Posted on 05/22/2007 7:10:48 PM PDT by jazusamo
May 23, 2007
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?
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Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. His Web site is www.tsowell.com.
bttt
I agree totally with what Dr. Sowell has written here but I DO wish that he would stop referring to these gate crashers as "immigrants"! Immigrants are those who have respected our laws and entered our country legally. The folks he is referring to here have done the exact opposite!
Ka-ping! It’s so good to see this kind of clear thinking.
There are probably 40 million illegals here Thomas.
I hear you, but at least he uses the term “illegal.” :-)
I listened to Juan Williams ask on Special Report for the millionth time who is going to mow our lawns. I’d like to know if any freepers have illegals mowing their lawns.
They are CRIMINAL INVADERS.
And the morons in Washington aiding and abetting them are TRAITORS who are selling out our birthright.
He's not smart enough to know which side of the mower goes down.
I love to see the veins bulge on the sides of his head every week when Hume nails him.
No, but I do have a really cute young man from down the street wh uses that money to get through college!
Scenery is not bad either!
not wh.... “Who”
DUH!
There isn’t much Thomas Sowell is saying here I haven’t also thought. I agree with every word. Well done and thank you for the post.
Agreed...He’s a great thinker and writer.
Absolutely. One of the classic signs of a scam is pressure to decide NOW before this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity goes away.
Just Google signs scam. The first item is Warning Signs of a Scam Business by Sandra Stammberger... 5) Rushing You To Make A Decision - I'm not talking about the product sites that offer special discounts if you buy before a specific date. I'm talking about the business opportunity companies that - instead of answering your questions - pressure you to go ahead and buy in. I advise you not to trust anyone who is unwilling to give you the information you need to make a qualified decision. I can almost promise a scam is involved if that is the case.
Disclaimer: I have no idea what Sandra Stammberger thinks about the immigration bill.
I have been reading him since my college sociology classes.
I think the senators on the Hill are getting a lot more adverse reaction to this than they thought they would. We have to keep calling and writing, keep the pressure on, it’ll make a difference.
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.
Did any of you hear Chambliss today on M. Medved’s show? He said that NOTHING goes forward UNTIL 300+ miles of the fence is built? Just wondering if anyone else has read or heard this angle.
Indeed! And that doesn't even touch the fact that calling them "immigrants" must be HIGHLY insulting to actual immigrants who have gotten here by FOLLOWING THE LAW!
No, I haven’t but hope it’s true. I’d prefer all the fence up before anything goes forward.
Excellent point.
Ciao, brother! Way to speak Eye-talian! Don’t ya just love that pasta? As for whether the lawn mower guy is “illegal”, every time I ask him if he’s an alien, he says, “Me-uh no speak-uh no English”, and the next guy says, “No comprendey Engleso”, and the final guy says, “Beam me up, Scottie”. I think the first two are “illegals” and the third is an alien.
Williams is the typical Beltway elitist. Most of the people I know ( myself included ) mow their own lawns !!!
In a nutshell.
I can't speak for all freepers but this one sure doesn't! I mow my own grass and do my own taxes the latter just to remind me as to why I have my tagline.
SARCASM ALERT!!!
Mr Sowell is one of my heros and someone who should be in a position to guide our country's future. Walter Williams, Ann Coulter and all logic lovin' conservatives...
Front and Center!!
I actually have a REAL immigrant that mows my lawn. He is Spanish Basque and immigrated here legally believe it or not......many, many years ago.
So yes, I have an American mow my lawn.
We keep hearing this noise about not being able to send these illegals home. I think 2 things could happen that would make it unwise to stay here illegally. Both have to do with stiff fines. First of all set a date for the start of this exodus.
From that date forward, any person or company who is found to have employed an illegal will be fined an amount for each day and that daily fine will double every 10 days.
Second, after the set date for the beginning of the exodus, all illegals will be given 30 days to get their affairs in order and then start departing. The 31st day is the start of the fining period for the illegals as well as the employers, with the daily fine doubling every 10 days.
After the amount of the fine has reached a certain amount, that illegal will not be admitted to the U.S. under any circumstances. Under that fine limit, the illegal who has returned to his own country, applied for a work visa and is found to be qualified and not a security risk is then granted a work visa for a specific amount of time. This means only one person per work visa, no relatives.
