My posts have obviously been a tad unbalanced along the political spectrum the last couple weeks (but not because Democrats don't do dumb things; the real explanatory variable is not party affiliation but that I mainly make fun of people in power, and well, the Repubs control everything from the Federal Appellate Courts to the Ways and Means Committee to the ONDCP to Centcom.) So, I thought I would pass on a link I got from a friend about somebody on the right who I actually like a fair amount because he talks about important issues and frequently sticks up for principles. For example, this gentleman seemed to be the only one concerned in 2000 about this picture and this picture of vote spreads in Palm Beach County.
Now I may disagree with a position or two, but check it out, an article on the right that tries to put things in perspective.
4 comments:
Nate--Deport them, assimilate them, or separate them?
Charles
Personally, I'm an assimilation fan. But I also think that immigration is a larger issue than just what we do with people who physically come here.
In my estimation, promoting policies that encourage increasing standards of living throughout Central and South America would do a great deal in regulating the flow of people to the US (not to mention checking the anti-Americansim in our own backyard and developing important trading partners). Immigration is good, but you can have too much of a good thing. Government and other institutions can simply be overrun if there is too much in a short time span, which I think has been the catalyst for a wide variety of anti-immigration feelings in the Southwest over the last few years.
I think the reason you see less anti-immigration feelings in Miami or New York or Chicago is that recent immigration has been more managable and there is more a sense of belonging to and in America. In the Southwest (and in fact, all over the country), there is still a pretty strong sentiment that Mexicans in particular are other people who, even if they gain citizenship, somehow aren't quite 'Americans'.
I think immigration is an interesting issue (among other reasons) because it is one of the few major issues that really cut across the party lines that have been crafted over the last generation. There are all sorts of interesting economic and national security and federalism and Big Government and human rights and workers' rights and civil rights and other issues involved that aren't easily classified on the much-loved liberal/conservative continuum. Do I get your take?
Nate-I think if we don't control the influx, since less and less of the illegal immigrants are assimilating, we will be creating a balkanized landscape.
Already, we are feeling it here, as our Hispanic population rises.
I think our economy absolutely controls this. They don't come if they don't have a place to work and live.
I'm not against absolutely closing the border either. Building a wall. We could do it in 6 weeks. With the money that is being appropriated for Katrina, we could have a wall up. Right now, that's political suicide for either party but I see that day when someone crosses the Rio Grande and lays something evil on Phoenix in the name of Allah--then we get the wall.
There is ZERO incentive for any illegal alien to assimilate. Why bother? Nothing, not even government handouts are closed off to them.
To be honest, in my opinion, this is GWB's biggest blind spot. The Republicans could lose the White House if this isn't addressed soon.
Charles
Nate--Right now, as I watch the aftermath of Katrina, GWB's response to this disaster is even a bigger blind spot to me.
My shotgun is on top of the fridge. My family knows how to use it. I'm thinking of buying one for each of us.
Just some more of that barrier island thinking.
And you?
Charles
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