Victor Davis Hanson: A Borderless World. The global immigration problem

Thousands of aliens crossing our 2,000-mile border from an impoverished Mexico reflect a much larger global one-way traffic problem.

In Germany, Turkish workers — both legal and illegal — are desperate to find either permanent residence or citizenship.

“Londonistan” is slang for a new London of thousands of unassimilated Pakistani nationals.

In France, there were riots in 2005 because many children of North African immigrants are unemployed — and unhappy.

Albanians flock to Greece to do farm work, and then are regularly deported for doing so illegally.

The list could go on.

So why do millions of these border-crossers head to Europe, the United States or elsewhere in the West?

Easy. Stable democracies and free markets ensure economic growth, rising standards of living, and, thus, lots of jobs, while these countries’ birth rates and native populations fall. In contrast, immigrants usually flee mostly failed states that cannot offer their people any real hope of prosperity and security.

Precisely what we are trying to fix in Iraq, build a decent stable prosperous Democracy where the citizens can prosper and live better lives. Problem is the Tyrants don’t want to give up their slaves so easily.

The Liberals love these third worlders, a large pool of ignorant welfare recipient voters to keep them forever in control. It’s not the ignorant refuges fault, they are at least smart enough to know where the welfare hammock is and make a bee line to it.

Global Communism isn’t the answer, despite the wishes of Mrs Bill Clinton.

“Problem is the Tyrants don’t want to give up their slaves so easily.”

When has it ever been diferent?

“The Liberals love these third worlders, a large pool of ignorant welfare recipient voters to keep them forever in control.”

Oh yes they love them, they love them....over there not in their nieghborhoods.

As I’ve said before Americas immigration problem won’t be solved north of the border but south of the border. That’s not to say we shouldn’t build the fence and do what we can to control the border (that’s just common sense) but until Mexico and nations south reform their political & social culture the poor folk are going to keep coming.

There are many important issues related to immigration problem. But to my opinion there is one most crucial - assimilation. The famous melting pot mostly gone and we have a multi-culti salad bowl. It does not work. America experienced large waves of immigration before with strange foreigners coming onshore; and mistrust and fear of them changing America to their ways. They did influence America, but America changed them more. In second generation most spoke good or perfect English and in third (or even second) mostly forgotten the grandparents' language.

We need an unapologetic Americanization program - back to the melting pot. I am not forgetting the border issue - of course it must be shut completely before any other step. Its silly even to discuss it. Any country has a right to control its borders. So, shut the borders, control immigration on your own terms, institute the Americanization program. What to do with all who are here illegally already can be decided later.

Americanization is the key. Lets have a mental experiment. Lets say we have a small number of illegals who don't care about ever become Americans. Nobody is concerned - their numbers are too small. Imagine the opposite - a large number of illegals who quickly learn English, work hard, adopt to America, never want to go back and can give anything for the opportunity to become American: I am sure their illegal status would be overlooked by the vast majority of people. It might be a concern, but with all other problems in life, it'd go to the bottom of the list. (Please be honest - would you be so upset with the guy who tried so hard to become an American, was not waving a Mexican flag and was busting his butt working hard and was teaching his kids that America is good and they better learn English fast?). Americans ARE forgiving people, one really have to try hard to annoy them so much.

Its only when large number of foreigners retain their foreigner-ness indefinitely, and second and third generations are still foreigners, and they still coming and coming - then we have a problem (like now).

Our leftist friends do a disservice to people, as always. If they insisted with all America that newcomers must adopt and get Americanized, or leave - there would be practically no people that have immigration as their number one issue, or number two, or even number ten.

“Londonistan” is slang for a new London of thousands of unassimilated Pakistani nationals.

But Vic they make a good curry. And if you can't have a good curry, what's the point in living? This coming from the idiot that claimed Europe was 'soulless' because they weren't 'patriotic' enough to fit his standards

So is it just 'those' people Vic has a problem with? Guess he's not worried about Polish plumbers then. Before I go to London again, I really need to email Vic so he can point me to this 'Londonistan' I somehow keep missing. I mean I've looked for it but can't seem to find it. Maybe it's not the problem Vic makes it out to be.

We need an unapologetic Americanization program - back to the melting pot.

Something I recall reading a while ago, there was a poll done (oh yes we MUST have a poll before we do what common sense tells us is right /rant) where immigrants (including I assume illegals) were asked if they wanted english or their native language used in schools. Shockingly enough well shocking to a certain class of people they wanted their kids to learn english,.
IF we get control of the border all these other problems will sort themselves out in the end. But we must get control of the border..otherwise...well nothing good can happen.

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