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20 Responses to “Drew Carey on the Border Wall”
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Interesting but still pretty one-sided …. not living in the southwest, some still don’t fully understand the total impact of illegal immigration. We are importing crime and poverty and only a few business that get cheap labor are the ones REALLY benefitting. First of all, the ‘myth’ about all the social security money that illegals bring in … they’re illegal, largely payed under the table .. so most pay no taxes. They have no car insurance so they hit you and YOU are stuck with the bill. They flood the emergency rooms for even a simple cold and they pay nothing for that (we don’t need ‘universal health care’, illegals already have it!). And at least where I live, they are responsible for over 50% of the violent crimes (and are largely responsible for the great increase in identity theft). Trying to compare the Berlin Wall to the border fence is pretty dishonest … keeping people IN is different than keeping people OUT. And the video was wrong, I know plenty of ‘poor’ people who have gotten their citizenship legally and THEY are more anti-illegal immigrant than anyone I know … that tends to happen when YOU play by the rules and someone else doesn’t.
My own proposal, if anyone gave me the power to order it would be -
yes, build the wall,
but, allow ANYONE from Mexico to enter. Providing that they gave us -
mug shots, fingerprints, DNA, and passed a basic English literacy test and signed a contract stipulating that while here looking for work they would not apply for welfare, food-stamps, or be allowed to avail themselves of any services except emergency medical and that if ever convicted of a crime (Felony or violent mis-demeanor) they would be kicked out and NEVER allowed to come back. Also, children born here to them would not be American citizens.
My wife is Hispanic (3rd generation, born in TX), and I have great sympathy for people trying to find a better life, but we can’t allow a flood of people that would also include people who aren’t interested in being lawful citizens.
I have had three minor (thank goodness) fender bender accidents over the last five years. Each one was caused by an illegal immigrant driving with no insurance. Two of them stopped and surveyed the damage but just shrugged when asked for insurance information. “No speak English.” Realizing the futility of the situation, I just got in my car and drove to work, thankful that it wasn’t worse, and that I wasn’t injured. After the third incident, I got rid of my car and now take the bus. The insurance costs were too much.
If the government was serious about the illegal immigration problem, they would take serious action against those companies that hire them. Once the money and jobs dried up, the flow would cease over the border. I suppose it’s just too bad because politicians are controlled by money from these same businesses.
Is it my computer or is the through put on these video’s simply terrible.
I get 5 seconds of commentary then 5 seconds of waiting for the next 5
seconds of commentary. Too painful to watch!
“First of all, the ‘myth’ about all the social security money that illegals bring in … they’re illegal, largely payed under the table .. so most pay no taxes.”
I’ve never heard that myth, and I can’t imagine how somebody without a SS# could bring in SS money. That being said, the myth I’ve heard many times is that they don’t pay taxes, period. And it’s an easily-disproved myth. When they buy something, they pay sales tax. When they rent, they indirectly pay property tax. This is countered by the fact that they hardly use any government programs because the second they do they’ll get deported (ever heard of an illegal immigrant on welfare?). And the medical services argument is overblown: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/11/16/news/top_stories/1_03_3411_15_06.txt
The one thing I’ll agree with is that the Berlin Wall comparison is intellectually dishonest. I think building a wall is a stupid idea, but that doesn’t change the fact that a wall keeping people out is certainly different than a wall keeping people in. Keep the argument to the facts: a wall is crazy expensive and won’t work. That should be convincing enough.
Im torn on building a wall. Sure, it might help keep some illegals out, but i can see a time where i may need to hop that fence to get out of this country.
I live in California, and I’ve seen the problem (as best an Anglo-American can) from both sides. My feeling is this: If someone is willing to cross a desert, endure hardship, possible starvation and death to get to the US, then they have *earned* the right to be citizens. I got lucky; I was born here. These folks show real courage.
If we lifted the immigration quotas, or at least increased the numbers of legal immigrants allowed in each year it would go a long way towards ending the violence currently endemic in illegal immigration.
The solution is multifaceted: Lift the quotas, end the War on Drugs, enact the National Sales Tax so that everyone (il/legal) pays whatever share they want (a little or a lot) and tear down that fucking wall. As the Frost poem “Mending Wall” archly observes, good fences do not make good neighbors.
Bring them out of the shadows? I think that would be one of the best parts of being illeagal, not having to put up with the IRS, State Depts. of Rev, child support, the civil courts and all the bull shit. Seriously I think a guy that comes here for a few months, works, saves, and goes home is more free than some guy looking at punching the clock at a GM plant for the next 20 years.
“If someone is willing to cross a desert, endure hardship, possible starvation and death to get to the US, then they have *earned* the right to be citizens.” Andrew Williams
So if I rob a bank, risking death or imprisonment, and get away… have I “earned” the right to keep the money.
As for ClubMedSux (Camper fan?)-Have I seen illegals on Welfare? Well, I’ve seen lots of illegals with kids who, just because they were born here, are American citizens. With a kid that’s a citizen, Mom won’t get deported… and she’ll qualify for public assistance. The public assistance supplements Dad’s off-the-books paycheck and the local ER provides medical care for everyone and… Yippee! It’s the American dream!
As James D mentioned above, I think a lot of the folks who don’t have a problem with illegals… don’t live in places with large numbers of illegals.
yes yes yes, carey snidely and pompously equates a wall with the berlin wall, “built by the communists to keep east germans from escaping.” how very droll.
instead of a hollywood rich guy telling us about the wonderfulness of a political issue - because everyone knows hollywood rich guys are the only ones who *truly* understand an issue - howzabout we ask someone from el paso, say? or brownsville? laredo? san diego?
ask someone who has to actually deal with the myriad problems *and crime* caused by illegals about it, hmmm? why are drew carey’s political opinions worthy of note? was alec baldwin busy that day?
