America in the Balance

HOW ABOUT A LITTLE HELP FROM

MEXICO WITH OUR IMMIGRATION

PROBLEM??

by

Ken Eliasberg

In my previous dealings with Immigration, I briefly noted that illegal immigration is much like illegal drugs, i.e. it is a supply-demand problem. In both instances, the U.S. provides the demand, and Mexico is the supplier. That being the case, why should all enforcement efforts be focused on the U.S.? Why shouldn’t we get some help from Mexico re controlling the supply? And failing to enlist Mexico in some form of cooperative undertaking in this regard, why not lean on them to do so? Along these lines I have heard an occasional legislator wax on about how wonderful it is that Mexico has elected “Republican” presidents in the last 2 elections. To which my reaction is so what? I don’t care if there is a Republican or a Socialist president in Mexico if he is providing us with no assistance whatsoever with respect to resolving a serious problem in which his country plays such an instrumental role.

And, not only have they provided no assistance, they have done all they can to compound the problem. For example, Vicente Fox, who was supposed to be one of George Bush’s big buddies and of whom our local Congressman, David Dreier, speaks so highly, did everything he could to aggravate the illegal immigration problem, going so far as to authorize a booklet which described in great detail how a Mexican could illegally emigrate to the U.S. Think about that, the head of a neighboring country authorizing an instruction manual for the violation of American laws. But he did not stop there. He provided physical assistance for those seeking to cross the border illegally. And he didn’t even stop there—he informed his consulates in this country to provide these illegals with Matriculas Consulares—identity documents issued by Mexican consulates which afford these illegals certain benefits re their remaining in this country. What a guy! As the old saying goes, with friends like these, who needs enemies.

Let’s examine why it is not in Mexico’s best interests to help us. Mexico is one of the most corrupt governments in Latin America. And they have a huge underclass, who can barely squeeze out a living. Ordinarily, this might be a powder keg ready to explode in some form of popular uprising, i.e. the rich just get richer, and the poor not only just get poorer, but, unlike in the U.S., they have no chance of getting richer (and, after all, isn’t this wealth disparity problem what the Dems so frequently complain about). So, to take the pressure off Mexico, along comes the United States, and it beckons to Mexico’s underclass. Indeed, what has really happened here is that Mexico has alleviated some of its internal stress by exporting its poverty to the U.S. We provide, in effect, 2 layers of welfare to Mexico—(1) we take care of those who have illegally immigrated, and (2) we take care of those to whom these resident illegals remit their earnings. What a deal for Mexico. Estimates of these remittances range from 10 to 50 billion dollars annually, and constitute a significant source of revenue for Mexico. Where’s the incentive for Mexico to help us? Their governing class can go right on plundering their country, and ship out any of the underclass who might be inclined to violently complain about such thievery. And the U.S. picks up the tab! Pretty sweet deal.

In view of the fact that Mexico is so directly the cause of our illegal immigration problem, what’s wrong with asking them for a little help with respect to its solution? And, if they are not inclined to provide such help, what’s wrong with squeezing them a bit to move them in the right direction?

With regard to our illegals, there’s something that’s always puzzled me a bit. They don’t seem to have any feelings for America, the country to which they come so that they can provide for their families. You would think that they might be upset with Mexico, the country that made it necessary for them to flee their homeland, and be grateful to America. Instead, what you seem to get from the illegals is hostility towards America and affection for Mexico. Also, they seem to want to turn the U.S. into Mexico. I don’t get it! If Mexico was so great why did they leave it? And, in view of the corruption in Mexico, shouldn’t the goal be to Californiaize Mexico and not to Mexicanize California (or Texas, or Arizona, etc.).

One final thought. The problem of illegal immigration is greatly compounded by the prevailing doctrine of multiculturalism which militates against assimilation of all immigrants, legal and certainly illegal. Our resident lefty obviously did not understand what multiculturism is when he compared our current immigration problem with that of the early 20^th century. Those immigrants, and my grandparents were among them, could not wait to become American citizens; securing citizenship was one of the proudest days of their lives. Multiculturism is a doctrine that Balkanizes all of us by providing that all cultures are of equal value—that there is no particular distinct and unique quality of being an American. As such, it is an assault on our sovereignty. While it is wonderful to respect the culture from whence you came—and we certainly do in our home—it is essential for the preservation of our sovereign integrity that we all be Americas first, and Taiwanese, Mexican, Irish, etc. thereafter. I am not a Russian-American; I am an American whose grandparents came from Russia. My wife is not a Taiwanese-American; she is an American who came from Taiwan (if you have any doubts about her loyalty, just ask her). And African-American is particularly interesting in that most blacks haven’t had a member of their family who has been any where near Africa in about 10 generations, and the appellation is merely a feel-good mechanism that separates them from that which America is all about. As you probably have gathered, I am very much opposed to the divisive effect of the hyphenated American. And, if you read Arthur Schlesinger’s tomb entitled Disuniting America, you will see that at least one of the more respected lefties got it—WE ARE AMERICANS FIRST AND FOREMOST!!