From the New York Times

President-elect Obama will be under pressure to devote much of his attention -- and political capital -- to the economy. In doing so, he may be neglecting an immense opportunity to build better bonds with our neighbors to the south. The benefits of this opporunity are detailed in the following New York Times editorial. 

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Source

November 28, 2008

New York Times Editorial

About Latin America

The Bush administration is leaving behind so much turmoil and resentment around the world that President-elect Barack Obama might be tempted to put off dealing with the nation’s extremely sour relations with Latin America.

That would be shortsighted. There is a unique opportunity to improve ties with a region that shares key interests and values with the United States. And given how bad relations are right now, it will not take much more than good sense and sensitivity to make progress.

For starters, the Obama administration could gain a lot of good will by supporting more aid, mostly from the International Monetary Fund, for Latin American countries sideswiped by the financial meltdown.

More than anything, Latin American leaders want to know that Washington is ready to talk seriously — rather than just lecture — on important topics, including drug trafficking, energy policy, economic integration and immigration.

With Fidel Castro nearly gone, Washington should be testing the intentions of the new Cuban leadership. We believe lifting the economic embargo is the best way to do that. It has given Mr. Castro and his cronies a never-ending excuse for their failures and misdeeds.

During the campaign, Mr. Obama unfortunately agreed with the incorrect (but politically convenient) proposition that the embargo gives the United States leverage. Fortunately, he also said he would start the process of re-engaging Havana — and opening Cuba to the winds of change — by lifting restrictions on travel and remittances to the island. He should do so quickly.

Declining oil prices, and the declining stature of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, will also make Mr. Obama’s task easier.

We have no patience for Mr. Chávez’s corrupt and autocratic ways. But the Bush administration did enormous damage to American credibility throughout much of the region when it blessed what turned out to be a failed coup against Mr. Chávez.

The Venezuelan leader has played anti-American sentiments for all they are worth. And he has spent a chunk of his country’s abundant oil riches to prop up the Castro brothers and finance a wider anti-American bloc. He no longer has as much cash to spread around. And his own citizens have lost patience with his failed revolution.

Mr. Chávez’s decline also poses some new challenges. The finances of Cuba as well as Argentina, Nicaragua or Honduras could deteriorate rapidly if Venezuela decides to cut back its deliveries of cheap oil and billions in aid. Washington must be prepared to help, either with its own aid or by rallying support from international lenders.

There will be difficult pills to swallow. For the sake of American business and American credibility, Congress must pass the trade agreement with Colombia.

Other steps should come easier. Washington should open a regional dialogue about the illegal drug trade and prove that it can do its share by clamping down on the southward flow of weapons and reducing demand for drugs at home. On energy, eliminating the tariff on ethanol imports would help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and greatly improve relations with Brazil.

This country must move forward with immigration reform. It must also begin regular discussions on migration issues with the countries sending those migrants. That would do much to improve relations and find solutions to key problems like human rights abuses against immigrants.

If there is still a question about the need for a new policy for the region, consider these facts: Latin America provides a third of the nation’s oil imports, most of its immigrants and virtually all of its cocaine. And, oh yes, it’s right next door. 

Russian professor predicts Balkanization of the U.S.

A noted Russian analyst predicted the breakup of the USA into a cluster of Balkanized states following a devastating economic collapse. Professor Igor Panarin’s prophecy was revealed during an interview in the Russian daily Izvestia on November 24.

Panarin conjectured “the U.S. will break up into six parts - the Pacific coast, with its growing Chinese population; the South, with its Hispanics; Texas, where independence movements are on the rise; the Atlantic coast, with its distinct and separate mentality; five of the poorer central states with their large Native American populations; and the northern states, where the influence from Canada is strong.” Read more here.

Panarin’s nightmare scenario is remarkably similar to the premise of my novel AMERICA LIBRE, a cautionary tale that envisions a Hispanic insurrection in the U.S. Southwest sparked by a violent nativist backlash. 

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

FBI finds attacks against Latinos on rise

Newsday.com

FBI finds attacks against Latinos on rise

BY SUMATHI REDDY

November 23, 2008

In a Pennsylvania coal mining town last July, four high school football players were accused of shouting ethnic slurs at a Mexican immigrant before a brawl erupted and Luis Ramirez, 25, was killed.

Three of the teens were charged with ethnic intimidation, and the attack became part of a growing category of crimes reported in the U.S.: hate attacks against Hispanics.

Attacks on Hispanics grew 40 percent from 2003 to 2007, outpacing the estimated 16 percent increase in the Hispanic population in the U.S., according to FBI statistics. Over the same time period, the total number of hate-crime incidents reported nationwide has remained steady.

