Bernie Says Immigration Threatens The Social Safety Net. Research Shows Otherwise

[TomCADem]

Here is an article that notes how Bernie has made Trump-like arguments to attack immigration. While Bernie has tried to tack very recently on his official platform, he still continues to use Trump-like arguments to scapegoat immigrants that are just as wrong coming from him as they are coming from Trump:

https://psmag.com/news/bernie-says-immigration-threatens-the-social-safety-net-research-shows-otherwise

Since the beginning of April, President Donald Trump has centered on a new message as he attempts to raise alarm about immigration on the country's southern border: "Our country is FULL!" he tweeted on Sunday, repeating claims he made to Border Patrol agents in in Calexico, California, that Friday. Though Trump's new messaging is likely more of an emotional appeal than a demographic argument, reporters quickly fact-checked the president's claim: the New York Times ran a data-heavy article explaining how, in many parts of the country, shrinking towns and industries actually need more people. (Trump's claim "runs counter to the consensus among demographers and economists. ... They see ample evidence of a country that is not remotely 'full,'" the Times reported.)

The question of whether the country is indeed full aside, Trump's underlying assumption that the country could become "full" is a claim some of his most vociferous opponents on the left seem to also believe. On the same day Trump tweeted, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders explained in an Iowa town hall why he's against open borders: Too many poor people would come to the United States, Sanders explained, and the country could not afford to pay for policies like universal health care or free college.

"If you open the borders, my God, there's a lot of poverty in this world, and you're going to have people from all over the world," Sanders said. "And I don't think that's something that we can do at this point. Can't do it."

The tension between increased immigration and the reforms Sanders advocates for is one that has troubled social democracies for generations. In countries that invest heavily in the social safety net, some leaders have warned that increased immigration could threaten existing social programs by essentially bankrupting the government. During elections in Sweden (one of the Scandinavian social democracies Sanders admires) in 2014, Jimmie Åkesson, a leader of the anti-immigrant far-right Swedish Democrats tweeted: "The election is a choice between mass immigration and welfare. You choose." During the French election in 2016, the fiery leftist candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon claimed that immigrants "steal the bread from French workers." (In Europe, the emergence of anti-immigrant leftist leaders has led some to brand them "Left Nationalists.&quot

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. This is just wrong. He should not talk like this, like tRump! n/t

[DanTex]

2. Are you advocating Open Borders? Is anyone?

Are you criticizing Bernie for not being in favor of a policy that everyone in the field opposes?

Are Bernie's poll numbers really so high that it's come to this?

[TomCADem]

3. "Open Borders" Is a Right Wing Talking Point. Why Does Bernie Go Out of His Way...

...to trash a policy that no one advocates. It is like going out of your way to oppose burlap underwear.

The reason is that this is a false talking point pushed by Trump and Republicans to paint Democrats as being soft on immigration. Rather than call out this falsehood, Bernie embraces it and takes every chance he can to point out that he hates open borders.

If you run a search on Trump and Open Borders, you will see that this is one of his favorite falsehoods to attack Democrats. Yet, Bernie jumps on the bandwagon to attack this strawman, which only serves to scapegoat and stigmatize immigrant communities.

While others have fought against this right-wing falsehood, Bernie has leaned into and appropriated it. Sadly, it gives people license to once again hate on immigrants.

Julián Castro dismantles Meghan McCain’s ‘right-wing talking point’ after she claims Democrats want open borders

The View’s Meghan McCain on Thursday confronted Democratic candidate Julián Castro on his plan to end family separations at the border by decriminalizing border crossings and adjudicating those cases in civil court. The conservative host said Castro’s plan is akin to “open borders” — a claim the Democratic candidate dismissed as a “right-wing talking point.”

Speaking on “The View,” Castro discussed his plan to repeal Section 1325, the section of Title 8 of the United States Code that allows federal authorities to charge immigrants with a misdemeanor for crossing into the U.S. without proper documentation. Castro repeatedly mentioned Section 1325 at Wednesday’s Democratic debate, and used it as a sticking point during a tense exchange with fellow Texan Beto O’Rourke.

“If you decriminalize, aren’t you calling for open borders, and how can you enforce any rules if there are no repercussions for doing something illegal?” McCain asked Castro on Thursday.

“Well, there would be repercussions,” Castro, who served as Housing and Urban Development secretary under former President Barack Obama, replied. “Somebody is still in the court system. They’re still subject to be deported if that’s the determination of the court. So what’s the difference between somebody charged with a misdemeanor crime, and somebody charged with a civil violation? At the end of the day, they’re still in that civil court process, and they may well be deported.” “So this is not open borders,” he continued. “That’s a right-wing talking point.”

[DanTex]

4. Umm, to make the point that we can't have completely open borders.

Since we all agree on that, what exactly is the problem?

I wonder what comes next. Attacking Bernie for saying "we shouldn't drop nuclear bombs everywhere."

[TomCADem]

5. Wait. It Is Okay To Use Right Wing Talking Points?

Bernie's use of right wing talking points is not harmless because no Democrat actually advocates open borders. Rather, it is harmful because no one is pushing this policy, yet Bernie repeatedly attacks this strawman, which validates Republican attacks on Democrats that call any effort to be humane to immigrants "open borders."

Bernie should call out this false talking point. Instead, Bernie doubles down and wraps himself in it when "opposing open borders" is central tenet of Trump's attacks. I think that by embracing the same language used by Trump, Bernie wants to create the impression that he shares the same views as Trump on immigration and that he too opposes Democrats, since his campaign devotes so much time to attacking Democrats.

[DanTex]

6. It wasn't a "right-wing talking point". Bernie wasn't using the term "open borders" to refer to

humane immigration policy. How do I know that? Because Bernie is in favor of humane immigration policy!

You see, everyone except for people with a burning hatred of Bernie know what he's talking about. Instead of trying to play word games, everyone else looks at his policies and record, and sees that they are both great.

[TomCADem]

8. Google Trump, Open Borders and Democrats...

...and you will see that this is a standard Republican talking point for attacking Democrats. And what does Bernie do? He adopts that same phrase repeatedly. Bernie not only denies that he supports open borders, but then he jumps on the band wagon and repeats Trump's argument that open borders will hurt American workers even though no actual candidate supports open borders.

As for his policy and record? It is mixed at best with his 2007 vote against immigration reform really standing out. Bernie did not merely vote against reform, but here he is bashing on immigrants along with Lou Dobbs:

So, while a lot of right wingers also agree that Bernie has a good policy and record on immigration, I do not. I am a Democrat.

[NurseJackie]

10. It's absolutely disgusting. Shameful. Disqualifying.

So, while a lot of right wingers also agree that Bernie has a good policy and record on immigration, I do not. I am a Democrat.

I hear ya. I share your feelings.

[Cha]

7. KR!

[Cha]

9. Kick