san diego imc blogwire

lotu5:Vigil for HIV+ transwoman who died in ICE custody

lotu5 — 2007-08-31T12:43:00-0700

Victoria Arellano was a 23 year old transgender woman who died because she was denied medical treatment for HIV-AIDS while in detention for her immigration status. Tonight's vigil was intended to honor Victoria's life as an immigrant, a person with AIDS, and a transgendered woman, and to bring attention to the denial of humane medical care being given to immigrants in ICE detention. The vigil speakers will also demand accountability for her needless death by calling on Congress to conduct an independent hearing into the circumstances surrounding her death. Coalitions and allies need to be made between groups who may appear to be different, but are all really longing for the same ideals, and are being hurt by the same enemy.

Full report with photos: Vigil for HIV+ transwoman who died in ICE custody

More photos: Vigil for transwoman who died in ICE custody (2 of 2)

Los Angeles Independent Media Center

technorati tags:trans, transgender, borders, border, usmexicoborder, ice, detention, hiv, aids

Delete The Border:Houston Sin Fronteras recives plea deal - the struggle continues!

Delete The Border — 2007-08-31T09:32:00-0700

On August 16th, Ben and Ashley accepted a plea bargain at their court appearance for the civil disobedience they took part in on June 4th to block the entrance gates of the north Houston immigration jail for three hours. Upon pleading guilty to Criminal Trespassing, a class B misdemeanor, they were given time served and a $100 fine. With court costs, they have to pay $326 each ($752 total) and still owe the lawyer $4000. They accepted this plea bargain so that we could return to the front lines of the struggle as soon as possible, and return their energies to where they feel it does the most good - in the streets.

We feel that this plea agreement is an effort by Harris County and most likely the Corrections Corporation of America to sweep this issue under the rug. We have no intention of letting this happen. The struggle against the unjust policies of immigrant detention enforced by the federal government and private companies is becoming more widespread and coordinated throughout Texas and the United States.

Lying Media Bastards:Kleptocracy

Lying Media Bastards — 2007-08-31T01:32:00-0700

Two related stories hit the presses recently regarding corruption in the US and Iraq. Both are appalling, one is longer and more detailed than the other, and is therefore more appalling.

Secret Report: Corruption is “Norm” Within Iraqi Government- an Iraqi anti-corruption organization released a report detailing how most ministries in the Iraqi government are in the hands of criminals, and the ones that aren’t have little to no way to enforce the rules on the staff.

The Great Iraq Swindle- in a way, this story could be called “Corruption is ‘Norm’ Within the US Government”. The author explains how many of the contractors receiving US money for their work in Iraq are not just war profiteers, but outright thieves. Worse than ordinary thieves, they steal millions, needlessly risk the lives of their employees to get that money, and if the employees don’t like it, the companies will throw those employees out of their secured compounds, to face the chaotic violence and insurgency that the rest of Iraq faces. But worse, the report describes Iraq–and increasingly the US military as well– as a capitalist’s dream, where everything is privatized, competition is a joke, and anybody with connections gets a taste.

There are also some articles out showing how bad things are in Iraq, but do we even need to read them? The country is a fucking mess, and the Iraqi people want us to leave. The only positive news I’ve heard about Iraq is this piece by an Iraq war veteran, arguing that the US military is in “nearly a full-scale revolt” against the president and it” just isn’t willing to go along for the ride anymore”. Unfortunately, I don’t see a lot in his article to back up these claims, but I sure hope that the military will start refusing to take part in any more neocon madness.

Lying Media Bastards:Keep Doing That and You’ll Go Blind

Lying Media Bastards — 2007-08-30T23:53:00-0700

So if you’ve absorbed any news media in the past several days, you’ll know that a US Senator plead guilty to a charge of “lewd conduct” for trying to hook up with another man in an airport bathroom. Clearly, this is The Most Important News Story Ever. Or at least so you’d think, given the amount of headlines, talk show gas, and blog commentary it’s getting.

