Myth Monopoly - Misleading amnesty advocacy

National Review ^ | May 23, 2007 | Thomas Sowell

[Shermy]

Every aspect of the current immigration bill, and of the arguments made for it, has “fraud” written all over it.

The first, and perhaps biggest, fraud is the argument that illegal aliens are “doing jobs Americans won’t do.” There are no such jobs.

Even in the sector of the economy in which illegal immigrants have the highest representation — agriculture — they are just 24 percent of the workers. Where did the other 76 percent come from, if these are jobs that Americans won’t do?

The argument that illegal agricultural workers are “making a contribution to the economy” is likewise misleading.

For well over half a century, this country has had chronic agricultural surpluses which have cost the taxpayers billions of dollars a year to buy, store, and try to get rid of on the world market at money-losing prices.

If there were fewer agricultural workers and smaller agricultural surpluses, the taxpayers would save money.

What about illegal immigrants working outside of agriculture? They are a great bargain for their employers, because they are usually hard-working people who accept low pay and don’t cause any trouble on the job.

But they are no bargain for the taxpayers who cover their medical bills, the education of their children, and the costs of imprisoning those who commit a disproportionate share of crime.

Analogies with immigrants who came to this country in the 19th century and early 20th century are hollow, and those who make such analogies must know how different the situation is today.

People who crossed an ocean to get here, many generations ago, usually came here to become Americans. There were organized efforts within their communities, as well as in the larger society around them, to help them assimilate.

Today, there are activists working in just the opposite direction, to keep foreigners foreign, to demand that society adjust to them by making everything accessible to them in their own language, minimizing their need to learn English.

As activists are working hard to keep alive a foreign subculture in so-called “bilingual” and other programs, they are also feeding the young especially with a steady diet of historic grievances about things that happened before the immigrants got here — and before they were born.

These Balkanization efforts are joined by other Americans as part of the “multicultural” ideology that pervades the education system, the media, and politics.

The ease with which people can move back and forth between the United States and Mexico — as contrasted with those who made a one-way trip across the Atlantic in earlier times — reduces still further the likelihood that these new immigrants will assimilate and become an integral part of the American society as readily as many earlier immigrants did.

Claims that the new immigration bill will have “tough” requirements, including learning English, have little credibility in view of the way existing laws are not being enforced.

What does “learning English” mean? I can say arrivederci and buongiorno but does that mean that I speak Italian?

Does anyone expect a serious effort to require a real knowledge of English from a government that captures people trying to enter the country illegally and then turns them loose inside the United States with instructions to report back to court — which of course they are not about to do?

Another fraudulent argument for the new immigration bill is that it would facilitate the “unification of families.” People can unify their families by going back home to them. Otherwise every illegal immigrant accepted can mean a dozen relatives to follow.

“What can we do with the 12 million people already here illegally?” is the question asked by amnesty supporters. We can stop them from becoming 40 million or 50 million, the way 3 million illegals became 12 million after the previous amnesty.

The most fundamental question of all has not been asked: Who should decide how many people, with what qualifications and prospects, are to be admitted into this country? Is that decision supposed to be made by anyone in Mexico who wants to come here?

[Shermy]

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[stephenjohnbanker]

B U M P

[mikeus_maximus]

Today, there are activists working in just the opposite direction, to keep foreigners foreign, to demand that society adjust to them by making everything accessible to them in their own language, minimizing their need to learn English.

Liberals have snuffed out the pilot light on the Melting Pot. The would like nothing more that to see America balkanized, to fail and descend to global level of misery, so their great Utopiae can come about.

[MizSterious]

In case you haven’t see this ping!

[Edgerunner]

For reference bump, thanx

[MizSterious]

"People can unify their families by going back home to them."

I'm always surprised when people (supposedly on our side) don't answer that question this way. It's so obvious.

Another great column by Sowell, thanks for posting it, Shermy.

[AndyTheBear]

I can say arrivederci and buongiorno but does that mean that I speak Italian?

Must be. I can only say the first one.

[Shermy]

If you want to drive them crazier,

Point out Canada has a merit based immigration system, not our edistant relative reunification policy.

[Publius6961]

Every aspect of the current immigration bill, and of the arguments made for it, has “fraud” written all over it.

Of course it does.
Our "masters", Congress, are using the tried and true tactic of offering death, hoping we will settle for simple dismemberment and feel gratitude in the process.

Discussing the current problem with American politics would be to hijack this thread; suffice to say that our "representatives" have not represented us for generations. We have become too big as a country for Representative Democracy to work.

Congressmen and Senators all eagerly embrace the salaries, the retirement and the perks of office, and that becomes their focus for as long as they can. All will retire millionaires if they work the system properly.

You or I might believe that what we think is the most important thing.
As elected representatives, on the other hand, we are obligated by ethics and morals, if not by law to consider what our constituents think is proper, regardless of what we think of its propriety.

This simple idea has been long dead. The only solution aside from term limits, is a serious reduction in salary across the board. The argument that it attracts the best and the brightest is still believed only by the worst and the dullest.

No reasonable version of the public will is possible until this dichotomy is eliminated. This insanity of allowing them the power, the perks, the retirements, the riches, with no accountability has got, somehow, to be totally overhauled.

I'll have to revisit deTocqueville. I am almost sure that, although he admired American democracy in principle, he predicted it's demise due to accumulating failures of principle, driven by greed and the worst humans possible, with no qualifications, being continually elected.

[southernerwithanattitude]

No more amnesty scams! These people have NO intention of becomeing Americans.

One thing I don’t understand is why we don’t make the television stations and radio stations that broadcast to them use at least 25% English. That way we can MAKE them learn English. No, they want me to learn Spanish. It just kills me to go to Walmart in Canton Georgia and half of the customers in there are speaking %#@^* Spanish.

[rockinqsranch]

Yes, this is their goal, creative dissention to achieve change. It’s working. Must be stopped and one way to stop it is to flush the elitist Congressional Bowl beginning the next election, and continue to pull the chain the two after that.

Inbreds of discourse=Tenured Politicians. We need Term Limits.

[apocalypto]

Good article.

[Afronaut]

"Another fraudulent argument for the new immigration bill is that it would facilitate the “unification of families.” People can unify their families by going back home to them."

One good Recession and it will be game over. The illegals with help cause it.

[gubamyster]

ping

[PajamaTruthMafia]

bump

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>As elected representatives, on the other hand, we are obligated by ethics and morals, if not by law to consider what our constituents think is proper, regardless of what we think of its propriety.<<

That's how it's supposed to work but...

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State." - Goebbels

[Tennessee Nana]

Save the American citizen tax-payers money?

Are you mad?

That’s not the job of the congress..That’s not why they went to DC...

Te congress went to DC to...to...to...

Ummmmmmm...Hmmmmmmmmmm

[Arizona Carolyn]

Good article, thanks for the ping.

[Cacique]

CALL! CALL! CALL! CALL! AND KEEP CALLING TILL THE LINES FRY!

WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! TILL YOU RUN OUT OF INK IN YOUR PEN!

Bombard the Democrats as well, especially the ones that ran on an anti immigration plank and the ones in marginal districts who could be vulnerable. keep pounding on them.

STOP AMNESTY NOW!! WE CAN DO IT!!

The best way to stop Shamnesty