See other Immigration Articles
Title: Guests or gate-crashers Part II
Source:
townhall.com
URL Source: http://www.townhall.com/opinion/col ... ssowell/2006/03/29/191639.html
Published: Mar 29, 2006
Author: Thomas Sowell
Post Date: 2006-03-29 18:38:40 by Peetie Wheatstraw
Keywords: immigration
Views: 181
Comments: 24
Bogus arguments are a tip-off that you wouldn't buy the real reasons for what someone is doing. Phony arguments and phony words are the norm in discussions of immigration policy. It starts with a refusal to call illegal aliens "illegal aliens" and ends with asking for "guest worker" status for people who are not guests but gate crashers. As for the substantive arguments, they are as phony as the verbal evasions. What about all those illegal workers that we "need"? Many of the illegals are working in agriculture, producing crops that have been in chronic surplus for decades. These surplus crops are costing the American taxpayers billions of dollars in government storage costs and in the inflated prices created by deliberately keeping much of this agricultural output off the market. Do we "need" illegal workers to produce bigger surpluses? In California, surplus crops grown and harvested by illegal immigrants are often also subsidized by federal water projects which charge the farmers in dry California valleys far less than the cost to the government of providing that water -- and a fraction of what people in Los Angeles or San Francisco pay for the same amount of water. Surplus crops grown with water supplied at the taxpayers' expense and raised by illegal workers can be grown elsewhere with water provided free of charge from the clouds and raised by American workers paid American wages. Naturally, when the real costs of those crops have to be paid by the farmers who raise them, less will be grown -- that is, there will not be as much of a surplus going to waste in government-rented storage bins. With some crops, we don't really "need" any of it. If the United States had not produced a single grain of sugar in the past 50 years, Americans could have gotten all the sugar they wanted and at lower prices, simply by buying it on the world market for half or less of what domestic sugar costs. Sugar has been in chronic surplus on the world market for generations. It can be grown in the tropics far cheaper than it can be grown in the United States. All the land, labor, and capital that has been spent growing sugar here has been one huge waste. We don't "need" to grow sugar, with or without illegal workers. Many people are understandably sympathetic toward Mexican workers who come across the border illegally, not only because of the poverty which drives them from their homelands but also because their willingness to work makes them in demand. When you see beggars on the street, they are usually white or black, but almost never Mexican. But American immigration laws and policies are not about whether you like or don't like Mexicans, though some demagogues try to play the race card. For too long, we have bought the argument that being unfortunate entitles you to break the law. The consequence has been disastrous, whether the people allowed to get away with breaking the law are Americans or foreigners. Legalizing illegal actions is the easy way out, so it is hardly surprising that politicians go for that. One of the ways of legalizing illegal acts is by the automatic conferring of American citizenship on babies born to illegal aliens in the United States. The law that made all people born here American citizens made sense when people crossed an ocean and made a commitment to become Americans. Today, it is just another way of essentially legalizing illegal acts by making it harder to deport those who broke the law. One of the most bogus of all the bogus arguments for a "guest worker" program is that it is impossible to find all the millions of illegal aliens in the country, so it is impossible to deport them. If tomorrow someone came up with some brilliant way to identify every illegal alien in the country, it would not make the slightest difference. Right now, those who are identified as illegal, whether at the border, in prisons, at traffic stops or in any of our institutions, face no penalty whatsoever. Identification is not the problem. Doing nothing is the problem.
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#1. To: All, robin (#0)
Great article by Dr. Sowell. Bottom line: illegals DON'T mean "cheaper produce."
“No man will assert seriously, that when people are of a turbulent spirit, the best way to keep them in order is to furnish them with something substantial to complain of.” ---Edmund Burke
Looks like they couldve rounded up a large percentage in California now doesnt it?? This issue is IMO the most destructive to this country.. soon we'll all be fleeing to Mexico to escape ..all the mestizos will be in the US.
