Let’s keep it real—there’s a lot going on in the world, and sometimes it feels like the powers-that-be want us to get lost in the chaos.
Enter: “Explain Like I’m 5” (ELI5), Border & Surveillance edition.
It’s not about dumbing things down; it’s about breaking the messy, complicated stuff into no-nonsense, straight-up answers that make sense. Here, we’re diving into the border surveillance industry—the tech, the stakes, and the impact—because, spoiler alert: it’s all tied to the fights for climate justice, immigrant rights, and tearing down systems of oppression.
Know better, organize better, collaborate better. Let’s get into it.
The Polis Project Collab
For the first videos of the ELI5 BSI series, we teamed up with The Polis Project—founded by the incredible Suchitra Vijayan.
The folks at The Polis Project are all about spotlighting resistance at the crossroads of politics, art, and culture.
From calling out authoritarianism creeping into democracies to exposing racial, class, and caste injustices- they’re not here to play nice with oppressive systems.
Together, we broke down the border surveillance industry’s mess, connecting the dots between state power, tech, and how it all hits marginalized communities hardest.
TL;DR: Resistance meets receipts. And it’s just the beginning.
EP01: What is the Border and Surveillance Industry?
“Borders aren’t just lines—they’re battlegrounds for surveillance and control.”
In Episode 01 “What is the Border and Surveillance Industry?”, The Polis Project’s founder, Suchitra Vijayan, delves into the booming industry that’s turning people into data points and borders into war zones.
From 6 to 63 border walls, armed with surveillance tech, all in the name of “security.” But who’s really profiting? The industry is set to grow from $51.25 billion to $73.51 billion by 2032—and it’s built on a foundation of racism, Islamophobia, and corporate greed.
Israeli companies, using tech tested on Palestinian bodies, are a key part of this global apartheid. The question is: Who benefits from these walls? And at what cost?
EP02: Profiting from Crisis- Corporations and Climate
Climate change is forcing entire communities to flee—yet instead of compassion, they’re met with surveillance and violence. In Ep 02 of ELI5 BSI, “Profiting from Crisis: Corporations and Climate,” The Polis Project’s founder, Suchitra Vijayan, reveals how corporations are turning climate chaos into a cash cow.
The border & surveillance industry isn’t just about stopping migrants—it’s about controlling populations fleeing environmental disasters, especially from the Global South. As sea levels rise, so do corporate profits.
Drones, biometric tracking, and militarized borders—all for “national security,” but who really benefits?
EP03: Tools of the Trade
Did you know that modern surveillance started as a tool of colonial control?
In ELI5 BSI: Episode 03, Suchitra Vijayan uncovers how surveillance is now embedded in our daily lives—tracking, recording, and selling our data without our knowledge. From your phone to your car, companies, police, and even weapons manufacturers are profiting from your every move.
Are these systems really making us safer? Or are they fueling new forms of violence? Communities are resisting this growing surveillance state—and we’ll explore that resistance in future episodes.
EP04: Treated As Terrorists
Why are climate activists being treated as terrorists?
In ELI5 BSI: Treated As Terrorists, Suchitra Vijayan breaks down how peaceful climate protests are being criminalized—pushed by major oil and gas companies using anti-protest laws to silence dissent.
Governments are cracking down on non-violent activists with counterterrorism laws, excessive force, and blanket bans. Behind the scenes, the border and surveillance industry profits, selling tools to crush dissent and protect corporate interests.
We need to ask—who benefits from silencing those fighting for a livable planet?
EP05: Reproductive Injustice
Reproductive justice goes beyond access to healthcare—it’s about power, control, and surveillance.
In Episode 05 of the #ELI5BSI series, Suchitra Vijayan delves into how state surveillance is used to enforce abortion bans, target vulnerable communities, and control bodies, especially at the Southern Border.
In places like Texas, private citizens are now empowered to enforce abortion bans, drawing a haunting parallel to the Fugitive Slave Act. The tools of surveillance aren’t just watching—they’re controlling.
How does surveillance impact our reproductive rights, and who truly has power over our bodies?
EP06: Art Should Protect & Connect
“Art should protect and connect, not control and surveil.” In Episode 06, we explore the complex relationship between art, resistance, and surveillance.
Throughout history, artists have been targeted by the state for daring to reimagine society and ignite hope. But today, we’re also seeing art co-opted by the systems of control it once resisted.
Take “robot dogs,” for example—originally developed for border patrol and police use, they’re now finding their way into art spaces. But what happens when art begins to normalize the very tools of oppression?
Art must subvert and challenge—not reinforce—the systems of power. Let’s create a world where art fuels liberation, not surveillance. Watch now to learn how we can resist together.
Professor Robot
What do you get when creatives in the resistance team up to roast the border and surveillance industry? A machine with actual critical thinking: Professor Robot.
Unlike the billion-dollar AI hype machines built to spy on you, scrape your data, and waste obscene amounts of resources, Professor Robot is here to break it all down—snark included.
Think of them as your reluctant AI whistleblower, spilling the messy secrets of Big Tech, mass surveillance, and the climate-wrecking nonsense behind it all. Because let’s be real: if AI is supposed to be “smart,” why does it keep working for the worst people?
With Professor Robot, we’re hacking the narrative. And we want you in on it.
👇 Wanna collab on an ELI5 BSI video? Click the button below. Let’s expose the nonsense together.
Innovation or Incineration? The True Cost of AI
🚨 AI isn’t magic—it’s a resource-guzzling, climate-wrecking beast dressed up as “innovation.” 🚨
Training AI models burns through electricity, water, and data like there’s no tomorrow (literally). Some server farms are bigger than 12 Walmarts combined, sucking up more power than a small town just so AI can remix existing info and call it “intelligent.”
A single 100-word email from ChatGPT? 17.5oz of water, 0.14 kWh of electricity. That’s 14 LED bulbs running for an hour—just to spit out another AI-generated email no one asked for.
In a world on fire, wasting resources like this isn’t just reckless—it’s climate sabotage. 🔥
ELI5 is run by an international coalition of climate justice and human rights campaigners who believe all human beings deserve safety, protection, and dignity. To contact us please email eyesonbsi@gmail.com.