tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post3460926753598069454..comments2023-10-26T02:05:15.270-07:00Comments on Offcenter with Ehkzu: Immigration response followupUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post-90870370781806784362010-11-17T20:14:59.198-08:002010-11-17T20:14:59.198-08:00My answer was too long. Putting it in the blog pro...My answer was too long. Putting it in the blog proper.Ehkzuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17090000685352164879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post-51915438579208008632010-11-17T14:36:42.083-08:002010-11-17T14:36:42.083-08:00Ehkzu,
It's always great to hear your full re...Ehkzu,<br /><br />It's always great to hear your full response. On such a wide variety of topics in a single entry, I have a hard time being able to completely cover an issue from all sides - but it's always fun to try.<br /><br />On Biometric ID's, I agree that they're useful and even incorporated in all kinds sectors. My fingerprints exist in many databases, and in practice, I think that they could do some good towards identifying illegal aliens. The trouble with this (that I tried to point out), is that we haven't managed to come up with a good way to approve the use of these tools. And if these tools can't ever be used, they're useless to the point of being practically non-existent. If California is approving state-discounted college tuition to illegal immigrants and New Mexico is giving drivers licensees to illegal immigrants, under what circumstances would biometric ID's ever be used in conjunction with a database of valid residents? It's not the technology that I question, it's the practical application. Arizona got a public flogging by taking a measure against illegal immigration that isn't nearly as intrusive as biometric ID's, and we all know how well that one went. I personally worry about Bio-ID's usefulness or safety, it's just that I don't foresee its political viability for National Security.<br /><br />I'm not necessarily discounting the Catholic church as a contributing factor to Mexico's huge population, but I simply don't think that its influence is so large as to be eligible for the lion's share of the blame. Condoms came into use around the same time as the Green Revolution. In many other countries, it looks like birth control may have counterbalanced lower infant mortality rates and better nutrition to keep birth rates low. But it's also fair to consider that Mexico's culture is also very family oriented and rural. Is the Catholic church 100% responsible for this existing culture? Perhaps the Catholic church is only one of many catalysts to this high birth rates. Households with less TV's in the house tend to have a higher birth-rate. Rural households have a higher birthrates. Poorer families that rely on agricultural economies tend to have higher birthrates. I know that attributing a cultures habits to a religion is a fiery topic, and I'm aware of the controversy here. You have some great points on the topic, and I'm not trying to be a Catholic apologist. This would be a neat topic to analyze more deeply in a very non-partisan freakanomics style approach. <br /><br />"You just have to make it impossible for them to make a living here and to access the social welfare system." I disagree that this would be easy to implement. We already tried this is the 1930's: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5079627<br /><br />(here's one for my home state also) http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pqmyk<br /><br />Combine history such as this with the points I mentioned earlier (Drivers licenses and subsidized higher-education for illegal immigrants), and I think I've made my case clear. I agree that it's in the interest of Americans (and our elected officials) to prevent a Latino takeover of our elections, but we're helpless against ourselves. Any sort of real immigration reform will likely die in gridlock (again). The crazies on both sides are robbing the centrists out there a long-term viable American culture in the South West. I applaud your efforts to "confront the internal contradictions," and I certainly do my part to point out contradictions to my right-wing-leaning friends. However, I guess I've become disenfranchised with the possibility of such a contentious topic ever being properly addressed.<br /><br />It's too bad we can't discuss these issues over a beer. :)Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644544726160365344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post-26438014988862663992010-11-17T14:36:05.600-08:002010-11-17T14:36:05.600-08:00Ehkzu,
It's always great to hear your full re...Ehkzu,<br /><br />It's always great to hear your full response. On such a wide variety of topics in a single entry, I have a hard time being able to completely cover an issue from all sides - but it's always fun to try.<br /><br />On Biometric ID's, I agree that they're useful and even incorporated in all kinds sectors. My fingerprints exist in many databases, and in practice, I think that they could do some good towards identifying illegal aliens. The trouble with this (that I tried to point out), is that we haven't managed to come up with a good way to approve the use of these tools. And if these tools can't ever be used, they're useless to the point of being practically non-existent. If California is approving state-discounted college tuition to illegal immigrants and New Mexico is giving drivers licensees to illegal immigrants, under what circumstances would biometric ID's ever be used in conjunction with a database of valid residents? It's not the technology that I question, it's the practical application. Arizona got a public flogging by taking a measure against illegal immigration that isn't nearly as intrusive as biometric ID's, and we all know how well that one went. I personally worry about Bio-ID's usefulness or safety, it's just that I don't foresee its political viability for National Security.<br /><br />I'm not necessarily discounting the Catholic church as a contributing factor to Mexico's huge population, but I simply don't think that its influence is so large as to be eligible for the lion's share of the blame. Condoms came into use around the same time as the Green Revolution. In many other countries, it looks like birth control may have counterbalanced lower infant mortality rates and better nutrition to keep birth rates low. But it's also fair to consider that Mexico's culture is also very family oriented and rural. Is the Catholic church 100% responsible for this existing culture? Perhaps the Catholic church is only one of many catalysts to this high birth rates. Households with less TV's in the house tend to have a higher birth-rate. Rural households have a higher birthrates. Poorer families that rely on agricultural economies tend to have higher birthrates. I know that attributing a cultures habits to a religion is a fiery topic, and I'm aware of the controversy here. You have some great points on the topic, and I'm not trying to be a Catholic apologist. This would be a neat topic to analyze more deeply in a very non-partisan freakanomics style approach. <br /><br />"You just have to make it impossible for them to make a living here and to access the social welfare system." I disagree that this would be easy to implement. We already tried this is the 1930's: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5079627<br /><br />(here's one for my home state also) http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pqmyk<br /><br />Combine history such as this with the points I mentioned earlier (Drivers licenses and subsidized higher-education for illegal immigrants), and I think I've made my case clear. I agree that it's in the interest of Americans (and our elected officials) to prevent a Latino takeover of our elections, but we're helpless against ourselves. Any sort of real immigration reform will likely die in gridlock (again). The crazies on both sides are robbing the centrists out there a long-term viable American culture in the South West. I applaud your efforts to "confront the internal contradictions," and I certainly do my part to point out contradictions to my right-wing-leaning friends. However, I guess I've become disenfranchised with the possibility of such a contentious topic ever being properly addressed.<br /><br />It's too bad we can't discuss these issues over a beer. :)Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644544726160365344noreply@blogger.com