Run for the border

[Kire]

Seems the border issue is heating up again, especially w/ these protests. I'm pretty sure the conservatives are jumping on "protect our borders" as a pre-emptive campaign strike...but what do you really think we should do about illegal immigration?

[Riotsword]

Re: Run for the border

KILL 'EM! WE GOTS TO GET RID OF 'EM!

THEY TERK ER JERBS!

[John Mora]

Re: Run for the border

Yeah, they should definitely put up a wall between us and Canada.

WHY MUST CANADIANS FLOCK TO OUR BOUNTIFUL LANDS?

[MC Ardle84]

Re: Run for the border

Let them come, as long as I get 6 of them to be my household servants.

[Shard]

Re: Run for the border

In the long-term, the only way to stop massive immigration is to remove the root cause: the disparity in wages. Most immigrants from Mexico and Central America would prefer to live where they are, it's just that they're unable to provide for themselves as well as they might elsewhere. Develop Mexico et al. into self-reliant 1st world economies, and the impetus to move goes away.

In the short term, there are sectors of our economy that depend on cheap labor, "getting rid of" immigrants (regardless of your moral disposition to it) is never going to fly so long as it's cheaper to hire immigrant labor and a handful of well-paid lobbyists. Building a fence seems equally short-sighted to me. Although, if we throw our whole military behind it, I suppose it could work for a while...at least it did in Eastern Europe for the Soviets.

A "guest worker" program feels an awful lot like the start up of a whole new bureaucracy just to promote the illusion of being effective. I don't see what's so unpalatable about providing services to immigrants who can provide identification, work documentation, and taxes. But then, I live in California where we recently denied immigrant workers the ability to attain Driver's licenses. I'm sure no immigrant would drive who lacked a license. As I'm equally sure that denying immigrants social services will make them return to their countries of origin.

[Red Dragon]

Re: Run for the border

Bah, why go through all that while we could just build a twenty foot wall on the border!

Honestly though I think after our war in Iraq we should divert some funds to helping people in closer countries. I mean IMO I would help a neighbor first than somone twenty miles away. But then again, I'm lazy.

[MC Ardle84]

Re: Run for the border

Bah, why go through all that while we could just build a twenty foot wall on the border!

Because there are half-mile long tunnels under the border anyway. A wall is just going to make any immigrant take more dangerous risks, and probably end up dead or severely wounded.

[Valkysas]

Re: Run for the border

A wall is just going to make any immigrant take more dangerous risks, and probably end up dead or severely wounded.

sweet.

I think it should just be illegal to hire anyone thats not a legal citizen. sure, they only take crappy low paying jobs, so most people see them as a neccesary part of the economy. **** THAT. I'll take those same crappy low paying jobs. so would the nations homeless population.

[John Mora]

Re: Run for the border

A lot of the nation's homeless population is also mentally disturbed.

[Valkysas]

Re: Run for the border

most entertaining floor-cleaners ever then.

[Shard]

Re: Run for the border

Given a choice of working with a non-English-speaking immigrant that busts his ass or one of my native alcoholic derelicts, I'll take the immigrant every time. Most homeless people wouldn't last a day in agricultural labor. I probably wouldn't either. That **** aint no joke.

Just ran across this...Mexican immigrants sent $20 billion home last year, it's Mexico's second-largest source of hard currency, next to oil.

[gray]

Re: Run for the border

i think people need to enter countries in legal ways.






whether or not they hurt the country is not something i know for sure.

[Nixon]

Re: Run for the border

I think it should just be illegal to hire anyone thats not a legal citizen. sure, they only take crappy low paying jobs, so most people see them as a neccesary part of the economy. **** THAT. I'll take those same crappy low paying jobs. so would the nations homeless population.

It's crazy, there are day labor places all over this town. There are even random spots where guys just hang out in the mornings and they know they'll get picked up by someone.

I can't form a decent opinion about this issue anymore, because I've known a few illegals and all of them were nice, hard-working people. But I still think they should have to become legal residents if they want to live here and keep working. So I'm torn.

[The Toecutter]

Re: Run for the border

In the long-term, the only way to stop massive immigration is to remove the root cause: the disparity in wages. Most immigrants from Mexico and Central America would prefer to live where they are, it's just that they're unable to provide for themselves as well as they might elsewhere. Develop Mexico et al. into self-reliant 1st world economies, and the impetus to move goes away.

In the short term, there are sectors of our economy that depend on cheap labor, "getting rid of" immigrants (regardless of your moral disposition to it) is never going to fly so long as it's cheaper to hire immigrant labor and a handful of well-paid lobbyists. Building a fence seems equally short-sighted to me. Although, if we throw our whole military behind it, I suppose it could work for a while...at least it did in Eastern Europe for the Soviets.

A "guest worker" program feels an awful lot like the start up of a whole new bureaucracy just to promote the illusion of being effective. I don't see what's so unpalatable about providing services to immigrants who can provide identification, work documentation, and taxes.

You typed up pretty much word for word what I would have added to this topic.

I'd like to add that this disparity in wages is precisely the responsibility of many of those corporations within this country. A lot of those in the third world used to have land and used to be able to sustain themselves. Along comes globalization and a bit of politicical wrangling on part of the businesses, and then those people no longer have land or a way to sustain themselves, taken away by their governments and given to said businesses, with those businesses promising the elite of the country luxury goods and increased tax revenues for the government(of which they usually deliver on the former but often not on the latter).

So the people have no land, and move to the cities in search of a job. since so many look for jobs, wages can be kept artificially low. If people protest, the businesses have the government step in on their behalf, and voila, you have union organizers fired, beaten, and even shot dead. So without recourse, what do you get?

A shitload of people wanting to move where the wages are higher and their chances of finding gainful employment improved!

So with that, you have those same businesses and the politiciains they fund wanting to keep those people IN the countries where labor is cheap, trying to use it as a security issue when in reality it is impossible to make our borders as secure as would be needed to keep those 'terrorists' out.

Smoke and mirrors to hide a little greed, and not much else, really.

[John Mora]

Re: Run for the border

Yeah, people, don't create a refugee workforce.