You know, I just can't help but wonder how short sighted our congress is. They just shot down the latest immigration naturalization bill that would allow the current estimated 12 million illegal immigrants an easy path to citizenship. (I actually don't like the "Z Visa" concept which is basically just a glorified work permit, we should give them an easy path to citizenship like our forefathers were given, but you've got to start somewhere.) I know that by posting about immigration I am hereby declaring to the world that I do not march in step with most Republicans on this matter. I don't care.
Here's how economics works. If you run a business that takes raw materials and makes them into a useable goods you must make those improvements for the least amount of money possible. If you don't, you will have your product copied by someone that can and they will. Their substitute product will replace yours and you loose. Now, this process isn't instantaneous but it is pretty quick in our globalized world.
So what do we do in the United States? We discourage immigrants from entering the country by making the naturalization process so difficult that they don't feel as though they can work within the system. So what do they do? They sneak in. The cheap labor comes, but the government doesn't get the increased tax base.
It's not about whether or not its legal. Its about whether or not its possible. And to these immigrant getting in is easy. Getting legal is hard.
Lets build a wall! How stupid are we? If we build walls to keep them out all we are accomplishing is to isolate ourselves. If they want in they will come in. But their government sees our attitude and translates it, "The US thinks they're better than us." We become socially isolated.
In the meanwhile. Our competative advantage in the United States is ebbing. Eventually, China is going to catch up and nothing will be made in the USA because it can all be made in China for cheaper cost and just as good value.
What's more is it is argued that with immigration comes crime. Yeah, but let's look at where that crime is really coming from. Having lived in the Southwest for most of my life, every immigrant that I have met has worked harder for his daily bread than any of his American counterparts. They don't come here to steal and loaf. They come here to work and get ahead.
One last point. The current population trend in the US is to less and less children. This is normal for educated populations. However, if we don't increase our population somehow, how do we expect to be able to grow our economy? Stock market investments?
Continued immigration will save this country's production capabilities. Its time that the nation stopped resenting the culture clash and encouraged immigration as what it is: a replacement working base for a sagging and aging American economy.
13 comments:
We need to stop the flood before we fix the damage it has done, and this bill is a disaster. I've had to stay away from talk radio this week because I'm thisclose to protesting at my senators' offices. Gonna stop now, so I have a chance to sleep tonight.
I'm still totally conflicted on this issue.. I have a tendency to agree... that there *are* some jobs that Americans would refuse to do, at least for long, even if they were paid a better wage...and, some businesses would go bankrupt if they had to pay a higher wage.. so it's a dilemma.
They have a bit of a test project here in Georgia at some of the Chicken Processsing plants in south Georgia. Last year they did a major inforcement and ran off 100's of illegals. I heard a report that they have successfully restaffed up to a 1000 possitions by being a little imaginative. i.e. they brought in a recruiter to bring Mung families from Wisconsin in and they are running daily company buses to the big cities to bring in people from up to 1.5 hours away. Sure, not as easy, but still workable. I see it as a good middle ground.
I see the bigger problem as welfare reform. There are people out there making as much sitting at home. They are not going to enter the work force until we make them. As the illegals learn the entitlement game they won't be willing to pluck chickens in their 2nd and 3rd generations either...
As you have pointed out, immigration has its roll in society but our forefathers were not let in willy nilly, take their names, check them for diseases, run a criminal check, and for goodness sakes get rid of the anchor baby clause and we have a starting point...
Would America still be America if you allowed wave after wave of illegals to become citizens?
Bro,
I agree, we shouldn't let people in just willy nilly; however, we do need to let more people in then our current system recognizes. I don't want it to be illegal, the system is inclined to make it that way.
BCF,
The more appropriate question is would American still be America if we stopped letting wave after wave of immigrants in?
They're only illegal because we aren't setting up a "Ellis Island" along the Mexican border.
dang boy... you must be really busy.. with school etc. hope it's going well and that you and your wife and adorable kids are doing well.
Now you can say it is REALLY dead. The best hope for reviving any of these changes is actually to inforce the law they passed last fall. You implement those controls and you will have a lot more Senators (as well as citizens and Talk Radio) willing to discuss a path to citizenship for those already in the country...
I say we build the wall, that way only the healthiest (good climbers) will immigrate in the future.
That's my 2 cents.
-Your former RHS biology lab partner.
Hey PapaJ where you at? You have gone radio silent.
What kind of proud papa are you when you don't even take 5 minutes to put up a post bragging about the new baby to join the family?
You got a new Papoose? Congrats!
Yeah... has the baby arrived yet?
Is everything okay..
we miss y'all
Where are you! Aunt Kris is blogging up the was-zu about the new baby and you haven't said anything! Were is the "proud papa?"
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