-- Nick Griffin, British National Party What gets me is the official complicity in these "demonstrations"---kids being let out of school and even bussed to the demonstrations, etc. And then, traitors and sell-outs like McCain use those demonstrations as a rationale for the amnesty legislation they're shoving through Congress. It reminds me of nothing so much as the "demonstrations" of "workers" in Moscow in the 1930's chanting "Death!" while the show trials of Stalin's party rivals were going on. (Sorry, I see parallels with Stalin's Russia in so many things going on these days.)
“No man will assert seriously, that when people are of a turbulent spirit, the best way to keep them in order is to furnish them with something substantial to complain of.” ---Edmund Burke
.. IMO they're traitors.. in every sense of the word. Using our money to torture us with.. I'm more than disgusted.. You know I've thought of that many times.. Russia in 1917.. and wondered if the Russian people had known if they wouldve escaped.. and Germany 1939. What will it take for us to turn our backs and leave.. when is it time?
You just know there's a hedge fund someplace all over that arb...
-- Nick Griffin, British National Party This country was born in rebellion against tyranny, and it can be reborn in rebellion against tyranny. That's my creed.
“No man will assert seriously, that when people are of a turbulent spirit, the best way to keep them in order is to furnish them with something substantial to complain of.” ---Edmund Burke
I hope you're right.. I dont think I'd do well in a gulag..
I've thought about this alot myself. On one hand I just want to thorw my hands up and look into going back to where my Grandparents came from. I have one friend, who along with some other cohorts, are looking at moving to Bulgaria. But on the other hand, people did flee from 1917 Russia and 1939 Germany. They went to the Czech Republic, Poland, France, and Norway. Yet their troubles followed them over and over. There comes a time when running isn't an option. Yeah I could move back to the Ukraine, and then have the Government overthrown by another US finacned "orange revoltion" or some other crap that would make everyone's lives miserable. With everything on the US hit list for "liberation" we are quickly running out of places to run to.
"The more I see of life, the less I fear death" - Me.
The only reason there were gulags is that not enough people showed the tyrants that they were willing to die fighting the tyranny rather than be sent there. Tyrants that laugh at elections and petitions, must quail before an armed rebellion.
“No man will assert seriously, that when people are of a turbulent spirit, the best way to keep them in order is to furnish them with something substantial to complain of.” ---Edmund Burke
With everything on the US hit list for "liberation" we are quickly running out of places to run to. Ive thought about that too.. nowhere to run nowhere to hide.. Wanna pool money and buy an island??
He didn't even mention the multi-drug resistant TB that is so deadly; 80% of it is brought in by Mexican illegals, the rest from other recent immigrants. While we're all spinning about bird flu, there is new strain of TB arriving via the illegals that is 30% fatal.
”We have room but for one flag... We have room but for one language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is the loyality to the American people.” - Theodore Roosevelt
That is true.. What is worst living in fear and under tyranny or dying to be free..?? I'd say 99% of the people will be caught unawares.. They live in fear thinking their government will protect them from the unknown.. evil muslims whatever.. Brings to mind an old Outter Limits episode.. To Serve Man.. fitting..
NOW we're talking! I'm in if I have exclusive rights to all hot sauce production and sales on said island.
Hey no problem.. the hotter the better ;) Now what are we are we gonna name our island??
This one already has a great name, and it's cheap, to boot! Crank up the fundraiser...someone on another thread sold a bunch of silver today at a fat profit...let's hit him up for the down payment!
”We have room but for one flag... We have room but for one language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is the loyality to the American people.” - Theodore Roosevelt
Is this a kick-ass island, or what? It's zoned commerical, so I can lay claim to the hot sauce emporium that Zipporah said I could have. Best of all, it's got to be AT LEAST 12,000 miles from Washington, D.C.! Only a paltry half-million...
A steal!
”We have room but for one flag... We have room but for one language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is the loyality to the American people.” - Theodore Roosevelt
A steal, indeed...and thanks to 'timetobuildaboat', we have transportation!
It must have poison ivy or somethin'!
”We have room but for one flag... We have room but for one language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is the loyality to the American people.” - Theodore Roosevelt
Monitor lizards were mentioned...not sure how big they are, but they haven't eaten the caretakers yet!
