The San Francisco Chronicle editorial of 3/12/07, Help Wanted – From Congress, elaborates on the growing problems involved in the present national approach to illegal immigrants.
Colorado has instituted a very tough anti-illegal immigrant law which has subsequently discouraged migrant workers from going to Colorado for work. The result is that Colorado now has to use inmates from the state’s corrections department to work in the fields instead.
There are similar problems in other states as well. California, in particular, last year ran 50,000 workers below a peak workforce of 500,000.
My question is, where are all the anti-immigrant Americans who have complained about immigrants, both legal and illegal, taking their jobs? Those tough, backbreaking, slave-wage jobs look like a wonderful opportunity to take their country back to me.
3 weeks ago
8 comments:
I usually refrain from commenting about your immigration issues due to my lack of knowledge in this matter.
I have always been aware, that your economy is benefiting hugely of having unlimited supply of cheap labour to take care of the "bottom" jobs. Nevertheless, the extent which America is dependant on them is eye opening as well as suprising. Obviously, this confusion has never bee with you, LittleBill.
What has happened in Colorado is almost like what has happened to the American foreign policies. Intellectually challenged leaders tend to make their political moves in the strange detatched way, one by one, and never quite being able to see what might the consequenses be. The simple understanding, that every action will create a reaction and to try and see what it might be, would be the thing to do.
However, people demand myopic, sometimes xenophobic, and quick action by their leaders and they seem to get it because there are very few among the politicians who have wisdom and integrety enough to take the harder but right route.
Pekka, I'm not speaking here as a Colorado native, because I have nothing to boast about there. But the truth of the matter is that I harbor some illiberal thoughts on the subject of immigration. Deep down I believe that, among the responsibilities of states is the monitor and control of their borders. As far as Colorado goes, one of the few people I can brag most about is (Democratic) ex-governor Lamb: his tough position on immigration was similar to his tough positions on other issues that your normal politician could merely turn away from. Contemporaneously, we have Republican Senator Tom Tancredo, who is also a bully on immigration. Without knowing what other issues get Tom-Tom's drum rolling, I have to admire him for that much, anyway.
(I expect to get fairly whacked upside the head for saying all of the above.)
You're right, Vigilante. You deserve to be whacked upside the head. One of the earliest things I wrote when I first got my blog was about the hatred that some people felt for foreigners in need who were willing to endanger their lives to make a living. And I said this would eventually translate into open hatred by Americans in general for latinos in general, whether we know them individually or not. Some democracy! The root cause that drives human migration is overpopulation. And overpopulation is driven by ignorance and religious fantasy and stupidity.
Vigil, unlike LittleBill, I am not going to whack you for your seemingly harsh comments. As the matter of fact, you two simultaineously take the both, relevant sides of the issue and this duality is my reality.
I am absolutely charmed by LittelBill's capacity for decency and humanity combined with not a small measure of wisdom. I desperately wish to have her take on the emigration dilemma but, at the same time, I recognize the right, the duty, and the need for a country to be able to protect her borders and ultimately judge who does or doesn't enter.
I refered in my first comment about my lacking in knowledge surrounding this hot topic. I should have kept my big fat mouth shut and not commiting a "John Kerry" as I am doing here. I give the game to LittleBill by a field goal.
Have to agree with Vigil on this issue. Every country has a right to control its borders and decide who is allowed to cross it. And yes, I've read enough to believe that there is a major issue of social services like schools and hospitals being pushed to the breaking point by the influx of illegals.
But illegals do occupy an important position in this country by working jobs that even generally unemployed Americans will not take. I do not care to guess how much we would end up paying for food if somehow the border was sealed and all illegals were sent home. Those looking to send all illegals home live in some fantasy world which due to the impossibility of the task makes us very lucky.
So with these seemingly opposing views some sort of middle ground has to be found. As much as I hate to even to begin to agree with Bush about anything a very liberal guest worker policy has to be developed. And along with that a real physical statement has to be made about securing the southern border. Yes, I'm talking about some sort of physical barrier, along with a beefed up border patrol to manage it. This wall would be far from perfect but both side of this issue are going to have to swallow some pride and give a little for the benefit of us all.
In answer to all of you re the immigration issue, I don’t gelieve for a moment that Bush
really cares about the issue. Like his many appearances in New Orleans and other sites of suffering, wsrutehpl (with sleeves rolled up to emulate hard physical labor) (I’m stealing from Vigilante, but mine is not as alliterative and handsome), Bush uses speeches and appearances only to (first) feed his personal ego and (second) win supporters. As you can see from New Orleans and Iraq, he’s not great on follow-through.
I agree, immigration as an ongoing process will eventually destroy this country, as it will other countries around the world. I recently re-posted my original letter on overpopulation, which will explain what is going on in my head on this subject. Unless population is curbed and lowered, there is no hope for human beings or, sadly, for the rest of the world.
What is really disturbing to me is what is happening to and inside of us as human beings as we gradually grow to accept and favor walls and guards and military strength and our own personal comfort and inner peace and self-regard. We are becoming an animal ruled by greed of every sort and personal intellectual and physical violence.
Listen Little Willy, before you self-righteously go around whacking people for their practical realism, answer one question for me, will you. You pontificate about over population, but never talk about what you think an acceptable population level might look like.
Same thing with immigration. In all of your liberal-do-gooding wholesome luvy-duviness, tell me how much immigration you think is acceptable? 1 million per year? 2 million per year? 5? 10? How much, Little Willy, is too much?
Glad you asked, Messenger, because you misunderestimate where I'm coming from. Go to my post for 12/30/06 in my archives, where you will find two of my most important posts on the subject. Please get back to me after you have read them.