Everything negative you've heard about immigration is true. In fact, all the election cycle talk about lazy parasites pouring over borders to leech off another nation's resources doesn't go far enough in explaining the gravity of this ongoing crisis. Scream it from the mountaintops (or at least on your blog): Immigrants are destroying any and all hope of for planetary survival. Illegal aliens are Public Enemy #1. Foreigners are terrorists.
If you don't believe me, just ask any sweatshop worker in, say, Vietnam...
The perfidious colonizers I refer to, of course, are the insatiable transnational corporations setting up camp all across the Third World. Whether it be Nike, The Gap, Wal-Mart, or any other taxpayer-subsidized bloodsucker, these crafty illegal aliens can't be stopped by constructing a mere wall. They travel with impunity...on the wings of government subvention and cunning, relentless propaganda. Thanks to decades of conditioning, even the victims of these soulless migrants will voluntarily pay for the right to wear a shirt bearing their corporate logo.
One would not be engaging in hyperbole to characterize these illegal invaders as "terrorists." Forget color-coded alerts, staged arrests, and manufactured scares. Put aside those times you were forced to remove your shoes at the airport. As defined at Dictionary.com, "an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety" and/or an "intense, overpowering fear" characterize brand of the terror I speak of.
While the corporate media obscures the real terror and trains its focus on the latest battle between Dubya and Osama (or the current villain of the day), the primary conflict on the planet remains unchanged: globalization from above vs. globalization from below.
"Immigrants" like the World Trade Organization, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and transnational corporations are elements of a mutant form of remote control imperialism. The United States doesn't always have to send armies into other countries. It sends in Disney and McDonalds with the (usually) unspoken threat of military force backing them up.
Globalization is not intrinsically a bad idea. Mutually beneficial global ties can be essential. As Michael Albert of Z Net has articulated, the goal should be to globalize equity not poverty, solidarity not anti-sociality, diversity not conformity, democracy not subordination, and ecological balance not suicidal rapaciousness. Novelist/activist Arundhati Roy adds: "In the present circumstances, I'd say that the only thing worth globalizing is dissent."
But perhaps Groucho said it best in Monkey Business: "There's my argument: restrict immigration."
The corporatists that are pushing globalization are transfering the wealth of the American middle class to the world's poor, but at the same time most wealth generated in the US is going to the Upper Class. Does this sound good to you?
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Joel S. Hirschhorn (118 articles, 22 quicklinks, 54 diaries, 472 comments)
on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 8:23:39 PM
Your title promised 'the truth about immigration' but there was none. All that was included was an irrational rave that bordered on Xenophobia or nationalistic ferver akin to .....? What's next 'the truth about non whites'?
If you want to debate immigration and not be seen selfish racist then put together a cogent argument that includes supportable facts.....
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Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 532 comments)
on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 8:53:49 PM
Illegal immigrants are "ILLEGAL". Is that so hard to understand? If it is, it's because you are co-opted by the fact that your landscapers are illegal or the new sweater you bought was made by illegal workers and therefore cost you much less. Tell the truth, am I not right? You bet I'm right. That makes the question of illegal workers one of possible acquiesence, leaving the moral dilemma of having coerced the illegals into believing they are wanted and accepted. Now what? Do you say sorry get lost? I wonder.
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Archie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 978 comments)
on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 9:50:17 PM
...as a sort of shout, but if someone doesn't understand your premises from the outset, I'd say they won't get it. The comments here are good indications.
When I got to the phrase, "...lazy parasites pouring over borders to leech off another nation's resources..." I admit I was already mentally preparing some off the mark comments of my own, until I read on.
Unfortunately, what you see as so obvious is something that is not part of most people's worldview. So it's likely that all the background and context must accompany any comments you might wish to make. I think that's Noam Chomsky's problem too, one which he's talked about. Me, I wouldn't have the patience.
As for the actual so-called immigration issue, I think it's a non-issue and a distraction. Unfortunately again, that sort of thing will be the focus of many people, causing the usual polarities, while their houses are deconstructed around them.
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Terry (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 32 comments)
on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 11:29:20 AM
Hence the request for facts not an emotionally charges piece that blames 'illegals' for everything.
It's not the illegals who are screwing things up in America. No one issue or group of people can rightly take the blame for the current mess. To do that much mischief you need a whole population.
It is the citizens who vote for governments and it is citizens who allow/sanction the policies, structures in their name and apathy that creates the problem.
This essay smacked of national elitism (it’s ours and no one else can have it..we are superior...like the Boston Legal character who justifies every thing with his name " Denny Crane") and scapegoating of the illegals. Why them?
Why not the plutocrats/Corporations who caused the poverty in their home countries in the first place.Ask yourselves what if you had to break the law cross hostile land, deal with racists and work like a slave for an absolute pittance so your family back home could eat would you or would you say "well it’s their country I'll stay home and let my family starve." Do you think for a moment that these illegals are risking death because it seemed like a good afternoon's diversion? Why single out this group in this way? Answer Xenophobia 'fear of others not the same as one's self'. Why not target those that look like us maybe those useless 'celebrities' who are famous for being famous. How about the useless silver spoon children? Why not those half informed over opinionated citizens who don't vote but complain that the government doesn't represent them? Maybe those who seek overtly simple solutions to complex issues because anything more would require more effort than they would like. Those millions for citizens who also helped create the problems by being too busy or couldn’t be bothered to try and look at issues objectively. How about those who employ these illegals on iniquitous wages to work menial or disgusting work ‘Americans’ won’t do. (Certainly not for that for the money).
Then there are those wanting that extra TV so cheap that it has to be made in countries where the people are mercilessly exploited. Then there are those who at the same time scream about jobs lost at home. Small point, the US rams its ideas of capitalism down everyone’s throats even to the point of war or meddling in other countries’ internal affairs. Lecturing and hectoring these countries how they need to be competitive while forcing the selling off of national services and assets to American Corporations.
America helped to create the situation and morally America is therefore responsible for cleaning it up not demonizing its victims.
Yes My comments are justified. I suggest anyone who doubts this read historic facts from both perspectives about America’s actions in Latin America then judge me.
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Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 532 comments)
on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 10:59:40 PM
Andris, the editorial piece is not about Immigration...
...it's about corporatism. Again, I suggest you read it again.
Meanwhile, I'm glad my comment got your back up, so to speak, if it led you to so impassioned and eloquent a response.
I agree with every word you said. So much so that I won't even expand upon it, behaviour very unlike me, believe me.
You might be surprised to learn that I've been arguing your point exactly in a forum I regularly visit, in response to a usually liberal minded person who has been quite vociferous in his alarm over immigrants.
In short hand, I argue usually that it is a non-issue, a divisive non-issue, and a distraction from those things that should concern us all. Like so many other things, it dismays me that this non existent issue has become a front runner for the attention of our population, our voters, and all our candidates.
You are absolutely right in everything you say.
And I still recommend re-reading the editorial.
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Terry (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 32 comments)
on Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 2:59:42 AM
