Immigration reform: It didn't work in Europe, and it won't in the U.S.

International Herald Tribune ^ | January 10, 2004 | David Abraham

[sarcasm]

ping

[Mr. Mojo]

a classic guest worker program on the European model.

Doomed from the start.

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[expatpat]

Scare article by a pro-immigration professor. At least the Germans know who they are, and can deal with them if/when they figure out what to do.

[sarcasm]

Please feel free to post a detailed critique.

[Dane]

And I see the writer offers no solutions only criticism.

[expatpat]

I'll assume that's sarcasm, sarcasm.

[sarcasm]

Actually, I was being serious.

[expatpat]

Well, life's too short for a detailed critique, but I will offer my view, FWIW.

Currently, we have a scofflaw situation which disrepects the law, but an all-out deportation of illegals is impractical at this stage. So, what to do?

The first thing is to register the illegals that we have here -- names, addresses, ID number. The Bush proposal will make a good start here. After we have that, we can start deporting the undesirable illegals (as opposed to the otherwise lawfully-behaving, working good illegals) without hurting employers, the economy, and getting the libs too excited. After that, at least you have begun to get control, and can start sending them back as they come to LE's attention.

[sarcasm]

We were sold that bill of goods in 1986 - I'm not buying.

[jetson]

Good article. And it should be pointed out that the US is becoming more high tech every day thus bumping allot of less educated people out of secure jobs. The illegals are taking important jobs that we need for our own citizens.

[Kay Soze]

"...will we now have a new caste of subordinated foreign workers?"

How will this help make my nation safer?

[expatpat]

That was an amnesty.

[st_xavier_bomber]

That guy has a point about the unions. I saw two illegal aliens applying for scab jobs at Albertsons yesterday. Why wait for a legislature you pretend doesn't exist to act?

Wait till they start voting once for President of the United States AND once for President of Mexico.

I think the solution is too easy. I see more work going into to hiding that fact than anything else. Mexico is a communist country that supports Cuba. We have all sorts of means at our disposal to pressure them to liberalize property laws.

The first thing I would do is cut natural gas exports to Mexico. They average over 1BCFD. Then the Mexican government would have no choice but to use PEMEX profits for what they should be used for instead of financing campaigns.

Look at what happened in Bolivia. We try to invest in developing their natural gas and they all line up to offer their lives to stop us. Mexico is doing the same exact thing to the US only it is never talked about.

Liberalization of Mexican property laws was always issue numero uno for 41. I think he liked to look the bull in the eye. Turning your back on this bull could be extremely dangerous.

[sarcasm]

And the Bush plan isn't?

[KantianBurke]

this article needs to be read by every freeper. if Bush's plan is analogous to Germany's program, the situation is even worse than was imagined earlier.

[st_xavier_bomber]

The whole idea of their being a benefit to the economy is such crap. Mexico doesn't give a hoot about the US economy except that they so dearly desire to vanquish it.

To claim that there is a problem with the US economy and that importing mexicans will fix it is a tremndous afront. The only party to that situation with economic problems is Mexico. Those problems did not start because we won't give them visas and they won't end if we do.

The best way to fix this problem is to fix the Mexican economy, not the US economy. The best way to grow an economy nmired in communism is to open it to private ownership. Look at Russia! Their oil and gas sector has been increasing exports at 10% or more a year for 5 years!

I'll go along with importing economic refugees on a temporary basis but Mexico must committ to liberalization on the EXACT SAME TIMESCALE!

[expatpat]

No. The immigrant has TEMPORARY legal status as an alien working in the US. They don't get citizenship or even a green card.

[sarcasm]

If Bush won't deport illegal aliens do you really believe that he will deport "guest workers" when their time is up?