In no way shape or form should this work visa be tied to immigration. If the person filing for a work visa is also one who filed for immigrant status this will not affect his position in line with those who have already filed and are waiting for entry visas.
Just a thought or two that might also be considered when looking for a solution to the illegal alien problem. I am sure FReepers can come up with some kind of answer to fix the problem and not reward the illegals with amnesty.
Well ...us yelling about it on here won’t do any good..We HAVE to organize , write , call and in no uncertain terms tell our so called representatives that they will be out on there asses if they vote for this bill. Anyone know of any plans to have a protest ? All the wackoos protest , maybe it’s about time the “regular “ guy and girl take to the streets ..This bill is purly against the wishes of the people.
I was listening to Duncan Hunter on Sean Hannity’s radio show yesterday and he said something that made me almost drive off the road.
He said that President Bush had no idea that only 11 miles of the border fence was constructed (only one side of the double fence). Hunter had to tell him.
WTF???
WOW! I love it!
As usual, this great man hits all the nails right on the head. WE should be the ones to decide who comes here, and how many come here, to live.
Once more out of the park!!!!!
You got that right. We need people like him making the decisions.
Exactly!..Not the politicians who are pandering for votes.
“I listened to Juan Williams ask on Special Report for the millionth time who is going to mow our lawns. I’d like to know if any freepers have illegals mowing their lawns.”
The only time my brother and I got out of mowing the lawn was when he ran over the electric cord accidentally. Dad persuaded him to be more careful in the future, though.
“Well ...us yelling about it on here won’t do any good..We HAVE to organize , write , call and in no uncertain terms tell our so called representatives that they will be out on there asses if they vote for this bill. Anyone know of any plans to have a protest ? All the wackoos protest , maybe it’s about time the “regular “ guy and girl take to the streets ..This bill is purly against the wishes of the people.”
If we found a way to stop tax withholding, that would get Washington’s attention.
Right now we need to write and call and tell them NO to this bill.
Ive also gone here and put my 2 cents in
http://www.grassfire.org/19042/offer.asp?rid=10944620
“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.”
No Americanization with new illegals whatsoever!!
I’d like to know if any freepers have illegals mowing their lawns.
-
No...not ever and never will.
like some pansy-ass circle-jerk country club.
thank you for making me chuckle ;)
PING for later read.
I wouldn’t even worry about it. This doesn’t stand a chance of passing.
The bill as it stands is anathema to conservatives. But the libs still aren’t happy. They want even more. Chain immigration, lessening the financial penalties on the “undocumented”. Once the liberal special interest groups water it down it will be anathema to 90% of everyday Americans.
This has about as much chance of passing as Al Gore does of winning the GOP presidential nomination.
When I was a kid mowing lawns was the kind of thing we did to earn a few bucks. Are our kids these days to good to mow lawns?
Here is what the bill would insert therein...
Page 261...(b) Definition of Z nonimmigrants- Section 101(a)(15) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)) is amended by inserting at the end (that's the end of (15) and before (16)) the following new subparagraph-
(scroll down a ways as [(15) The term “immigrant” means every alien except an alien who is within one of the following classes of nonimmigrant aliens— ] is pretty long and fixing to get a whole lot longer if this thing passes)
Notice the first letter...(k) and the page numbers 261-273! That's twelve pages that are fixing to get added simply to define Z nonimmigrants and the hoops they must jump through!
Page 273...(k)(2)(ii)(B) English Language and Civics.—
That's a far cry from a requirement to learn English.
And some folks don't have to learn English at all...
The bill changes TITLE 8 > CHAPTER 12 > SUBCHAPTER III > Part II >
§ 1423 Requirements as to understanding the English language, history, principles and form of government of the United States...which states...
(b)
Here is the new change to that section...
SEC. 705. Special Provisions for Elderly Immigrants
And there are exceptions..
SEC. 622. (j)(6) English Language.—
(B) Exception.--The requirement of subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any person who, on the date of the filing of the person’s application for an extension of Z-A nonimmigrant status--
And why have this in the bill...
SEC. 709. English Learning Program.
...when there is no need to develop what already exists?
The TOEFL® Test - Test of English as a Foreign Language™
Sorry it's so long of a reply.
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