Victor Davis Hanson: A Quick Fix — Do Your Own Dishes

Jewish World Review ^ | May 16, 2005 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Tolik]

Open borders are a disaster. They undermine respect for the law, imperil homeland security, allow Mexico to export its apparently unwanted people rather than embrace much-needed economic reform, and preclude unionization by poorer, entry-level American workers.

One proposed solution, a new guest-worker program, ignores why the old bracero program was scraped decades ago, when laborers resented the idea that they were good enough to work for, but not to live among, Americans. The proposed program also lacks enforcement provisions to deal with the millions of aliens who will not participate in the program but still try to cross the border.

There is a reasonable approach to the United States' immigration problem, but it would require concessions all around....

[DumpsterDiver]

Mexico has also no meaningful private property rights.

Syntax? Sentence structure?

Mexico has also no meaningful private property rights.

[DumpsterDiver]

I'm not talking about McDonalds. Those jobs have always been low paying jobs perfect for teenagers the same as farm work.

Unskilled jobs like that also provided part-time second jobs for people going through rough times, people working their way through college, etc.

[cripplecreek]

I would add retirees to that list. My dad retired a couple of years ago and recently took a part time job at Wal Mart. It only pays a little over minimum wage but he isn't doing it for the money.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

"The proposed program also lacks enforcement provisions to deal with the millions of aliens who will not participate in the program but still try to cross the border."

------

"They'd also need to accept a legitimate, foolproof national identity card, and grant a one-time amnesty..."

This contradiction lies at the heart of the matter of why this issue still exists.

I agree that we need to work together on this issue and all sides need to make some concessions.

But there are some bottom-line rules we must address that this article glosses over. We must stop the flow of illegals over the border. We must do something with those that are already here (another amnesty will only serve as another light at the end of the illegal tunnel and encourage another wave of illegals seeking that same light). We must control the flow of legal immigrants to ensure that they assimilate.

[johnb838]

I look at my apartment and it's a frickin nightmare and I'm so tempted to go to the office and get a reference and hire a muchachita (made-up word) to come in and clean for me so I can get out from under the mess and get the rest of the apartment unpacked. But so far I've resisted because I know it's wrong. But I may give in because if I go through an agency I'll pay twice as much for some gum-crackin, chain-smokin, long fingernailed, bee-hive wearin', jive-talkin person who ain't gonn do one more thing than absolutely necessary, and a half-assed job at that.

Or maybe I'll just go on trying to get ahead of the mess. And failing.

[johnb838]

I look at my apartment and it's a frickin nightmare and I'm so tempted to go to the office and get a reference and hire a muchachita (made-up word) to come in and clean for me so I can get out from under the mess and get the rest of the apartment unpacked. But so far I've resisted because I know it's wrong. But I may give in because if I go through an agency I'll pay twice as much for some gum-crackin, chain-smokin, long fingernailed, bee-hive wearin', jive-talkin person who ain't gonn do one more thing than absolutely necessary, and a half-assed job at that.

Or maybe I'll just go on trying to get ahead of the mess. And failing.

[JasonC]

Yes to all but the "one time amnesty". There have been too many times already for it to be "one". There have been too many openly flouting the law without graditude or respect to consider an amnesty. Enforce the damn law.

[johnb838]

Or maybe people are just working too many hours and don't want to spend the rest of the time scrubbing the toilet. Maybe they instinctively understand that by the concept of comparative advantage they are better off working an extra hour and then hiring somebody to work two or three hours to clean the house.

[DumpsterDiver]

The proposed program also lacks enforcement provisions to deal with the millions of aliens who will not participate in the program but still try to cross the border.

I'd like to know what, if anything, will happen with the millions of aliens who will not participate in the program and are already on this side of the border. I have yet to see a politician address that one.

We must stop the flow of illegals over the border. We must do something with those that are already here (another amnesty will only serve as another light at the end of the illegal tunnel and encourage another wave of illegals seeking that same light).

Agreed.

And I'd love to hear more people addressing what Hanson said in this paragraph of the article:

Let us also accept that there is something morally wrong in inviting thousands of youths from central Mexico — without legality, English or education — to work cheaply in permanently unskilled jobs until they age and tire, only to be cast by employers onto the near bankrupt entitlement industry, while we invite a new cohort of healthier and younger workers in to replace them.

[johnb838]

We DO have a problem on our northern border itjust gets no play. Mexico doesn't want those angry young men because if it had them it could very well have a revolt on its hands. Better for them by far if WE SHOULD HAVE A REVOLT ON OUR HANDS INSTEAD!

[johnb838]

Unless that damn border is shut, none of the above is going to do any good. Shut the border, round these people up and brand them (figuratively), send back the ones we can't handle, and then MAYBE we can let some of them stat IF we have good solid control of that DAMN BORDER.

How much does bob wire cost anyway?

[gubamyster]

ping

[JasonC]

There is no practical problem. It is purely a political and moral problem. Our leaders lack the courage to enforce existing law, because they think it harsh. Others don't want it enforced, because they benefit from its violation. If we decide to actually enforce the law, there is no difficulty, though there is certainly expense and hardship involved. We haven't decided to actually enforce the law.

[Toddsterpatriot]

If the GOP will not enforce the laws throw them out of office.

Yeah, because the Dems will enforce the law? You're still a funny guy.

[Toddsterpatriot]

These conservatives should then expect to pay more for unskilled labor

Yes.

and see it organized and unionized.

NO!!!

[AZ_Cowboy]

As usual, VDH nails it. I don't think I have anything to add.

[DumpsterDiver]

Doesn't sound like compassionate conservatism to me.

I'd say it defines it quite nicely. :)

[mainepatsfan]

Brilliant as usual.