Category Archives: 2024 Trip to South West United States

Better Thinking Needed on the Border

2024 Trip to South West United States, Critical thinking, Immigration and Refugees

 

Around the breakfast table in our hotel in Salina Kansas, we watched the ubiquitous Fox News channel since it seemed to be permanently selected at every hotel in the American Midwest. We have found from our friends that winter in Arizona, this is the land of Trump. Trump believers are everywhere. As a result, we learned that there was massive illegal migration at the border. 300,000 people from around the world were trying to get into the US across the Mexican border. By no means were these only Mexicans. Particularly at the Rio Grande, where the US was unable to build a wall,” hordes of people,” according to Fox were trying to cross illegally. Fox does not acknowledge that some of these people have the legitimate right to make asylum claims.

We also learned from Fox that many of the illegals were using false ID papers to pose as minors so they could stay with their families. Fox always emphasizes that the “Illegal immigrants,” as they call them all, cannot be trusted and should be feared. Every time I watch Fox, they are filling Americans with fear about the “hordes” at the border. This is very effective at stoking the fears of Americas. In fact, every side in the immigration disputes arouses fear about the others. Every side in the debate—and there are many—pitches an implicit ideology. For example, that migrants are scary or that people who think borders should be controlled are racist bigots. Life is more complicated than that.

Fox also claimed that 700,000 illegal immigrants get full medical benefits to which ordinary American working people are not entitled. I have heard versions of this story many times.  Immigrants, illegal or not, immediately get more rights than Americans. I have also heard on CNN that this is not true. Where is the truth? Sometimes truth seems very illusive, particularly in heated debates. What is not in doubt however, is that such news fuels hate against immigrants.

This does not mean that we should reject all media. We need good journalism and there is lots of it out there, though, of course, there is also much fake news. That does not make everything fake news as Trump and his Trumpsters often suggest. It does mean that each of us must use our skills of critical thinking and judgment to weigh the evidence in favor of or opposed to these narratives. Fox also claimed that in many states immigrants, even illegal immigrants, get ‘instate tuition’ rates unlike most non-residents? Is that true? I don’t know.

Both Republican and Democrat administrations are to blame for the problems on the border, though, of course, each side blames the other. The Republicans have not wanted to spend any money to solve the problem. They don’t want to “waste” money on paying to adjudicate asylum claims at the border so they drag on interminably. The result is that asylum seekers often wait a decade to have their cases heard while they live in the US as undocumented visitors. During this time, they often create families, making immigration issues even more complicated.  At times, the Democrats would not pay any serious heed to controlling the border. Sometimes it seems ike they even welcome the true illegal immigrants at the border. Though Barack Obama, of all people, was known as the “Deporter-in-Chief, the position Trump longed for. Underfunding of border facilities has made it impossible to deal with the large numbers that have been appearing and help to present images that scare people in America.

Just like we must look critically at the miracle cures for a legion of ailments that are offered by Fox advertisers, we must look critically at claims they make about immigration, one of their favourite issues. Are there really that many miracle cures out there? Is it true that everyone who appears at the border is untrustworthy? All sides in important public issues such as immigration, must use critical thinking to weigh the evidence and arguments. As well we must not do what Trump says he does—i.e. trust his gut. The gut really doesn’t do much effective thinking. Neither do hunches, feelings, or guesses.

Better thinking is what we need to tackle all important social issues, and too often, that seems in very short supply.

Again things don’t work

2024 Trip to South West United States, Decline of the west

 

In Salina Kansas given that it was New Year’s Eve all restaurants closed at 8 p.m. Sadly, Chris and I had been celebrating our own quiet New Years after the day’s drive with a Kahlua and milk. In fact, Chris was celebrating so much after the first drink she failed to notice the next one had no milk! As a result, I could not get a hot meal and had to subsist on the cold food from the Truck stop. Apparently this was a result of being New Years Eve.

I met a trucker there who was also looking for a hot meal. He found a hot dog that looked like it had been on a rotisserie for about half the day and was sufficiently appetizing to him. I bought a candy bar and pop. The two of us looked glumly at each other and shared condolences. The trucker then old me “nothing seems to work anymore.”  “Yup” I nodded.

That about sums up the US these days. And Canada too. Often it seems decline is setting in. Not the greatest New Year’s Eve celebration.

Immigration: A Bloody Mess

2024 Trip to South West United States, Immigration and Refugees

As we drove towards the southern USA, Christiane and I frequently  listened to National Public Radio (NPR). One day weI listened to an interesting discussion on immigration. This is always a hot subject in American politics. It energizes a lot of people both on the left and the right.  Americans love to complain about what the other side is doing or failing to do on this issue. It is considered a major problem for the country but no one tries to fix it. Everyone wants to complain instead. That is much more fun. Added to that, both sides want to score political points by blaming the other side for the problem when really both sides are to blame. As a result, of course, nothing does get done. And the complaints continue to pile up. That makes for a wicked problem that seems impossible to solve.

Meanwhile asylum seekers in the US are told on arrival to the U.S. to contact the Department of Homeland Security. When they follow those instructions, they are told the Department will respond to them and they should wait. They should wait patiently. The asylum seekers typically have to wait between 4 and 5 years, for a response to their request for asylum. Only after that is an adjudication hearing held. Then, if the asylum claim is denied, the seeker can appeal the decision and this will likely result in another 5 years of delay. Meanwhile the asylum seekers have a decade to live in the country and become what Israeli’s call a fact on the ground. They are there. There is no denying this. Meanwhile those asylum seekers may hold jobs and have children while in the U.S. The children might become American citizens and can’t be separated from their parents.

Meanwhile how can the United States think of itself as a civilized country when it seems to be operating without honour?

What is the result? A bloody mess.

