This post by Dan Riehl chastises Dana Milbank for his unflattering portrayal of anti-immigrant crusader Sen. Jeff Sessions. The Milbank piece was harsh, though I have to admit, I didn’t find it particularly unfair. If Sessions is still whining about how Lincoln killed one of his relatives at Antietam, an ancestor who was fighting for the right to keep black people in chains, I don’t think it’s out of bounds to point out that the guy has a warped sense of what’s important, and tends to nurse unhealthy grudges.

What got me, though, was the close to Riehl’s post:

Between special interest groups served by a growing underclass and big business special interests intent on maintaining a steady supply of cheap labor, it’s apparent to many in this debate who has the interests of America in their heart … and who is simply looking for access to the 2006 equivalent of, or next best thing to slaves.

What breathtaking ignorance. I sort of hope this immigration-is-like-slavery meme continues, because it’s pretty damned revealing of the people who use it.

Let’s see. With immigration, we have willing employers paying willing workers a mutually agreed-upon wage. The workers came here voluntarily. Indeed, some risked their lives to be here. The workers are free to switch jobs, live where they please, and do as they please with their money. Employers may pay low wages, but if the’yre too low, they’ll lose the best workers to other employers — even in the case of illegals. There are no chains. No whipping posts. No brands.

Now — and I can’t believe I even have to do this — let’s talk about fucking slavery. See, Mr. Riehl, with slavery, Africans were kidnapped from their homes, from halfway across the world. They were packed into ships against their will, like meat. They were beaten and bred like animals. They were murdered if they resisted. They were bought and sold as if they were mules. They were routinely ripped from what little semblance of family they were permitted to have if their “employer” wished to sell them. Slaves who escaped (i.e., “looked for other employment”) were whipped, shot, or lynched. And all of this went on for generations.

Yes. Of course. Immigrants are exactly the 2006 equivalent of slaves. Or the next best thing to slaves.

Dan Riehl is an idiot.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 25th, 2006 at 9:38 am by Radley Balko and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.