Of course part of the problem is that it's pointless to blame the individual who just wants a better life for themselves or for their children. There will always be economic migrants, the trick is to tell the ones who want to contribute to their new host nation from the ones who just want to latch onto a welfare system and take it easy on someone else's dime.
I agree. And that demands that we (at long last) take control of our borders. And IMO, it is likely that those who want to participate in the American dream and who want to abide by our laws will... well.... abide by our laws. There ARE people - in great numbers, from all over the world - who WANT to work, improve their lives and abide by the laws of our land - and thus immigrate legally. They don't tend to be the problem.... we don't need walls/fences for them.
if people come to believe (rightly or wrongly) that some other nation will welcome them with open arms and give them a place to live and free money for the rest of their lives, who can blame them for tagging along to take advantage of it?
It's easy to laugh at our nation and our borders...... once in, we can't even ask them their status and we can't refuse them health care or welfare or education. I agree with you, IF (big word there) IF we could get the courts to reverse decisions, if we could get the US government and the states to change laws and policies, we could change some of that (although at a HUGE political cost - the press and the libs and the Hollywood growd will SCREAM how we've turned into Nazis) - the draw could be lessened. And I'd encourage that, even though I do not think the majority of Republicans or Democrats have the guts to do that, nor to I believe the Courts will do that. I think Trump is fundamentally right here - the first move, the only thing that can be done right away and by his control, is to try to better close the border.... if they don't get in, we don't have the problem. Meanwhile - those who want to abide by our laws, who want to participate in the American dream - they will continue to do as they ALWAYS have - play by the rules. We admit MANY this way every year.
there the trick is to write a new law such that it makes it harder for the would-be welfare scrounger while not making it impossible for the genuine refugee, that is quick to deport immigrants (regardless of refugee status) for serious crimes but doesn't leave people in fear that the slightest misdemeanor will get them sent home, and so on. I can't help thinking that if someone flees a despotic regime with literally nothing more than the clothes on their back, is taken in by a host nation and given a chance, and then repays the kindness of the host nation by committing violent crimes against its people, they deserve to be sent back to where they came from. For myself I can't help thinking that if I was taken in having abandoned everything in fear of my life I'd be inclined to see how I could contribute to the society that took me in.
I could not agree more. But the professional politians have been saying that for over a century. And NONE of them has EVER done a THING about it. Instead, laws and court decisions have been made to make that almost impossible. Now, for exemple, anyone who simply chants the word "refugee" MUST be allowed in.... and we have NO WAY to know if they actually are fleeing from anything, we don't have the resources and typically couldn't confirm the reality of their claim if we did. They just come in. But at least those chanted a required word, at least playing by SOME rule... they are a small minority. Most just go through, under or over the wall.... or just walk where there is none. Once here.... they get health care, welfare, education, register to vote, have kids..... and obviously, for humane and legal and court reasons - we can't do a thing about it, it's not even legal to ASK what their status is (and nothing that suggests they remotely should tell the truth if someone violates the law and asks). All that COULD be corrected - but if the last 100 years is any indication, no one has the guts to do ANYTHING about it except make it worse. Trump seems to have the guts to do something - the only thing that can quickly be done - and yeah, he will pay politically for it, the libs will BLAST him while offering NOTHING as an alternative. I don't like Trump ... I didn't vote for him.... but I DO give him credit for not just talking the talk while doing everything possible to not only prevent any action but make it harder.
ETA, and I realise this is something of a generalisation, but it seems to me that where right-wing policies err they tend to do little more than try and prohibit things or wish the nasty problematic people would go away, while the left wing tends to err towards throwing doors open to all and sundry, refusing to discriminate between the genuine and the fake, and expecting the masses to adapt to cater for tiny minorities.
Maybe.... all I know if NEITHER party as done anything - except nod their heads that there is a problem and do all they can to make it worse. Both are too afraid of the press, the liberals, the Hollywood celebs, and an ever growing political block - Hispanics. While I think the wall won't help much, I also think getting to the real issues requires a lot of time, a lot of reversal of laws and court decisions and a LOT of political guts - and I doubt that will come anytime soon. Meanwhile, we have only one possible action we can take: See if we can lessen those who don't want to abide by our laws from entering in the first place: once here, there's little to nothing we can do.
- Josiah
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