Thoughts on Typical Activism
Hey everybody,
I liked to bring up this topic and get everyone's reactions. I found out about the event at Columbia, the protest against Gilchrist, through my father who happened to being watching Gilchrist debate a member of the Chicano political group at Columbia university. At first I disagreed with my father and protected the protestors, because I didn't see the actual protest and assumed all they did was hold up a large banner. I took time to watch the segment on Democracy Now on Youtube and was astonished at how these activists behaved. I am now currently finding myself in the minority of the so-called "activist" community because I disagree with the tactics, not because I thought Gilchrist has a right to speak (whether he does or not is insignificant), but I didn't see how bum rushing a stage was educating, exposing, and building class consciousness around the problem with undocumented workers. People very progressive were even alienated by the action. The rushing the stage was typical I thought of extreme student activism which has no connection to reality or to people.
So today I happen to stumble into ISO asking me to sign a petition to help the students at Columbia who took this action. I declined and cited my reasons, and I had a mini-argument with one young man in the group, and when I said I thought the action wasn't relevant to the struggle of undocumented workers, that in affect alienated people and didn't raise consciousness, they kind of blew up on me. In their usual ISO mannerisms (aggressive posturing and unwillingness to listen to others speak), they try to deduce the argument to make it seem I was a Gilchrist supporter, a Stalinist, and racist...etc. etc. That their action is correct because they silenced a Fascist. "They polarized the question." Which humors me, since the question has always been a polarizing one...what they truly have only polarized is themselves from real world people.
I realized afterwards really the reason why ISO, PSL, and these other groups took this action and why they focus vigorously on the Minuteman. In NYC, undocumented workers are treated as sweatshop labor and are super-exploited in every profession. There are cases every day, it is prevalent all around the cozy environment where these groups operate; however they themselves never confront the reality of this and settle with confronting boggy men like the Minuteman project. Yes I think it is absolutely important to expose Gilchrist and try to educate people about what their Project's implications really are and why we need to oppose it. Building class consciousness around this issue is important, but all of this is in itself meaningless when the very operations of super-exploitation are occurring all around you and you fail to even recognize that, that you give the meaning to only border crossing incidents with some nativist organization. Of course this corresponds well to the utter shallowness of their analysis of the "immigrant" issue. The very fact that they see this as an "Immigrant" issue alone shows their utter lack of class consciousness, and not seeing how this issue is truly an issue and concerns all laborers and workers, whether undocumented or not. "NO person is Illegal!" "Amnesty Now!" "No borders!" etc, etc, are the slogans that many of these groups have approached the Immigrant Communities with; however no matter how good of a response "No Person is Illegal!" gets, it still shows how inept their understanding truly is.
The question must be raised, how does any of what they call for actually help the worker (undocumented and documented) and actually solve the problem of Modern day slavery. Let us hypothetically say all Undocumented peoples are legalize, all this has really done is set up the process for new undocumented workers to be criminalized once again and go through the same process of exploitation. It doesn't actually solve any of the actual existing institutions that have already set up avenues for super-exploitation of peoples without their papers. Lets say HR 4337 is defeated, have these groups overlooked the fact that the IRCA of 1986 has enacted pretty much similar legislation which has already criminalized people. HR 4337 creates further criminalization, stopping it is a partial battle. Leaving it there is corresponding to the principle "The Movement is Everything, the Goal is Nothing."
What Leftists don't want to admit is there is an actual reality to there being a problem with illegal immigration itself. It has contributed and correlates with the continual worsening conditions for labor, and the employer taking advantage of all workers through employer sanctions, and the internal outsourcing through subcontracting. Further we must make clearly that overwhelming reason why undocumented workers leave their native birthplace is mostly economical. It isn't because there is some sort of dream they want to realize here, they in reality want to be Americans...this is hardly the case. Whole villages in Mexico have been rooted and have come here seeking economically better conditions in this nation. What does this say really about the system of Neo-Liberalism itself...is breaking down the borders the solution? It is what pushed these problems to their inevitable development. I will respond to those who say "No Borders!" by stating "Close the Borders! Save the Mexican Worker and Farmer!" Free Trade and the progress of NAFTA has created in many parts of Latin America greater poverty. This is why in the liberated areas controlled by the EZLN, the people have not left their land. They understand that the large stream of immigration to the North has caused various economic impacts at home, such as allowing monopoly farming to buy up land and further hurt the people. Zapatistas have even ostracized people for leaving. Why haven't the Left here realize this? Supporting immigration and "breaking down borders" is no way creating a better situation.
The changes in Oaxaca are inspirational, this is the only true way such a system of super-exploitation and criminalization will change, when the worker in Mexico and elsewhere is actually changing his conditions and society and beginning to realize the role Neo-liberalism plays. We must not act as some agency or advocacy group for understanding and support for Undocumented people. Acting as self-righteous "vanguard" agent who fights marginal fringe rightists doesn't accomplish a thing. We have to work with undocumented people to see their role as a worker, and raise their consciousness. How do you fight modern day slavery? You take the fight to the employer who exploits and the government who turns their blind eye to it. You go to the worker, learn from the worker, synthesize, and create a plan of action that builds class consciousness and exposes the workings of Imperialism in the work place.
This is the only way to change the conditions for day laborers, restaurant, construction, manufacturing, garment, and other workers where undocumented workers are super-exploited. Yelling "FASCIST!" Blaming the Right-wing Conspiracy, Holding up banners WON'T do this.
