Posted on 05/05/2006 1:54:20 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer
Immigration issues are always ripe for demagoguery, particularly in an election year. But the solution to the very real problems along the U.S.-Mexican border can be found, ironically, in that other part of the world that American demagogues love to ridicule: old Europe.
Two years ago, the European Union admitted 10 new nations into their backyard. Like Mexico, all of these nations were poor, some of them fairly backward, corrupt and recently ravaged by war and communist dictatorship.
But the leaders of the European Union wisely created policies for fostering regional economic and political integration that make efforts like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) look timid and halfhearted by comparison.
Europe realized it had to prevent a "giant sucking sound" of businesses and jobs relocating from the 15 wealthier nations to the 10 poorer nations. It also had to foster prosperity and the spread of a middle class in these emerging economies, and prevent an influx of poor workers to the richer nations.
So for starters it gave the new states massive subsidies – billions of dollars – to help construct schools, roads, telecommunications and housing, making these nations more attractive for business investment. The idea was to raise up the emerging economies rather than drag down the advanced economies. It is expensive, but the result has turned out to be a larger economic union in which a rising tide floats all boats.
In return, the 10 poorer nations had to agree to raise their standards on the environment, labor laws, health and safety and more. The incentive of admission to the European club was used as the carrot to the poorer nations for acceptance of human rights and political democracy. There won't be any border maquiladoras in the European Union.
The flow of worker migration still is regulated. Immigrants will be carefully integrated so as to cause the least amount of disruption to the developed economies, with the goal of having open borders within a decade or two.
This bold yet carefully planned EU approach suggests the direction that policy between the U.S. and Mexico should go. Increasingly the demands of the global economy will push the North American regional integration out of the realm of a shadow economy and flawed free trade agreement. But what might such an American-Mexican union look like?
It would start with massive subsidies from the U.S. to Mexico, a Tex-Mex Marshall Plan, with the goal of decreasing disparities on the Mexican side of the border and fostering a climate riper for investment. This would create more jobs in Mexico and foster a middle class, homeownership and better schools, roads and healthcare. Fewer Mexicans would then desire to emigrate north, instead staying home, creating more consumers to buy U.S. products.
But Europe's union is not just an economic one; it also includes continent-wide political institutions for all 25 nations. As American-Mexican economic integration unfolds, regional political structures also make sense to allow better coordination and supervision of the regulatory regime and common goals. Canada, not wishing to be left out, would ask for inclusion.
And here's an even more intriguing possibility. We always assume that opening the border means hordes of Mexicans streaming north, but under this scenario, more Americans also would begin emigrating to Mexico. With the cost of living spiraling along the coasts and in cities, many Americans would find not only the cheaper prices but also the warm climate and palm trees of Mexico a more attractive alternative than relocating to the frigid tundras of South Dakota or Kansas.
Call it the Mexican safety valve, with American workers migrating to Mexico in search of jobs, homeownership, even to start businesses. In other words, they would chase the American dream in Mexico. Already we see the beginnings of this, with American expatriate communities springing up around cities such as Guadalajara.
The Census Bureau predicts that by 2050 the number of Latinos and Asians will triple in the U.S. and whites will make up only 50% of the nation's population. For many people, these changes are alarming, but economic disparities guarantee that poor Mexicans will continue seeking entry into El Norte, legally or illegally.
Given these demographic realities, gradual integration of the American and Mexican economies is the only sensible solution. Of course, U.S. politicians are reluctant to talk about this levelheaded approach, preferring to stick to bumper-sticker slogans and avoid the reality of border issues.
In the meantime, the U.S. is missing out on huge economic opportunities while the European Union has grown to the largest trading bloc in the world, poised for the 21st century. Old Europe is looking spry on its feet, while the U.S. is looking clumsy and stuck to the flypaper of old ideas.
I think the globalists are attempting to test the waters by going public to the American people.
Last I checked, things are not all rosy in the EU...
Agreed.
So, I gather that the gist of the article is that we are supposed to give Vincente Fox a lot of American dollars to improve his country?
How completely asinine is that? On how many levels?
Damn peacenik idiot. They should all go stand in front of a giant bulldozer. (Not you, the writer of the 'article').
I note that nowhere in this article are any metrics that this approach is actually working.
so they sold out their people under socialistic ideals to people who won't,or now have the need to,assimilate. Guess "old europe" will remain forever old......
Doogle
The massive Mexican Marshall Plan will go straight into the pockets of the ruling elites, like every other substantial chunk of change has gone since the 1920s. The only President of Mexico over the past 60 years who didn't retired wealthy beyond his wildest dreams was Miguel de la Madrid. Meanwhile, the peons will be as miserable as ever, and eager to swim the river and live here. This guy has no clue of how Mexico operates.
Stephen Hill? From the New America Foundation?
Could we find a more anti-American, one world, source to post than this?
THE ILLEGAL ALIENS ALREADY ARE SENDING $20 BILLION/YEAR.
And Germany's unemployment rate is 11.3% The plan is working.
</sarc>
I suspect Mexico might object to being annexed by the US.
"So, I gather that the gist of the article is that we are supposed to give Vincente Fox a lot of American dollars to improve his country? "
Well, after his buddies steal it all and send it to their numbered bank accounts, the poverty problem in the Cayman Islands will be solved.
"I suspect Mexico might object to being annexed by the US"
Mexico is the one doing the annexing.
