Ultimate explanation for George Bush's immigration & amnesty push - by John Derbyshire

National Review ^ | July 2, 2007 2:20 PM | John Derbyshire

[dennisw]

What a Waste. Steve Sailer said it all.

[L]et's stop and think about what an enormous waste of six years it has been for the President, aided and abetted by the almost the entire American Establishment, to pursue his delusion of imposing his immigration obsession on the citizenry. Even leaving aside how much better the immigration situation would be if Bush had followed his oath and simply enforced the damn laws, imagine what he would have been able to accomplish legislatively in other areas without wasting time, energy, and political capital on a losing proposition like this.

Well, why did he? Why did the president push this appalling bill with such passion and such arrogance? A number of theories are current. On a realist-to-romantic, or prose-to-poetry, spectrum, they are:

Machiavelli. Bush has been persuaded, probably by Karl Rove, of the following theorem: Hispanics are now a large proportion of the electorate, and are destined, via differential birthrates, to become a larger one. It’s important for the Republican party to win over these voters by doing Hispanic-friendly things. As a rough first approximation, Immigrant=Hispanic, so that a kind’n’gentle policy on immigration should be pleasing to Hispanics.

Bicycle. Someone — perhaps a visitor from the Wall Street Journal editorial page — has persuaded Bush that the U.S. economy would come to a juddering halt and fall over if not fed by a steady stream of unskilled immigrants working for below-minimum wages.

Pauline Kael. Bush has never in his life mixed socially with any person whose job or neighborhood quality is threatened by mass unskilled immigration. To the people he does mix with socially, unskilled immigrants are a good source of servant labor, or a way to “socialize the costs, privatize the profits” of enterprises they own or invest in. This puts us in somewhat the same zone as Pauline Kael’s famous bafflement on hearing that Nixon had been elected president: “How is that possible? I don’t know anyone who voted for him.” Can elite Americans really be that out of touch with reality? Believe me, gentle reader, they can.

Noblesse oblige. Bush’s childhood experience of friendly, deferential Mexican servants and employees, and of his Dad’s elite Mexican friends in the oil business, disposed him so kindly towards Mexicans in general, he is keen to do anything to (a) please the Mexican authorities, and (b) avoid any appearance of unkindness or lack of generosity towards Mexicans in general (e.g. by apprehending illegal Mexican immigrants). The first approximation here is even rougher than the Rovian one: Immigrant=Mexican.

Evangelical. The president is known to cleave to a generous and universalist (if you like it), or naive and sappy (if you don’t) style of evangelical Christianity. He sees himself, in his own mind, holding out his arms, murmuring: “Suffer the little immigrants to come unto me.” While by no means despicable as a personal lifestyle choice, this may not be a good foundation for national policy.

My guess is that there is some combination of all these at work, but with the center of gravity down in the romantic zone. W is an intelligent man, but he’s a feeler more than a thinker, consulting his heart before his head, and sometimes forgetting to consult his head at all. This can be an endearing trait under some circumstances. The forming of national policy is not one of those circumstances.

[OldArmy52]

Or maybe the Bush we see is really a Pod Person. (most likely explaination).

[Proud_texan]

I have pondered the why long and hard and this is a good list.

To add to it:

We're on the bubble of population replacement. Europe imported mooselimbs and that's not turning out so well for them. Japan did nothing and for a decade has been going through what arguably might be the first population decline recession in modern history. Bush looked to S. America.

Since the Feds are AWOL on securing the borders some states are passing laws aginst illegals. By granting amnesty to illegals it's automatic amnesty for CEOs.

[investigateworld]

I think the above ideas are all plausible, but it's my belief he knows it will destroy the Republican Party. Remember, he owes the Clinton's big time for that photo of Elian being hauled off to a life in a communist country.

Throw in the BP guys in Prison, the use of strum truppen in arresting them and 'Dog' Chapman, his reduction of prosecution of employers of illegals....

[Cobra64]

Or maybe the Bush we see is really a Pod Person.

Spotted in Crawford, TX two weeks ago.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Good reading for pondering.

I have only gotten past the fact that the deed has been attempted, the why of it remains unfathomable to me still.

I hesitate it speculate on the why of it without heavy application of tin foil, but the above list is as good as any I've read.

PS - I do have thoughts on this but they are not listed.

[Rottweilerson]

I have to think that He is dependent on his advisers after seeing him with Putin in Maine. Bush was fake smiling & invading Putin’s body space and Putin was scowling & looking down the whole time. My guess is Bush’s advisers told him to stand shoulder to shoulder with him to send a message to the world that The US & Russia stand together. Just one example.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Demand a border fence! Build it NOW!! Beef up the border patrol and close our borders!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Toll free to the US Senate:

1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)

Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!

Republican National Committee
310 First Street, SE Washington, D.C. 20003
phone: 202.863.8500 | fax: 202.863.8820 | e-mail: info@gop.com

Take a look at their hidden agenda: http://www.mexica-movement.org

[jwh_Denver]

Out with your thoughts or your papers will be examined very closely.

[dalight]

This guy is certifiable. If you read the rest of the post on National Review.. he agrees with Marx on religion, and generally dismisses much of what is honorable and good about America. I would call this guy a Troll if he were on FR. Not worth wasting precious brain cells on.