I liked to bring up this topic and get everyone's reactions. I found out about the event at Columbia, the protest against Gilchrist, through my father who happened to being watching Gilchrist debate a member of the Chicano political group at Columbia university. At first I disagreed with my father and protected the protestors, because I didn't see the actual protest and assumed all they did was hold up a large banner. I took time to watch the segment on Democracy Now on Youtube and was astonished at how these activists behaved. I am now currently finding myself in the minority of the so-called "activist" community because I disagree with the tactics, not because I thought Gilchrist has a right to speak (whether he does or not is insignificant), but I didn't see how bum rushing a stage was educating, exposing, and building class consciousness around the problem with undocumented workers. People very progressive were even alienated by the action. The rushing the stage was typical I thought of extreme student activism which has no connection to reality or to people.
So today I happen to stumble into ISO asking me to sign a petition to help the students at Columbia who took this action. I declined and cited my reasons, and I had a mini-argument with one young man in the group, and when I said I thought the action wasn't relevant to the struggle of undocumented workers, that in affect alienated people and didn't raise consciousness, they kind of blew up on me. In their usual ISO mannerisms (aggressive posturing and unwillingness to listen to others speak), they try to deduce the argument to make it seem I was a Gilchrist supporter, a Stalinist, and racist...etc. etc. That their action is correct because they silenced a Fascist. "They polarized the question." Which humors me, since the question has always been a polarizing one...what they truly have only polarized is themselves from real world people.
I realized afterwards really the reason why ISO, PSL, and these other groups took this action and why they focus vigorously on the Minuteman. In NYC, undocumented workers are treated as sweatshop labor and are super-exploited in every profession. There are cases every day, it is prevalent all around the cozy environment where these groups operate; however they themselves never confront the reality of this and settle with confronting boggy men like the Minuteman project. Yes I think it is absolutely important to expose Gilchrist and try to educate people about what their Project's implications really are and why we need to oppose it. Building class consciousness around this issue is important, but all of this is in itself meaningless when the very operations of super-exploitation are occurring all around you and you fail to even recognize that, that you give the meaning to only border crossing incidents with some nativist organization. Of course this corresponds well to the utter shallowness of their analysis of the "immigrant" issue. The very fact that they see this as an "Immigrant" issue alone shows their utter lack of class consciousness, and not seeing how this issue is truly an issue and concerns all laborers and workers, whether undocumented or not. "NO person is Illegal!" "Amnesty Now!" "No borders!" etc, etc, are the slogans that many of these groups have approached the Immigrant Communities with; however no matter how good of a response "No Person is Illegal!" gets, it still shows how inept their understanding truly is.
The question must be raised, how does any of what they call for actually help the worker (undocumented and documented) and actually solve the problem of Modern day slavery. Let us hypothetically say all Undocumented peoples are legalize, all this has really done is set up the process for new undocumented workers to be criminalized once again and go through the same process of exploitation. It doesn't actually solve any of the actual existing institutions that have already set up avenues for super-exploitation of peoples without their papers. Lets say HR 4337 is defeated, have these groups overlooked the fact that the IRCA of 1986 has enacted pretty much similar legislation which has already criminalized people. HR 4337 creates further criminalization, stopping it is a partial battle. Leaving it there is corresponding to the principle "The Movement is Everything, the Goal is Nothing."
What Leftists don't want to admit is there is an actual reality to there being a problem with illegal immigration itself. It has contributed and correlates with the continual worsening conditions for labor, and the employer taking advantage of all workers through employer sanctions, and the internal outsourcing through subcontracting. Further we must make clearly that overwhelming reason why undocumented workers leave their native birthplace is mostly economical. It isn't because there is some sort of dream they want to realize here, they in reality want to be Americans...this is hardly the case. Whole villages in Mexico have been rooted and have come here seeking economically better conditions in this nation. What does this say really about the system of Neo-Liberalism itself...is breaking down the borders the solution? It is what pushed these problems to their inevitable development. I will respond to those who say "No Borders!" by stating "Close the Borders! Save the Mexican Worker and Farmer!" Free Trade and the progress of NAFTA has created in many parts of Latin America greater poverty. This is why in the liberated areas controlled by the EZLN, the people have not left their land. They understand that the large stream of immigration to the North has caused various economic impacts at home, such as allowing monopoly farming to buy up land and further hurt the people. Zapatistas have even ostracized people for leaving. Why haven't the Left here realize this? Supporting immigration and "breaking down borders" is no way creating a better situation.
The changes in Oaxaca are inspirational, this is the only true way such a system of super-exploitation and criminalization will change, when the worker in Mexico and elsewhere is actually changing his conditions and society and beginning to realize the role Neo-liberalism plays. We must not act as some agency or advocacy group for understanding and support for Undocumented people. Acting as self-righteous "vanguard" agent who fights marginal fringe rightists doesn't accomplish a thing. We have to work with undocumented people to see their role as a worker, and raise their consciousness. How do you fight modern day slavery? You take the fight to the employer who exploits and the government who turns their blind eye to it. You go to the worker, learn from the worker, synthesize, and create a plan of action that builds class consciousness and exposes the workings of Imperialism in the work place.
This is the only way to change the conditions for day laborers, restaurant, construction, manufacturing, garment, and other workers where undocumented workers are super-exploited. Yelling "FASCIST!" Blaming the Right-wing Conspiracy, Holding up banners WON'T do this.
