More Thoughts on “Comprehensive Reform”

It isn’t going away

The apparently ill-fated Immigration Bill continues to dominate the political news, so it pays to continue focusing on it here as well. This is clearly on President Bush’s short list of “must dos,” so it will keep coming back. Herewith a few observations.

- I am convinced that we as a nation and a culture are in the middle of a fundamental paradigm shift. In many ways the old left-right, liberal-conservative, rich-poor, East-West dichotomies no longer work very well. Our model for organizing our political, economic and cultural worlds no longer allow us to box things up neatly for mental storage. By definition, being in the middle of a shift we cannot tell where we will end up. But the generalized discombobulation of the world around us tells us that we are in transit. The immigration debate is a symptom of this larger shift. One of the reasons it is so difficult an issue is that our old frames of thought do not “fit” the issue in a way that allows it to make sense to us.

- Comprehensive solutions are generally efforts to mask intention. There is absolutely no reason that the various issues addressed by this bill could not be handled as separate issues. Except that those who seek legalization for illegal aliens realize that they have no chance of achieving their goals on their own terms. By bundling all of the pieces together they hoped to have something of importance in there for everyone, and hence to jam it all through using classic bipartisan (multi-partisan?) tactics. This is solid political thinking, and in theory should have worked. What they didn’t count on was that the conservative base (which frankly includes about half the country on an issue like this) has completely lost faith in the ability or willingness of the Administration and Congress to actually enforce the border. Regardless of what the Bill may say. Therefore, the thing that was supposed to “buy us off” didn’t seem like a good deal at all. The complexity of the proposed solutions eroded the trust levels even further. There has been a slightly shady feel about this whole thing.

- I am actually pretty much of a libertarian on economic issues, and I think that establishing some sort of formal Guest Worker Program would be a good idea. I don’t buy into the hooey about “jobs Americans won’t do,” however. Anybody will do a job for the right money. And I sympathize with the priorities of those who see Mexican labor as stealing American jobs or depressing wages. But I think they are misguided. Allowing the labor market to find its own level will end up increasing prosperity for everyone over time. The fact that it may cause some disruption here and there in the process is unfortunate, but the essence of prosperity is contained in such dynamics. I find it unfortunate when conservatives choose to support free markets when it benefits them, but oppose them when they feel a little discomfort.

- I am not at all certain that many illegal aliens of Mexican nationality want to become citizens. It’s pretty clear that they are here for the dough. I am also not at all sure they mind “living in the shadows.” If you think about it, it’s a pretty sweet deal. That’s why the whole “amnesty” piece puzzles me. That seems like we are trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. These people, generally speaking, are not here because they desperately wish to become U.S. citizens. They are here because they wish to make three times as much money as they would in Mexico. So why are we trying to set them on a path to something they don’t want?

- I, like many, am rather confused by the harsh, dismissive and demeaning language used by the bill’s supporters to describe opponents. I think this is representative of the paradigm shift in progress, and the resulting inability to find usable categories for opponents’ views. The remarks by Linda Chavez, an otherwise stalwart on the right, were especially puzzling and sad. One of the neat aspects of the right has been its willingness to engage in vigorous but respectful debate. This descent into name-calling is not a very good sign.

The side of this debate that one comes down on is almost entirely decided by what one considers to be the most important focus. If your primary concern is the well being of and – for lack of a more apt word – justice for the fine, hardworking, family oriented illegal aliens who have been living in the shadows for years, then you will side with the President and support the bill. If your primary concern is the integrity of the law or national security, you will oppose. If you primary concern is the free flow of labor and markets, you will be in favor. It’s really that simple.

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