Posted on 03/27/2006 9:08:57 PM PST by RWR8189
Immigration is yet another issue which we seem unable to discuss rationally -- in part because words have been twisted beyond recognition in political rhetoric.
We can't even call illegal immigrants "illegal immigrants." The politically correct evasion is "undocumented workers."
Do American citizens go around carrying documents with them when they work or apply for work? Most Americans are undocumented workers but they are not illegal immigrants. There is a difference.
The Bush administration is pushing a program to legalize "guest workers." But what is a guest? Someone you have invited. People who force their way into your home without your permission are called gate crashers.
If truth-in-packaging laws applied to politics, the Bush guest worker program would have to be called a "gate-crasher worker" program. The President's proposal would solve the problem of illegal immigration by legalizing it after the fact.
We could solve the problem of all illegal activity anywhere by legalizing it. Why use this approach only with immigration? Why should any of us pay a speeding ticket if immigration scofflaws are legalized after the fact for committing a federal crime?
Most of the arguments for not enforcing our immigration laws are exercises in frivolous rhetoric and slippery sophistry, rather than serious arguments that will stand up under scrutiny.
How often have we heard that illegal immigrants "take jobs that Americans will not do"? What is missing in this argument is what is crucial in any economic argument: price.
Americans will not take many jobs at their current pay levels -- and those pay levels will not rise so long as poverty-stricken immigrants are willing to take those jobs.
If Mexican journalists were flooding into the United States and taking jobs as reporters and editors at half the pay being earned by American reporters and editors, maybe people in the media would understand why the argument about "taking jobs that Americans don't want" is such nonsense.
Another variation on the same theme is that we "need" the millions of illegal aliens already in the United States. "Need" is another word that blithely ignores prices.
If jet planes were on sale for a thousand dollars each, I would probably "need" a couple of them -- an extra one to fly when the first one needed repair or maintenance. But since these planes cost millions of dollars, I don't even "need" one.
There is no fixed amount of "need," independently of prices, whether with planes or workers.
None of the rhetoric and sophistry that we hear about immigration deals with the plain and ugly reality: Politicians are afraid of losing the Hispanic vote and businesses want cheap labor.
What millions of other Americans want has been brushed aside, as if they don't count, and they have been soothed with pious words. But now the voters are getting fed up, which is why there are immigration bills in Congress.
The old inevitability ploy is often trotted out in immigration debates: It is not possible to either keep out illegal immigrants or to expel the ones already here.
If you mean stopping every single illegal immigrant from getting in or expelling every single illegal immigrant who is already here, that may well be true. But does the fact that we cannot prevent every single murder cause us to stop enforcing the laws against murder?
Since existing immigration laws are not being enforced, how can anyone say that it would not do any good to try? People who get caught illegally crossing the border into the United States pay no penalty whatever. They are sent back home and can try again.
What if bank robbers who were caught were simply told to give the money back and not do it again? What if murderers who were caught were turned loose and warned not to kill again? Would that be proof that it is futile to take action, when no action was taken?
Let's hope the immigration bills before Congress can at least get an honest debate, instead of the word games we have been hearing for too long.
True, and absolutely unrecognized by the MSM or much of anyone outside conservative media circles because he's a black conservative.
No, they are called home invaders and it is legal in most states to shoot the SOBs.
Especially since we've admitted that we can't control this problem...heck, we can't even send them back because we can't FIND most of them!
Funny, I seem to remember Reagan in 1986 or so when we did the amnesty program saying this would be a one-time thing, it was their only chance, yada yada yada.
Just like Social Security -- ignoring the problem will NOT make it go away!
Rational and right on from Thomas Sowell!
Conflict of Visions
The money sentence.
The sentence to understand if you want to understand the deceptive reality of the administration's agenda and rhetoric.
Yes. I had to provide two of either Birth Certificate, Passport, SS card, Drivers License or DD 242 for the last 20 projects I was hired for.
"Guest status will require them to register so we can then keep tract of them."
Now that we have 11 million who have come here illegally and failed to pay income taxes (a crime for the rest of us), what makes you think they will "register" so that we can "keep tract(sic) of them" so they will have to pay the income taxes like the rest of us?
What is a DD-242?
Americans will not take many jobs at their current pay levels -- and those pay levels will not rise so long as poverty-stricken immigrants are willing to take those jobs.
None of the rhetoric and sophistry that we hear about immigration deals with the plain and ugly reality: Politicians are afraid of losing the Hispanic vote and businesses want cheap labor.
I agree! Unlike many writers, he is also a very engaging speaker and I try to view whatever program he appears on. Too bad I never had a professor like him!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- shout from the rooftops!
If you listen to the echo, it sounds like, "inflationary, with intermediate-term disruptions and even more purchases of foreign goods"
It is one of the accepted forms for verifying eligibility to work, seperation from active duty from the US Armed forces.
you're right...might cause inflation...let's just have bus services then and just forget about a border....that's cool.
I have to have my social security number when i apply for a job
I DON’T want to be allied with those that cringe ever time they see a Hispanic. I DON’T want to spend my time searching the news for crimes committed by Hispanics and whining about each one (like a handful of Freepers).
But we have to insist that people come into this country legally. I would think that those that are here legally would want the illegals out of here…they cast a shadow over all Hispanics.
So, we need to send folks back and secure our border. Then we can talk about letting folks in legally and letting them work.
I'm not advocating that nonsense but just offering a friendly reminder that we better not whine when we see the real economic consequences to such actions.
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