L’Intifada en Los Estados Unidos

National Review ^ | 17 November 2005 | Mark Krikorian

[taxed2death]

"They were saying they couldn't get enough workers, because the construction industry was paying more."

Pretzel logic. They did not want to pay a rate that the "market" deemed as fair. Too freakin' bad. Either pay the prevailing wage... or let the grapes rot.

[WatchingInAmazement]

The racist who wrote this could, in 1890, just as easily named the Irish or Italian immigrants.

What did he say that you consider racist?? Really,we'd like to know.

In 1890 many US citizens did complain about massive immigration, and it caused plenty of problems, so THEN we did something about it. Cut it off before it got out of hand.

Mark Krikorian was on Cspan yesterday testifying before congress. Too bad you missed it, you might have learned something.

[don'tbedenied]

Racist. Equating one brown skinned people with the negative characteristics of another. Christian Mexicans are the same as Moslem Arabs? He predicts this. The only thing they have in common is they are not white.
Hence racist.
No I am not in favor of no protection on our borders.
I would not be using the word racist if he had simply listed problems associated with immigration instead of claiming that Mexican immigrants would soon be rioting, burning cars and apparently praising Allah.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

But what if improvements in machinery further reduces the number of farm laborers needed? What else will the fruit pickers be qualified to do? Will they go on welfare? Commit crime? Or go to a university or technical school to shift careers at taxpayer expense?

The same thing was said when machines replaced factory workers and that was in a period when we had far more industry than we do now. Everybody said what will all these people do now? Somehow they found something to do without burdening the rest of society.

The problem is we're importing millions of poorly educated, unskilled peoples who don't have a western outlook. This is not the type of citizenry needed to continue our values and ensure our democratic way of life.

Most of the Europeans that came in the last immigration wave were just that – poor, unskilled, uneducated, etc ..They did find a way to make it. Oh sure some of them got into crime, like the Mafia, but the argument you’re making is already a century old and it’s long been discredited. A lot of those countries did not have our “western outlook”. People came from countries with dictatorships or communists or what have you.

Now before you accuse me of being in favor of massive illegal immigration –I’m not. But if an economy needs unskilled workers, it will begger the government to get them legally.

I'll pay more for a head of lettuce rather than have the increase in crime, misuse of hospital emergency rooms, and welfare programs by Hispanics in my area. (Most of whom don't seem to be the least interested in assimilating.)

That’s you. But the average shopper buys the cheaper product. One reason for the phenomenal success of Wal-Mart.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

The U.S. is being forcibly-fed MILLIONS of illegal aliens (not immigrants) from a third world country, mostly Mexico

Mexico isn't forcing us to hire them, which is why they come.

[Travis McGee]

"Racist. Equating one brown skinned people with the negative characteristics of another. Christian Mexicans are the same as Moslem Arabs? He predicts this. The only thing they have in common is they are not white.

Hence racist."

When this is your only argument, you have lost the argument, and we all see it as plain as day.

But thanks for your replies anyway, because each reply means that 15 more lurkers will read the article as it is bumped to the top.

[reelfoot]

"The same thing was said when machines replaced factory workers and that was in a period when we had far more industry than we do now. Everybody said what will all these people do now? Somehow they found something to do without burdening the rest of society."

That was a different pool of immigrants. Look at the European countries and then look at the Latin American countries. We're not talking about equal achievement levels here.

"That’s you. But the average shopper buys the cheaper product. One reason for the phenomenal success of Wal-Mart."

The average shopper, even one who shops at Wally-World, is also opposed to massive immigration from our southern borders. They know for the couple of bucks they may be saving on a product they are paying increased taxes to make up for it by having to build new schools (staffed by bilingual teachers) and hiring Spanish translators for courts, and paying increased medical costs, automobile insurance costs, etc., etc., ad nauseum. It's just that the Wally-World shopper's opinion doesn't seem to count for much because our elitist leaders refuse to act on this issue.

Our culture is being changed, and not for the better.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

That was a different pool of immigrants. Look at the European countries and then look at the Latin American countries. We're not talking about equal achievement levels here. .

Europe was just as much a mess back then as the Latin American countries are now. Don't forget that the Europeans started the two worse wars in human history. Nazism, communism, fascism, all these "achievements" came out of Europe. 21st century Latin America looks good by comparison.

[reelfoot]

"Europe was just as much a mess back then as the Latin American countries are now. Don't forget that the Europeans started the two worse wars in human history. Nazism, communism, fascism, all these 'achievements' came out of Europe. 21st century Latin America looks good by comparison."

Yes, European countries and the U. S. have engaged in wars, just as have Hispanic countries, and have chosen foolish forms of government at times, as have Latinos. However, it cannot be denied that Latin American countries have lagged behind western (Europe and America) for decades in terms of economic development and political stability. It's not a difference in degree, but in kind. Travel in some of the Central American countries (from whence we are getting most of our huddled masses these days) if you want to see it up close (or go across town and see the local colonia). You may want Central America in your back yard; I do not, nor do the polls indicate that the vast majority of Americans do.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

from whence we are getting most of our huddled masses these days

Most of our "huddled masses" have come from poor and/or politically unstable countries, whether it be Europe in the past or Latin America in the present. People who live in stable wealthy countries do not emigrate en masse.

I do not want South America as my backyard either, but the hispanics of today are not intrinsically worse than the Europeans of yesterday. Both sets of people came from politically backwards and economically tenuous lands.

[reelfoot]

"I do not want South America as my backyard either, but . . . ."

