Detainment in the UK

My adventures are generally based on deviant activities, activism and alternative politics in the United States with this blog or my research and work in sub-Saharan Africa (the pastoral food security blog). At the moment, however, I am being detained by UK immigration at Harmondsworth, England, a detention centre near Heathrow Airport. I have been detained by the authorities since Tuesday 11:40, the 20th of September 2011, and in the downward spiral of events, I will likely be here for another week or two, perhaps longer, depending on what unfolds with my fight for entry into the United Kingdom.

These are some preliminary observations. More will come on subjects relevant to detainment but I wanted to start documenting this experience as, with the exception of Russians and Albanians, I am the only White person being detained at the moment, in fact the only American. Most of those spending weeks, months and even years at these centres are Indians, Pakistanis, Somalis, Algerians, Egyptians, Trinidad-Tobagoans, Sri Lankans, Nigerians, Congolese, Senegalese, Cameroonians, Bangladeshis, as well as many other nationalities. when they ask what my nationality is ... this question comes before any others, which is certainly understandable but quickly tiresome ... their eybrows raise when they here I am from the United States. For them an American should not be going through the frustrations and problems that they are experiencing. But as frustrating as it is to be detained and delayed in my plans to return, live, and work in sub-Saharan Africa, I see this as an opportunity to learn their stories and document the conditions these individuals face at UK detention centres.

As one can imagine with the large numbers of people detained by the UK border agency, Harmondsworth is not the only detention centre in the country. There are other centres in Colnbrook, Dover (convenient as there is the ferry over to Calais, France), Brook House, Campsfield House, Yarl's Wood and Oakington, including one in Scotland near the city of Glasgow called Dungavel. The one in Dungavel is coed, and this has apparently lead to some unintentional, international romances and pregnancies. Many detainees, whether there is contact with the opposite sex or not, have difficulty in dealing with the long waits, the stress and fear of either going through bureaucratic process to become an UK citizen or deportation to their own country or country the UK border agency believes the person comes from. 

I will write more later. For the moment, I wanted to give some preliminaries from my discussions with the other detainees at Harmondsworth Detention Centre, United Kingdom.      

The Manipulation of Current Politics

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The ability multi-corporations have in influencing journalists who, in turn, manipulate the public through a ‘free press’ is disgusting. Mary Anastasia O’Grady of the Wall Street Journal recently gave an opinion piece entitled “Canada’s Oil Sands Are a Jobs Gusher” (downloadable at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904836104576560933917369412.html). To her credit, she rightly and fairly criticized President Obama’s ‘Jobs Speech,’ which had no concrete or tangible plan of creating jobs or improving the United States (US) economy. The author, however, took the opportunity after attacking Obama and his track history of supporting Environmental Protection Agency over energy exploration to promote energy companies interests under the guise of ‘job creation.’  

O’Grady promotes the construction of an oil pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf Coast, a project of TransCanada’s Keystone XL (a multinational energy corporation). She does this by displaying the achievements of Alberta’s Oil and Gas Industries (where over a quarter of a million people are directly employed), displaying Alberta’s low unemployment rate of 5.6%, and indicating the heavy involvement of United States in the exploitation of oil and gas through both the presence of both US Companies (totaling 960) and the US manufactured equipment used in construction, exploration and exploitation.

The positive spin O’Grady gives this Keystone XL project starts small and grows in size. She first mentions the oil production boom in the Bakken region of North Dakota, where unemployment is at 3.3%. She then brings in Keystone XL’s predictions of investment and job creation, 20 billion US dollars and 13,000 direct jobs respectively. To finish off any skepticism, O’Grady then brings in statistics from an interest group that is far from impartial, the American Petroleum Institute, who predicts the long-term economic benefits from pipeline construction amounting to possibly 1.4 million jobs with over 800 billion US dollars of investment.

Has O’Grady convinced you to support the Keystone XL pipeline project yet? Don’t be fooled. As someone who has visited and interviewed people involved in Alberta’s Oil and Natural Gas industries, I can say with confidence that there are social and environmental impacts that will result from the construction and operation of a pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf. For instance, a quick look at the volumes of water pulled from the Athabasca River, Alberta to extract oil from the Tar Sands is enough to shock anyone. First Nation peoples in Alberta are subject to air and water pollution from the oil and gas industries but are often paid off by the Canadian government or are too small a lobbying group to defend themselves from energy companies’ interests. Even if the Keystone XL pipeline creates 13,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect ones, this fails to reveal the differences in salaries, benefits, and safety standards that exist between Canadian and US workers. Currently those who work the derricks, who are known as ‘wildcatters’ in the United States and ‘riggers’ in Canada, have major differences in salaries and safety standards. Wildcatters are paid 14 to 18 US dollars starting, have inadequate breaks and lunches, and often work the derricks with a hardhat, pair of blue jeans and pack of cigarettes. Riggers are paid 35 to 40 Canadian dollars starting, have sufficient breaks, and wear protective eye gear and ear plugs. Given the Canadian dollar is at parity or slightly stronger than the US dollar these days, this shows that energy companies, and the authors promoting big business projects, are not acting in the interest of job creation and improvement of peoples’ lives. They are out for profit and ready to exploit a population that is not only suffering through a recession, but also manipulated by a ‘free press’ who market such corporate interests.