Just to give the quick summary to those who have been living in a cave with their fingers in their ears, conservative Republican Senator Larry Craig from Idaho went to a public bathroom in an airport that was known as a spot frequented by men looking for quick, anonymous sex with other men. According to an undercover cop who was assigned to that bathroom*, Sen. Craig did all the coded gestures and signals usually given by men who are there to hook-up, and he arrested Craig**.

I do have to say that I found the Senator’s lie explanation pretty hi-larious. He claims that he did not go into that bathroom to solicit sex. Y’see, when he stuck his foot into the stall of the man next to him, and touched his foot to his neighbor’s foot, he wasn’t trying to get the other guy’s attention to solicit some hot man love. It was an unintended touch, caused by his “wide stance” when going to the bathroom***.

While the bumbling efforts of an allegedly upright elite to justify his own hypocrisy is an amusing diversion, in no way should this story get the sort of coverage it has. True, the revelation of Craig’s arrest may eventually lead to the end of his political career and shifts in the balance of political power in Washington, and that’s news. But the only reason that the Senator’s actions might have those sort of repercussions is because of American sexual puritanism and homophobia. In what sane country would “person tries to entice other person into having sex” make or break anyone’s career, political or otherwise? (I’ll let you know when I find a sane country). Jeez, if the country were a little more sexually rational, gay men wouldn’t have to be sneaking around and using covert signals to find sex partners, and this particular media circus never would have happened.

Part of the reason this story is getting so much attention is the media’s hunger for a good story that fits an existing template. And man oh man does the American media have the “political sex scandal” template down. The initial report. The sordid details. The denial. The sex partner’s press conference. The repeated denial. The investigation. The cover-up. More sordid detais. The jokes on late night talk shows. The apology and/or resignation. Then the cigarettes and afterglow. The news media are absolute addicts for this shit, because these sex stories are rare occasions when they can actually compete with entertainment media on the entertainers’ terms. When seeking a fickle audience, entertainment usually wins out. But when the news anchor can talk about sex and adultery? With a little homosexuality for spice? Scandalicious!

This story is getting further light and heat by liberals and progressives who would like to rid themselves of an opponent. By keeping focus on Craig’s sexual dalliances, they can turn conservatives against him and possibly get him kicked out of office. And I’m sure that in their minds, they’re focusing on the senator’s “hypocrisy”, juxtaposing his gay-friendly activities with his homophobic rhetoric. But I think what they’re really doing is getting the guy fired because he’s gay. The conservative base isn’t outraged because he says one thing and does another, they’re outraged because he’s a man who likes man cock. Whether intentional or not, these lefties who are normally fairly pro-gay are using homophobia as a weapon against Republicans****. By all accounts Craig has a political agenda that is harmful to many, but I don’t know that his end justifies these means.

But the worst part is that all of the media attention on this nonsense sucks all the news oxygen. Without enough airtime, other stories which actually effect the lives of large numbers of human beings suffocate and shrivel. Reports about how the government is spying on us, the resignation of the lying, law-breaking Attorney General, the failure of the Iraq surge, the plans for war with Iran, all of these have to fight for breath against GAY SENATOR SEXXX. And these important news stories lose that battle, and real people get hurt in the process.

Which is why I will now post a story about something that has nothing to do with what grown adults do with their penises.

—
* Is this really a top police priority? Stopping bathroom sex at the airport? Shouldn’t they be doing something important, like making sure that no airline passengers try to transport shampoo in their carry-on bags?
** While cop testimony is not always trustworthy, when cops lie, they usually do so against someone relatively powerless, not US senators.
*** The idea that someone sits on the toilet and spreads their legs so wide that the take up three different stalls just cracks me up.
**** Which reminds me of ongoing conservative efforts to attack the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates with homophobia. A number of the assaults on Hillary Clinton and John Edwards are on their allegedly inappropriate gender behavior. Clinton is aggressive, and therefore overly manly, and therefore bad. Edwards is attractive and got an expensive haircut once, therefore he is overly concerned with his appearance, and therefore overly feminine, and therefore bad.