But that's what we're getting. We're overwhelmingly importing the bottom rung of the third world rather than the best and brightest of the first world. (These are the ones our amigo Vicente Fox is all too willing to see emigrate north.) We can't continue to bring in tens of millions of the world's citizens who have poor education, low job skills, and very likely a very modest intellectual level without very soon paying the price.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

We're overwhelmingly importing the bottom rung of the third world rather than the best and brightest of the first world.

People who live in first world countries don't migrate. Life is too good. However, when we start importing educated people from India or China who have engineering or science degrees, you'll hear a different set of Freepers screaming foul.

Vincente Fox keeps forgetting he is president of Mexico. If he spent half as much time trying to reform his country, rather than trying to reform our policies, he might actually accomplish something.

[Borax Queen]

People who live in first world countries don't migrate. Life is too good.

During and after WWII, for one example, when "intellectuals," artistic types, and later, really "just" anyone educated (doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, architects) were being shipped off to Stalin's death camps, millions of normal and bright people had to flee from Europe, including my family. Those who were not admitted into the U.S. for whatever reason, needed to go to Australia, Canada, South America, whichever country would take them. Here, they were required to speak English, have jobs and sponsors, be healthy, know the Constitution, among other things.

And, they didn't come over through some backdoor liberal "migration" path. They waited years to be admitted legally. They were the true immigrants who came over and continued to work for America, not using social services, or demanding that govt. ballots and other documents be in their native tongues. They did not bankrupt 83 emergency rooms in Southern California and many more in Arizona, they did not flip SUV after SUV packed full on our highways, sometimes into innocent Americans, they did not trash our towns, ranches, and hiking trails with human waste and medical needles, they did not bring leprosy and tuberculosis with them en masse.

[reelfoot]

"People who live in first world countries don't migrate. Life is too good. However, when we start importing educated people from India or China who have engineering or science degrees, you'll hear a different set of Freepers screaming foul."

Certainly bright and successful people in first world countries would not be prone to immigrate unless induced to do so by better job opportunities or to escape the European welfare state (for the smaller American welfare state).

Which goes to one of my points. We don't need a lot of immigration in this country anyway. From the roads I travel on and the population statistics I see, it doesn't seem we're going to run out of people here anytime soon. As a matter of fact, we're adding millions at an alarming rate each decade. So we don't need to import millions to fill an unpopulated western half of our country. And those relatively few we allow in should be carefully chosen to be those who have unique intellects and can contribute to our country in a way no lettuce-picker can.

As to your second point, that foreigners with science or engineering degrees imported to this country by American companies will be resented, I have two thoughts: 1) if they are being brought over because there is a dire need for them that absolutely cannot be met in this country, then I say, bring them on in. However, we should also redouble our efforts to make sure we can supply future scientists and engineers from our own populace by proper educational incentives. 2) if they are being brought over because American companies want to save a few thousand dollars in salaries by dumping their American employees, then, no, we don't need them.

Immigration must be VERY restricted and must be in the interests of OUR country, not an escape valve for the hellholes of the world.

[reelfoot]

"And, they didn't come over through some backdoor liberal "migration" path. They waited years to be admitted legally. They were the true immigrants who came over and continued to work for America, not using social services, or demanding that govt. ballots and other documents be in their native tongues. They did not bankrupt 83 emergency rooms in Southern California and many more in Arizona, they did not flip SUV after SUV packed full on our highways, sometimes into innocent Americans, they did not trash our towns, ranches, and hiking trails with human waste and medical needles, they did not bring leprosy and tuberculosis with them en masse."

A well-stated contrast of prior immigrants with those invading our land today. Thank you.

[Borax Queen]

We don't need a lot of immigration in this country anyway. From the roads I travel on and the population statistics I see, it doesn't seem we're going to run out of people here anytime soon. As a matter of fact, we're adding millions at an alarming rate each decade. So we don't need to import millions to fill an unpopulated western half of our country. And those relatively few we allow in should be carefully chosen to be those who have unique intellects and can contribute to our country in a way no lettuce-picker can.

BTTT! And, there is always the matter of water out here in the semi-arid West... Do we need to crowd more people onto our poorly maintained roads, see even more trash, wait longer than four hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor, even when we are having chest pains?

[Borax Queen]

Our posts just crossed :) Thank you for yours too!

Sometimes, people's misinformation and race-baiting campaigns need to be corrected.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

The European welfare state is not so bad that Europeans are coming over here in droves. I’ve got family over there and they’re comfortable. As for the scientists and engineers, yes, we should encourage more of our own to study those subjects. When I was in engineering school, most of the class was foreign. Are Americans not interested in studying this stuff? And why aren’t they? As for employers hiring foreign born engineers, most of the resumes I got had foreign names on them. Only a minority were American. We didn’t hire foreigners because they were cheaper - we hired them because that’s what was out there.

Now, we do need lettuce pickers and chambermaids too, and I really believe these are jobs Americans don’t want to do. There are plenty of more comfortable jobs available. You can see that by our low unemployment levels. Businesses can suffer if there are not enough workers to fill jobs.

Immigrants wouldn’t be sneaking into the country if there weren’t jobs for them to go to. They’d go back, and tell their family and friends not to bother following them.

Yes, we need to shut down our border. No one should be coming here without our permission, lettuce picker or otherwise.

[brytlea]

I agree but we ARE the ones deciding ... anytime we hire them.<[>

Using that logic, all drugs should be legal as well. And prostitution. And in fact, selling stolen goods. susie

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

They were the true immigrants who came over and continued to work for America, not using social services, or demanding that govt. ballots and other documents be in their native tongues.

That's more the fault of native born American liberals, than of the immigrants. It was the Democrats that got social servive programs started.