"We do know from reports and from hate-group activity that there's a new focus on the Latino and immigrant populations," said Randy Blazak, director of the Hate Crimes Research Network at Portland State University in Oregon.

Since 2004, Blazak said, Ku Klux Klan rhetoric has take an "incredible shift from anti-black diatribes" toward hatred directed at Latinos.

Experts say the increase in violence targeting Hispanics nationally is likely even larger because hate crimes are underreported. They caution, however, that the FBI statistics are drawn from local law enforcement agencies, which have widely disparate standards for labeling crimes as hate crimes. Nassau and Suffolk counties have both reported substantial decreases in hate crimes against Hispanics in recent years.

Seven Patchogue-Medford High School students are accused in the fatal attack on Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero on Nov. 8, a death that has been classified as a bias crime. Mark Potok, head of the intelligence project at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., a nonprofit organization that combats discrimination and bias crimes, said there also has been a sharp increase in the number of groups the organization labels as "hate groups," rising from 602 in 2000 to 888 last year.

"Our analysis is that the growth of these groups was driven almost entirely by their exploitation of the immigration issue," Potok said, referring to the contentious debate over the nation's porous borders and the number of nonresident immigrants in the United States.

The increase in hate crimes targeting Latinos, experts said, can be largely attributed to anti-immigrant rhetoric, and to the recent declining economy, which has led to fierce job competition, as well as anti-immigrant rhetoric.

In both Patchogue and Shenandoah, Pa., the attacks took place against the backdrop of inflammatory debates about undocumented immigrants.

Shenandoah is just 20 minutes away from the town of Hazleton, which passed a controversial ordinance to discourage residents from renting to or hiring undocumented immigrants. The ordinance did not withstand a court challenge.

In Shenandoah, a similar measure was proposed but tabled because of the legal challenge to Hazelton's ordinance.

It's been more than four months since Ramirez was killed, but some residents say tension still simmers between Hispanics and other members of the community, despite the formation of a task force and outreach programs.

"The situation essentially has not changed," said Agapito Lopez, a member of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, Pennsylvania's long-established advocacy agency for Latino residents. "There's still fear in the Latino communities that they'll be subject to other harassment."

Last month, Shenandoah Mayor Thomas O'Neill, who was praised by the Latino community for his outreach efforts, abruptly tendered his resignation, effective Jan. 1. Some residents believe he was pressured to resign. O'Neill did not return calls last week.

Jack Levin, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston, predicted the climate nationally will only get worse.

"I think you will see that hate crimes against Latinos will be on the rise for the next few years," he said. "You can see this throughout history. Every time the economy sours, we blame the newcomers."

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

Our new president must tackle immigration reform

During the campaign, president-elect Obama promised to initiate legislation for comprehensive immigration reform in the first 100 days of his administration. Like most presidents, Mr. Obama will come into office with considerable political capital during the proverbial "honeymoon" period with congress and the media. However, the economy has already become Mr. Obama's primary public focus.

No sensible person would argue our faltering economy is not a vital issue. But if those of us committed to immigration reform sit idly and let our new president expend his political capital exclusively on the economy, what will he have left for immigration reform?

We need to hold Mr. Obama to his pledge. Otherwise, immigration reform will once again languish on the back burner. It will take a considerable political effort to overcome the hyperactive nativist fringe who vehemently opposes immigration reform. A president weakened in the polls and beholden to many in congress will not be able to push the legislation past the amnesty chorus.

I urge you to make your voice heard.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

The chauffeured limos arrive at the welfare office

Ronald Reagan loved to invoke the image of a welfare queen in a Cadillac. Today, we have the CEO of Cadillac in the welfare line.

Picture this cartoon: An impeccably-groomed CEO emerges from his chauffeured limo to join the line outside the welfare office. In front of him stand others of his ilk, waiting impatiently to pick up a check.

With very little exaggeration, that was the scene in Washington this week as the chiefs of the Big Three U.S. automakers “arrived before Congress in corporate jets with tin cups in hand.” Is anyone surprised?

The federal government has already ponied up $700 billion to bail out Wall Street—with promises of more cash on the way. If Washington is ready to reward the securities industry for their greed and incompetence, why shouldn’t the feds do the same for Detroit? After all, what’s $25 billion among friends?

In contrast, I read a Wall Street Journal article earlier this week criticizing president-elect Obama’s health care plan. The WSJ editors claimed Obama's plan would incur $150 billion in debt over two years. A mere $150 billion to help provide medical care for the entire population of the United States? That seems like chump change after the $700 billion Uncle Sam is doling out to the securities industry.

