Borders without visas [Tim Cavanaugh of Reason Magazine]

Los Angeles Time ^ | 5/23/06 | Tim Cavanaugh

[lonewacko_dot_com]

AMONG THE MANY measures and half-measures that are being proposed to solve the crisis of illegal immigration, there have been some real doozies: a 700-mile wall to keep people out (or in?); a temporary guest-worker program that may end up harming both American and Mexican employees; even a scheme for the largest mass deportation in U.S. history.

But here's one good idea you won't hear about. Let's allow the North American Free Trade Agreement to live up to its promise and permit citizens of Canada, the United States and Mexico to move and work freely among the three countries.

...There are two objections to an open border policy: national security and economics. One is specious; the other is based on ignorance of the way free markets work and free people behave.

...In any event, there is extremely scant evidence, from either current events or history, that the Mexican border presents a military or terrorist threat.

The economic argument — that open immigration would overburden U.S. laws and infrastructure — presumes that all immigrants would settle permanently. In fact, an open borders policy encourages almost as many immigrants to go back home as to stay. Without the risk of being unable to reenter the United States, millions of undocumented workers would be free to return to Mexico...

[lonewacko_dot_com]

You can comment on this here:

reason.com/hitandrun/2006/05/reason_writers_59.shtml#014003

There are already 43 or so comments, so you might want to check reason.com/hitandrun occasionally and respond to future piffle from them.

Note that this proposal is similar to that from the WSJ:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1636160/posts

And, that from Cato:

http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/003388.html

And, that from the CFR:

http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2005/july05/05-07-13.html

[EagleUSA]

Let's allow the North American Free Trade Agreement to live up to its promise and permit citizens of Canada, the United States and Mexico to move and work freely among the three countries.
----
We have a President and a Congress that are working very hard to make this happen, at all tragic costs and ANY cost to the American citizen.

[gpapa]

an open borders policy encourages almost as many immigrants to go back home as to stay

If you wish to see a real flood of humanity flowing into the USA this is the way to do it. It would also hurt Mexico dramatically, a country with a per capital GDP 1/6 of that of the United States, with 1/4 of its population surviving on subsistance agriculture. (Source: http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/countries.cfm)

[fantom]

Work on the border fence starts when ?

[Shermy]

"But here's one good idea you won't hear about. Let's allow the North American Free Trade Agreement to live up to its promise and permit citizens of Canada, the United States and Mexico to move and work freely among the three countries."

It's "promise". Where did it promise such a thing? If it did, Bush would have already avidly promoted it.

More wage depression for the overclass, with a Libertarian policy alibi!

[umgud]

This is kinda like the legalization of drugs argument. While I don't like the war on drugs, I'm just not ready to legalize them.

I'm also not ready to believe this hooey wouldn't in-source cheap labor to the detriment of the citizenry.