Immigration "Solutions" (Thomas Sowell Slams Open Borders Lobby's Insult Of American People Alert)

Townhall.com ^ | 06/11/06 | Thomas Sowell

[goldstategop]

Activists who are organizing mass marches and demonstrations in cities across America may well be congratulating themselves on the huge numbers of people they can get to turn out to protest efforts in Congress to reduce illegal immigration.

No doubt that will impress many in the media and intimidate many politicians. But how these marches will be seen by millions of other Americans is another question entirely.

The Mexican flags and the strident assertions of a right to violate American laws are a danger signal to this society, as they would be to any society.

The releasing of children from schools to take part in these marches and the support of the marchers' goals by some religious leaders demonstrate that this contempt for the laws of the land has spread well beyond immigrant communities.

For some, this is just another extension of their general anti-establishment attitudes and activities. They are ready to protest virtually anything at any time.

At the other end of the political spectrum are staid and sober representatives of business interests who simply want a continuing supply of cheap labor. They don't march, they lobby politicians.

Both liberals and free-market libertarians often see this as an abstract issue about poor people being hindered from moving to jobs by an arbitrary border drawn across the southwest desert.

Intellectuals' ability to think of people in the abstract is a dangerous talent in a world where people differ in all the ways that make them people. The cultures and surrounding circumstances of those people are crucial for understanding what they are likely to do and what the consequences are likely to be.

Some free-market advocates argue that the same principle which justifies free international trade in commodities should justify the free movement of people as well. But this ignores the fact that people have consequences that go far beyond the consequences of commodities.

Commodities are used up and vanish. People generate more people, who become a permanent and expanding part of the country's population and electorate.

It is an irreversible process -- and a potentially dangerous process, as Europeans have discovered with their "guest worker" programs that have brought in many Muslims who are fundamentally hostile to the culture and the people that welcomed them.

Unlike commodities, people in a welfare state have legal claims on other people's tax dollars and expensive services in schools and hospitals, not to mention the high cost of imprisoning many of them who commit crimes.

Immigrants in past centuries came here to become Americans, not to remain foreigners, much less to proclaim the rights of their homelands to reclaim American soil, as some of the Mexican activist groups have done.

In the wars that this country fought, immigrant groups were among the most patriotic volunteers, earning the respect of American citizens on the battlefield with their blood and their lives.

Today, immigrant spokesmen promote grievances, not gratitude, much less patriotism. Moreover, many native-born Americans also promote a sense of separatism and grievance and, through "multi-culturalism," strive to keep immigrants foreign and disaffected.

This is not to say that all or most of the illegal immigrants themselves share this anti-establishment or anti-American bias of many of their spokesmen or supporters. Most are probably here to make a buck and have little time for ideology.

Hispanic activists themselves recognize that many of the immigrants from Mexico -- legal or illegal -- would assimilate into American society in the absence of these activists' efforts to keep them a separate constituency. But these efforts are widespread and unrelenting, a fact that cannot be ignored.

Whatever is said or done in the immigration debate, no one should insult the American people's intelligence by talking or acting as if this is a question about the movement of abstract people across an abstract line.

What is likely to be done? A pretense of reducing illegal immigration and a reality of amnesty under some other name.

[goldstategop]

The Open Borders Lobby insults the American people by behaving as though the movement of illegal aliens across borders is like the weather - a force of nature beyond anyone's control. And as Thomas Sowell is quick to warn us, the most likely answer to that problem is the elites will ratify the helplessness of the phenomena we are witnessing by giving to us the familiar so-called solution called amnesty under some other name.

(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.")

[moehoward]

" What is likely to be done? A pretense of reducing illegal immigration and a reality of amnesty under some other name."

If the Senate immigration reform debates were any indicator, this unfortunate assessment is spot on.

[teldon30]

HA!...Down with Sowell...he wants a democrat in office...ok...i didn't put much thought into that....sorry ;)

[MNJohnnie]

Ranting and venting may make the Hysterics feel better, they are not solutions. Calling everyone who doesn't want to cluster bomb the Illegals the "Open Border" lobby is a pretty good way to politically isolate yourself to the political fringes. This debate is getting so polarized by those who simply scream down anyone who does not march in lockstep with their emotional whimsy NOTHING will be done.

If that happens THEY win. And then in 5 years we will not be arguing about 11-16 million but instead about 20-30 million with millions of anchor babies approaching voting age.. Solutions, not rabid slogans is what is needed. So far we are getting a lot of name calling and no solutions here. Screaming for 100%er solutions will get you all 100% of NOTHING.

[ducks1944]

Email of Ken Mehlman:
Chairman of GOP:
Chairman@gop.com
Communications: Press, Media, TV and Radio
RNCCOMMUNICATIONS@gop.com
Give them something to talk about at next GOP meetings. Let them know how you feel.

[snarks_when_bored]

Spanish is an official (note: official) language in the following countries:

11. Argentina 12. Bolivia 13. Chile 14. Colombia 15. Costa Rica 16. Cuba 17. Dominican Republic 18. Ecuador 19. El Salvador 10. Equatorial Guinea

11. Guatemala 12. Honduras 13. Mexico 14. Nicaragua 15. Panama 16. Paraguay 17. Peru 18. Spain 19. Uruguay 20. Venezuela

(Source:  http://worldatlas.com/spanish.htm)

This list is actually quite sobering to behold when one thinks of the political and socio-economic conditions in the countries on it.

I'm sure these countries are full of very fine folks and I wish those folks only the best, but it's a fact that the United States is ill-served by anyone who would attempt to make it over in the likeness of any of these Spanish-speaking countries.

[goldstategop]

Solutions? Try withdrawing anchor baby status from illegals to keep them from getting U.S citizenship; make employers who employ illegal aliens pay for the full cost of their charges demands upon our public services. Charge illegal aliens more than American citizens for public services. Give priority in government and private sector jobs to American citizens. Ensure Americans have the first call on our country's resources. Build a wall along the border and send troops to patrol the entire length of it. Bill the illegals' home countries for the costs of arresting, detaining and deporting their citizens. Speed up removal of criminal aliens from this country. They are all solutions that will help us get our country back. Its not that we don't have the means to effect them; we just don't have the will to do so. I've listed a lot of solutions and haven't called any one names yet. But the other side does plenty of it.

(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.")

[lemura]

in 5 years we will not be arguing about 11-16 million but instead about 20-30 million

I've got news for you pal, there's gonna be 30 million regardless of what you, I or anyone else does.

It's quite clear that two principles that have defined the US for over 200 years are coming to an end: (1) a unified culture, and (2) defined, arbitrary borders.

Now, rather than get exercised about the passing of an era, we should exhibit one of the core attributes that really makes the US great: flexibility - the ability to adapt to changing conditions.

There's no reason why the number of states or the shape of the lower 48 should be carved in stone; after all, the US has fought wars and expanded continuously over it's 225+ years.

Rather than wait for other country's to set our fate, we should seize the initiative and re-define what America is going to look like through the rest of the 21st century.

In other words, we should get serious about what it's going to involve absorbing Mexico. We could let their 31 states operate under some sort of loose confederation governed out of a regional capital in Mexico City, but the end result is that we need to bring Mexico under our rule of law.

With a a little application of free-market rule of law, including, but not limited to anti-trust provisions, land reform, mortgage financing, etc. we'd have 100m US citizens headed sur.

Admittedly, it might sound a little outlandish right now, but it's much more preferable to just sitting here and taking it in the rear.

[ThirstyMan]

H-h-h-h-m-m-m-m-m....just because they want to immigrate to our Country in droves doesn't mean they want us to take over theirs.

[calex59]

We all know that you ARE one of the open border crowd. You advocate letting these ILLEGAL ALIENS have a free ride in all of your posts.

The only real solution is to enforce our existing laws. If this means spending more money so be it, in the long run we will be ahead. Send them back, control the borders, let the LEGAL immigrants in and keep the ILLEGALS out!

If you can't see the danger of this bunch of parasites then I feel sorry for you.

