I don't want to LJ-cut this, I am such a dirty hypocrite.
Everyone's in a huff over the new Arizona "show me your papers" law. I tend to side with those who find it objectionable, since on its face it's simply racial profiling. Sure, comparing it to being a Jew in late '30s Germany is a bit of a stretch - there's no confinement to barrios, no "here is my Latin American armband" crap, no Final Solution (to my knowledge; I'm sure there are those who would truly dig that, and what lovely people they are). That being said, it is taking out society's malaise and anger on a group that doesn't really deserve it. Did illegal immigrants cause the mortgage crisis? Did they drive malpractice and pharmaceutical prices up? Did they buy wholly and utterly into a culture that is based on conspicuous consumption and constant debt?
When, really, did illegal immigrants become the root of all problems? In fact, they've managed to make life for the rest of us unnaturally cushy - look who we've foisted off the meat-packing, construction, busboy, and other not-too-awesome jobs on. "They're stealing our jobs!" Well, you let them, if it could be called stealing. The quest for a low bottom line, high profits, and our ingrained self-entitlement have all opened the door wide open for someone else to fill the niche. "Stop taking our jobs!" Ok, but only if you'd like your new roof to cost twice as much, or having to actually clean your own house because you can't boss around a native English speaker quite as much as easily.
Tangentially related are the companies that are moving production back to the United States because manufacturing has become too expensive in China (where workers are becoming more affluent and don't want the crappy jobs anymore (also because the yuen was being manipulated and now the rest of the world has caught on)). While it means the end of 99-cent Frisbees, I think that's probably a good thing - the cheaper you make something, the more likely it is a person is going to throw it out faster and buy a new one. Good for profits, bad for whoever gets the trash. Maybe if things like Frisbees and refrigerators (and really anything you can get at Walmart for a fraction of the cost anywhere else) cost more we wouldn't go through them like candy.
Think Cuba and the embargo. Without making a judgment on its morality, I think it is safe to say that one benefit has been that cars in Cuba are, from what I understand, well-maintained. You don't do stupid shit with your car because DUDE do you really want to machine another damn part for it again?
What prompted me to type all this was the result of being foolish and reading comments on SFGate. The most recommended comments for relevant articles were ones that poured forth plenty of vitriol and hate towards illegal immigrants - the kind of anger that you usually only get when dealing with someone who killed your childhood dog, or more seriously, a child molester. It's like daaaaaaaaang.
I will admit I am not an expert on this, and that I have not done an extensive amount of research on the subject. I'm sure there is something to be said for those who complain that illegal immigrants raise ER costs; on the other hand, people who are here legally and without insurance can do that just as easily on their own. I don't know enough to support or deplore the idea of sanctuary cities.
Maybe I'm just one of them starry-eyed dreamer whatevers, but I think it'd be nice if people who wanted to become a citizen of a country could, provided they followed the rules of citizenship, paid taxes, all that stuff. A person who wishes to contribute to the economy of where they live ought to at least have a chance of moving to where they wish. Admittedly, there are those who bitch because money often gets sent home overseas and so doesn't contribute to our economy; I can't say much for that except to say that people have been doing that in America for centuries in one form or another. We're an effing NATION of immigrants, hellooooo. It's more than a little hypocritical to turn on immigrants, even if in the past we've had racist/bigoted quotas and restrictions (think Chinese in the 19th century, Jews in the early 20th, etc). Honestly, if any of my ancestors came over here "illegally" then I'm quite glad they did, because otherwise I would not exist.
Of course it is best to do things legally. Some people, however, have few resources in accomplishing this. Their lives suck at home, and so they come up to the USA, often with a coyote who would require multiple bribes and debt, and try to make some kind of life doing the things citizens don't want to do anymore. Industry is complicit in this as well, as it has sought to drive down operating costs at the expense of workers (with machinery, outsourcing, etc).
