Posted on 05/06/2002 1:35:29 PM PDT by Minutemen
Why Is America Negotiating Away Her Sovereignty?
By Allan Wall
FrontPageMagazine.com | July 3, 2001
WHY IS AMERICA NEGOTIATING away her sovereignty? There is simply no other way to adequately describe the present negotiations with the Mexican government over U.S. immigration policy. Rather than being left to the American people to manage, through their elected senators and representatives, the establishment of a bilateral working group to deal with U.S. immigration policy indicates that the sovereign right to control its own borders and immigration policy is being negotiated away to the Mexican government. Make Comments View Comments Printable Article Email Article
The problem is, the Mexican government is not negotiating in good faith. The goal of the Fox administration is to continue using the United States as a safety valve. Mexico's white elite government wants as many of the country's poorer and darker-skinned citizens as possible to emigrate to the U.S. They also want the American taxpayer to provide Mexican immigrants, legal or illegal, with government benefits that they can't obtain in Mexico. And, they are working hard to maintain the loyalty of Mexican immigrants in the U.S., so that even if they become American citizens, their primary loyalty will be to Mexico. These goals are not new - the previous Zedillo administration had them as well- but the Fox administration is bolder in their application and has a more coordinated and strategic manner of carrying them out.
Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda, in Phoenix at a meeting of Latino journalists on June 21st, dictated a non-negotiable program that the Mexican government expects the Bush Administration to follow. Castañeda made it clear that he would brook no compromise - "It's the whole enchilada or nothing, we can't slice it one piece at a time."
What exactly is included in Castañeda's list of demands? Basically, the complete surrender of U.S. sovereignty over immigration policy. America must legalize all Mexican illegal aliens, loosen its already lax border enforcement, establish a guest worker program (during an economic downturn) and exempt Mexican immigrants from U.S. visa quotas! Not only that, but the Mexican government is demanding that Mexicans living in the U.S. receive health care (provided by the American taxpayer) and in-state college tuition. As Castañeda aptly described such demands during a visit to Tijuana on June 27th, "We must obtain the greatest number of rights for the greatest number of Mexicans in the shortest time possible." (Remember, he is referring to rights for Mexicans in the United States, not in Mexico!)
The Mexican government is demanding a complete capitulation of the United States on immigration policy and national sovereignty. What's also amazing is that nothing of substance is being offered in return. Mexican government officials have taken their measure of the Bush Administration and concluded that they probably can demand and receive much of what they want. They are not even very secretive about it. Castañeda referred to the United States's transfer of immigration policy from domestic policy to international diplomacy, pointing out that such a change "is totally, radically new". Such a change is quite satisfactory to Castañeda, who once wrote that "Some Americans.... dislike immigration, but there is very little they can do about it."
Castañeda is not alone in the Mexican government in his utter contempt for U.S. sovereignty. Ernesto Ruffo, Mexico's Commissioner for Northern Affairs advised would-be illegal immigrants that ".... if the border patrol finds you, try again." Fox himself calls illegal aliens "heroes", and the Mexican government recently distributed thousands of survival packets to Mexicans preparing to make the trek north as illegal aliens (the packets included lists of California hospitals where illegals could obtain free medical care).
The Mexican government is also determined to retain the loyalty of Mexican immigrants, regardless of legal status or citizenship. National Security Adviser Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, before taking office, wrote in an editorial here in Mexico proposing the mobilization of Americans of Mexican ancestry as a tool of Mexican foreign policy. Juan Hernandez, head of the Presidential Office for Mexicans Abroad clearly stated that "We are betting that the Mexican American population in the United States .... will think Mexico first." This should be considered an insult to the many patriotic Americans of Mexican ancestry - they of course are not the problem! The problem is a growing number of newer immigrants is indeed remaining loyal to Mexico. And Fox?s promise to grant voting rights to Mexicans living in the United States sets the stage for a massive increase in double citizenship. If not checked, the not-too-distant future could hold the prospect of millions of people voting in both countries and - Fox hopes - voting in the interests of the Mexican government!
The big question is - will the government of the United States of America defend the nation's sovereignty - or completely sell out to the Fox government? A national discussion of U.S. immigration policy is long overdue anyway. For too long criticism of immigration and assimilation policy have been considered taboo, but American citizens have every right to question present policy, as they do of any other public policy issue. Clearly, different Americans have different opinions on these matters. But the answers to fundamental questions about the nature of America's future should at least be determined by Americans themselves. They should not be negotiated away by the Bush Administration and then imposed upon them by the Fox Administration of Mexico.
Allan E. Wall is an American citizen who has lived and worked in Mexico since 1991. Presently employed as an English instructor and administrator, Allan has legal permission from the Mexican government to live and work in Mexico under the rubric of an FM-2 migration document (No. 312448) for which he had to pay $1,816.00 pesos for renewal this past year. Allan would be glad to receive questions or comments (pro or con), at allan39@prodigy.net.mx.
BUMP
It'll only take a few corpses rotting in the desert to turn the rest back.
You can not blame the Mexicans, but we sure can blame our National Leaders.
Safety valve my rear end. They're using us for a toilet valve!!
The elites are his people obviously. They've got all that oil and they want to make sure their brown people don't get any big ideas about all that improving their lives. They cut off irrigation water to the campesinos, their little farms are parched and scorched lands now --forcing them out of Mexico.
You forgot to add 'male-bashing sexism'. Other than that, you made a good statement. Also this is one of the main reasons why I doubt I live to see 40.
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