New at Reason

David Weigel | May 16, 2006

Nick Gillespie tries to contain his enthusiasm for George Bush's immigration speech.

Comments

|5.16.06 @ 8:54AM|#

America Needs To Conduct This Debate In A Reasoned And Respectful Tone.



AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

|5.16.06 @ 8:55AM|#

The vast majority of the American people is staunchly in favor of militarizing the Southern border or doing whatever it may take to stop the flow of illegal immigrants from that part of the world.

Really?? Guess that media blitz worked. I wonder how much "whatever it may take" is going to cost.

|5.16.06 @ 8:56AM|#

Damn my incompetence.

|5.16.06 @ 8:57AM|#

The first thing is to challenge the notion that immigration--legal or illegal--in any way represents a "crisis."

Yes, but the tools that will be used to control employment and the flow of people can also be used to control citizens and prevent dissidents from escaping. Seen in that light, they have every incentive to jump on the bandwagon of this "crisis."

Suppose that government agents ask you to hand over business records. They have no warrant, they say they won't get one, and handing over those records would violate promises that you made to your customers. So you refuse. Suddenly you find yourself charged with a crime that you didn't commit. The fabricated evidence is pretty convincing, so you decide that it's time to flee. Oops, troops on the border. You aren't going anywhere.

Now, some might say that the proposed troop presence is too small to stop your escape. And maybe that's true. But does anybody believe that the border garrison will remain static over time? I think not. I think that when the task proves impossible for the handful of troops deployed, Congress will be asked to "support our troops" by sending even more troops to the border. I think that troop presence will grow.

Sure, you could escape via Canada, but if you're on the NSA's shit list Mexico would be better: Fewer cameras, more cash transactions (rather than electronic), and plenty of cops who will (for a fee, of course) fail to apprehend people wanted by the US.

Those troops are on the border for a reason. And that reason has nothing to do with fear of gardeners and dish washers.

|5.16.06 @ 9:01AM|#

And, in case you're wondering, my tinfoil hat is a fedora. Always wanted to wear one. Now I have it in a metallic style.

:)

|5.16.06 @ 9:05AM|#

thoreau:

I hope you were joking there. Those troops are there for politcal cover. It is a token politcal gesture in the hopes of avoiding a trainwreck between the house and senate bills.

Even if we want to assign dark motives, which is not especially productive, the dark motives have to to with nativist tendencies of the electorate and not some ideal of Jail America.

|5.16.06 @ 9:12AM|#

Feel a purge coming, thoreau? I'm not quite at your apparent level of nuttery yet, but I'm sure I'll be there soon.

BTW - If I remember right, you were looking for a tenure-track professorship. You should learn French and look here. If you must flee, you might as well flee to a place full of bare-boobied Polynesian hotties.

|5.16.06 @ 9:14AM|#

thoreau,

I suppose you could call your musings "the american flypaper theory." If nothing else, you deserve novelty and creativity points. Save up enough and you can get that hat of yours from the Company. Just send SASE along with statement signing away your rights.

|5.16.06 @ 9:33AM|#

And, in case you're wondering, my tinfoil hat is a fedora. Always wanted to wear one. Now I have it in a metallic style.

You might look better if you bought a regular fedora 1/4 size bigger and lined it with foil. That way, you'll only be crazy on the inside.:)

Actually, what we'll really need is foil boxer shorts to block the signal from the chips that will be implanted in our asses for "security".

|5.16.06 @ 9:35AM|#

Heck, thoreau, move to Ft. Lauderdale. Then the Bahamas are a short (50-mile) boat ride away :) We go out farther on the Gulf Coast just fishing.

I sure hope the next Congress and administration are a little more limited government/civil liberties oriented.

|5.16.06 @ 7:27PM|#

Jason-

OK, maybe you're right, maybe the intent has nothing to do with catching fleeing dissidents.

Care to place any bets on what the effect will be down the road?

|5.17.06 @ 9:37AM|#

I think we all can pretty much figure out how the War On Immigration is going to turn out.