ClubMedSux, most of their money is sent back to places like Mexico where it’s worth a lot more and the US economy gets nothing out of it … another problem I forgot to include. There’s also the issue of all the 3rd world diseases sprouting up again because of unchecked people coming to the US. I mean there’s a new Tiberculousis (sp?) outbreak again.
To agree with scott, I think I heard Dennis Miller say it best “Welcome to America, but at least sign the damn guest book on the way in!”
So if I rob a bank, risking death or imprisonment, and get away… have I “earned” the right to keep the money.
That’s a terrible analogy, equating violent theft with illegal immigration. And, yes, I live in an area with lots of illegal aliens and have not had any problems. A person wants to work for people willing to hire them? Let them do so. Sounds like freedom to me.
“So if I rob a bank, risking death or imprisonment, and get away… have I “earned” the right to keep the money.”
Ah, red herrings. Classic apples and oranges. Partly my fault. I meant to say “have earned the right *to apply to* become citizens.” Generally people who go to that much trouble–and risk life and limb–to get into another country are not criminal types, but there are always exceptions.
Having done some reading on the subject, it’s clear that the US has a history of selective inattention and cognitive dissonance when it comes to immigration. A ship full of German Jews of the Flordia coast, in danger of being returned to Germany to face certain death? To Hell with them. Nazi scientists with rocketry and other scientific knowhow? Wilkommen, bruden!
BTW, the so-called “Voyage of the Damned” was just the tip of that nasty iceberg. The British and American governments had many chances to save German and Soviet Jews, and ignored them. This is well documented in Arthur Morse’ *While Six Million Died.*
Our immigration policy is in serious need of reform. So is our grasp of diplomacy. If we really are the greatest and strongest nation on earth, we need to be tearing down walls, not building them. The latter is not libertarian–at least as I understand it.
runcible: “As for ClubMedSux (Camper fan?)-Have I seen illegals on Welfare? Well, I’ve seen lots of illegals with kids who, just because they were born here”
Coincidentally this is the exact same standard used that makes you and me citizens. So what additional right do you claim that means you should live here? I don’t know about your ancestors but mine certainly were immigrants who came here for lower class jobs.
But Mike, I’m sure your ancestors: a) came here legally and b) wanted to be an ‘American’ (learn the language, become part of the society, etc). A lot of the illegal (as opposed to legal) immigrants refuse to learn English, still owe their allegiance to their home country, and send the money they make back there. That’s not ‘coming here for a better life’ like your (and my) ancestors, that’s exploiting a bad immigration policy. For a good laugh, some of you shoud read Mexico’s immigration policy and then remember how they want us to just let them in without question … talk about hypocrites. First link I found with Google:
http://mysorebutt.com/immigration-law.php
I am not sure there was such a thing as illegal immigration back in my grandparents time. Certainly by todays standards they would probably be illegals.
As for culture/money. Certainly I am interested in people wanting to be here and learning our culture. I do find it rude when someone is talking in front of me in another language. However as a libertarian, I definately don’t want to judge what someone does with thier money or what language they talk in.
Narcotics, immigration, copyright infringement, alcohol prohibition; whenever you have a massive proportion of your population breaking bad laws and feeling entirely justified in doing so, it is time to examine the bad laws.
“illegal” immigration is a fairly new concept because until sometime recently ( I think 1920s) immigrants were welcomed without restriction. Well, I think there were restrictions on Asians, but everyone else was free to come here and live.
Today the hate is reserved for Mexicans. I guess after all the Europeans were allowed to come here they shut the door behind them and made up new rules targeted at Mexicans. Suddenly after centuries of free immigration, the illegal immigrant was invented as a scapegoat.
It’s very strange when anyone argues the difference between legal and illegal immigration, especially when making a claim like ” My great-grandparents came here LEGALLY” as if there was any alternative.
“Open borders” is actually pretty much the traditional ( conservative) position of the United States of America, but anyone who states the obvious is treated like he just advocated for legal child porn or something.
And the culture argument is bullshit. There are (European) immigrants who have been here decades or centuries who segregate themselves , fly flags from their mother countries, speak the old language,etc.
Why is every ethnicity/nationality besides Mexican actually ENCOURAGED to preserve their “culture” but if a Mexican so much as speaks a word of Spanish or eats a taco he is “refusing to assimilate”?
you’re right, big guy: the culture argument Is bullshit.
it’s an attempted distraction from the real issue. that being the illegals are here ILLEGALLY. they have no right to social services/schools/medical care they’ve neither paid for nor will pay for. nor do they have the right to work or drive a vehicle or have a bank account here. they’re breaking the law by being here, breaking the law exactly the same as meth dealers and kiddyporn distributors and trigger-happy, badge-heavy cops do. american citizen deadbeat dads who’re in default on child-support can’t have a job in this country. why should illegal aliens be allowed to?
there’s quite a few murders/rapes in the US. shall we then say “ya know, there’s waaaay too many murderers and rapists for us to get them all. we should just look the other way.”? could i carry that argument if i moaned about the rape/murder culture? and how it’s a form of cultural imperialism to say *our* non-murdering culture is somehow (finger quotes) **better** than theirs?
or would that merely be a sad try at bullshit obfuscation?