The Coalition of the Swilling

The republicans are really shooting themselves in the feet with both barrels.

There is no way to prevent immigrants from crossing the border. Can't be done, no matter how big a fence. Once they are here, their children born here are citizens, whether they are here legally or not. I don't expect a constitutional amendment to change that any time soon.

So all they're doing by ranting and raving about immigration is to alienate (no pun intended) generations of future voters. Whether there is amnesty or forgiveness or brutal crack downs, these immigrants' children will be voting in about 20 years.

And the whole issue is a non-issue anyway. There was no widespread anger about immigration until the huge demonstrations that came out of nowhere a couple years ago. Those had the earmarks of the typical organizing efforts of the same groups as always, the same ones that organized the world trade riots in Seattle.

Being against immigrants is a loser position. Republicans like Malkin are trying to force the party to adopt a strategy that can only hurt them in the long term, and hurt them in the short term too.

If the republicans could concentrate on issues that they can influence, such as spending and winning the war, and protecting our capitalist culture, they'd win everytime. Instead, they are nothing more than corrupt pork-snouted money grubbers.

I'm not against immigrants. I am against illegal ones.

You're right, though, in that it is well-nigh impossible to prevent them from getting here. It is, however, possible to make it less attractive to do so, and the way to that is for Congress to make it a crime to hire non-citizens. The demand for their labor would dry up very quickly, and we'd have far fewer illegals coming over.

But why should businesses be responsible for determining citizenship? Why should they be the enforcers of draconian immigration standards?

Why not just make it easier to come here legally, so long as you're not a criminal and so long as you're not on the dole? What's so wrong with that?

Hmmm.

1. Guarding the borders must be possible because it's necessary. Islamists are looking to covert latinos to Islam in part because they're more able to merge into the hispanic communities across America where an arab would stand out.

2. This bill is insane. Due to the inclusion of spouses and minor children there is the possibility of doubling the number of public school students in cities and suburbs.

Imagine your property tax bill doubled to pay for new schools, teachers, interpreters and English tutors.

3. The Democrats desperately want Republicans to participate because they know the taxpayers are going to absolutely riot when they get handed the new property tax assessments and state tax increases.

4. As an immigrant I agree that immigration is good for America. But considering the billions of people who want to come here, why do we have to settle for illiterates? Why are the preferred immigrants those that never finished school?

"Must be possible because it is necessary?" Sounds like wishful thinking, not rational thinking.

Businesses would not be responsible for enforcing the law, but they certainly must be held to following it. And if you cut off the job prospects you will eliminate a lot of the immigration. What in the name of hell is "draconian" about our immigration standards? Is it draconian to demand that you not be a criminal? That we expect residents here to show respect for the law and follow it, and that a good place to start is to follow the rules to get here?

I'm all for relaxing the rules to encourage legal immigration, but that is completely separate from rewarding those who knowingly flouted our laws to get here. This whole bit about forgiving their taxes due is completely insane; the numbers I've seen on how much the cost to us TAXPAYERS is going to be by dumping these unfunded 12-odd million people into the Social Security/Medicare/Welfare system are simply ginormous.

Hmmmm.

"Sounds like wishful thinking, not rational thinking."

Not at all. I firmly believe that a system of fences would be able to control our borders. The question is the will to make it so.

The necessary part is that if we don't then one day we will pay the price for it.