Add to these
great opinions shared so far today that politically speaking, the GOP traditional
conservative base is literally dying off, and recent elections point to the urgent
need to bring fresh new blood into voting registration. Hence the Bush2
initiative at recruiting the growing Latino vote, aggressive redistricting
shenanigans and a strong policy plank on cultural-religious issues that formerly-DEM
Catholics, Latinos and Evangelical Christians want.
PBS NewsHour
did a segment on “matricula consulars”, identification cards issued for
Mexicans in the US, pointing out the obvious that those so blessed can use
banking services and become credit-bearing consumers. Some local police jurisdictions in California
recognize them as legitimate id.
See Crucial
Card @ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/jan-june04/card_1-6.html
KH
wrote: Brad,
My take is that this is part of a longer-term anti-immigration policy, now more
able to be achieved because of rapidly advancing practical technology of
foolproof identity cards. The US/Mexican border cannot be successfuly guarded,
so why not re-establish America's de facto border at Mexico's relatively narrow
border with Guatemala? This is also closely associated with likely world
protectionism as oil/gas supplies become increasingly insufficient for economic
development of much more than is already happening within NAFTA, China,
South-East Asia and possibly India (which will no doubt increasingly allocate
Middle East oil largely between themselves). The Europe Union will be left to
crumble within its own borders (with South America, Russia, Central Europe,
Africa being largely ignored as basket cases except for useful resources).
In short, it's part of a much bigger scenario of a new world order quite the
opposite of that of Bush I's idea. Domestic/jobs friction between Latinos and
American blacks along the west coast will grow immensely, of course, but will
be largely ignored by the east coast (much as Northern Ireland is largely
ignored by most Brits) and I don't see much political fallout because the
election turn-outs are shrinking all the time and those who bother to vote
(probably down to 30% in ten years' time) will not be greatly affected.
Politicians will have to 'play' to the problem in the same way that they make
gestures to fundamentalism and homosexuality issues. Neither Democrats or
Republicans will want to make a big issue out of Mexican immigration (not that
I think it will grow very large as available low level jobs dry up) because
serious politicians will have their eyes on much more important issues such as
energy supplies and satellite-directed technology from now onwards.
At 20:35 07/01/2004 -0500, you wrote:
What does everyone think:
Is Bush's amnesty program for illegal immigrant workers
really a way to fill jobs here in the US that no
American wants, and to provide the immigrant workers
with rights and a more decent life?
Or is it another way to reduce American labor costs
by increasing competition from persons who are
willing to work under worse conditions and for less?
Trade union busting? Or civic union enhancing?
Could Bush actualy be doing something constructive?
What do you think?
