Good for a Few Laughs

Hatemonger's Quarterly makes nice with the Dixie Chicks.

Thanks, Kenny.

Just One More on Illegals?

We-ellllllllll, I had just about decided that Bush probably mostly knew what he was doing on this immigration thing, ya know, since Fox is the best bet we have for a Mexican president and we want him to get re-elected; we need an economically strong Mexico right now and their second-biggest source of income is remittances from the US; we need Mexican help / cooperation on a range of issues such as terrorism, illegal drugs, etc.; and 12 million illegals could do a lot of damage on their way out; when I read One More Essay on Immigration*.

Oh, heck. He's right that this isn't a crisis, and there's no need to pass legislation right now. We can afford to take our time and do it right. He may be right about the rest of it, too, which is kinda scary. Go see what you folks think.

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*I also had a conversation this afternoon that made me rethink a bit, but this essay smacked me upside the head.

(Mug tip to Consul-at-Arms.)

Michael Yon Plagiarized by SHOCK Magazine

One of his photos was used without permission for the cover of their premier issue.

SHOCK is owned by HFM, which also publishes American Photo, Boating, Car and Driver, Cycle World, ELLE, ELLE Decor, ELLEgirl, Flying, For Me, Home, Metropolitan Home, Popular Photography & Imaging, Premiere, Road & Track, Road & Track Road Gear, Road & Track Speed, Sound & Vision, Woman’s Day and Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications.

Outright theft.

Illegal Immigration Roundup

I picked these out because they bring something new and interesting to the debate. Each link is followed by a brief excerpt.

Will Mexico Turn Against the US?, Carlos Alberto Montaner

Dick Morris, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, fears that the Mexicans will elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador as their next president on July 2.

AMLO, as he is popularly known, is a left-wing neopopulist, and he leads in all the polls in his country despite his mediocre performance as governor of the Federal District. Morris is concerned that AMLO might make common cause with Hugo Chávez to bring the United States to its knees on the matter of energy. Mexico and Venezuela supply about one third the amount of crude oil the U.S. imports daily.

Mexico's Addiction to Remittances from Illegals In US, Victor Davis Hanson

It may be counterintuitive to think that checks from hard-working expatriates are pernicious. But for a developing nation, remittances can prove as problematic as the proverbial plight of the lottery winner - sudden winnings that were not earned. In short, remittances, along with oil and tourism - not agriculture, engineering, education, manufacturing or finance - prop up an otherwise ailing Mexican economy. This helps explain why half of the country's 106 million citizens still live in poverty.

Force Mexico to Face Its Failings, Froma Harrop

The border debate has spawned feverish mumbling about the "reconquista" -- the idea that Mexico plans to take back territory lost to the United States by first filling it with Mexican immigrants and their children. One can't see them going along. If any country needs reconquering, it is Mexico. Now there's a movement these immigrants might want to join.

The "L" Word, Dr. Demarche

If the President and his advisors are adamant about fixing the immigration issue here are my suggestions for several concrete steps they can take immediately:

Mexico Works to Bar Non-Natives From Jobs, Mark Stevenson

Foreign-born Mexicans can't hold seats in either house of the congress. They're also banned from state legislatures, the Supreme Court and all governorships. Many states ban foreign-born Mexicans from spots on town councils. And Mexico's Constitution reserves almost all federal posts, and any position in the military and merchant marine, for "native-born Mexicans."

Recently the Mexican government has gone even further. Since at least it has encouraged cities to ban non-natives from such local jobs as firefighters, police and judges.

Mexico's Interior Department _ which recommended the bans as part of "model" city statutes it distributed to local officials _ could cite no basis for extending the bans to local posts.

Mexico Threatens Lawsuits Over Guard, AP

Mexico warned Tuesday it would file lawsuits in U.S. courts if National Guard troops detain migrants on the border and some officials said they fear the crackdown will force illegal crossers into more perilous areas to avoid detection.

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My own answer, should you be curious, was explained in Illegal Two-Steppin'

Schroedinger's Camel Spider

Doc In the Box carefully performs a scientific study.