 

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly

2024 Trip to South West United States, 2024 Trip to Southwest USA

One things travellers learn quickly on a road trip is that life is hard when you’re stupid.  We actually learned that lesson a couple of years ago on our way down south. No adventures this year.  That earlier year was different.

Our final destination for the day this year was Watertown, South Dakota. It was the same a few years ago. This is where I once did one of the stupider things I have ever done, a few years ago. We had been travelling south on I-29 when it started to get icy. Because we were “smart” we stopped early and hunkered down in a hotel. We were so pleased with our decision we immediately enjoyed a cocktail in the hotel room so we could toast our brilliance. We were relaxed in our hotel room when things really started to get ugly. Visibility was low and the road became treacherously icy. When we went out to eat dinner, I turned right from the Main Street when I ought not to have done that. Chris tried her best to tell me I was going back on I-29 but I didn’t listen. Hubris and ignorance led to my sad downfall. This brought me right back onto I-29 as she said when conditions were much worse than before. And we had to travel 12 miles down I-29 to the next exit to turnaround and then drove 12 miles back again on the iciest road I have ever driven on. Cars and trucks were in the ditch everywhere. I drove very slowly riding on nothing but white knuckles and guts while cursing my stupidity all the way. Fortunately, we did make it back without incident.

 

That year, I compounded my mistake the next day. Blizzard conditions continued and we spent the entire day in Watertown.  Early in the afternoon I decided to see if I could open the car doors.  It turned out I could not. The locks were completely locked with ice. So I trudged half a mile in bitterly cold and windy conditions to Wal-Mart to buy some lock de-icer and then walked all the way back to the hotel. I quickly proceeded to see if the de-icer would do the trick. It did quite nicely. So far so good. Then I noticed Chris waving at me from the doorway of the hotel as I was working on the lock. She had thought I might be doing something stupid outside. What made her think that?  I was annoyed because she was slowing me down and I wanted to get out of the cold as quickly as possible. I waved her off, but she persisted bugging me until I stopped to talk to her. Then she pointed out I was de-icing the wrong car!  The vehicles on the parking lot were covered with snow so all looked similar.  Well, I had done my good deed for the day. I de-iced the wrong car!

 

Someone must have been very pleased to find their car doors working perfectly. Meanwhile I had to de-ice my own car too. Why don’t I listen better to my lovely wife? Don’t answer that question on the grounds that it might incriminate me. No. It will incriminate me. As I keep saying, life is very hard when you are stupid.

Well this year, I at least, I did not do anything that stupid. Driving conditions were perfect. After we arrived in Watertown, Chris and I went to eat at Appleby’s, restaurant which was the least obnoxious of the chain restaurants in town. The food was quite tasty and the bartender fixed me a grand Old Fashioned with bourbon. The meals were satisfactory.

Today I proved the Bible wrong. The Bible says, “As a dog returneth to his vomit so a fool returneth to his folly. I say, not always,

It was a great first day on the trip. Life was good when we were not stupid.

 

Christian Radio Blues

2024 Trip to South West United States, religion

 

Traveling through the USA by car is an amazing experience. This is a country that is full of surprises. And they never end. On the second day of our trip,  I marvelled at the radio stations in South Dakota. Mainly Christian stations. Preachers preaching. Choirs singing. Holiness on the march.  Dull, dull, dull in other words. To me the stations seem sad. Boringly sad. Selling fantasies for cheap. To me these Christian radio stations are about as interesting as muzak in elevators.  I know others will disagree with me on this so I hope we can just agree  to disagree, From my perspective I was thankful there were a few National Public Radio stations to break up the monotony with some genuine conversation.

Things no longer work

2024 Trip to South West United States, 2024 Trip to Southwest USA, Decline of the west

 

Once again we have headed to the southern part of the USA to escape the harshness of Canada’s winter. Our first stop in the U.S. was Fargo where we purchased gasoline. This was a surreal experience. The gas station was large and highly visible from I-29 to which it was adjacent.  As Julie Gold said in her famous song, “From a distance there is harmony, and it echoes thru the land.”

 

This day it was a serious illusion. When we got closer we noticed that most of the gasoline nozzles were covered with a paper sign that said, “Not working.” The diesel pumps were working but not most of the ones for ordinary gas. Almost all the regular pumps were not working, so I lined up behind a row of cars going toward one of the pumps without a sign. When I got there, after a considerable delay, the pump would not deliver gas after I signed in with my credit card. I went inside to explain my problem to the clerk. When he came out the same thing happened. Gas was not pumping and a grade of gas could not be selected. It did not work for him either. At least until it miraculously worked. Then, of course, when the job was completed the machine refused to disgorge a receipt. Since Christiane insists on receipts, I had to go back inside a second time to beg for a receipt.

 

As the clerk was making the receipt for me, I asked him what was the problem with this service station. Why did so many pumps not work? He merely shrugged his shoulders and grinned sheepishly, as if to say, ‘what do you expect in the USA?’

 

This is how many things operate here in the richest country in the world and the leader of the free west. The Americans claim the US is the best country in the world. Many Americans worship the country. They consider it “exceptional.” Sadly, evidence of exceptionalism is lacking.  It is exceptional in its polarized and dysfunctional politics. In fact, I believe that the profound dysfunction in their political system is a mirror of a much deeper dysfunction in society.  America is in serious decline. Things are falling apart,. The center cannot hold. But baubles hide that. And what do the people do about it?  They shrug their shoulder and grin. Sheepishly.

 

Nobody cares that things don’t work. The expect that. They are resigned to that. Just like no one expects politicians to tell the truth. Again, they expect that, and are resigned to it. That is nation in decline. And since the US is the leader of the west, this demonstrates that the west is declining. That is a problem.