Anger on the Left; Exasperation on the Right

Angry faceThomas Lifson wrote a "right on the money" article about the intoxicating and damaging anger the Left currently experiences. I especially enjoyed the part where he pointed out, rightly, that the Left is bewildered by and hostile to the fact that someone they deem their intellectual inferior had the temerity to leapfrog over them (a charge they also leveled repeatedly at Reagan — a fact I know because I was one of the levelers in those days). As the 2006 elections near, I'm hoping this anger is sufficient to offset the fact that Republicans are rightly angered in their own way by Legislators who spend money like crazy and welcome illegals in with open hands.

Regarding the last, I still can't get over why all these politicians are pandering to people who can't vote, but that's another story. Apparently the mere sight of those rallies was enough to frighten our DC brethren, regardless of the absence of real political power, and despite the fact that real voters are increasingly disgusted by America's de facto open border policy.

Also regarding the illegal immigration thing (I'm riffing wildly here, aren't I?), I heard something very funny on a public radio station the other day. It was just a snippet, so I don't even know which show or, more significantly, who was doing the talking. On the anti-immigration side, I heard briefly from a representative named Mark, who had a lot of interesting numbers at his fingertips: Yes, illegal aliens do pay taxes, but the social services they suck up are far in excess of any taxes they pay. Yes, they do take low paying jobs but, in the process, they artificially deflate wages for all other Americans. Indeed, he said, if the illegal aliens were all sent to Mexico requiring the factory farms to pay legal residents slightly higher wages, it would cost each American about $7.00 per year — while providing real employment to legitimate workers. Additionally, not only are these illegals siphoning off way more than they're contributing in taxes, they're also sending money out of this country as fast as they can — to Mexico, where their hearts really are (as the flag shenanigans at the rallies accurately demonstrated). All fascinating and my head was bobbing up and down like a toy dog in the back window of a car.

Then, I got to hear the La Raza representative. No, she didn't argue with his numbers. But, she said, we need, we really need, to allow amnesty so that these people can have a good life. It's not fair for them to have to live in the shadows. At these point, I'm thinking, "They broke the law. It's entirely appropriate for them to live in the shadows, and it would be even better if they left the shadows here altogether for the sunlit land of Mexico."

Apparently I'm just not altruistic enough. La Raza's rep thinks these lawbreakers should be able to build a future in America. Why? No reason stated. It seemed to fall into the "just because" category. Doesn't La Raza realize that these vapid platitudes about illegal aliens are not selling points to a hard-working taxpayer like me? I'm all for immigration, but the legal way, with checks and balances to offset all the problems Mark properly identified.

Aside from all this piffle and twaddle, I also think it's an appalling thing that the very first thing these "immigrants" do as they set foot in America is break the law — and then get forgiven. La Raza would do better turning its attention South of the Border, and trying to improve the Mexican body politic, and the Mexican economic system, so that these people can find what they're looking for there, instead of coming illegally here.

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