[Ben Ficklin]

If, as the author suggests, the US were to create a liberal guest worker program, there would be no demand for illegals. If there were no demand for illegals, illegals would not be entering the US. If illegals are not entering the US, there is no need for a fence.

[Reagan 76]

A liberal guest worker program? You mean like the French and Germans once had? I've been there, I've seen the results, no thanks.

[inquest]

If, as the author suggests, the US were to create a liberal guest worker program, there would be no demand for illegals. If there were no demand for illegals, illegals would not be entering the US. If illegals are not entering the US, there is no need for a fence.

There would still be people that we'd need to keep out, even under the most liberal of programs.

[FastCoyote]

"if the US were to create a liberal guest worker program, there would be no demand for illegals."

But a liberal guest worker program is nothing but a full amnesty. And since no illegal in their right mind would enter a strict guest worker program (to be taxed, identified, located, minimum waged, ohsha's, etc), what you get is any guest worker program will in the end be equivalent to amnesty.

[CowboyJay]

"If, as the author suggests, the US were to create a liberal guest worker program, there would be no demand for illegals."

In the majority of places where they are employed, they are not hired for a lack of able bodies. The guest worker program is no more enforceable than the current laws. It will not only be flouted, but encourage a further deluge of law-breakers from abroad. It also furthers the precedent of not enforcing employment or tax laws.

[mthom]

Unless the program is so large that any mexican that wanted to come could come easily with a very short wait then there would still be many trying to jump the border. How many mexicans would be satisfied with 3-6 years of high pay work? It seems to me that a fence is the only thing that could make anything short of a totally unlimited (number and time limit) guest worker program possible. Then again I think we're being led towards integration and in that context I can see why a fence would be counterproductive.

[goldstategop]

Let's drop the euphemism and grant those 25 million and any one who arrives here automatic U.S citizenship. The last we need are are a group of unassimilated second class wage slaves without the rights and duties of Americans. Either we make all those people equal to Americans or we deport them. Talk of a third way is both immoral and dishonest.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")