Maybe we could make shoes and backpacks with 'em.
”We have room but for one flag... We have room but for one language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is the loyality to the American people.” - Theodore Roosevelt
Sowell just nails it, as expected.
#2. To: Peetie Wheatstraw (#0)
One of the most bogus of all the bogus arguments for a "guest worker" program is that it is impossible to find all the millions of illegal aliens in the country, so it is impossible to deport them.
#3. To: Peetie Wheatstraw (#0)
Surplus crops grown with water supplied at the taxpayers' expense and raised by illegal workers
Siding with Islam against the neocons is no more a viable tactic than volunteering to infect yourself with the Ebola virus instead of AIDS.
#4. To: Zipporah (#2)
Looks like they couldve rounded up a large percentage in California now doesnt it?? This issue is IMO the most destructive to this country.. soon we'll all be fleeing to Mexico to escape ..all the mestizos will be in the US.
#5. To: Peetie Wheatstraw (#4)
What gets me is the official complicity in these "demonstrations"---kids being let out of school and even bussed to the demonstrations, etc. And then, traitors and sell-outs like McCain use those demonstrations as a rationale for the amnesty legislation they're shoving through Congress. It reminds me of nothing so much as the "demonstrations" of "workers" in Moscow in the 1930's chanting "Death!" while the show trials of Stalin's party rivals were going on. (Sorry, I see parallels with Stalin's Russia in so many things going on these days.)
#6. To: Peetie Wheatstraw, Starwind, Phaedrus (#0)
Surplus crops grown with water supplied at the taxpayers' expense and raised by illegal workers
Siding with Islam against the neocons is no more a viable tactic than volunteering to infect yourself with the Ebola virus instead of AIDS.
#7. To: Zipporah (#5)
You know I've thought of that many times.. Russia in 1917.. and wondered if the Russian people had known if they wouldve escaped.. and Germany 1939. What will it take for us to turn our backs and leave.. when is it time?
#8. To: Peetie Wheatstraw (#7)
This country was born in rebellion against tyranny, and it can be reborn in rebellion against tyranny. That's my creed.
#9. To: Zipporah (#5)
You know I've thought of that many times.. Russia in 1917.. and wondered if the Russian people had known if they wouldve escaped.. and Germany 1939. What will it take for us to turn our backs and leave.. when is it time?
#10. To: Zipporah (#8)
I hope you're right.. I dont think I'd do well in a gulag..
#11. To: Pissed Off Janitor (#9)
But on the other hand, people did flee from 1917 Russia and 1939 Germany. They went to the Czech Republic, Poland, France, and Norway. Yet their troubles followed them over and over. There comes a time when running isn't an option. Yeah I could move back to the Ukraine, and then have the Government overthrown by another US finacned "orange revoltion" or some other crap that would make everyone's lives miserable.
#12. To: Peetie Wheatstraw (#0)
#13. To: Peetie Wheatstraw (#10)
The only reason there were gulags is that not enough people showed the tyrants that they were willing to die fighting the tyranny rather than be sent there. Tyrants that laugh at elections and petitions, must quail before an armed rebellion.
#14. To: Zipporah (#11)
Wanna pool money and buy an island??
#15. To: who knows what evil (#14)
NOW we're talking! I'm in if I have exclusive rights to all hot sauce production and sales on said island.
#16. To: Zipporah, christine, robin, Peetie Wheatstraw (#15)
Now what are we are we gonna name our island??
#17. To: who knows what evil (#16)
', 300)" onmouseout="hideddrivetip()" border="0"> 
#18. To: robin (#17)
#19. To: who knows what evil, timetobuildaboat (#18)
Best of all, it's got to be AT LEAST 12,000 miles from Washington, D.C.! Only a paltry half-million...
#20. To: robin (#19)
#21. To: who knows what evil (#20)
#22. To: robin (#21)
It must have poison ivy or somethin'!
#23. To: who knows what evil (#22)
#24. To: Tauzero (#6)
Doing nothing is the problem.
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