To be fair, if all the outcomes of the Keystone XL pipeline were given equal press, perhaps the US public would throw its support behind such a project. But when authors use terms like ‘job creation’ to spin the promotion of such projects without any consideration of social and environmental outcomes, it is deceitful and unethical. Even if O’Grady and many others like her promote projects like the pipeline, they should include a more balanced approach to what consequences there are if implemented. O’Grady criticized Obama for telling the general public nothing in his ‘Jobs Speech.’ I am criticizing O’Grady for promoting a vague economic portfolio if the Keystone XL pipeline is constructed. She omitted any discussion of the possible environmental and social outcomes of such a large scale project, not to mention what shortcomings or challenges that may exist in the financing, construction and maintenance of the pipeline. Policy makers, business leaders and journalists in alliance with business interests can show their sincerity in job creation and working for both profit and the common good if they are more transparent about the various potential outcomes that come from their policy goals and business practices.        

September 11th

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"America Grieves, Reflects," is the headline in the Wall Street Journal on the tenth anniversary of September 11th. The hype is so big that it captures the front page of other major newspapers and web-based news sites. September 11th was a tragedy but it was not the only one to take place in the world. Some examples include Iran witnessing the bloody ousting of Mohammed Mosaddegh regime by the CIA in the 1950s. The Congo embroiled in civil war thanks to CIA meddling during the 1960s. Chile saw the massacre of Allende and his compatriots by CIA agents and allies in the 1970s. Nicaragua found US agencies on their soil and manipulating its politics in the 1980s. Iraq had the displeasure of two overt operations, first by the United States with United Nations backing in 1991 and later by the United States and its fabricated 'Grand Coalition' in 2003. The invasion of Iraq saw the dismantling not only of the Saddam Hussein regime but also the destruction of Iraqi economy and society. Over four million people in Iraq have been killed or displaced since the US occupation began in 2003. I ask the question, "Who should be grieving and reflecting and what over?"

In the past and present, the actions taken by the US government, its political allies and by US business interests directly resulted in the killing of tens of thousands of people overseas. Indirectly such actions can be linked to the deaths of millions. Yesterday, the United States took the time to reflect on the senseless death of three thousand people ten years ago. Certainly noble, certainly justifiable but in so doing, Americans blocked out or chose to ignore the reasons why those eleven men from different nations in the Middle East killed others and themselves in such a desperate act. In those eleven minds, their actions were justified, even noble, because what they did to the United States was no different than what the United States has done in their nations and others for over sixty years. Are their actions excusable or should even be pardoned? No. Are they understandable? Perhaps given the toll of abuses committed by the United States overseas in the past and present. All Americans should take the time to grieve and reflect, not only for the innocent people killed in this country for ideological reasons ten years ago but also for the innocent people killed overseas in the name of US interests and security.

Changing Face of Food Banks

 

Food banks are present on six different continents today thanks to the idea of John van Hengel, an Arizona native that saw it as wasteful for grocery stores to throw away food that was near expiration date, had damaging to the packaging, or was just not visually appealing to the consumer. For van Hengel and others who supported the creation of food banks, the idea of wasting food when there were needy people in the community who could use the food was a major injustice.

Surprisingly, the system of food banks started in 1967 and not earlier when food insecurity was a common reality for many families, even in North America and Europe. How food banks run vary, but they are commonly not-for-profit, charitable organizations that distribute food to individuals, families or other charities that follow through with distribution to the needy. Many believe that donations come from for-profit organizations like supermarket chains and farmers but this process is changing, at least in North America, according to interviews conducted from California to British Columbia.

 

Food banks are not federal institutions but are heavily reliant on funding and other forms of support from federal agencies. For those who need food but are ineligible or disheartened by the application processes for food stamps and other government programs, food banks are an easier option, as the only information needed is an identification card and utility bill that proves a person’s residence. From the interviews it was revealed that there are two major types of food banks in North America: one, where staff prepares food parcels for people and the other, where recipients wheel around shopping carts and staff allows them to pick two-to-three items from the shelves.

 

Food banks receive food through either purchasing it or through donations. Some for-profit stores are active in this charity by donating non-perishable food items that will not sell or pulling perishable ones off of the shelf in advance before they spoil. This, however, is becoming less common as food banks rely on monetary donations or federal assistance to purchase foods for distribution throughout the community. Foods are often purchased from bulk, low-budget grocery stores in order to stretch out their purchasing power and provide larger amounts of non-perishable items to the community.