Another Plan for Dealing With Illegal Immigrants

Consul-at-Arms presents the first part of his plan to deal with illegal immigration. Lots of good ideas.

Conservative Battle Fatigue?

Mark Tapscott talks about why it's hit and what to do about it.

Good stuff that I mostly agree with, particularly that it's the GOP in Congress that I'm tired of (except my own Senator Coburn is excellent, and my other two reps are pretty good). I'm also tired of fighting the same ideological battles over and over and over.

Any comments?

News? Well ...

Victor Davis Hanson covers WWII like much of the media is covering Iraq today. Here's a sample graph:

As we see thousands of Americans dying and our enemies still in power after four years of war, it is also legitimate to question the stewardship of Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Marshall. The Sherman tank tragedy, the daylight bombing fiasco, the absence of even minimally suitable anti-tank weapons and torpedoes — all these lapses came on his watch, and the man at the top must take full responsibility for mistakes that have now cost thousands of American lives. Indeed, it is not just that America has worse tanks and guns than our German enemies, but they are inferior even to the rockets and armor of our Soviet allies. The recent publication of “The Sherman Tank Scandal” follows other revelations published in “Asleep at the Philippines,” “The Flight of Gen. MacArthur,” “Gen. Patton and the Atrocities on Sicily,” “Do Americans Execute P.O.Ws?” “Torture on Guadalcanal,” “Incinerating Women and Children?” and “Civilian Massacres in Germany” — publications in their totality that suggest a military out of control as often as it is incompetent.

Meanwhile, Gaijin Biker reports that:

NEW YORK (Rooters) Popular political comedian Steven Colbert, who delivered a biting critique of President Bush at April's White House Correspondents Dinner, has been seized by US government agents.

According to a highly-placed State Department source, Mr. Colbert is believed to have been rendered to Uzbekistan ...

Yep.

Remember, folks, you read it here second ...

They're All Ugly, And Not

Jim Geraghty (in Turkey) let's it rip about the 'ugly American' myth.

I lived overseas for seven years; every nationality I've dealt with has its uglies, and the US is not the worst of them by far.

Part of the reason "the world" is down on Americans, instead of just our government, is the re-election of Bush. That's just the way it is, folks. Being nice isn't going to help because, frankly, most of them don't really care about Americans (we were stupid before, now we're stupid and evil), and if we were all killed by bovine flu or mad chicken disease tomorrow, there would be a collective snort and a 'well, it's a tragedy, but certainly if any nation deserved it ...' Followed, of course, by a mad scramble to see who could get what of our stuff.

Illegal Two-Steppin’

Step 1: Document the Undocumented; Stop the Inflow of Illegals

Pass legislation that:
1. Gets the wall between the US and Mexico built.

2. Makes it a felony to enter the US illegally from the date the legislation takes effect, and to be in the US illegally from 31 days after the legislation takes effect. Also makes it a felony to assist an illegal in avoiding law enforcement and immigration agencies, gives all police the jurisdiction to enforce this law, and, regardless of whether they enforce it or not, requires all law enforcement officers to report any contact with illegal aliens within 24 hours. Finally, make it prohibitively expensive, and a possible felony, to knowingly employ illegal aliens from 31 days after the law takes effect.

3. Gives all current illegal immigrants 30 days (count ‘em: three-zero) to:
a. Get the paperwork from their employer or a family member for sponsorship,
b. Get registered at their closest consulate,
c. Apply for and receive a special temporary worker visa from the US (issued automatically after a US criminal background check and two phone calls to check sponsorship and registration at their consulate).

4. Makes these special visas non-renewable (but see Step 2).

5. Requires employers to check every employee on the Social Security Administration database. The database software will be set up to issue receipts for valid matches, and those receipts must be placed in the employees’ files and copies submitted with tax documentation. Since handling all the special visas will take a huge amount of time, give employers six months to get all current employees registered, however, new employees must be checked from the date the legislation goes into effect.

6. Sets up a generous guest worker program that requires application from the country of origin, a sponsor / employer, and for which it is impossible to apply while on the special temporary worker visa (though see Step 2).

