International

Fighting Fascism is a Global Effort

Written by Chris Bober

Since early last year the United States has seen rapid growth in many sectors of the radical right. There has been unprecedented expansion of anti-government militia groups, increased anti-immigrant rhetoric in the tea party movement, and deeply troubling proof of the relationship between anti-immigrant groups and white nationalists. With all this rage in our own backyard, it has been easy to forget that fighting fascism is truly a global effort. While the outcome may be disappointing, one effort stands out amongst all others.

Over the course of the last year and a half in Poland, the anti-racist organization ‘Nigdy Wiecej’ (translated as Never Again) has patiently attempted to convince the online auction… Read more

Politics

Border iFence: Boeing, Going, Gone

Written by Rev. David L. Ostendorf

The “virtual fence” aimed at stopping immigrants from crossing the nation’s 6,000 miles of international borders has finally been unplugged after the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars by global defense giant Boeing for a system that reportedly ‘developed new problems faster than the old ones could be fixed.”

On the basis of a highly critical Government Accountability Office report and Congressional unease about the failures of the “fence,” Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano cut $50 million out of Recovery Act funds allotted for the scheme. In the thick of media coverage of the health care fight and the March for America, news of its demise went largely unnoticed. Some $672 million has… Read more

Politics

Center for Immigration Studies vs. The Truth

Written by Jill Garvey

On a recent public radio program in Wisconsin, Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies was confronted about his controversial organization by a local organizer.

Rather than address the concerns being raised, Camarota instead implied that the organizer had a “deep hatred of American workers.”

Politics

A Wake Up Call for Saint Cloud School Leaders

Written by Garat Ibrahim

The questions many Somalis ask themselves is, ‘what is wrong with Saint Cloud, Minnesota?’ Why is there an environment of hate towards people of color and minorities? Why are our children faced with daily hostility at school?

Among the complaints: an “I hate the Somalians at Tech High” Facebook page, bacon being shoved in the faces of Muslims as a provocation by students who know Islam forbids the eating on pork, and an inflammatory essay about Somali Muslims posted by a student on an English class blog.

The media isn’t helping matters. The headlines in recent weeks clearly illustrate a huge misconception about what is occurring with school-aged children, parents and the… Read more

Politics

Kobach Faces More Skeptics Over Controversial History

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

An interesting article popped up from the Sand Mountain Reporter. It seems a journalist in Albertville, Alabama has been suspicious of our old friend Kris Kobach ever since he conveniently appeared “to help” the town with immigration issues. Ben Shurett’s suspicions are proving to be true as he outlines in his column below:

Tuesday afternoon brought an interesting e-mail from Carol Dingman, a former city council member in Farmers Branch, Texas.

Farmers Branch, you may recall, is one of the cities receiving legal representation from Kris Kobach, a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a legal authority on illegal immigration.

The City of Albertville is considering hiring Kobach as legal

… Read more

DOJ’s Holder calls for Historic Era of Antitrust Enforcement in Agriculture

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

Dave Murphy, Founder of Food Democracy Now!, recently posted this good piece on Huffington Post:

Once again rural America stands on the Edge of Hope

Ankeny, IA – There are moments in a nation’s history that define it. For America’s remaining 2 million farmers (less than 1% of the population) and the more than 300 million eaters, the recent joint Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture workshop on lack of competition in the food and agricultural sectors held in Ankeny, Iowa is potentially one of those moments.

With concentration at record levels in agriculture today, well past levels that encourage or even allow fair prices or competition, the Obama

… Read more

Politics

Stop Racist Hate in Immigration Debate

Written by Glenn Hutchinson

We need to stop the racist rhetoric coded in the immigration debate.

Did you see the latest from conservative George Will? In his recent syndicated column, he argues that not all children born on American soil are really citizens. For example, if the parents are undocumented, then their baby born in the U.S.A. shouldn’t be a citizen. Will seems particularly concerned about “illegal immigrant mothers” who are giving birth in public hospitals in Los Angeles.

When I was sitting in history class in school, one thing my teachers kept telling me was how unique our country was. We are a nation of immigrants. Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to… Read more

Immigration

Center for Immigration Studies Picks Up Torch on Greening Bigotry

Written by Rebecca Poswolsky

Anti-immigrant groups are eyeing America’s environmental movement in the hopes that it will serve their controversial agenda.

Immigration and climate change might not seem to have much in common, but a bitter battle has been waging between the anti-immigrant movement and mainstream environmental groups for decades. The John Tanton Network is, as usual, deeply involved in this conflict.

The latest example of anti-immigrant attacks on environmentalists comes from Center for Immigration Studies, a controversial anti-immigrant group founded by John Tanton, who also founded the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).