 

Churches, sporting events, food drives, and similar charitable events are conducted to stock local food banks. In Western Washington, there are annual high school sports games called ‘food balls’ that bring in monetary and food donations for food banks. From California to British Columbia, postal carriers collect donated foods from households one or two weeks out of the year. These are, once again, small compared to the contribution the federal government makes towards the upkeep of food banks. Aside from monetary and direct food donations, the federal government also contributes food that is gleaned from regional agricultural zones. I was told of oranges present at a food bank in Western Washington coming from Arizona orchards that were picked by prison labor.

 

There is also the misnomer of too many people living well off of the dole, which is, taking advantage of these handouts by not working or profiting from food banks. During the interviews, there was never a person coming in with a luxurious car, wearing lavish clothes or jewelry. People who came in to receive their food parcels or shop around for their food were walking in off the street, biking in, mothers with their children, the elderly, and people of modest means.

Not all donations at the food banks go directly to those in need. Some foods continue through a chain of charity, reaching organizations like homeless shelters, churches and youth groups who either use the food to prepare meals, or distribute the donations at fixed times or particular events. As can be expected, there are certain stigmatisms and biases of people who appear at these gatherings or distribution points. They can be cajoled by others for accepting such charity and possibly feel too ashamed themselves to appear for such assistance. These situations make outreach difficult and food banks are aware that the numbers they serve underrepresent all those who are in need of food assistance.      

 

To remedy this situation food banks are now considering selling some of their donations, at a lower cost compared to discount food stores like Grocery Outlet, Cash & Carry, ALDI, and Bottom Dollar. The money made from such sales will go into the purchase of more donations and food bank operating costs. What is interesting about the outreach model is it is still a not-for-profit goal, but it may cut into the clientele that discount food stores now serve. Food bank employees do not like the comparison but with the numbers of poor people growing in the United States and the success of ‘no-frills’ supermarkets in securing a niche in the food service market, they will either be serving side-by-side with the discount grocery stores or competing with them for customers.

An Upcoming Police State

More and more local municipalities in the United States are seeing ex-police officers running for office. Most of these candidates in both their law enforcement and political careers promote a policy known as ‘zero tolerance,’ where minor infractions of the law are prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law. The thinking behind such a policy is that in order to prevent grave crimes from occurring like murder, forms of assault, illegal trafficking and grand theft, it is necessary to punish (to the furthest extent of the law) those who commit lesser crimes like breaking windows, graffiti, disturbing the peace, loitering, public drunkenness, or disloyal opposition (verbally disrespecting a police officer). The fines and time served for committing such small violations are increasing through new legislation and the general public, in general, is unaware and indifferent to the change. However, many voters believe or are told to believe that a clean street will nurture pure minds that uphold the law and report any deviant activity, keeping their neighborhoods safe from crime. 

The popularity of such a program rests well on the coattails and hysteria of September 11. More and more, Americans support candidates that are ‘tough on crime’ and are diverting public spending from institutions like public education, food assistance and health to security and law enforcement. Ask a recent graduate from a college or university who the three most active job recruiters are and he/she will say homeland security administrations, police departments and prisons. The financial crisis, however, struck a blow to this growth temporarily. States had no choice but to release some prisoners, often inmates that are in jail for marijuana possession or other minor offenses. But the US economy will eventually rebound, not necessarily to the prosperity known n the later half of the 20^th Century, but certainly to the point where it continues to be a major consumer of goods from China and other developing nations. When it does, what government exists at the local, state, and federal levels, will continue dismantling what social safety nets remain and increase spending on law enforcement.

The trend of diverting revenues to law enforcement instead of social programs is a reversal of the social safety nets set up in the 1960s and 1970s. These decades witnessed a counter-culture movement, a revolution that changed significantly how people thought about life, law and society. Though not all followed the movement, it was a time when people questioned the War in Vietnam, the intolerance and injustice of Jim Crow laws in southern states, gender roles, and in general how people treated others. It was a revolution that preached tolerance, acceptance of difference and began questioning the power structures in education, business, law, and politics. The counter-culture movement had its shortcomings and those who were a part of it, if asked today, will likely admit it never completed its objectives. Americans today, in fact, resemble the post-WW II generation that purchased many goods and feared the Soviets, only now the products come from overseas and the terrorism has replaced the Soviet threat.

There is a revolution coming in the United States. It is not based on ideas and thinking from the 1960s and 1970s, however. It is one of greater law enforcement and intolerance towards deviance and protest, eventually profiling and targeting all who are excluded from the wealth and power in this country. It is a state where the privileged are protected and the poor are punished, where the punishments grow more severe and are used in cases where people break the law under duress more and more. Those who can afford decent counsel are likely to walk away from their crimes while those who are represented by overworked, public defenders serve time and are slapped with hefty fines. The poor will be impoverished further and likely to commit more crimes with little opportunity and a growing hatred for authority. Law enforcement agencies commonly have the slogan ‘to protect and serve’ but this is not for the common good. Their services are for those who are part of the political and economic elite who live in gated communities or streets commonly patrolled by public and private police agencies. The rest, however, have the pleasure of living in fear of what activity will land them into a situation of being questioned by the police, detained, and possibly arrested in the emerging police state that is the United States.