I do not have all the answers, clearly, and I would never pretend to such a thing (unless it is Middle East peace, but so far no one has taken me up on the offer and besides I don't know who has the best pot or chicken wings anyway, so). I just think that if you're going to go all "ILLEGALS R TEH WORST EVER" everywhere then maybe you should shut your idiotic mouth and think for a change, because what you just said betrays your complete ignorance. The same goes for people who defend illegal immigration to an extreme - much as we should be nice to people, we also need laws, because without laws we're all hosed. Make it easier to become a citizen, maybe.
Ok, fini.
When, really, did illegal immigrants become the root of all problems? In fact, they've managed to make life for the rest of us unnaturally cushy - look who we've foisted off the meat-packing, construction, busboy, and other not-too-awesome jobs on. "They're stealing our jobs!" Well, you let them, if it could be called stealing. The quest for a low bottom line, high profits, and our ingrained self-entitlement have all opened the door wide open for someone else to fill the niche. "Stop taking our jobs!" Ok, but only if you'd like your new roof to cost twice as much, or having to actually clean your own house because you can't boss around a native English speaker quite as much as easily.
Tangentially related are the companies that are moving production back to the United States because manufacturing has become too expensive in China (where workers are becoming more affluent and don't want the crappy jobs anymore (also because the yuen was being manipulated and now the rest of the world has caught on)). While it means the end of 99-cent Frisbees, I think that's probably a good thing - the cheaper you make something, the more likely it is a person is going to throw it out faster and buy a new one. Good for profits, bad for whoever gets the trash. Maybe if things like Frisbees and refrigerators (and really anything you can get at Walmart for a fraction of the cost anywhere else) cost more we wouldn't go through them like candy.
Think Cuba and the embargo. Without making a judgment on its morality, I think it is safe to say that one benefit has been that cars in Cuba are, from what I understand, well-maintained. You don't do stupid shit with your car because DUDE do you really want to machine another damn part for it again?
What prompted me to type all this was the result of being foolish and reading comments on SFGate. The most recommended comments for relevant articles were ones that poured forth plenty of vitriol and hate towards illegal immigrants - the kind of anger that you usually only get when dealing with someone who killed your childhood dog, or more seriously, a child molester. It's like daaaaaaaaang.
I will admit I am not an expert on this, and that I have not done an extensive amount of research on the subject. I'm sure there is something to be said for those who complain that illegal immigrants raise ER costs; on the other hand, people who are here legally and without insurance can do that just as easily on their own. I don't know enough to support or deplore the idea of sanctuary cities.
Maybe I'm just one of them starry-eyed dreamer whatevers, but I think it'd be nice if people who wanted to become a citizen of a country could, provided they followed the rules of citizenship, paid taxes, all that stuff. A person who wishes to contribute to the economy of where they live ought to at least have a chance of moving to where they wish. Admittedly, there are those who bitch because money often gets sent home overseas and so doesn't contribute to our economy; I can't say much for that except to say that people have been doing that in America for centuries in one form or another. We're an effing NATION of immigrants, hellooooo. It's more than a little hypocritical to turn on immigrants, even if in the past we've had racist/bigoted quotas and restrictions (think Chinese in the 19th century, Jews in the early 20th, etc). Honestly, if any of my ancestors came over here "illegally" then I'm quite glad they did, because otherwise I would not exist.
Of course it is best to do things legally. Some people, however, have few resources in accomplishing this. Their lives suck at home, and so they come up to the USA, often with a coyote who would require multiple bribes and debt, and try to make some kind of life doing the things citizens don't want to do anymore. Industry is complicit in this as well, as it has sought to drive down operating costs at the expense of workers (with machinery, outsourcing, etc).
I do not have all the answers, clearly, and I would never pretend to such a thing (unless it is Middle East peace, but so far no one has taken me up on the offer and besides I don't know who has the best pot or chicken wings anyway, so). I just think that if you're going to go all "ILLEGALS R TEH WORST EVER" everywhere then maybe you should shut your idiotic mouth and think for a change, because what you just said betrays your complete ignorance. The same goes for people who defend illegal immigration to an extreme - much as we should be nice to people, we also need laws, because without laws we're all hosed. Make it easier to become a citizen, maybe.
Ok, fini.