08/11/2006
For years advocates of immigration reform have been bringing forth well researched material on the sound demographic, economic and environmental reasons for major reductions to historic levels (i.e. under 200,000 per year between 1925 and 1965) of both legal and illegal immigration.
Nothing has been done. The main reason has been that too many affluent, well placed citizens benefit from all kinds of imported slaves, both cheap, low skilled labor and in the case of Silicon Valley from large special visa imports of high tech people such as H1-B.
The Senate, in approving S. 2611, the open border full amnesty bill, proves again it has been fully bought and paid for. The Republican controlled House, with its 2 year election cycle, many members feeling the outrage of their constituents more keenly, is for the moment standing tall, despite the perfidy of my party’s leaders such as House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who watch the demonstrations of illegal aliens and express mindless compassion without the guts to acknowledge those conclusive economic and environmental arguments made by respected scholars and others.
Why? Because it is not easy to stand up when you perceive that your rice bowl is in jeopardy. Further, historically her party (my party) has been allegedly for the little guys and gals, the poor and under-privileged, the union, blue collar workers, etc, even though these sophisticated political mavens know that their actions are cutting the heart out of the Middle Class and the Blue Collar class, just as surely as China and other cheap labor markets are sucking away jobs of every level of our society.
Perhaps the most overlooked argument, but one which the illegal lobbies are making with gusto and success in every state where they predominate such as California, concerns the power of culture. "We are the future", they bleat "and you can’t stop us". Even though a large percentage of American citizens of Hispanic backgrounds are for meaningful reform of illegal immigration, they are largely silent, although a new group, "You Don’t Speak For Me" led by Colonel Al Rodriguez formed to speak against illegal alien demonstrations. The loudest most arrogant and, yes, so far most successful voices, are coming from illegal alien advocates including some elected officials such as the Mayor of Los Angeles. And the Pelosi’s are listening. In effect, these illegals are saying, "We are coming and you can’t stop us."
While our lame duck President claims he was trying to bring democracy to the Middle East, his salute to his corporate paymasters on the immigration reform issue has allowed an invasion of our own homeland and a cultural clash that will reverberate for generations.
We in effect, thanks to the unwillingness of either party to stand up, are ceding our culture, trading our historically successful ethical beliefs in hard work, punctuality, rule of law and innovation for a bifurcated America with a growing underclass of untutored, unpatriotic, unlicensed mobs, who, like those of Ancient Rome were swayed by anyone with the capacity to keep them happy with bread and circuses.
The demand of the most radical Mexican Hispanics that California belongs to them, along with the entire Southwest, that we stole it from wonderful Mexico, has gained political purchase with many in those regions, despite the sharp contrast between the lack of success that Mexico has had in building a place for these immigrants in their own society.
The culture these newcomers bring is not on of wanting to be part of the US, but rather to make that part of the US part of Mexico. This powerful irony of these newcomers to the US seemingly wanting to transplant a failed, undemocratic culture where elites rule and the poor suffer comes as no surprise to those who have studied and understand the power of culture in molding minds, particularly those of the less educated and unsophisticated. Two giants in this culture field are Samuel Huntington and Lawrence Harrison, whose editorships of the book, " Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress" present an important look at why some cultures and ethnic groups are better off than others, and the role that cultural values play in the shaping of nations' and peoples' political, economic, and social performance.
These authors (and others) take a steely eyed look at why some countries and ethnic groups are better off than others. Some 22 prominent scholars and journalists ponder the question of why, at the beginning of the 21st century, the world is more divided than ever between the rich and the poor, between those living in freedom and those under oppression.
Their conclusion is that the dominant cultural strains of Hispania, as represented by Mexico and some Latin nations such as Cuba and Venezuela, have simply not been as successful as the culture of the US by every standard, such as maintaining truly democratic government, keeping corruption contained and punished, fostering the rise of successful business enterprises, and enlarging a Middle Class. If, as the radicals plan (i.e. La Reconquista), the Southwest becomes a fiefdom of Mexico, a political enclave of divided loyalties, the dangerous and unwanted qualities which Mexico represents will be our qualities, as these radicals will politically control a huge area of the US.
No one is saying this in Washington, as the wishy-washy Senate looks longingly at the next election in hopes of keeping or regaining power. The irony there is clear. Once our rule of law is lost, as it is fast being lost, the democracy which we have cherished for 200 plus years will be gone. It’s the culture, folks, and if we don’t stop this horde of illiterates now, their leaders will make Southwest America look like a northern province of Mexico, on their way to corrupting the entire country.
Donald A. Collins is a freelance writer living in Washington DC and a former long time member of the board of FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform. His views are his own.
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