Delete The Border:Photos and Stories from the Ukraine No Border Camp

Delete The Border — 2007-08-29T16:55:00-0700

More photos here

8.18.07 Yesterday was the day of action at the Ukraine No Border Camp. Near the camp are two immigration prisons where people trying to enter the EU are incarcerated. After hearing first-hand from an ex-detainee about the conditions inside the Pavshinov camp, some participants of the No Border camp decided to pay these prisons a visit. These were the first demonstrations against these prisons in the area.

Delete The Border:No One is Illegal - Vancouver Report on Actions to Oppose the SPP

Delete The Border — 2007-08-29T16:47:00-0700

VANCOUVER ACTIONS TO OPPOSE THE SPP

Actions effectively disrupt government and corporate targets; result in 1 arrest.

==> Pictures from the Vancouver March:
http://noii-van.resist.ca/?p=477

On August 20th between 300-400 people marched through downtown Vancouver, unceded Coast Salish Territory, to resist and reject the colonial and capitalist agenda of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). The march was part of a continental day of action to resist the SPP and the meeting of Bush, Harper, and Calderon in Montebello, Quebec at a SPP Summit. The march sought to draw attention to the Canadian government's active involvement in the SPP's creation, as well as the role of the Canadian government and corporations in colonial projects both at home and abroad.

Delete The Border:The Border’s Summer of Discontent

Delete The Border — 2007-08-29T16:41:00-0700

by Frontera Norte Sur
August 29, 2007

It's as if all the contradictions of the U.S. War on Terror, immigration reform, U.S.-Mexico relations, free trade, and sagging economies on both sides of the border have burst at the seams, and at the same time. As the record hot summer of 2007 crawls to a close, the political barometer on the U.S.-Mexico border is tipping red. Barely a day goes by without hunger strikes, human chains, border crossing demonstrations, marches, and calls for economic boycotts.

In a press conference this week, Carlos Marentes, director of the El Paso-based Border Agricultural Workers Project, said "neo-liberal" economic policies exemplified by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are sparking a growing crisis in the borderlands and beyond. He contended that U.S. immigration laws and policies are shrouded in a veil of "hypocrisy" that views immigrant workers as an indispensable, cheap labor pool but then turns them into convenient political scapegoats. "We want to stop them, but we also need them," Marentes said.

Delete The Border:30 Immigrants On Bikes Deliver A Labor Revolt

Delete The Border — 2007-08-27T20:43:00-0700

N.Y. Workers Gain Allies in Protest of Wages, Conditions

By Anthony Faiola
Washington Post
Saturday, August 25, 2007; A01

NEW YORK -- The deliverymen of Saigon Grill labored for years at the bottom of Manhattan's food chain. Biking swiftly down the avenues in biting cold and searing heat, they schlepped up high-rises and walk-ups with bags of steaming noodles and shrimp fried rice.

Then they surprised their bosses -- and others in this seen-it-all town -- by serving up something unexpected: a revolt.

The 30 men -- all immigrants, including undocumented workers frustrated with the poor conditions and low wages that are often a fact of life in America's underground economy -- banded together in an effort to unionize. They demanded an end to what they say were salaries less than half the minimum wage, and to penalties that included $20 fines for late deliveries and $50 for shutting the restaurant's glass doors with a bang.

Delete The Border:Pete Wilson Statue Unveiling

Delete The Border — 2007-08-27T10:07:00-0700

View here or on YouTube.com, URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1R6EDVYmmo

Small World Podcast:Music Monday! Robert Rich

Small World Podcast — 2007-08-27T00:00:00-0700

This episode is work safe.

Robert Rich is an ambient musician and composer based in California, USA. With a discography spanning over 20 years, he is widely regarded as a figure whose sound has greatly influenced today's ambient, new age, and even IDM music.

Interview with Robert Rich.

We discuss the msuic he created for the film Atlas Dei; his revious works that were incorporated into Atlas Dei; what Atlas Dei is about; how he and artist Dan Colvin through Global Mindshift; his relationship with science, philsophy, art and religion; accompanying Atlas Dei with a live performance; the Morrison Planetarium; designing music and sounds for movies such as Behind Enemy Lines, Pitch Black and Crazy Beautiful; his musical vocabulary; building and programming his own music; working with just intonation; composers LaMonte Young, Terry Riley and Harry Partch; Young's The Well-Tuned Piano 81 X 25; Robert's Sleep Concert series; 9 Beet Stretch; working with artist Michael Somoroff which resulted in his album Illumination; how he would like people to listen to his music; how his collaborative works are differrent from each other; his favorite collaborative effort; why he sometimes re-explores his previous themes and music; how he has grown as a musician; how he injured his hand; how his injury has changed the way he approaches his music; the overall theme to his work; his forthcoming release.

