Communist Internationalist Position on Immigration and Travel

[aabdo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Tony Abdo)]

With all the plans to extend NAFTA and to 'reform' what is seen by Right
, Left, and Center to be a mess of a US immigration policy, immigration
and the US/ Mexican Border are going to be in the news BIG this Fall.
In fact, the border between the imperialist countries and their victims
everywhere, will continually be a focal topic of discussion ahead.
No amount of 'reforms' will change that.     The poor are going to try
to get into the gated communities.

Unfortunately, communist parties from the Workers World, to the
DSP-Australia, to the Communist Parties of Europe, have gotten very,
very lax (put politely), on teaching their membership and followers,
about what Communists traditionally have advocated regarding travel and
immigration.

Many Leftists believe that the Left SHOULD try to close off the national
boundaries in the imperialist countries, to better protect their 'own'
national working class.    They think that they are advocating a
socialist and pro- working class position, by doing this.

In other words, we communists have ourselves to blame, if most of the
populaion believes that the Social Democratic policy of 'reforming'
immigration,  IS the Socialist Left position.    Even most Leftists in
the imperialist countries, now believe that 'better' policing of
immigration and travel of immigrants,  is something that should be
supported.

'Reforming' the immigration authorities in the imperialist countries, is
about as Left as trying to 'reform' the police.
Capitalist immigration authorities, just like the military and police,
are not reformable.    We oppose them, and we don't want them to be more
efficient!      We want their overthrow, and we are opposed to their
activities.

Because communists are opposed to the policing activities of immigration
authorities, we do not support them in their daily routines of making
immigrants' lives more difficult.     No matter what methods are used.
That should be repeated again......    No matter what methods are used.
We are opposed to what they do, not just in how they do it.

Here is our biggest reason to feel guilty about our lack of advocacy on
behalf of the immigrant working class.      None of our papers or
leaders are even advocating that we Tear Down The Wall.     It was
always there, and it is in the process of being fortified.      We are
against this wall.    So why the silence?

How shameful, that after years of capitalist propaganda bullshit about
the Berlin Wall, that we have not taken advantage of informing people,
that an even worse Wall is supported by our own ruling class.      And
that we want it torn down NOW.

Instead, we have let the liberals and SD types run loose with their own
brand of nationalistic jingoism.      What's worse about this, is that
these are sincere people hurting the largest bloc of workers, all the
while advocating for their own narrow sector of the working class at
home base.     It's correlated with these Leftists' support of
imperialist  'humanitarian interventionism' abroad.    And should be
well evident.

Instead of calling for the law to enforce penalties against employers,
Communists have always advocated that immigrant undocumened workers be
treated the SAME as the other workers.      Advocating that the native
worker be given a job, while the undocumented be turned away, is not a
socialist Left position.    It is a support for liberal victimization of
these workers, done under pretense of helping them out.

We do not advocate a Left posing as patriots.     We are an
international movement, not just a cooperative of national groupings.
So let's oppose those Leftists that will wave the national flag around,
to  supposedly help 'their' country's 'own' working class out.

You help the working class out, by building bridges, not trying to
restrict the movement of workers coming in from across national
boundaries.     Let's not let the majority of the Left get conned into
being proponents of better capitalist policing.

Tony Abdo