A self-described “super liberal” friend said yesterday that
he believed in open borders … no constraints whatsoever on who might enter the
United States. This attitude stems, I believe, from equating today’s situation
with the waves of immigrants that have historically populated this country and,
obviously, made it stronger. To me this is a false equivalence for a number of
reasons:
1)
Past
legal immigration was closely monitored to keep out aliens that had contagious
diseases. Our former federal processing centers on the east and west coast
would send such individuals back home or quarantine them until they were deemed safe
to be released into the general population. Even illegal immigrants, once caught,
would be so processed. Today the Obama administration is threatening doctors
who raise the specter of such a public health crises as a result of this new
wave of unprocessed illegal immigrants … see:
Fox News Story.
If we were to have open borders,
not only would we surely suffer a number of such epidemics, but we also would
be inundated with dangerous plant, animal and insect invaders brought into our
country under such uncontrolled circumstances. Imagine the Asian jumping carp or
the winter moth times a thousand!
2)
In
past times, immigrants of all stripes were expected to be self reliant and not
go on the public dole. In fact existing U.S. citizens were required to
guarantee in writing that this would not occur. Today, given the monumental
growth of the welfare state, no such checks exist. The pull of free money and
free high-quality health care is what draws many illegal and legal immigrants
to this country… see:
Breitbart Story.
If our Social Security System is
teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, how will it pay for millions more
foreigners who never contributed a penny, yet are or will be receiving its
benefits? And, if we don’t have enough doctors to treat our returning veterans,
how in heaven’s name are we going to minister to the influx of all of the
world’s infirmed who can make it to our shores?
3) The
United States has awoken, as a result of the 9/11 World Trade Center heinous
attack, to the dangers of international terrorism, particularly that of radical
Islam. Open borders would virtually guarantee that we would be inundated with
such bad apples wishing to establish a caliphate here … and lop off the head of
anyone who objects. I guess my liberal friend thinks that, he, being of an age,
would escape unharmed … but I doubt if his progeny would.
4) In
the past, America was a "melting pot" for the millions of our immigrants. Today,
this country is not assimilating immigrants to the same degree that it once
did. There are now many communities of transnationals which have established
themselves as microcosms of their native land. Newer Internet and television
technology has enabled them to never learn English nor adapt to the American
culture … even after multiple generations. (Islamic honor killings still occur
in this country on a regular basis.) Yes, this diversity can enrich American
culture, but the reverse is also true … if it were allowed or even forced to
happen.
5) Last
point … a tsunami of immigrants into the U.S. would have an incalculable impact
on the economics of both this country and the countries from which they
emigrated. Open U.S. borders would most
likely draw people from both ends of the bell curve … the affluent and
the impoverished of the world. Yes, Silicone Valley would get all the engineers
it wants (at cheaper rates than today), but also the trade unions would be annulated
by the availability of building-trade workers at well below today’s wage rates.
We see this already happening.
Would these people be visible to the IRS and local governments? Probably not.
Therefore, the only solution to the ability of governments to survive
would be to impose a value-added (national sales) tax. And of course, this would very likely be on
top of existing taxes which would squeeze the middle class in this country to
the point of near extinction.
Even the European Union is considering re-establishing internal
border controls as a result of problems occurring there due to illegal
immigrants … see:
Notre-Europe Story. No, I am quite sure that open borders in the United States would be horrendously distorting and a
disaster of monumental proportions. We need a lot more head and much less heart in
this debate (and in our administration).