Featured songs are:

"Mythos"
"Temple"
"Reductive"

Lying Media Bastards:Rumbling

Lying Media Bastards — 2007-08-23T16:27:00-0700

Lots of important things that aren’t necessarily related. Or maybe they are.

IRAQI COUP

Probably the most pressing news of the day is a rumor. Middle East expert Prof. Juan Cole tells us that a “reliable, knowledgable contact” has told him that a military coup is being planned for Iraq. There is very little information to back this possibility up, but it does seem to coincide with new reports about the inability of the Iraqi government to govern the country, negative comments about Iraqi president Nouri al-Maliki coming from the President Bush himself, the “need” for the Iraqi oil law that the current Iraqi regime is slow to pass, and the generalized scapegoating of the Iraqi government by American politicians. Throw out the current government, put in a dictator and call him a moderate, and pass the oil law over the opposition of the Iraqi population. Pretty much defines America’s “committment to democracy.”

Prof. Cole doesn’t say that he thinks this is going to take place, but that it is likely being “discussed at high levels”. I’m just wondering where this “military” for the coup would come from. The military is mostly Shia, and putting a Shia dictatorship in Iraq would help the Iranians, who America would like to destroy.

I should also mention this new interview with journalist Nir Rosen about Iraq, where he talks about the refugee crisis there, and says that the country has changed to dramatically that it’s like “Iraq” has ceased to exist, it’s something else now. Rosen then goes into deep discussion of Middle East history as it relates to Iraq, and the various national and regional players vying for control.

SECURITY THROUGH LAWLESSNESS

In other news, the US Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell has pretty much spelled out that since 9/11, the US government has illegally spied on Americans, without warrants, with the cooperation of American telephone companies. The Congress recently passed a law which would make the government’s actions legal, but now McConnell is pushing for retroactive immunity for his telecom buddies as well.

McConnell is not a whistleblower saying all these things to inform us and bring about change; he’s the man in charge, speaking openly, publicly, and favorably about massive law-breaking by the US government. As long as you can pretend you are doing something for national security, you are apparently above the law. Think I’ll start stealing cars to protect America from terror.

Also, according to the last portion of the article linked to above, McConnell has personal financial connections with the telecom companies he’s trying to protect from justice. Which is perfectly okay, because nothing says Security like Filthy, Filthy Money.

CANADIAN PROTEST 1

There is some news coverage floating around about Canadian police using undercover agents posing as protesters to try to provoke riots at a North American summit meeting in Quebec this week. Three cops joined the labor union faction of a protest, dressed up as “anarchists” (cuz they’re wearing black and have bandanas over their faces, see) armed themselves with rocks, and shoved fellow protesters. When people started accusing them of being police provacateurs, the guys sort of saunter over to the police line, slip in with them, and then are “arrested” (although their arrests are mysteriously missing from the police statistics). The provacateurs were also videotaped wearing boots of the same make of boot as the cops arresting them. A tad… suspicious. Watch the video for yourselves, ongoing coverage here.

This is, of course, nothing new. Cops love to end the chaos of peaceful protests by fabricating or provoking a “violent” incident, which then gives them justification for the tear gas, billy clubs, and mass arrests. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen “protesters threw a water bottle at police in full riot gear armor” being used as an excuse to disrupt a gathering of thousands of nonviolent dissenters.

