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"We cannot indefinitely keep Mexico propped up because it doesn't choose to change."
But we don't want a guest worker program for the purpose of propping up Mexico; we want one to address our own needs and problems. At least that's what I perceive everyone's agenda to be.
We can disagree over the extent of the problem and the correct solution, but it won't accomplish anything as long as your interest is in reforming Mexico and ours is solving Americas' problems.
Vicente Fox's guest worker program doesn't solve America's problems, it's not meant to do that at all. Notice he has never offered any compensation of any kind for the free health care and education we'd have to be providing the "guests" he wants to send us.
Reforming Mexico and solving our problems are one and the same. Mexico has been a segregated society for 500 years - it was the crown of the entire Spanish New World empire 100 years before the first settlers hit the shores of the future US.
It's foolish to think that this will ever change without outside influence. Protecting our borders and stopping the inflow of illegal immigration will have an immediate and conclusive result in Mexico: revolution.
I'm sure one of the internal issues considered in the Bush cabinet is "can the US handle a war in a southern neighbor" during the WOT? We know the (virtual) open borders policy is propping them up.
So it's a fine balance between our long-term security vis-a-vis illegal immigration vs our long-term security in finishing off the WOT without any distractions in Mexico.