Day By Day© by Chris Muir.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Shouldn't someone be reporting this lady to the INS?

Regarding the BBC's hostility to American values and norms (which is, I think, another little piece in the BBC's support of those whom America challenges, such as terrorists), I was rather stunned by this laudatory "The World" radio story about an Argentinian immigrant to America who blatantly violates America's immigration laws. The lady provides immigrants with special shoes she manufactured that contain maps of the best routes to cross into the U.S., flashlights, and other gadgets and doo-hickies, all with the express purpose of enabling illegal border crossing. Of course, this is "art" so the shoes aren't merely weapons aimed at supporting illegal activity, they're also an incoherent political statement:

With Brinco , Judi Werthein has created a project that links migrants’ efforts to cross the border illegally with the increasing global corporatization of goods and labor. The project is a uniquely designed sneaker, trademarked Brinco . The design of the shoe is inspired by information and materials that are relevant to, and could provide assistance to, those illegally crossing the border. Underscoring the tensions sparked by the global spread and mobility of the maquiladora, the sneaker will be manufactured in China. In counterpoint to its potential for utilitarian use by Mexican migrants, the sneaker will be sold as a one-of-a-kind art object and will be available in the United States during inSite_05 in Blends, a high end sneaker store located in Down Town San Diego. In a single object Judi reveals the contradictions between fashion, competition in the manufacturing industry, and migratory flows, themes that lie and the heart of the dynamics of labor geography in today’s world.
Did I mention that "The World" is a co-production of the BBC, PRI and WGBH Boston? Did I mention that the BBC seems to have an agenda here?