CANADIAN PROTEST 2

Naomi Klein writes about other repressive tactics at that same protest event. In another common tactic, protesters were prevented from being anywhere near the summit meeting, kept in a type of “Free Speech Zone”, or whatever Orwellian word-dance the Canadian government is using. But in a new twist, the Zone is being (allegedly) filmed and broadcast on televisions inside the hotel where the summit meeting is taking place:

“Leaders were not able to see the protesters in person, but they could watch the protesters on TV monitors inside the hotel…. Cameramen hired to ensure that demonstrators would be able to pass along their messages to the three leaders sat idly in a tent full of audio and video equipment…. A sign on the outside of the tent said, ‘Our cameras are here today providing your right to be seen and heard. Please let us help you get your message out. Thank You.’”

The spokesperson for Prime Minister Harper explained that although protesters were herded into empty fields, the video-link meant that their right to political speech was protected. “Under the law, they need to be seen and heard, and they will be.”

So rest easy, Canadians, Your Voices Are Being Heard (if anyone is watching any of those televisions, if those televisions are turned on, if any of that video footage is being sent to those televisions, if those televisions exist…)

Klein teases the argument out, tongue somewhat in cheek, and says that if “being videotaped” means “free speech”, then security cameras, intercepted emails, and wiretapped phones are signs of ever-increasing Freedom and Democracy.

CANADIAN PROTEST 3

But I haven’t even gotten to the most important aspect of this story: what the protesters were protesting.

It’s called the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), an “‘ambitious’ plan to ‘keep our borders closed to terrorism yet open to trade.’”

And as we know from recent history

- “open trade” means “no workers’ rights, jobs to the lowest bidder, ruined environments, copyrights protected at all costs, race to the bottom”
- “fighting terrorism” means “crack down on civil rights and bomb whoever we want”
- and “closed borders” means “hate on the Mexicans, and people who look like they might be Mexican”

So the SPP is NAFTA/corporate globalization, with a sizeable dose of militarization and racism. Klein’s article gives a brief overview, and then starts pointing out the increased surveillance that is set to be instituted, and the corporations who’ve been outsourced to do the surveilling, raking in billions of your American, Canadian, and Mexican dollars (or pesos, as the case may be).

Why would anyone want to protest that?

[As a sidenote, the SPP has been in effect since March 2005]

Good articles about the SPP here and here. It’s obviously a hugely important issue, so I’ll be doing more research on it. I’d like to link to some organizations involved in fighting it, but so far the only ones I’ve seen are more anti-immigrant and “new world order”-style conspiracy theorists. If anyone’s got a good link, post it in the comments.

TROOPS VS. LIES

I’m late to mention it, but seven members of the US 82nd Airborne Division just wrapping up a 15-month tour of Iraq wrote this op-ed to the NY Times, saying what almost any honest person is saying about Iraq. Things are bad, and anyone who says otherwise is likely a sucker or a huckster. Clearly these guys are putting their jobs at risk (well, maybe not the one of them who was shot in the head during the weeks the soldiers were collaborating on this article. They say he’ll “survive”, no idea in what sort of condition). Hard to say if the military is going to want to ignore this altogether, or try to punish and silence these guys.

THE VANISHING OF URO

And in the final bit of news on repression and protest, we’ve got the somewhat mysterious visit to the US by Oaxaca governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz (for those of you who have forgotten, URO is the corrupt Mexican governor who’s presided over a wave of police terror and murder in Oaxaca in the past year and a half). I say “mysterious” because although it was announced that Ortiz would be visiting several cities across the nation, he seems to vanish every time protesters show up. Or perhaps he never showed up in the first place, I just can’t tell. But we’ve got some nice photos of the anti-URO protests in NYC, Chicago, and Dallas.

Lying Media Bastards:Trigger

Lying Media Bastards — 2007-08-21T23:40:00-0700

A few weeks back, I wrote about the years-long stall tactics used by American politicians and opinion-spinners to extend the US occupation of Iraq. At the time, I neglected to ask the “why” question. Why do these bastards want the US to continue hemorraging money and explosives for little to no tangible result?

I ran across several articles today which point towards even more “stay the course” madness. A new ad campaign aimed at convincing Americans that things are improving in Iraq (funded by a group fronted by former White House lie machine Ari Fleischer). Democrats starting to lean more towards the “give the Surge more time” side. General Petraeus to give his long-awaited speech about the Surge to take place on 9/11.

Why?

Then it hit me. The oil law.

