Heather Gray: US-Mexico Border Wall to Encourage Divisiveness, Racism in US Society

Tue Mar 26, 2019 9:40

Heather Gray: US-Mexico Border Wall to Encourage Divisiveness, Racism in US Society

TEHRAN (FNA)– Heather Gray, Journalist and Human Rights Activist, says divisiveness in the society is part and parcel of Trump’s organizing strategy and agenda to better control and build his base.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with FNA, the American journalist said US corporations are the only entities which would benefit from building a wall “because they will be able to better control workers at slave wages”.

Heather Gray is a journalist and activist based in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been involved in regional, national and international organizing work, research and advocacy.

Below is the full text of the interview:

Q: There have been infamous walls, like the Great Wall of China and Berlin Wall, built to control the people. The walls were devastating for the people, and they did not work. Trump wants to build another of these infamous walls. Why is he in total disregard for historical experience?

A: Donald Trump is disregarding the historical experience because, for one, it’s highly unlikely he’s looked at the history of walls in the first place. Contemporary walls? His model has been the Israeli walls against Palestinians, which, he says, works. What a sad model of violence and despair. But secondly, this issue of anti-immigration is a means of inspiring his base of supporters to be “against the other.” Divisiveness can be used as a tool to control certain segments of the society. So, building a wall serves as a rallying strategy for Trump to prove he is effective in accomplishing what he wants and/or what he said he would do during his presidential campaign. But also, encouraging divisiveness in the society (such as racism and other discriminatory concepts) is part and parcel of Trump’s organizing strategy and agenda to better control and build his base.

Q: Who would benefit from the wall?

A: Regarding this “wall” between Mexico and the United States, it is corporate America that will benefit from the $5.6 billion, in building the wall, as well as likely some sectors of the military and border patrols used to protect the border crossings because of the “beefed up” concern by Trump about so-called immigrant criminals. Trump complains about drug runners coming across the border but it’s been noted that most of the drug importers are found at airports rather than in refugee communities. Additionally, corporate entities in the US, as well as US corporations in Central America, will benefit because they will be able to better control workers at slave wages because the option of coming to the US will be curtailed for workers to explore other opportunities.

Q: Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, former Democrat Presidents, have spoken of the immigrants in no less racist terms than Trump. How do Democrats call Trump’s US-Mexico wall “an immorality between the countries”?

A: The presidents of the United States do not necessarily speak totally for their respective political party members or supporters. And yes, the record of Clinton and Obama was not great on the issue of immigrant rights and protection. There are many Democrats, however, who will appropriately acknowledge that building a US-Mexico wall is “an immorality between the countries”. In fact, there are also countless sectors in the Democratic Party that stress the desire for respect of the other, regardless of race or religion, etc. But their voices and rationale need to resonate more broadly.

Q: Not only the 800,000 federal employees, but also millions of Americans are affected by the government partial shutdown. Trump is being regarded as acting imperial with a silver spoon in mouth, with no empathy, after he said he was willing to keep the government closed for a year or more. Does he represent the American nation?

A: I would say that Trump, in this action, does not represent the American nation. I would say that the vast majority of those in America are opposed to this treatment of federal workers. One of the positive impacts of the Trump administration is, in fact, that millions across the nation have been awakened politically and have begun earnestly to explore what is important to them regarding the government overall and calling for ‘just’ policies that should be implemented to benefit the people. This is a good sign.

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