Here's the irony: To the Wall Street Journal, when the government spends 150 billion to help ordinary Americans, it’s "socialist income redistribution.” But of course that label does not apply when the government shells out $700 billion to prop up failing companies led by the uber-rich. Apparently, socialism is any government program that does not benefit the Lear jet set.

With all this corporate largesse from Washington, it’s no surprise Detroit now wants taxpayers to dole out $25 billion to keep their companies afloat. (Excuse me. It's not a handout. They insist it’s a loan.) And $25 billion is only a down payment. The auto CEOs mentioned $25 billion may only get them through the early part of next year. Hmmm. Maybe the smart money guys on Wall Street can figure out a way to package the loan to the Big Three as a type of security they can sell. Oh, wait. They already tried that with other bad credit risks.

Look, I know the auto industry touches one in ten jobs in the U.S. economy. There will be some painful side effects in letting some of Detroit’s dinosaurs go under. But if they could not succeed before, what will we solve by throwing more money at these disastrously managed companies? When will we admit that free enterprise means the freedom to fail if corporate leaders make monumentally poor decisions?

And let’s not forget that the Big Three are not the only auto makers with assembly plants in the United States. If we bailout Detroit, that will create layoffs at the Honda and Toyota plants that employ U.S. workers. So in giving preferential treatment to the Big Three, we are really robbing Peter to pay Paul.

We have crossed a dangerous threshold when hundreds of billions are tossed around like pocket change and the government is handing out welfare to the richest of the rich. Meanwhile, we have trouble mustering the political will to invest a fraction of that largesse to provide medical insurance for the nation’s ordinary citizens.

Back in the 1980s,Ronald Reagan loved to invoke the image of a welfare queen in a Cadillac. Today, we have the CEO of Cadillac in the welfare line.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Does it matter Obama is not an heir of slavery?

Many have argued that Barack Obama is biracial, not black. Yet the label “African-American” is especially appropriate for our president-elect. Unlike most people of African descent in the United States, Mr. Obama can trace his roots directly to Africa through his Kenyan father. For most black Americans, that connection is lost in the ancestral slurry of slavery. That very fact raises another distinction between Mr. Obama and other African-Americans: He is not a descendant of slaves.

Is that significant? The question bears examination.

Few would argue slavery scars those it victimizes. The psychic trauma of being treated like chattel would wound anyone who endured it, even if some bore the burden better than others. The psychological reaction to slavery would vary widely by individual as well. Some would grow bitter and angry. Others despondent and passive. But it’s difficult to imagine anyone enduring the experience unscathed. The fact most former slaves became loyal Americans is a testament to the ideals of this nation and the hope and perseverance of the human spirit. Still, it’s clear the legacy of slavery, both internal and external, has negatively affected the African-American community to this day.

We all know the sad statistics. In almost every category of social progress—education, income, health, longevity—black Americans lag behind white Americans. There is no other reasonable explanation for this inequity except the cultural aftershocks of slavery.

Barack Obama, however, is not an heir to this legacy. How this has affected our president-elect’s character and his success in a predominantly white society is anyone’s guess. But it would be thoughtless to dismiss this difference out of hand.

What do you think?

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Another martyr in the making?

It’s a dreadful thought. But it’s one several friends have raised. Will Barack Obama serve out his term as president?

While still a candidate, authorities uncovered a plot against our president-elect. How many more like the young men arrested in the conspiracy are waiting in the wings?

More than a few parallels have been drawn between Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy. Both were youthful senators who brought young families into the White House. Both men overcame prejudice to become president. (Many now forget Republicans used Kennedy’s Catholicism to suggest the Oval Office would be ruled by the Vatican.) Kennedy and Obama were also the last two northern Democrats elected to the presidency.

Let’s hope the parallels between Kennedy and Obama end there. As we all know, John F. Kennedy did not survive his term of office, his vast potential as a leader never realized.

It’s reputed that Colin Powell has not run for president because of his wife’s fears for his safety. What a loss for our country when the best and the brightest become the targets of hate.

We’ve taken a giant stride as a society in electing Barack Obama. The majority of Americans have put aside centuries of prejudice and chosen the best candidate for president without regard to skin color. But we must never forget: we are always hostage to the extremist fringe. Those who hate without reason have changed history before.

What can any of us do? I’m left without an answer. I know only one thing for certain …

The nation does not need any more martyrs.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Eight times bigger than Woodstock

As I read this morning’s Washington Post predicting a turnout of four million at the Mall for Barack Obama’s inauguaration, the thought of Woodstock popped into my head.

