Interesting LA Times article that looks at the personal background that underlies W.'s approach to immigration issues.
The LA Times has a very clear political slant on this issue, and it's one that's four-square against controlling America's southern borders. Having said that, the portrait rings true based on other things I've read and these kinds of personal experiences do shape policy approaches. Might as well understand them when looking at the political landscape.
Here are some quick tips for adding simple Textile formatting to your comments, though you can also use proper HTML tags:
*This* puts text in bold.
_This_ puts text in italics.
bq. This "bq." at the beginning of a paragraph, flush with the left hand side and with a space after it, is the code to indent one paragraph of text as a block quote.
To add a live URL, "Text to display":http://windsofchange.net/ (no spaces between) will show up as Text to display. Always use this for links - otherwise you will screw up the columns on our main blog page.
I really dont think there is a subject in politics today more full of total bull%^&$ than this illegal immigrant debate. One side pretends there is nothing wrong with a de facto open border and even asking for IDs is tantamount to racism. The other side pretends we are actually going to do something about it. Here are some absolute givens, if you see the latest hot idea to solve this problem chances are they will violate one or more of these:
-The federal government will never crack down on businesses employing illegals. Pretty much everyone agrees this is the key if we want to staunch the flow, so it is in every plan. It will never, ever, never, ever, ever happen. Too many interests oppose it and it is way to hard to do. You find me the giant new Federal appendage equivalent in size to the IRS getting funded to crack down on businesses in any of these so called plans. They dont exist, hence it is all on paper.
-It is not impossible to build a barrier. The Chinese managed it thousands of years ago, but somehow its beyond our ability. Will it keep out everyone, no. But will it keep out a few of the five million people pouring across every year? I think so. I think we might be able to put a dent in that one with some hurricane fencing.
Any plan that complicates illegals lives noticeably or costs them anything will be entirely ignored. All this talk about paying fines and getting in line and all this nonsense is just that nonsense. If you want a guest worker program you tell everyone to walk down to the government office and get a peice of paper stamped. That will work. All these convoluted hoops are doomed to widespread catastrophic apathy. Nothing will change (see first point).
-Even if we could kick out all this Mexican Labor (which we cant), it would send our economy into a tailspin. Inflation will kick into overdrive if we suddenly double the wages for 10 million jobs when our unemployment rate is already negligible. How that is not stunningly obvious to a 'genius' like Paul Krugman is amazing to me. If anyone wants those jobs they will have to pay much better, and the cost will rocket up the economy straight to the Fed, who will throw the big red emergency interest switch they are so fond of.
I know the left hates walls and the right is in apoplexy over the thought of 'rewarding' millions of people so callously cutting our lawns and picking our fruit for pennies on the dollar, but we all have to get over it. None of the above is going to change. What matters is securing our borders. Give every Mexican the right to get an ID, undergo a background check, and work in America so long as they pay tax, obey the laws, and cross at the proper border crossings. Nothing materially changes, because if anyone honestly looks at the situation, anyone can come over as it is and work anyway. Then we can patrol our borders against real threats. We need to quit jacking around before we come to regret it in a big OBL sponsered way.