Step 2: Reciprocity and Normalization

1. Over the year after passage of the above legislation, have a congressional study group that will study immigration laws and economics in the countries that have large blocks of immigrants on these special temporary visas.

2. Make any further concession to the immigrants of these nations based on their home nation’s laws, make this policy explicit from the beginning, and take into account any change each individual nation takes towards immigration liberalization for Americans and economic improvement. For example, if, during that year, Mexico were to liberalize its immigration laws and allow Americans easy immigration, the same property and business ownership rights as Mexican citizens, and take steps to improve economic opportunities for the poor, then Mexican immigrants on special temporary visas in the US would most likely get an automatic year extension to their visas, and the restriction that they could not apply for guest worker visas while on special temporary visas would be removed. Of course, if Mexico didn’t change, well, fair’s fair. Our laws would still be more free and open than Mexico’s, and anytime anyone complained about the US deporting millions of Mexicans, we’d point that out and the great opportunity for its citizens on both sides of the border that the Mexican government chose to ignore.

In both steps, there would have to be exceptions made, for example, for refugees, or for nations with very few immigrants in the US on special visas (so threatening their deportation wouldn’t be a significant stimulus), etc.

I've left a lot out, but Dr. Demarche made some more good proposals that would complement mine well.

Update 5/17: It seems that Glenn Reynolds agrees with me.

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Previous posts on this topic:
Mexican Immigration Law
Undocumented Migrants In Mexico Brutalized
Random Illegal Thoughts
Well, Heck
Illegal Immigration 1

The Beautiful Month of May ...

... begins with sorrow, terror and injustice. Catallarchy presents his annual 'Day of Remembrance' for the victims of communism with several articles on the topic.

New Terrorist Cell Must Be Factored In

Over at Sir Humphreys we find out about the dreaded Al-Gebra organization:

At New York's Kennedy Airport today, an individual later discovered to be a NYC public school teacher was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, protractor, set square, slide rule and calculator.

At a morning press conference, a White House spokesman said authorities believe the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement. The man is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of maths instruction.

Go learn more about this dreaded terrorist group.

Eeeww! Every Liberal's Dream ...

Every conservative's nightmare.

Most disturbing.

Mexican Immigration Law

Pardon My English sends us to a Center for Security Policy paper (in PDF), Mexico's Glass House, which is a good rundown on Mexican immigration policy and a recommendation that we reciprocate by asking Mexico to change its immigration laws, or changing our own to reflect Mexico's.

Some of those points are:
• Immigrants and foreign visitors are banned from public political discourse. [I.e., no demonstrations - PJ]
• Immigrants and foreigners are denied certain basic property rights. (Limitations on the type of real estate and the percentage of certain types of companies non-citizens can own.)
• Immigrants are denied equal employment rights. (Hiring preferences for citizens.)
• Immigrants and naturalized citizens will never be treated as real Mexican citizens.
• Immigrants and naturalized citizens are not to be trusted in public service. (Non-citizens can't serve in the military, police forces, and even naturalized citizens are barred from serving in the legislature, supreme court, or as president -- for president, even your parents have to be native-born Mexican.)
• Immigrants and naturalized citizens may never become members of the clergy.
• Private citizens may make citizens arrests of lawbreakers (i.e., illegal immigrants)
and hand them to the authorities.
• Immigrants may be expelled from Mexico for any reason and without due process.

http://www.directory.com.mx/immigration/ is webpage, maintained by pro-Mexico individuals, that details disparities in Mexican and US immigration law, and advocates Mexico change its immigration laws. What I find most interesting are some fairly clear indications of racism enshrined in Mexican law. Here are some interesting points:

Mexicans, and people of Mexican parentage can become dual citizens of Mexico and the USA. Nevertheless, U.S. citizens who are NOT of Mexican descent are still prohibited from becoming citizens of Mexico, unless they are willing to formally ... represent that they have renounced their U.S. citizenship. ... By the way, Article 20 I c) is an example of how Mexico gives preferential treatment to folks from Latin American nations or the Spanish peninsula when awarding nationality status versus their "gringo" competitors, despite the existence of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

We are not aware that Mexico allows foreign-born citizens to hold truly significant governmental posts, especially not if they are of non-Mexican ancestry and if they want to maintain dual citizenship elsewhere. In contrast, the U.S.A. has allowed various foreigners to hold truly prominent federal and gubernatorial offices without requiring that they renounce their citizenship abroad. Among them are Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger and Arnold Schwarzenegger. ...