One of the key “benchmarks” for the Iraqi government, the oil law is allegedly about the reconciliation of Iraq’s Shia and Sunni; the law would create an equitable distribution of the country’s petroleum revenue, which would ease a major bone of contention between the two sects. Of course, it would also but as much as 80% of Iraq’s oil under the control of foreign corporations.

Needless to say, this law is highly unpopular with the Iraqi people. Yet another example of America’s Committment to Democracy: “we don’t care if your people hate it, pass the damn law!” (it does boggle the mind that the US keeps telling its allies in foreign governments to take action that could get those allies deposed and lynched)

So that’s what I think is going on here. We “need” to stay in Iraq because the Iraqi government hasn’t passed the oil law yet. And until they do, the bastards have to keep stalling for time. And with the law being so incredibly unpopular, it might not be passed for a long time, if at all.

Now, there are many factions even within the US pro-war set with their own goals and agendas, but I think that this is a pretty widely held goal among American elites– Democrats as well. Once the oil law is passed, I think these folks will be willing to draw down the number of US troops to a much smaller number, just the amount necessary to guard the oil infrastructure and stop what passes for an Iraqi government from being overthrown.

lotu5:More photos from EGS!

lotu5 — 2007-08-21T06:01:00-0700

Hi. Here are some more photos of the first 2 weeks here at EGS. They're random, class shots, people, lots of stuff from our trip to the Venice Biennale. Enjoy!

http://flickr.com/photos/lotu5/sets/72157601234918455/

lotu5:Mask Shop in Venice [Flickr]

lotu5 — 2007-08-21T05:58:00-0700

lotu5 posted a photo:

lotu5:Stop Deportation - Stencil in Venice [Flickr]

lotu5 — 2007-08-21T05:57:00-0700

lotu5 posted a photo:

lotu5:Mask Shop in Venice [Flickr]

lotu5 — 2007-08-21T05:57:00-0700

lotu5 posted a photo:

lotu5:A Canal in Venice [Flickr]

lotu5 — 2007-08-21T05:57:00-0700

lotu5 posted a photo:

lotu5:Enough Deportations! [Flickr]

lotu5 — 2007-08-21T05:56:00-0700

lotu5 posted a photo:

Graffiti in venice.

lotu5:We Are Everywhere! Rebel Clowns and the Queer Bloc at the SPP protest in Canada...

lotu5 — 2007-08-21T05:29:00-0700

rebel clowns at the SPP protest in canada!

http://photos.cmaq.net/v/montebello-a20/IMG_1871.jpg.html

more photos including a hilarious and awesome queer bloc here:

http://photos.cmaq.net/v/montebello-a20/

updates on the spp here:

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/

Delete The Border:Protests Against Mexican Governors in Chicago, New York and Dallas

Delete The Border — 2007-08-21T00:27:00-0700

On August 16th, email alerts were circulating that Oaxaca governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz (URO) and other governors from Mexico were visiting Mexican Consulates in Chicago on August 17th, New York City on the 18th and Dallas on the 19th to discuss migratory reform. Activists quickly organized demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Oaxaca, and all of Mexico, as well as the millions of Mexican migrants living on the northern side of the US/Mexico border.

A flyer passed out in New York City labeled Ruiz Ortiz, “a co-conspirator with the US government and multinational corporations in the imposition of a political economy, which forces entire communities from his state to migrate north in search of better lives.” The flyer, composed by the Ulises Ruiz Welcoming Committee, also explains that, “Ruiz has attempted to quell social unrest through the criminalization of dissent, the militarization of communities, and the direct support of paramilitary groups in his state.”

To those familiar with the cowardliness of Ruiz Ortiz, it was not a big surprise that he failed to show up with the delegation. Even though he was the focus of the demonstrations, his absence did not prevent activists from protesting the rest of the Mexican Governors and representatives of URO who were with the CONAGO (National Conference of Mexican Governors) delegation. Read More

Calls to Action | Chicago Protest Against Repression in Mexico | Ulises Ruiz Ortiz Unwelcome in Nueva York | Protest of Mexican Governors’ Meeting in Dallas