Global Research

After every disaster, when a reporter asks the survivors about their experiences, some with the utmost honesty and astonishment answer: “We never thought it would happen to us.”

Americans are shocked to see that immigrant families, asylum seekers, babies being caged under a bridge in El Paso, Texas, in cold weather. Is this acceptable in the United States of America? The unfortunate reality is that the inhumane treatment (even temporarily) of the asylum seekers, (especially the children) has become a routine practice at detention centers for several years now.

However, most were conducted behind closed doors and out of plain site. Even after the anguishing stories of tortured teenagers in custody (such as sexual abuse, beating, long periods of confinement and in some instances keeping the children nude in a cold concrete cell) which were exposed by the people who either used to work in these centers or by the Human Right Activists and Progressive Attorneys who were in contact with these teens; the politicians – Democrats and Republicans – and their media only spent a few short days or hours talking about these abuses. By diverting the public attention to the other issues, the abused teens were generally left in the detention centers as they were found. However, today the bold and naked abuse against migrants’ families and caging them under a barbed wired bridge is done purposely in the public view to intimidate not just the immigrants but all dissent and democratic minded people.

Caging innocent people in cold weather with crying babies under a bridge in the richest country on earth simply is not a bad decision but a clear message to all working families by some fascist elements in the U.S. government. This fact is understandable when we look at the bigger picture. The forces in the U.S. who are advocating and implementing their fascistic ideology, know the solidarity between the immigrants and American working families are indissoluble. They know that soon or later with the economic downturn, all poor people (regardless of their backgrounds and social statues) will find themselves on the same side against the wealthy elites. The feud among the 1% that is played on the media every day is actually about what is the best way to control and pacify the working people.

They are afraid of a united and organized people. The fascistic minded President and his gang in the Congress, Judicial System, Law Enforcement and Military are propagating the POLICY OF FEAR here and abroad! Democrats are fearful of these policies that might backlash and undermine the whole system. That is why Mr. Trump calls the Democrats “weak”.

Under both Mr. Obama and Mr. Trump administrations, the immigrant children were detained in cages. No one can deny this fact any longer. However, Mr. Trump is proud of his “Zero Tolerance” policy against immigrants or anybody else for that matter. He wants the world to see how the migrants’ families are suffering under a bridge in the cold nights. This is the essence of the FEAR DOCTRINE. At the same time that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were placing asylum seekers families beneath the Paso del Norte International Bridge in El Paso, Texas; Mr. Trump in Michigan at a rally as part of his usual fear mongering speech against the immigrants said: “Hundreds of thousands of people … are invading … our country …. last month alone, more than 76 thousand illegal immigrants arrived at our borders … many of which are rough people … we have people that have criminal records … we apprehend them, we capture them … I.C.E., these are great American patriots. [cheers and applause]”. Of course, as always, he wrapped his fascistic talk in the American flag.

Wealthy people, including the current U.S. President should be the last people to complain about the invaders! It was the greed of the American Capitalists and plundering of the natural resources and wealth of the countries in the Latin America for centuries which caused the inevitable break-down of all arbitrary national boundaries.

That is the root of migration. The working people from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are seeking asylum in order to work and raise their families in peace. In fact in the 21st century, we have to recognize that they are the pioneers of our time, certainly not the invaders. The working people wherever they are or are forced to migrate; first and foremost they produce goods and contribute to their communities. On the other hand, “leaders” like Prime Minster May of UK / Netanyahu of Israel, President Macron of France /Poroshenko of Ukraine / Bouteflika of Algeria and of course Mr. Trump of the U.S. look like incompetent and useless politicians. They have nothing to offer except chaos, a group of people that look ridiculous in the world of politics.

The only miscalculation that the fascistic minded President Trump is not able to see is that the Fear Doctrine is effective only for a short time while the very people who are supposed to be fearful are rising up and are awakened by the 2016 election. That means the working families in the U.S. have the opportunity to get organized and unit for peace and prosperity for all by reaching to the history of the struggle of those who came before us, fought with their bodies and minds and left us with the most valuable heritage of unity and helpful guidelines.

End the Cruelty and Inhumane Treatment of Immigrants Families NOW!

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Massoud Nayeri is a graphic designer and an independent peace activist based in the United States. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research.

Featured image is from the author