Wouldn't our governents' finally addressing the abovementioned legal differences help elevate Mexico's $9,000 annual GDP per capita to more closely resemble the USA's $38,000 figure? We would like nothing better for our beloved friends in the USA's neighboring trading partner of Mexico than to see them get to leave their country only when they truly want to, instead of out of economic desperation. Is Mexico's current governmental administration doing nearly enough to help Mexico's people though?

Alan Wall, an American legally living and working in Mexico, tells the story of 18 Americans deported from Mexico for participating in a demonstration:

The Americans’ offense was to participate in May Day marches in Mexico City and Guadalajara. The ones in Mexico City were college students, visiting with their professor from Washington State. They had joined a group protesting the expropriation of land near Mexico City for a new airport and were waving machetes with the other protestors. They might have gotten away with it, except that some of them were heard on the TV news shouting protest slogans in broken Spanish, which in turn caused Mexican journalists to express outrage.

The INM wasted no time. The offenses were committed on May 1st, and by the evening of May 2nd, the offending gringos were on their way back to the U.S.A., their Mexican visas revoked.

Wall then goes on to show the heavy influence the Mexican government is exerting in the US through its 47 consulates and President Fox.

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Apparently, Rush Limbaugh beat me to the punch on this one. I would link the article on his website, but it's members-only.

It seems to be going around. This is a well-written article!

'Undocumented Migrants' in Mexico Brutalized, Robbed by Officials

AP writer Mark Stevenson reports:

Undocumented Central American migrants complain much more about how they are treated by Mexican officials than about authorities on the U.S. side of the border, where migrants may resent being caught but often praise the professionalism of the agents scouring the desert for their trail. ...

Jose Ramos, 18, of
El Salvador, said the extortion occurs at every stop in Mexico, until migrants are left penniless and begging for food.

"If you're on a bus, they pull you off and search your pockets and if you have any money, they keep it and say, 'Get out of here,'" Ramos said.

Maria Elena Gonzalez, who lives near the tracks, said female migrants often complain about abusive police.

"They force them to strip, supposedly to search them, but the purpose is to sexually abuse them," she said.

Others said they had seen migrants beaten to death by police, their bodies left near the railway tracks to make it look as if they had fallen from a train.

The Mexican government acknowledges that many federal, state and local officials are on the take from the people-smugglers who move hundreds of thousands of Central Americans north, and that migrants are particularly vulnerable to abuse by corrupt police. ...

In the United States, mostly Mexican immigrants have staged rallies pressuring Congress to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants rather than making them felons and deputizing police to deport them. The Mexican government has spoken out in support of the immigrants' cause.

While Interior Secretary Carlos Abascal said Monday that "Mexico is a country with a clear, defined and generous policy toward migrants," the nation of 105 million has legalized only 15,000 immigrants in the past five years, and many undocumented migrants who are detained are deported.

Although Mexico objects to U.S. authorities detaining Mexican immigrants, police and soldiers usually cause the most trouble for migrants in Mexico, even though they aren't technically authorized to enforce immigration laws.

And while Mexicans denounce the criminalization of their citizens living without papers in the United States, Mexican law classifies undocumented immigration as a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, although deportation is more common.

(Mug tip to Wizbang.)

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Related: My Mexican Immigration Law post and Some Random Illegal Thoughts.

