This will not come as a shock to most of you, but I have concluded that most of the politicians in this country, those who have been elected and the “wannabees,” think we are all morons and lack common sense. That goes for much of the media as well as many of the so-called “elites.” What do I mean by that? Why do I say it? Well, I’m glad you asked. Read on.
The above sentiment applies to many issues, but in this blog I will focus on the issue of immigration. Some random thoughts and opinions:
1. The open borders people are not all left-leaning liberals racked by guilt that they were born in this country instead of some third world country. Some of them are conservative GOPers, as I will explain below. Strange bedfellows, indeed. When was the last time liberal Dems and conservative GOPers agreed on anything? Maybe, never? This has been a very effective coalition. More on this strange coalition later.
2. They would have you believe that if you want to restrict/control immigration, especially with a Wall, you are an evil, bigoted person. For instance, Nancy Pelosi, the once and, perhaps, future, Speaker of the House, keeps calling the Wall “immoral.” So, in her mind and those who agree with her, there is no debate, no give and take of opinions, no negotiating, no compromising. The matter is not open for discussion. If you are in favor of it, by extension, you must be immoral. End of story. I suppose, that means, in Pelosi’s mind, the Pope is immoral, since the Vatican has had an impenetrable wall around it for centuries. Its purpose? Originally, to keep out the wild pagan hordes from Eastern Europe and Asia who were endangering Rome back in the day, now, just plain old security.
3. “Chancy’s” current mantra, which has been repeated on some cable news channels, that the wall won’t work and is “expensive” is so obviously dumb and non-sensical, it is insulting to voters. I have heard various cost estimates, but $22 billion, which is based on a DHS report and is in the middle of various published estimates, seems about right. With all the money the government wastes, with a budget deficit that the “Wall Street Journal” projects will reach $1 TRILLION during this fiscal year, with the $150 billion the previous administration just gave to Iran, this item is considered to be too costly? Please! It’s a drop in the proverbial bucket. It’s akin to you or I saying we can’t afford an extra cup of coffee at Starbucks. As far as not working, tell that to the Vatican or Israel or even the Chinese, who figured out over 1,000 years ago that a “Great Wall” would keep out unwanted outsiders.
4. Recently, Pugh Research published the results of a survey of people in 27 countries around the world. In none of those countries was a majority in favor of more immigration. I have discerned similar sentiments in most countries to which I have travelled. Are we to believe that the whole world is racist? I think not.
5. Think of the wall not as a wall, per se, but as a type of “barrier.” Then, you realize that for the first 150 years of our existence, until the advent of the jet age, the US had two very effective barriers – the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
6. Much of the focus for limiting immigration has centered around crime, terrorism and drugs, but, in addition, there is a powerful economic argument. This is where common sense comes in. US working class families are being squeezed as it is. The middle class, which, traditionally, has been the strength of our country, is being decimated. There are various reasons for this, but one undeniable one has been the development of technology, which has made many jobs obsolete. Most economists expect this trend to accelerate. In the future more and more jobs will be performed by machines and robots and fewer by people. Anyone paying attention to the world around them can see that. I think it’s an indisputable fact. Against that backdrop, can we really absorb millions of unskilled, poorly educated immigrants. The first law of economics is the law of supply and demand. So, if there are more workers clamoring for unskilled jobs, employers will be able to pay less. Common sense, folks. They know it, but they try to obscure it in other arguments and talking points. They think we are too stupid to figure it out. That’s why GOP executives and entrepreneurs have no problem with unfettered immigration.
6. Yes, we feel badly for the plight of most of these immigrants. But, how about the plight of our own citizens. For example, whom do “Chancy” represent? Who elected them? The voters in their districts or the migrants. We know the answer. Do “Chancy?”
7. If you want to see the effect of unfettered immigration, don’t speculate. Don’t guess. Just look at what is happening in the EU, which has had open borders for years. Significant economic problems. Riots in France. Riots in Germany with the likely demise of Angela Merkel’s government. The UK voting to exit from the EU. Closer to home, look at California, which has encouraged illegal immigrants to settle there. Presently, some 72% of illegals in that state are receiving some kind of government assistance compared to 35% of US citizens. No wonder California (“dead state walking”) was $1.3 trillion in debt” in 2017, and probably more now. That could be our future.
8. Last word on the bogus bigot argument. At the moment, there are thousands of “caravanners” stuck in Tijuana. The locals are not happy, to say the least. The mayor has been protesting vehemently to the Mexican government to resolve the problem. Genero Lopez, one of the city’s elected delegates, has denoted the city is being overwhelmed by crime, havoc in the streets, and disease. The news footage is there for all to see, if the tv station you watch shows it, that is. To paraphrase the late comedian, Groucho Marx: “are you going to believe what I tell you or what you see with your own eyes?” Are the citizens of Tijuana racists? Of course not, but it demonstrates the fallacy of that characterization. If these migrants were in a US city in the same situation and you complained, you would be denigrated and dismissed as a “racist.”
CONCLUSION
I will concede that the a Wall would not be a panacea. I view it as one of several elements of border security along with vetting, a diligent border patrol, and ICE enforcing our laws. But, it has become the flashpoint of the issue.
In my view, President Trump has accomplished a great deal in his tenure so far. I have described his accomplishments in great detail in previous blogs, and I see no need to rehash them here. But, I think his one major failure to date has been his inability to convince Congress to fund the Wall. The issue of border security, including building a secure Wall, was, and remains, one of, if not the, primary concerns of his supporters, and it was one of the primary reasons he got elected in the first place. He has been thwarted by the coalition I mentioned above, and after January 2019 when the Dems take control of the House the task will become exponentially more difficult. He needs to find a way before then.
We Built It Blog by Larry Jacob 