"The GOP is split between free market and religious Republicans and its protectionist wing. The rats do not want to see any solution that might improve America and by proxy the Republican party. There are business interests and money to be made by the border protection lobby. There is a lot of interest in keeping the status quo."
It seems so yes. I ran into an interesting article recently. First I thought, because of the name, that The New Republic, in wich it was featured, was a republican leaning paper, but after reading a little about it in Wikipedia I learned the truth.
Here is the article, That's Hospitality:
http://www.tnr.com/user/nregi.mhtml?i=20060417&s=editorial041706
What they are saying is that a Guest workers program would be Un-American, but they seem in my opinion to turn the argument for it completely on its head.
They use the dreadful situation in Europe of immigrants, many of wich do not have citizenship (that is I beliewe only the case in Germany), and their descendants that came during the 70´s as cheap labor and vere thought of as temporary workers, and live still in gettoes outside of the national community of each country.
And their argument is that it is Un-American to create such an underclass in the US with a guest workers program that will never be able to become part of the society and become Americans. I think they are correct in that, as the US is based upon the principle of inclusiveness, people coming there and becoming Americans, and becoming proud of their new identity.
This is exactly what we in Europe lack, a system and tradition of inclusiveness, where foreigners can become part of the existing nation. Our answer has been the idea of multiculturalism, wich has been nothing short of disastrous, resulting in balcanisation of our nations.
But the article turns the argument on its head. These people were intended as temporal guest workers, but they stayed on, wich europeans just did not imagine they would initially. A guest workers program would clearly define between those that come to be temporarely and return back home, and those that vere allowed to stay and become Citizens and thus part of the Nation.
But most importantly, the situation in Europe is replicating itself in the US, with the latinos coming into the country and staying indefinetaly, and never become part of the sociaty, never part of the Nation. They live in a strange limbo of not being legally in the country, but not being illegally either. A limbo similar to those living in the European (at least German) gettos and having extended right to stay, but can never become part of the existing sociaty and Nation.
It is the current system (of accepted illegality) in the US that is replicating the problem we are facing in Europe, not a guest workers program. With enforced border control and somekind of enforcement with a way out for those already in the country that is most likely the solution.
Best wishes,
Leifur
Ps. It is strange, when comparing the situation in Europe and the US that european nations decided to import muslims en masse to our nations when in nead of a work force, instead of the latinos, wich are much closer to us culturally, having a culture largely originated in Europe. It is I beliewe one of a long line of European mistakes.
That is an excellent observation. The Catholic Latino immigration is much closer to American culture than the Muslim immigration endured by Europe. Another factor in this complex equation is the tensions that would be created by deporting illegals back to Mexico. It was not that long ago that America and Mexico were at war. I don't doubt we could win another war, but it would not be an ideal result. Building a American "Berlin-Wall," tearing families apart, and injecting millions of able bodied jobless men in to a deplorable economy probably would make that war more likely.
Thanks again for a thoughtful reply. Often when one is close to a situation, it is difficult to view it objectively. I enjoyed your insights.