I have been as against this version of immigration reform as the next, but I know, that the 4.5% unemployment number is only sustainable in the presence of illegal immigrants. If these people were to up and leave, the US would sustain the worst inflation we have seen since Jimmy Carter.

Folks are just not willing to face this fact and Big Business and the President aren't willing to admit it either. They just talk in dark tones about consequences. This has been GW's failing all along, he doesn't get the most important point across because it would be shrill and scary.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

LOL

You have been here long enough to know that that advice may fetch me a pounding - and my papers ARE in order :)

[flat]

‘My guess is that there is some combination of all these at work, but with the center of gravity down in the romantic zone.’

...well globalism IS ROMANTIC...

ITS THE GLOBALISM, STUPID.

GLOBALISM, i tell you..

the fad du jour.

Think what a fine legacy it’d be ...opening up a grand 8 laner running from southern meh hee ko thru northern canadee...

hot damn. .....

just one big happy family .........

what a great future this would portend....well...for canadians and mexicans at least.....

invader pavement providing kumbaya on a continental level...

just what we need whole nations of folks eager to dip into american largesse ...lotsa poverty strickin citizens the mexican gobernment sure dont want to deal with and or pay for.. show up from the south end (that’d be good at least, according to the HERITAGE FOUNDATIOIN...heh heh heh..)

while canada supplies socialist ideological underpinnings sanctioning ruinatious give aways from the north

swell concepts like

....gun confiscation and socialized medicine......idieas whose time has kumbaya.

both outfits ready to throw heaping handfuls of sand directly into the economic engine of the world that is america ....brilliant ...

NOW, tell me one more time how this amnesty thing prevents the american economy from coming to a shuddering halt, please.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

I’m gunna have to bump now - this could get well, iteresting.

[Shery]

A good list, and I would say that he really sees his compassionate conservatism as the reason for this, if he were to be asked. But this doesn’t make good policy for a nation, and he has taken an oath to first uphold the US Constitution and to protect its natural citizenry. While this might be good on a personal basis, after 9/11 it is folly! I guess the thing that sticks in the craw the most is this: Instead of looking out for the best for us, he has to make our enemies look like good guys. He is chagrined that the rest of us just don’t seem to understand that he’s willing to see the best in everybody else...what’s wrong with us!

We had a school administrator that saw things this way. It was a total disaster and even the kids made fun of her and used her. She couldn’t understand why they hated her so much! DUH!

[rogue yam]

If you read the rest of the post on National Review.. he agrees with Marx on religion, and generally dismisses much of what is honorable and good about America.

I read NRO daily and my understanding is that Derb is a capitalist who believes in God and America. I don't understand how you came to such a contrasting understanding.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Just where IS that White House guy who showed up here on FR briefly just to lobby us against opposing the Prez on immigration??

I REALLY want to send this to him.

And what's more, I REALLY want to get their feedback on each and everyone of these theories. I want to hear the White House deny each of them (although one if not several, may well be true!!!) I would love to see their reaction. Any ideas???

[AmericanInTokyo]

One more possible explanation in the article could/should what we could title be "Follow the Money".

That corporate contributors to the election and reelection of the President, and the RNC and Republican Senate Campaigns, have so ensconced their position, to the exclusion of normal, flyover country guys and gals like you and I in the grassroots. Their money--combined with their open door lobbying to the Oval Office--essentially has bought off national policy, for they want massive numbers of illegals at cheap wages with erased national borders to be "globally competitive", damn the borders in the process--and they were willing to pay, donate and influence to that effect.

I cannot believe that naive, benevolent altruism is entirely to blame for this travesty.

[tgusa]

Aha, you hit my hot button along with the nail on the head. ‘Compassionate conservatism’ is one smokescreen for the immigration disaster being foisted on us by W and his allies on this issue. For whatever reason, he JUST DOESN’T GET IT that most of the country is livid about this issue. Intentional or not, W has certainly mobilized his base. Time will tell if he’s on the right side of this issue. Unfortunately, a mistake on this particular issue is not reversible. I lived in San Diego in the late ‘70s, and am here to tell you Southern California has been lost.

[Razz Barry]

My guess is that there is some combination of all these at work, but with the center of gravity down in the romantic zone. W is an intelligent man, but he’s a feeler more than a thinker, consulting his heart before his head, and sometimes forgetting to consult his head at all. This can be an endearing trait under some circumstances. The forming of national policy is not one of those circumstances.

Maybe he was consulting his pocket book and those of his friends. I think Bush and his rich friends are scared to death of an overthrow of the Mexican government. Had our government not turned a blind eye and allowed millions of young Mexicans to invade us, Mexico, in my opinion, would be involved in a civil war. That's the reason government leaders say "we can't deport 14 million people". We can, it's Mexico that can't take back nine+ million people, and do without $23 billion in remittances. And, if the government goes down, foreign owned companies will be subject to nationalization. It couldn't happen to a better bunch than those who sold America out.

[ran20]

I agree with you that a lot of it is population issues. A lot of America’s economy has always been based simply on growth. One I look at is real estate. In Japan in 1989 the average dwelling sold for something like 420,000$ USD. In 2006, seventeen years later it sold for 220,000$ USD.

Great for young Japanese who want to own a home.. not so great for major land owners and banks who want to finance and collect interest for the next 30 years.