact that immigrants are mainly concentrated in the nation’s largest cities, which are more prone to terrorist attacks, there are legitimate security concerns if conservatives cut security funding. New York City Mayor Bloomberg told the Senate Committee in July of 2006, “whatever the findings, let me be clear: The way to deal with this issue is not - not - by reducing the safety and security of our nation.”

On a related topic, the immigration reform bill, which was pulled from the Senate floor last week as Republicans blocked efforts to advance it to a vote, will resume in the Senate next week. A deal may be struck between Democrats and Republicans, including the consideration of about 22 additional amendments.

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June 13th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

As Jon Stewart explains, Mexicans were the hot topic in the Senate this week, as both parties fought to win the Incompetence Award by seeing who could talk the most passionately while accomplishing nothing. Stewart even puts in a little Sopranos homage to leave the failure of immigration reform open.

Moving on to Bush’s favorite Mexican, the Senate planned to take another symbolic and entirely useless action in the form of a No-Confidence vote on Attorney General Gonzales. However, even that was too much for the Senate to tackle. Another debate on whether to even have the vote ended in another failure. Perhaps Senators ought to worry more whether the American people have any confidence in them.

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June 11th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations from employees that Asian and West African workers were deceived into working in Baghdad by being given boarding passes that said they were flying to Dubai.

The laborers were flown to Iraq where their passports were seized, trapping them inside the country for the duration of their contracts. The allegations were rejected in a State Department inquiry, but partially supported by Defense Department auditors.

First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting, the company that won the $600 million contract to build the lavish 104-acre embassy, said; “First Kuwaiti is proud of its accomplishments and of its efforts to build the US embassy in Baghdad on time, within budget, and in compliance with the law.”

State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard denies that there is any evidence to support the allegations. However, a Pentagon investigation into contractors operating in Iraq said it had identified abuses, some of which were “widespread.”

John Owens, an American who worked on the project, said that he was with dozens of unaware workers as they were handed boarding cards for Dubai. Owens told the Wall Street Journal, “I felt bad for those folks every day that I was in Iraq, and the feelings just built and built. They were basically being treated like slaves.”

Juvencio Lopez, a former foreman on the project, seconded that statement, saying that inhumane practices and unsanitary conditions pushed workers to the brink of rioting. Laborers were forced to sleep 20 to a room, forced to drink polluted water from the Tigris River, and threatened by guards with unholstered guns if they protested the conditions.

Just as in the founding of America’s own institutions, the new slave-built embassy will be an oasis for Iraq’s elite American masters. Upon invading Iraq, American troops denounced the opulence of Saddam’s palaces when contrasted with the country’s abject poverty. Now that Iraqis are even worse off economically than they were under Saddam, a luxurious embassy is being built for the American ambassador and his staff because Saddam’s marble-clad Republican Palace is too small for them. Just to compare, Saddam’s extravagant Republican Palace (the largest of his palaces) is 41 acres, while the new embassy will be 104 acres. You’ve gotta love that good ol’ American hypocrisy.

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June 1st, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Update #2: I’ve just created another account on YouTube, and reposted this video. Please, subscribe to my new channel.

O’Reilly dismisses the argument that his anti-immigration stance has anything to do with race, then turns around and states that conservatives ought to be afraid of darkies integrating into society. Why? Because this could put an end to the “white Christian male power structure” which he and McCain have enjoyed the fruits of. Why should a privileged male WASP allow a good system of wage slavery to die for something as silly as equality?

Notice that McCain doesn’t correct O’Reilly and state that maintaining white power is not a valid concern with which to base US policy on, but instead goes on to say he understands this “legitimate fear”. Gee, I thought the Republicans wanted to keep Mexicans out for security reasons, not xenophobic ones. Well, since that’s the case I suggest we make a slight addition to the Emma Lazarus quote engraved in the Statue of Liberty.

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door… as long as they’re white!”

h/t Crooks and Liars