One of the reasons I burst into tears when my brother called and told me about the planes hitting the WTC on 9/11 was that so much we Americans and President Bush could have accomplished during the Bush administration was now going to be impossible with the upcoming war expenditures.
The 21st Century was going to be "the Century of the Americas" with a lot of aid for economic development in Mexico, Central and South America with the same goals as this European plan.
Instead we got the Century of Global Terrorism and the clash of fundamentalist Islam with Western civilization.
I read about some of the Mexicans in Mexico City cheering at the planes hitting the WTC, and thought they had no idea how much a dagger into their hearts also were those planes used as missiles.
That's Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico, perhaps?
Santa Monica = "Moscow by the Sea"
Just the ones to embrace the exportation of our middle class standard of living.
Sounds like a Liberal pushing One World again. I don't want it.
And every day will have blue skies, and children can have ice cream whenever they want. What a vision of sweetness and light.
What he is talking about is the plan already. Up until now, it has been alleged to be the plan by people who have beem dismissed as tin-foil hat wearers. Writing like this seems to be designed to break the news to everybody.
Even though he doesn't exactly say it, I get the feeling that what he means is, it's going to happen whether you like it or not, so you might as well get used to it.
Like the lines from the Monty Python song, "I Like Chinese":
"There's nine hundred million of them in the world today,
You'd better learn to like them, that's what I say."
Socialism alert.
This would be like giving the Soprano Family money to improve conditions in New Jersey. Mexico has the dumbest upper class South of Philadelphia.
It is my impression that they do not wish to see the lot of those below them improved. We enable this retrograde view by allowing them to download their poor people and their social problems to us. We are the safety valve.
This would be like giving the Soprano Family money to improve conditions in New Jersey. Mexico has the dumbest upper class South of Savannah.
It is my impression that they do not wish to see the lot of those below them improved. We enable this retrograde view by allowing them to download their poor people and their social problems to us. We are the safety valve.
Very informative post. I will investigate myself. Not only is Mr. Hill's article reprehensible, but to find out the USTDA is giving out money to Mexico when we are running a huge deficit, and not properly funding our borders, something needs to be done.
Latinos are not a race. They are brown, black and white. Asians are not uniformly one race either. They include Indians, Chinese, Korean, and Pacific Islanders.
The modes-operandi of the EU invaders is the same as the illegals oozing over our borders. The "newcomers" breed like rabbits, while the "natives" moderate their issue. That way, the patient "newcomers" take over, and the "natives" are eventually put on reservations. History does repeat itself.
I still wonder why V. Fox is coming to Washinton State to conflab with our illegal governor.
Doh!
Hill can go jump off a cliff.
The Eurabian immigration program, the Euro-Med Dialogue, is a disaster. Their problem is not one that can be fixed. This time we won't be able to save them.
Say, 'hello' Eurabia.
Gee, what a suprise. Someone writing from the People's Republic of Santa Monica advocating world government.
I second the motion for Hill to jump off a cliff.
Only one teensy problem. Boats aren't rising in the Europeon Union.
Chente Fax is also coming to Utah.
Supposedly, he's going to meet with our governor.
But he really has to pass out Payroll Checks to Chris Cannon and Orrin Hatch.
You know what I love about this kind of article:
They always come across as: Gee, all this discussion about illegal immigration and the answer is so simple. How come I'm so smart and everyone else is so dumb.
And then they go on to propose some utter nonsense.
Like we're supposed to respond: Gee, you are so smart, how come we're all so dumb. Of course _________________ is the solution to illegal immigration. Why didn't I think of that.
World government is one. Another is, just let eveyone in but charge them a couple thousand bucks so the coyote fees go to the govt instead of the coyotes. That one's popular with some Libertarians.
I don't want it either. I don't usually find myself thanking the communists for much, but I can say Thank You to Fidel, Ugo, and that creep in Bolivia for stirring up the campesinos because THEY don't want it either.
After the Mixcan elections in July, Mixco will be part of the rabid, howling, marxist nightmare that wants nothing to do with any free trade agreement as well.
And it's always comical when someone cites an absurd example of success.
Citing Europe as an example of economic and social success.
I also get a kick out of when people cite Bush as an example of political success. I believe it was political analyst Allan Hoffenblum that said Arnold Schwarzenegger should emulate George Bush in his outreach to Latinos- that was the way for Schwarzenegger to be politically successful.
Yeah, right, George W. Bush is the great model of how to be a successful politician.
bump for later
I think I prefer Randy Newman.
We give them money, but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful.
They don't respect us, so let's surprise them.
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them.
"They are the G8, the WTO, the World Bank and the IMF. They know exactly what they are doing."
Under the continual guidance of the CFR.
ping
I prefer to simply use the US military, roll over mexico and annex it as the 51st state. If that won't work, mine the border.
Yeh, worked real well in Denmark, Holland, France, and the UK, huh?
I wonder if the author of this piece realizes that the Germans are going nuts in northern germany because of all the Muslims from Turkey that moved to Berlin and are destroying the city.
USTDA funding last year was about $44million. Alot of money but not a huge amount considering. There are plenty of agencies in the government getting a couple $100 mil a year that we could do away with but dont make a hill of beans to our deficit.
The government is not authorized by the constitution to give away our tax money to improve the infrastructure of foreign countries so our businesses can outsource and offshore there. It is not authorized by the constitution to give away our tax money to negotiate FDI by shutting down domestic industry in exchange for businesses to be able to directly invest in foreign countries.
So it really doesn't matter if the money is small in comparison, its just plain WRONG.
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