It is International Migrants Day. A surprisingly non-verbose UN holiday.
On 18 December 1990, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. ~Wikipedia
Migant workers, especially in agribusiness have a long history, both internal migrants who follow the ag cycles around the country, and thosw who travel between countries, such as those who made annual trips to the US from Mexico under the Bracero Program of yore.
-Korematsu v USwas decided on this day in 1944. It was neither the first nor the last Supreme Court decision to flagrantly ignore the US Constitution. Like some others, as well as a lot of terrible legislation, it was based on concern for "National Security" a phrase which, when invoked, usually means that we citizens just have stepped or are about to step in something really foul. In this case it meant that US citizens could be rounded up and sent to concentration camps for no reason other than their race. That is the lowest standard I know of, usually at least the claim that there is sekret "information" from a paid stoolie known for lying or the "assessment" of some spook known for incessant "errors" is trucked out before we lock folks up without evidence of wrongdoing, but, in this case, not even that.
The governmet did, in the fullness of time, apologize, but Korematsu is still on the books; it is still, technically, the law. Thay can do it again, all they have to do is say that they are afraid. It doesn't even have to be a rational fear, it can be as harebrained as claiming that you are a threat to national security because you post anonymously on facebook. Anything goes. Now they can even drone you for sitting somewhere without extradition and simply loudly and continually criticizing the US' behavior. I know of no solution that doesn't start with us ceasing to be afraid of our shadows and of everybody who looks or talks different or who doesn't buy the "we are indispensible and uniquely wonderful" line which, in turn starts with ignoring the talking heads who advocate constant and continual fear of this, that or some other "other"-**********On this day in history:-1271 – Kublai Khan renamed his empire "Yuan" starting the Yuan dynasty 1777 – The first national Thanksgiving in the US. 1865 – US Secretary of State Seward proclaimed the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment 1892 – The First performance of The Nutcracker 1916 – The end of the Battle of Verdun 1917 – Congress passed the resolution that would become the 18th Amendment (prohibition) 1944 - Korematsu v US decision 1958 – The world's first communications satellite was launched. Communication didn't improve. 1972 – Nixon announced that the US would start bombing North Vietnam over Christmas. 1981 - First flight of TU 160, 2019 - First impeachment of Donald Trump-**********Some people who were born on this day:The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.~~ Steve Biko
1800 – James Watney, brewer, patron saint of pub darts players 1847 – Augusta Holmes, pianist and composer 1849 – Henrietta Edwards, women's rights activist and author, one of "Famous 5" 1856 – J. J. Thomson, electrifying physicist 1860 – Edward MacDowell, pianist and composer 1870 – Saki, short story writer 1879 – Paul Klee, painter 1890 – Edwin Howard Armstrong, invented FM radio 1897 – Fletcher Henderson, pianist and composer 1907 – Lawrence Lucie, jazz guitarist 1917 – Ossie Davis, actor and activist 1927 – Ramsey Clark, lawyer and politician 1928 – Harold Land, tenor saxophonist 1938 – Chas Chandler, bass player 1938 – Joel Hirschhorn, songwriter and composer 1939 – Michael Moorcock, author and songwriter 1941 – Sam Andrew, singer, songwriter and guitarist 1941 – Wadada Leo Smith, trumpet player and composer 1943 – Bobby Keys, saxophonist 1943 – Keith Richards, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and role model 1944 – Crispian Steele-Perkins, trumpet player 1946 – Steve Biko, activist, murdered by South African security officers 1948 – Bill Nelson, singer, songwriter and guitarist 1948 – Laurent Voulzy, ditto 1950 – Randy Castillo, drummer 1952 – John Leventhal, songwriter and producer 1953 – Elliot Easton, guitarist and singer 1963 – Norman Brown, singer and guitarist 1968 -- Alejandro Sanz, singer, songwriter, and guitarist 1975 -- Randy Houser, singer,songwriter, and guitarist wrote honky-tonk badonkadonk 1980 -- Christina Aguilera, singer and songwriter--**********Some people who died on this day:Life, alas, is very drear. Up with the glass! Down with the beer!~~ Louis Untermeyer
1737 -- Antonio Stradivari, instrument maker 1829 -- Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, biologist 1848 -- Bernard Bolzano, priest, logician, mathematician and philosopher 1869 -- Louis Moreau Gottschalk, pianist and composer 1961 -- Leo Reisman, violinist and bandleader 1977 -- Louis Untermeyer, poet, anthologist and critic 1987 -- Conny Plank, keyboards 1990 -- Paul Tortelier, cellist and composer 2016 -- Zsa Zsa, one of the Gabor sisters-**********Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such: International Migrants Day Arabic Language Day Bake Cookies Day--**********-Today's Tunes-Kublai Khan---Tchaikovsky 's Nutcracker Suite-18th Amendment-1st communications satellite-Nixon's Christmas Bombing Campaign-Augusta Holmes-Edward MacDowell-Fletcher Henderson-Lawrence Lucie-Harold Land-Chas Chandler-Joel Hirschhorn-Michael Moorcock - really-Sam Andrew-Wadada Leo Smith-Bobby Keys-Keith Richards-Crispian Steele-Perkins-Steve Biko-Bill Nelson-Laurent Voulzy-John Leventhal-Elliot Easton-Norman Brown-Alejandro Sanz-Leo Reisman-Bonus: Sam Andrew et. al.-Keith Richards et. al.<-**********-**********Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. So what's on your mind?-Cross posted from http://caucus99percent.com Photo: Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California; 1936, Dorothea Lange, Public Domain
Open Thread, International Migrants Day, Kublai Khan, Steve Biko, Augusta Holmes, Peter Gabriel, Sam Andrew, Keith Richards