For Immigration

(fm theBC thread "The Gathering Storm")

Forgotten Man,
Concur.

We are a big empty country. All I ask is that people obey the law and love the Republic. Arguments about marginal tax rates don't bother me. On those I can be right and lose the politics and just hope that people learn from the market. Bigots might fret over the new arrivals but my view is that if we believe in ourselves and have an educational system that teaches why we are a country worth moving to then all will be fine. People came here from some nasty places where life was cheap, Czarist Russia, famine ravaged Ireland, Imperial China, even feud beset Italy, and they did so legally and they became good citizens.

They got along beautifully in America.

(The fuller version I linked to has embedding disabled)

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Habu,
(who feels my "blue sky view" is misplaced)

As Subotai Bahadur and Papa Ray have said I believe, and I believe that you have indicated yourself, the real hard unrelenting work is in constantly talking to people of all ages and conditions. School Boards are the keystone. We all need to push back from the computers and go out for two reasons,
1. to remind ourselves of why it is all worth the struggle,
2. to talk to people and engage in nuts and bolts politics.

All the bad things may happen but if we haven't been doing the work now then we will be in no position to lead later.

We have to keep dealing with people as individuals and a with a hopeful spirit, because that is what we stand for. That does not mean that we should not be prepared or fail to observe a strangers eyes and hands.

Enjoy the Big Sky, I wish you well.

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Storm-Rider,
(who thought the immigrants came from "Bolshevik Russia")

Definitely Czarist, just look up the numbers.

America has swung between extremes in our immigration policy, with the door either wide open or slammed shut, based upon the perceived needs of our economy. For 20 years after WW-II we had what looks like a reasonable balance. Then Ted Kennedy created the nightmare we now have. This system relies chiefly on the concept of "family reunification" and encourages fraud, deceit, illegal immigration and "anchor babies." We can return to a policy that offers hope to honest people offering loyalty and ambition to earn a place while encouraging those with talent or potential achievement to move here. There is reason to expect that we do not need to vastly reduce the number of legal immigrants. The need to return to the rule of law and system that ensures that legal immigrants are first considered on the basis of their expected benefit to America is something I support. My interpretation of that may be broader than yours but I hope that you would be satisfied with a return to a system that both worked and could enjoy broad political support.

I agree with you about making babies. Perhaps we could try an advertising campaign? "Make babies, it's Fun."

whiskey,
(who is focused on race and La Raza)

Snap out of your despair. It is a dead end.
Make something better. Repeat once a day.

Jim Nicholas,
Thank you for your kind words.

The worst case may happen. We should be prudently prepared. Eventually we will die. Until then let us live well standing on our feet and each with a smile on our face as examples of civilized achievement.

The wiki says that you live in the footprint of the bed of Lake Agassiz. When can you expect the special tax levy to offset the victims of colonialism who have been denied full access to peatlands connected with mesozoic formations around the world? You may find it mentioned between pages 850 and 1200 of any bill that comes out of Congress.

AKA,
to secure this country’s security, opportunity and prosperity

The only thing that secures those are not the laws of Congress but the people who elect that Congress. Wise laws help but they come from a wise people and do not create them. Work with your neighbors and get involved in your local schools. It is late but it is better to start than stare at a clock. If it turns out that it is to late then what have you lost?