Immigration Reform and the American Dream
Can you name an issue that does more to shed light on the hypocrisy of our political parties than immigration reform? Are you fed up with political theater that contributes nothing towards a solution while spewing out great plumes of toxic outrage both sides use for partisan gain?
How the greatest immigrant nation in history made such a mess of its heritage is a glaring example of the failure of our two-party system. In particular, it underscores a fundamental flaw in the Congressional business model that provides incentives to keep divisive issues festering as donation bait rather than encouraging political risk taking and bipartisan compromise.
Unless you are a pureblood Native American you are here because your forebears had the courage to leave their dysfunctional homeland and seek a better life. It doesn't matter whether they came over on the Mayflower or on an H1-B visa, the dream was the same. And if some of your ancestors had the misfortune to be carried over in the hold of a slave ship, a moral horror and grievous stain that 360,000 Union soldiers died to expunge, be grateful that they ended up here and not in Haiti.
As our society matures and the birth rate plummets immigration is the only way to avoid the kind of demographic implosion stalking Western Europe and Japan. In addition, if you object to having your lettuce picked by hard working Mexicans you'd better be prepared to import more of your food because no American is going to do that kind of back breaking work. Why should they when they can collect unemployment checks in perpetuity?
And yet the reaction to hordes of illegal aliens defying federal law is entirely understandable. What is a nation if it can't control its own borders? How can strapped state and local governments pay to provide social services to illegals? Here in Boston impoverished sick foreigners land at Logan regularly, making straight for the nearest emergency room and the free medical care they know is waiting. Arizona's approach to enforcing laws the Federal government won't is not so much a States' Rights revolution as it is a desperate move to keep federal laws already on the books from dying of terminal contempt.
No reform will satisfy both the xenophobic bigots on the right and the socialist vote gatherers on the left. This makes sticking your neck out perilous for politicians on both sides of the aisle, knowing they have to face primaries energized by the aforementioned cadres. It's far easier to rant and rave, demonize the opposition, and mug for the cameras. Which is all Congress seems able to do.
And yet a solution must be found. Wouldn't it be nice if it was consistent with our nation's core values?
Let's start with the basics. Immigration policy should be set for the benefit of the American people. Basing immigration policy on any other principle - say, "compassion" or "fairness" to our fellow man - can only lead to self destruction. Three billion humans live on a less than $2.50 a day. Wouldn't social justice be served by inviting every one of them in to claim their "fair share" of our nation's bounty? If you believe that how about we start by moving them into your house?
What kind of immigrants benefit the American people most? I have no corner on the answer but please, let's have that debate. Would it be so controversial to let in educated professionals as well as entrepreneurs that create jobs? How about stapling a green card to the diploma of any foreign student that gets an advanced technical degree? And why not welcome law-abiding entrepreneurs that show up with cash in hand ready to start a business that will hire some of those out of work Americans? This sure beats forking over 99 weeks of unemployment to secure Nancy Pelosi's Congressional seat.
Attracting educated talent and entrepreneurs with money is a start, but Ph.D.s and business moguls don't pick lettuce. That's what a registered guest worker program is for. Would guest workers be second class citizens? You bet, that's the whole idea. Here's the deal. If you have the pluck and stamina to do jobs that Americans won't, come on over. We guarantee you full protection of the law but no free stuff. If it's free stuff you want, go to France. To lower the chance that you displace an American citizen, be prepared to sell your services in a free market. Most Americans don't remember what that is so there won't be much competition. No minimum wage. No fringe benefits. Cash for work. Operis Emptor.
What makes this different than our current state of affairs? It's out in the open. No dashes through the desert. And it can be constructed to have one attractive benefit that illegal immigration doesn't. Serve as a registered guest worker for a stretch of time perhaps equal to an old fashioned apprenticeship and you can apply for full citizenship. If you tough it out, learn English, and stay out of trouble you are exactly the kind of hard working, self motivated individual that Americans used to be before we got fat and lazy. In this age of entitlement we can sure use more of those.