That gathering of roughly one half million people in 1969 on Max Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York defined a generation—my generation. Even those of us who were not there laid claim to the four-day event. In spirit, the celebration of the youth counterculture was larger than life. The gathering forged an identity and a bond for a generation of young people who would soon be labeled the Baby Boomers--and other, less flattering names by many older folks. All the same, Woodstock was a milestone that marked the start of a new era.

Barack Obama’s presidency already promises a similar transformation.

As yet, no one can know the cultural identity this presidency will create. But one thing is certain. The world will not be the same, ever again.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Immigration issue brings liberation theology to the U.S.

When most of us think of liberation theology, we picture Roman Catholic clergy standing up to repressive strongmen on behalf of the disadvantaged in Latin America. These audacious men and women have at times paid with their lives in speaking out against governments where death squads and “disappearances” are a fact of life.

But there is a new face of liberation theology. And it has surfaced inside the United States in one of the least likely places: Arkansas.

The new Bishop of Little Rock, Anthony B. Taylor, has taken a daring stance on the immigration issue. In his first pastoral letter released on November 5, Bishop Taylor declares that all humans have “the right to immigrate when circumstances so require.” In the Bishop’s 64-page letter, Taylor explains that immigration is an economic necessity. It provides labor in nations where it’s needed, like the United States, and alleviates suffering in poorer countries. He quotes the U.S. Declaration of Independence and biblical scripture to make a moral and legal case for banishing laws that restrict immigration. “Unjust laws create disrespect for the rule of law, when people must evade the law in order to exercise their basic human rights,” the Bishop writes.

"Parents are obligated to protect their children and provide for them," Taylor explains. "The Church does support those who have no other alternative in the exercise of their basic human right to immigrate when circumstances so require," the pastoral letter concludes.

Needless to say, this bold assertion has already stirred criticism from the nativist fringe.

“It is not Christian to be a useful idiot of evil,” wrote Kenny J. Wallis, president of Keep Arkansas Legal. "Someone do a background check to see if this Bishop is a Pedifile [sic]," was posted on one nativist website. Another blogger characterized Bishop Taylor's theology as "a card-board cut-out lollipop and sugar plum Jesus."

As word of the Bishop's letter spreads, expect the backlash to grow more vehement.

Taylor's pastoral letter is titled “I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me.” It will be enlightening to see how those who oppose immigration and still call themselves Christian will respond to the Bishop's compassionate stance.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Growing wave of hate crimes against Latinos claims another victim

According to a recent FBI report, the overall rate of hate crimes in the U.S. has declined for the last four years -- except for attacks on Hispanics. Violence and vandalism directed against Latinos has grown by 40% since 2003. Proof of this disturbing trend was made painfully clear by an incident in Long Island, New York on November 8th.

Marcello Dusero, age 38, was beaten and stabbed to death by a gang of seven youths as he walked a few blocks to a friend’s house. The young men who assaulted the immigrant from Ecuador had never met Dusero before. Their only reason for attacking him was his ethnicity.

One of the seven young men arrested for the assault told police the group’s actions on that Saturday evening began with these words: “Let's go find some Mexicans to f--- up.” Their search for a victim started in Medford, New York. Failing to find a target there, they drove their SUV to nearby Patchogue where they encountered Dusero and a friend at a train station. Minutes later, Marcello Dusero lay dead on the pavement.

Dusero’s death comes on the heels of the fatal attack on Luis Ramirez who in July of this year died in a hospital two days after being brutally beaten by a group of youths in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. Both attacks were unprovoked and premeditated. Their sole purpose was an expression of hate.

In another era, they would have been called a lynch mob.

The debate over undocumented immigrants in the U.S. has brought out the nation’s worst elements. Ray Larsen, Imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan said, “Illegal immigrants is [sic] bringing us far more members than we did when we were just totally against any ethnic group.” Larsen boasted of running out of membership applications after a KKK anti-immigrant rally in Indiana. Meanwhile, talk radio and internet sites continue to spew vicious propaganda laced with overt racism against undocumented workers. These messages of hate are finding fertile ground among Americans uneasy about the growth of the nation’s minorities and frustrated by our sick economy.

Some have tried to portray the attack on Dusero as “high school hazing” gone out of control, not an ethnically-motivated crime. But as the spreading toxic waste of hatred created by the anti-immigrant fringe leaches deeper into the nation, it’s not hard to understand why the young men who killed Luis Ramirez and Marcello Dusero would seek out any Latino as the victim for their attacks.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez