E.U. Solution to U.S. Illegal Immigration

Santa Monica Mirror ^ | May 4 - 10, 2006 | Steven Hill

[hedgetrimmer]

Immigration issues are always ripe for demagoguery, particularly in an election year. But the solution to the very real problems along the U.S.-Mexican border can be found, ironically, in that other part of the world that American demagogues love to ridicule: old Europe.

Two years ago, the European Union admitted 10 new nations into their backyard. Like Mexico, all of these nations were poor, some of them fairly backward, corrupt and recently ravaged by war and communist dictatorship.

But the leaders of the European Union wisely created policies for fostering regional economic and political integration that make efforts like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) look timid and halfhearted by comparison.

Europe realized it had to prevent a "giant sucking sound" of businesses and jobs relocating from the 15 wealthier nations to the 10 poorer nations. It also had to foster prosperity and the spread of a middle class in these emerging economies, and prevent an influx of poor workers to the richer nations.

So for starters it gave the new states massive subsidies – billions of dollars – to help construct schools, roads, telecommunications and housing, making these nations more attractive for business investment. The idea was to raise up the emerging economies rather than drag down the advanced economies. It is expensive, but the result has turned out to be a larger economic union in which a rising tide floats all boats.

In return, the 10 poorer nations had to agree to raise their standards on the environment, labor laws, health and safety and more. The incentive of admission to the European club was used as the carrot to the poorer nations for acceptance of human rights and political democracy. There won't be any border maquiladoras in the European Union.

The flow of worker migration still is regulated. Immigrants will be carefully integrated so as to cause the least amount of disruption to the developed economies, with the goal of having open borders within a decade or two.

This bold yet carefully planned EU approach suggests the direction that policy between the U.S. and Mexico should go. Increasingly the demands of the global economy will push the North American regional integration out of the realm of a shadow economy and flawed free trade agreement. But what might such an American-Mexican union look like?

It would start with massive subsidies from the U.S. to Mexico, a Tex-Mex Marshall Plan, with the goal of decreasing disparities on the Mexican side of the border and fostering a climate riper for investment. This would create more jobs in Mexico and foster a middle class, homeownership and better schools, roads and healthcare. Fewer Mexicans would then desire to emigrate north, instead staying home, creating more consumers to buy U.S. products.

But Europe's union is not just an economic one; it also includes continent-wide political institutions for all 25 nations. As American-Mexican economic integration unfolds, regional political structures also make sense to allow better coordination and supervision of the regulatory regime and common goals. Canada, not wishing to be left out, would ask for inclusion.

And here's an even more intriguing possibility. We always assume that opening the border means hordes of Mexicans streaming north, but under this scenario, more Americans also would begin emigrating to Mexico. With the cost of living spiraling along the coasts and in cities, many Americans would find not only the cheaper prices but also the warm climate and palm trees of Mexico a more attractive alternative than relocating to the frigid tundras of South Dakota or Kansas.

Call it the Mexican safety valve, with American workers migrating to Mexico in search of jobs, homeownership, even to start businesses. In other words, they would chase the American dream in Mexico. Already we see the beginnings of this, with American expatriate communities springing up around cities such as Guadalajara.

The Census Bureau predicts that by 2050 the number of Latinos and Asians will triple in the U.S. and whites will make up only 50% of the nation's population. For many people, these changes are alarming, but economic disparities guarantee that poor Mexicans will continue seeking entry into El Norte, legally or illegally.

Given these demographic realities, gradual integration of the American and Mexican economies is the only sensible solution. Of course, U.S. politicians are reluctant to talk about this levelheaded approach, preferring to stick to bumper-sticker slogans and avoid the reality of border issues.

In the meantime, the U.S. is missing out on huge economic opportunities while the European Union has grown to the largest trading bloc in the world, poised for the 21st century. Old Europe is looking spry on its feet, while the U.S. is looking clumsy and stuck to the flypaper of old ideas.

[hedgetrimmer]

Our illegal immigration problems are because these policies ARE being implemented, only our politicians are afraid to admit it to the American people.

[hedgetrimmer]

I think the globalists are attempting to test the waters by going public to the American people.

[P-40]

Last I checked, things are not all rosy in the EU...

[SusaninOhio]

Agreed.

So, I gather that the gist of the article is that we are supposed to give Vincente Fox a lot of American dollars to improve his country?

How completely asinine is that? On how many levels?

Damn peacenik idiot. They should all go stand in front of a giant bulldozer. (Not you, the writer of the 'article').

[RetiredArmy]

THE ANSWER TO THE MEXICAN IMMIGRATION PROBLEM: Make Mexico the 51st state, and they all automatically become citizens. Eurowinnie style government at work! /sarcasm still on.

[dirtboy]

I note that nowhere in this article are any metrics that this approach is actually working.

[Doogle]

Europe realized it had to prevent a "giant sucking sound" of businesses and jobs relocating from the 15 wealthier nations to the 10 poorer nations. It also had to foster prosperity and the spread of a middle class in these emerging economies,

so they sold out their people under socialistic ideals to people who won't,or now have the need to,assimilate. Guess "old europe" will remain forever old......

Doogle

[3AngelaD]

The massive Mexican Marshall Plan will go straight into the pockets of the ruling elites, like every other substantial chunk of change has gone since the 1920s. The only President of Mexico over the past 60 years who didn't retired wealthy beyond his wildest dreams was Miguel de la Madrid. Meanwhile, the peons will be as miserable as ever, and eager to swim the river and live here. This guy has no clue of how Mexico operates.

[Prokopton]

Stephen Hill? From the New America Foundation?
Could we find a more anti-American, one world, source to post than this?

[JamesP81]

Last I checked, things are not all rosy in the EU...

Let's see, 65% taxes, 15% unemployment, arthritic economic growth, massive welfare, and spontaneous rioting and car torching.

We really don't want of that bad medicine here. The person that cooked up this idiotic scheme ought to live in the rough parts of Paris for a month before spewing this crap all over our bandwidth.

[ncountylee]

THE ILLEGAL ALIENS ALREADY ARE SENDING $20 BILLION/YEAR.

[Yo-Yo]

Europe realized it had to prevent a "giant sucking sound" of businesses and jobs relocating from the 15 wealthier nations to the 10 poorer nations. It also had to foster prosperity and the spread of a middle class in these emerging economies, and prevent an influx of poor workers to the richer nations.

And Germany's unemployment rate is 11.3% The plan is working.

</sarc>

[hedgetrimmer]

It IS anti-american.

The point of posting this, is that our federal government is already doing everything he suggests.

But the leaders of the European Union wisely created policies for fostering regional economic and political integration

An historic agreement signed by Peter Watson, OPIC President and CEO, and Fernando Canales, Secretary of the Economy. Said agreement will now extend loans of up to $250 million per project to American businesses investing in Mexico.

The US Trade and Development Agency pledged its support for P4P by announcing its intent to provide $1.38 million of assistance through three separate activities in the region:

1) USTDA signed an MOU with Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares for the expansion and modernization of the Cuidad Obregon International Airport in Sonora, Mexico,

2) USTDA announced plans to award a grant to Mexico’s Secretariat for Communications and Transportation for technical assistance and capacity building, and

3) USTDA awarded a technical assistance contract to support competition policy in Mexico and strengthen the institutional capacity of Mexico’s Federal Competition Commission.

The US Small Business Administration plans to sign an MOU with several Mexican government agencies, intended to formalize cross-border cooperation in aiding small exporters. The Ministry of Economy has launched the Program for the Development of the Software Industry (PROSOFT) as Mexico is aggressively seeking to develop its software and related services industry. Mexico is aiming to compete with India, Russia, China and others for outsourced projects from US companies. Mexico counts on its close proximity to the US and its growing number of students specializing in Information Technology to achieve this goal.

[Wonder Warthog]

I suspect Mexico might object to being annexed by the US.

[Utahrd]

"So, I gather that the gist of the article is that we are supposed to give Vincente Fox a lot of American dollars to improve his country? "


Well, after his buddies steal it all and send it to their numbered bank accounts, the poverty problem in the Cayman Islands will be solved.

[Prokopton]

"I suspect Mexico might object to being annexed by the US"

Mexico is the one doing the annexing.

[patriciaruth]

One of the reasons I burst into tears when my brother called and told me about the planes hitting the WTC on 9/11 was that so much we Americans and President Bush could have accomplished during the Bush administration was now going to be impossible with the upcoming war expenditures.

The 21st Century was going to be "the Century of the Americas" with a lot of aid for economic development in Mexico, Central and South America with the same goals as this European plan.

Instead we got the Century of Global Terrorism and the clash of fundamentalist Islam with Western civilization.

I read about some of the Mexicans in Mexico City cheering at the planes hitting the WTC, and thought they had no idea how much a dagger into their hearts also were those planes used as missiles.

[hedgetrimmer]

So for starters it gave the new states massive subsidies – billions of dollars – to help construct schools, roads, telecommunications and housing, making these nations more attractive for business investment

The Partnership for Prosperity is a joint effort led by the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury, and the Mexican Ministries of Foreign Relations and Finance. It draws upon creative analysis and ideas of U.S. and Mexican economists, business and community leaders, and development experts. Last December, representatives of this group met for the first time in Merida, Yucatan, for a brainstorming session. They agreed to craft a working program that will promote infrastructure development at the border and beyond, including transportation and telecommunications projects; investment in human resources basic education and worker training programs; guaranteeing the rule of law at the state and local level; an active promotion of trade and investment opportunities by state authorities and; dynamic participation by the private and academic sectors in industrial research and development.

http://www.maquilaportal.com/editorial/editorial180.htm

Now, I'd like to add that it isn't the purpose of our government to spend our tax money in FOREIGN COUNTRIES so that they are attractive for businesses to invest there. And yet, under "free trade" agreements, this is EXACTLY what our government is doing.

Now if you don't like the author's political views, you'd better sit down. Because our government is being run by people like him, our white house and congress are populated by people like him. So maybe its better to read what he as to say, so the American people can know what they are dealing with.

[hedgetrimmer]

The person that cooked up this idiotic scheme ought to live in the rough parts of Paris for a month

They are the G8, the WTO, the World Bank and the IMF. They know exactly what they are doing.

[hedgetrimmer]

I suspect Mexico might object to being annexed by the US.

As would Americans object to their annexation. Just take Costa Rica, a territory for quite some time, and no one here wants a fifty first state, and they don't want to be one.