Recently in Immigration Category

Subtitle: Why California Leads the Nation in Deficit, Debt and Out-Migration

I was born in California. I visit family there every couple of years and I always have a great time. I can recount tales of Fremont, Steinbeck and Bukowski. Between Hollywood and the general world culture leading type of things that emerge from that space on the planet, you'd think that starting a chapter about California would give an author a myriad of devices, anecdotes or launch points that would be equally attuned to a modern hip political culture potentially emerging. Instead we get a contorted play on an old Mamas and Papas song (California Dreaming, not Dream btw) and a lame anti-communist dig to start things out. I'm beginning to think I'm the anti-root. After all I'm a former Californian turned successful New Yorker. Root's a former New Yorker turned away from California.

The best insight that we get from Root in this chapter is the claim that his failed business pumped sixty million into the overall economy despite failing sometime this year. While I understand this as a fellow businessman and appreciate the candid manner in which Root portrays this, the rest of the chapter isn't even good Californication. If anything, it gives the term nightmare a bad name because it doesn't evoke any real horror or imagery that we don't already know about or can somehow be morbidly attracted to. looking at any deeper level of the crisis out there does not happen in this chapter. Rather we are brought a long a litany of spending and budget boondoggles that feels like we're suddenly in the Hotel California.

Note to readers: the photo is for those with a subtle irony . . .

Most conservatives and liberals that I know are unrepentant about their ostensible xenophobia when it comes to calls for border control. The thinking goes that we have a sovereign 'right' to control our borders and the only one that matters is Mexico. A conservative colleague concludes in a recent rather conflicting missive ;

The failure to secure the border in a time of emergency in order to protect the health and welfare of American citizens is a sign that this administration has chosen political correctness over the safety of its own citizens. It's sad to say, but I don't believe a Republican administration would take the necessary steps either.

I am sure that by mid-May the whole Swine Flu scare will be over and the hype will have died down. The American borders will remain wide open for illegal immigrants and terrorists to enter the country; the pharmaceutical companies will have made billions; the media companies will have made hundreds of millions from pharmaceutical company advertising and the administration will take credit for a job well done. Thank God it wasn't a real emergency!

While the rhetoric may not be as incendiary, my own Libertarian Party released a similar statement last week to the alarm of many members, leaders and hardcore activists. It may not be politically popular to advocate an 'open' border, but certainly consideration over the reality of immigration and subsequent public policy is something not being considered without the attendant fears of 'pandemic' by either 'side' that controls this issue.