I think that George Bush is facing reality when he endorses a guest worker program.
Some conservatives disagree.
At Polipundit Jayson has some interesting statistics citing real improvement in terms of immigration and security; while Polipundit feels quite differently, fearing a backlash against Republicans if more stringent measures are not taken.
I am not sure what these measures are supposed to entail however.
I grew up in the southwest and once the subsidized water came the people came and the towns and cities grew and the overall border crossings increased.
But it works both ways. I know a young lady who just went to Mexico for a medical procedure performed by an American doctor in a clinic just across the border.
I think it is very late to expect huge changes in this issue quickly and while I believe that the threat of terrorism is real and the borders need to be more secure, I also think there is a little something else going on here. And it is not pretty.
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There's more than one thing going on here. And the issue doesn't really cut along conservative/liberal or Democrat/Republican lines. Some of the issues include: people afraid of losing their jobs, people afraid of losing their culture, people afraid of population growth in general. Many people here in Colorado moved here to get away from the big cities and long commuted of the East; now that the population is growing they want to call a halt to it because it is having a detrimental impact on their standard of living. It's selfish reasoning which clothes itself in the mantel of altruism via the magic incantation: "environmentalism".
I am not worried about illegal immigration from Mexico so much as integrating the folks who are here. I have worked with illegals and they were among the hardest working people I've seen, especially when contrasted with the Americans who get stuck in the grungy jobs these days (ahem). That's a big plus and a big step up on the American ladder as far as I am concerned. Now if the immigrants only wanted education and advancement as much as they wanted work...
Chuck,
Isn't that for the third generation? First generation struggles like mad and sweats their own kids, second generation stops sweating the kids as casual labor and makes them sweat in school in order to advance themselves, third generation makes some dough and tells their kids "Hey, no sweat." Fourth generation thinks sweat only occurs on the playing field.
That's been my observation on Italians, Armenians and Mexicans. YMMV. I played ball with some great third generation Mexican kids 35 years ago and their kids didn't turn out as well as my friends parents did. I'll never forget the pride that those second generation dad's showed because their kids were 'real' Americans and could play instead of pick.
When I farmed it was getting more difficult every damn year to find a hay crew. That may seem like a small thing but my grandparents left Oklahoma in the 30's and went to California to pick fruit after their farm blew away.
Can we even imagine that scenario today?
I think it is fear and in some ways a throwback to the old days. Americans have always depended on immigrants and resented them, at the same time.
MHA, I don't know why the humans-are-a-disease gang within the green movement don't just put their butts where their mouths are and go jump off one o' them gorgeous high Rocky mountains.
It's a side issue for sure, but I was gratified a few weeks ago to see Vincente Fox slapdown that Venezuelan Red dictator Hugo Chavez. Mexico may be a mess, but the PANs know that progress will come only through cementing alliances within North America.
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