45th Anniversary: La Brigada Asalto 2506

And the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

Val Prieto & co. at Babalu Blog (where else?) has it covered:

My father in law was a member of La Brigada 2506 and fought in the Bay of Pigs in what was called Operation Mongoose by the US Government. He has a million stories to tell, everything from the moment he decided to join La Brigada and fight for the freedom of Cuba, to the training, the embarcation, the invasion, the battle on the beaches, his capture and incarceration and the subsequent torture -- physical and mental -- at the hands of fidel castro, to his release and reunification with his wife and daughter here in the States. My words can do his story no justice, but someday it will be told. Until then, Edgar, Happy Birthday. The following articles are for you and your brothers and sisters in arms to assure you that this generation, our generation, has not and will not forget your sacrifice and love for una Cuba libre.

Mark Steyn on Iran

A perfect metaphor:

You know what's great fun to do if you're on, say, a flight from Chicago to New York and you're getting a little bored? Why not play being President Ahmadinejad? Stand up and yell in a loud voice, "I've got a bomb!" Next thing you know the air marshal will be telling people, "It's OK, folks. Nothing to worry about. He hasn't got a bomb." And then the second marshal would say, "And even if he did have a bomb it's highly unlikely he'd ever use it." And then you threaten to kill the two Jews in row 12 and the stewardess says, "Relax, everyone. That's just a harmless rhetorical flourish." And then a group of passengers in rows 4 to 7 point out, "Yes, but it's entirely reasonable of him to have a bomb given the threatening behavior of the marshals and the cabin crew."

Random Illegal Thoughts

Visiting Permanently and Other Things I Don't Understand, a good post on immigration issues by the good doctor, Dr. Demarche.

I agree that we should secure the border first, then decide what to do about the illegal aliens already here. Why is securing the border controversial?

I have a retired Japanese-born friend who became a naturalized US citizen and made his career here in the US. His oldest son is Japanese, but grew up here, then decided to try Japan out for a while. He wasn't able to fit in there, and so is trying to move back to the US. But since he left the US, he hasn't been able to get a visa to come back. They have applied, and have waited three years already. No telling when his visa will be approved. His entire life is pretty much on hold. But had he just come on a tourist visa and stayed illegally, well, that would be fine, apparently. I'm thinking of counseling him to do so, actually. Why not?

Why can the latino & immigrant communities stage demonstrations with tens of thousands, but there's no group that is organizing counter-demonstrations with tens of thousands? Could such a group be started, and what would it look like? In fact, every interest group out there has an organization or ten, but there's not one for your basic American citizen. At least, not one I know of. Organization counts; a small, strident group can have more impact than a large, quiet one. I'm tired of being in a quiet group.

Signs and slogans for a good border security / anti-illegal immigration rally:

Why are YOU above the law? (maybe written over an image of the Mexican flag?)

Amnesty = Injustice

Justice for Law-Abiding People

Say 'NO!' to the Reconquistadores!

I (heart) *LEGAL* Immigrants!

Thank You *LEGAL* Immigrants!

What's wrong with illegal immigrants? What's wrong with vigilantes?

*Border Security
*Easier Immigration
*NO Amnesty

Don't break into my home at night, then ask me to feed you breakfast.

Want more crime? Reward it!

We Are Either
A Nation of Laws
- Or -
A Lawless Nation

A quiet, law-abiding group of links:

Protesting, A Job for Immigrants?
Reconquistadores
A little bit of agitation at Michelle Malkin's
Why so many US flags?
Big Instapundit roundup

Feel free to add your own slogans and links, and comments of course, in the comments.

Reading about the Iraq Invasion

I'm doing a little research on the war in Iraq and I'm interested in reading the best factual work I can find, as well as the best arguments for and against the invasion of Iraq.

I'm specifically looking for books, articles, papers, etc., whether online or off.

Any suggestions?

Happy March 10th!

Why? Oh, I guess because it's Friday, and since my last class for the week was yesterday, my spring break starts today, and, er, my, aren't the pear blossoms pretty?

Has anyone else noticed that the Japanese put a lot more meaning into blossoms than we in the West seem to? For example, plum blossoms are the first of the year and represent first love. We put more meaning into flowers, I think, like what different colors of roses mean. Anyone have an angle on that?

Also, just out of curiosity, what would represent first love / young love in the West? Anyone know of a flower / blossom / other symbol that fits?

Well, off to work. See ya 'round, and enjoy the day!