I believe you to be either an ILLEGAL, the relative of ILLEGALS, a business owner who hires ILLEGALS or just an idiot who doesn't know any better.

[wita]

What insane moron dreamed up anchor baby status. That person if still alive and all who supported/ voted for that bill ought to be hanged at the very least. The logic for such a program is just mind boggling. I think the men who lobbied for it must look like pretzels for the contortions they had to submit to, in order to pass such nonsense. How many Republicans signed on?

[Marine Inspector]

The solution is simple, but the Feds and the Sheep don't have the stomach for it.

Cut off what they come for: jobs and welfare.

[Rastus]

It's the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The intention was to confer citizenship on the freed slaves. It is being abused by the illegal immigrants. The co-author had this to say about his amendment:

"Every Person born within the limits of the United States, and subject to their jurisdiction, is by virtue of natural law and national law a citizen of the United States. This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the Government of the United States, but will include every other class of persons."
Senator Jacob Howard, Co-author of the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment, 1866.

It is a sad thing that the language of the amendment didn't make that sentiment crystal clear.

[NRA2BFree]

I watched part of Lou Dobbs today and he had a Mexican man on his program. He's the President of the "Mexican American Political Action" group. His last name is Lopez but I don't remember his first name. What I remember most was his anger and his animosity toward Lou Dobbs and ANYONE who doesn't want to give amnesty. He was rude and hateful, and he called Lou a racist. THAT really made Lou mad.

Lou asked him what they want, and he said "the same rights as all Americans have." IF they become citizens, then they will DEMAND the same pay that ALL AMERICANS get, and there will be NO MORE CHEAP LABOR for the big corporations that run Congress. That means they will have to bring a whole new batch of illegals to work the farms, etc.

What the OBL doesn't understand is that this organization has millions of voters and they intend to put Mexicans into office in America. IF they ever give them amnesty, it will change the face of America. Literally!! What I don't understand about these idiots who wave the Mexican flag is IF they think Mexico is so darn great, why aren't they there? They want to bring Mexican style of corruption to our government and I say NO. Not just NO, but HELL NO!! IF I wanted to live in Mexico, I'd move to Mexico!!!

[LibertarianInExile]

"I've listed a lot of solutions and haven't called any one names yet. But the other side does plenty of it."

Psssst--you're posting to the other side.

[Fruit of the Spirit]

Draft them and send them off to Iraq!

[Fruit of the Spirit]

"...nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law..."

The Supreme Court's SCOTUS voided the "property" part. Now the illegals think they have a right to rewrite the rest of it.

[DoughtyOne]

Maybe you're not old enough to remember the promises of the 1986 fix. Many of us are. Virtual fenses and suggestions of amnesty promise us a near explosion of foreign nationals in our midst within a decade. Those of us who witnessed the 1986 fiasco, want no part of a repeat.

What your comments intimate is that you want to see the Senate version pass. That's no real fix. It's a surrender. It won't achieve anything but exactly what I've described above.

Those who have seen this play out before, don't want to see it again. What you see as fringe, is folks who understand what the stakes are and are not afraid to speak out openly. Sorry you didn't realize that.

[manwiththehands]

"What is likely to be done? A pretense of reducing illegal immigration and a reality of amnesty under some other name."

Where would America be without our Senate?

[justa-hairyape]

The Feds will never let the Southwest leave the United States. Even if Mexicans held every political office in the Southwest. There is simply too much invested in the region. Additionally, Mexico wont be able to fight for it. In 2005, Mexico spent 8 Billion on its Military. In 2005, the US spent 518 billion on its Military. In a head to head military conflict, Mexico would fall in a few days. I tend to agree with Rush on this situation. These illegal immigrants are simply being used by the Democratic party. It is the only way they stand a chance of winning back seats in the House or Senate.

IMHO - We need a wall and enforced border ASAP. Figuring out which illegals get sent back is a separate issue from enforcing the border. We also need a President/Senate and Congress that wont play politics with the situation. If a civil conflict begins in this region, our current politicians will have blood on their hands.