It is quite fitting that today marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War's beginning. The nation is crumbling from within--mounting debts, crumbling infrastructure, political rifts. Despite calls for civility in the aftermath of the attempted assassination on Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the cooling off period is long over. Wedge issues are back in vogue and an ideological war based on the dreaded "blue states-red states" divide seems inevitable--maybe as soon as 2016. I say five years from now because Barack Obama's name will not be on the ballot. By that time, things could be so bad that only a legitimate third party or independent campaign could prevent the United States from descending into total chaos.
Otherwise, this is the scenario that could lead to a Second Civil War: Yet another close presidential election with possibly a split Congress. The race for the White House could be a repeat of 2000, except this time the election is decided in Congress instead of the Supreme Court. The winning candidate is assassinated in 2017 by a wingnut who was more ideological than the losing candidate. Rather than condemning the killing, supporters of the second-place finisher applaud the gunman on the ground that the winner cheated. Soon, riots erupt nationwide and nothing gets done in Washington. Eventually, dueling governments each claiming to be the "legitimate American government" declare war on each other.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
A real immigration option
It's almost been a year since Arizona passed SB 1070, the harshest immigration law in the land. That law addressed a long neglected issue, but it was as inflexible as the bankruptcy law that Congress passed in 2005.
The Mexican government has no right to complain about SB 1070 when it: 1) has done nothing to alleviate poverty in its own country, 2) cannot even control its own country from brutal, thuggish drug cartels, and 3) hypocritically treats migrants from its south harshly. So, Felipe Calderon needs to mind his own business before he opens his mouth about someone else's immigration policies.
The antidote to all of this is this: Fixing the nation's immigration policy is well past due. There is no reason to force law-abiding citizens to wait years upon years to become U.S. citizens. The way to do this is a merit-based system that will reward those who show a willingness to become American in character. The reform effort would apply to all nationalities in a significant effort to avoid being prejudiced towards a significant ethnicity or nationality. In the case is of a guest worker program, a national agency would be created to work with businesses to determine how many migrant workers are needed. Then, the workers would be brought in to work for however long employers need them. Once the work period expires, the workers will be sent back home. What we need to advance America in the 21st century isn't cheap labor but brilliant minds from all over the world.
Tamar Jacoby raised some excellent points last June 21 when she suggested that immigration reform is in danger of being as much of a wedge issue as abortion where the opposing sides have no room for compromise. The politicians in Washington must not let that happen at all.
The Mexican government has no right to complain about SB 1070 when it: 1) has done nothing to alleviate poverty in its own country, 2) cannot even control its own country from brutal, thuggish drug cartels, and 3) hypocritically treats migrants from its south harshly. So, Felipe Calderon needs to mind his own business before he opens his mouth about someone else's immigration policies.
The antidote to all of this is this: Fixing the nation's immigration policy is well past due. There is no reason to force law-abiding citizens to wait years upon years to become U.S. citizens. The way to do this is a merit-based system that will reward those who show a willingness to become American in character. The reform effort would apply to all nationalities in a significant effort to avoid being prejudiced towards a significant ethnicity or nationality. In the case is of a guest worker program, a national agency would be created to work with businesses to determine how many migrant workers are needed. Then, the workers would be brought in to work for however long employers need them. Once the work period expires, the workers will be sent back home. What we need to advance America in the 21st century isn't cheap labor but brilliant minds from all over the world.
Tamar Jacoby raised some excellent points last June 21 when she suggested that immigration reform is in danger of being as much of a wedge issue as abortion where the opposing sides have no room for compromise. The politicians in Washington must not let that happen at all.
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