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'Vigilantes' on the border?
Townhall.com ^ | May 3, 2005 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 05/03/2005 4:48:53 AM PDT by The Great Yazoo

Social Security used to be called the third rail of politics but illegal immigration is the real third rail that both political parties are afraid to touch.

Cops who find illegal aliens are under orders not to turn them in to the feds. And the federal government's own border guards have their hands tied by the higher-ups as well.

Now that Hispanics are the largest minority in the country, and with the country closely divided politically, neither party wants to risk alienating the Hispanic vote by enforcing immigration laws.

Many other Americans may be outraged at the way illegal aliens are handled with kid gloves -- and, in some places, even given rights normally reserved for citizens -- but so long as this outrage is directed at both parties, neither party wants to be the one to risk losing the Hispanic vote.

America's weakness in controlling its borders has only promoted contempt for the United States on the part of the Mexican government, which publishes instructions to help people illegally get into this country and offers helpful hints on how to take advantage of American welfare state benefits.

When some Americans living near the border in Arizona organized themselves to watch that border and report on people crossing it illegally, the media immediately demonized them as "vigilantes," even though these observers used no violence and inflicted no punishment.

When California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that he would welcome such observers on California's borders, there was another media outcry against him.

There is a reason why illegal immigration is the third rail of politics. Not only is there a fear of losing the Hispanic vote, there is a fear of being demonized in the media and therefore losing other votes as well.

Among the intelligentsia, there have long been those who think of themselves as citizens of the world, and who think of national borders as just arbitrary lines drawn on a map. In addition to those with these liberal attitudes, there are some conservatives who think that we need workers from Mexico to do work that Americans will not do.

Virtually every job in the country is work that Americans will not do, if the pay is below a certain level. And the pay will not rise to that level so long as illegal immigrants -- "undocumented workers" -- are available to work for less.

Even those who write editorials about how we need Mexicans to do work that Americans will not do would not be willing to write editorials for a fraction of what they are being paid. If Mexican editorial writers were coming across the border illegally and taking their jobs, maybe the issue would become clearer.

You cannot discuss jobs without discussing pay, if you are serious. And, if you are really serious, you need to discuss all the welfare state benefits available to Americans who won't work.

You might also want to consider the attitudes being promoted by the intelligentsia and the activists that people should do only "meaningful work" and not accept "chump change" but should insist on some arbitrarily defined "living wage," even if that is more than their labor is worth.

When you say that Americans have a "right" to have their "basic needs" met, you are saying that when some people refuse to supply themselves with food and shelter, other Americans should be forced to supply it for them.

If you subsidize workers when they won't work and subsidize employers by making illegal aliens available to them, then under those particular conditions it may well be true that illegal immigrants are taking jobs that Americans won't do. But such statements conceal more than they reveal.

Hard-working immigrants may indeed be a godsend, not only to farmers and other employers, but also to families looking for someone to take care of children or an aged or ill member of the family. But Americans worked as farm laborers and as maids before there were "undocumented workers" to turn these chores over to.

If it has been done before, it can be done again. All that prevents it is the welfare state and the attitudes it spawns.

©2005 Creators Syndicate, Inc.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: California
KEYWORDS: aliens; thomassowell

1 posted on 05/03/2005 4:48:53 AM PDT by The Great Yazoo
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To: The Great Yazoo

I'd like to highlight just one paragraph, but Mr. Sowell makes an excellent point in each one!


2 posted on 05/03/2005 5:48:10 AM PDT by Zero Sum
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To: The Great Yazoo

duplicate to:


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1395730/posts


3 posted on 05/03/2005 5:55:05 AM PDT by harrowup (Just naturally perfect, humble of course and obviously incapable of discrimination.)
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To: Zero Sum
I'd like to highlight just one paragraph, but Mr. Sowell makes an excellent point in each one!

One sentence stands out to me: "Americans worked as farm laborers and as maids before there were "undocumented workers" to turn these chores over to."
4 posted on 05/03/2005 6:27:56 AM PDT by The Great Yazoo ("Happy is the boy who discovers the bent of his life-work during childhood." Sven Hedin)
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To: The Great Yazoo

Why these political parties are dumb enough to risk alienating tens of millions of Americans in order to pander to a much smaller segment of the society is just sheer stupidity beyond belief and speaks volumes as to who is really in control of our economy and gov't. As we see the FTAA come into view and it's conditioning process known as illegal immigration the signal should be clear to all who are paying attention, these multi-national corps. are going to stick this plan for a new hemispheric governance ala the EU right to us no matter the protestations to the contrary. Say goodbye to the Constitution and your BOR.


5 posted on 05/03/2005 6:44:01 AM PDT by american spirit
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To: The Great Yazoo

I'm telling you man, Sowell in '08!! ;)


6 posted on 05/04/2005 11:44:33 AM PDT by JZelle
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To: JZelle
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/ts20040330.shtml
7 posted on 05/04/2005 5:10:07 PM PDT by Zero Sum
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To: Zero Sum

Wow! Thanks for the article. Reading that makes me wish he would run even more!


8 posted on 05/05/2005 9:34:48 AM PDT by JZelle
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To: The Great Yazoo

'vigilantes' just doing the jobs president Bush won't do


9 posted on 05/05/2005 9:36:44 AM PDT by piceapungens
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