Have Progressives staked out any common ground on immigration reform?

[RiverStone]

On so many things --- from the Iraq War fiasco, to choice, the environment, separation of church and state, etc. we share a common vision and perspective, even if we differ on which candidates we support.

Yet on immigration reform, it seems the universe is all topsy turvy. On this one issue, Shrub's position seems more aligned with progressives then neo-cons. And even within the progressive ranks, there seems to be a wide range of views with lots of it relating to geography. Those that live in boarder states have a different stake in the action then those who live in middle America.

I don't care how high or how many walls we build between us and them...walls eventually do and WILL come down. People will always figure out a way to go under or over them. It seems the best course is to figure out ways to ensure that undocumented workers contribute equally for the services we all enjoy --- and to provide an eventual path that leads to an equal playing field. A path to (tax paying) citizenship. Then they can become part of the solution and/or the opposition to how the corrupt BushCo regime spends our tax dollars.


QUESTION: Are we Progressives all over the board on immigration reform, or do you think there is common ground?



RiverStone~

[TwilightGardener]

1. I think we're all over the map on this one--it all depends on where you live,

your personal history, your work--I myself am for reform, because I think something is better than nothing, and nothing will happen until 2008 or later if this isn't hammered out now. We can always amend and revise mistakes, and fine-tune it to suit our needs. I am not for amnesty--I AM for: illegals paying a punitive fine, paying taxes on their work to make up for social/welfare benefits they drain from us, cracking down on employers to dissuade any more illegals from coming in and persuading many to leave on their own, illegals coming out of the shadows so we can see who the hell they are and whether we want them here, and getting onto a path to EARNING citizenship. In short, I'm pragmatic. I think a lot of other Americans are too.

[Cleita]

2. Unfortunately not.

Those who are able to get past their xenophobic myopia can see that the bigger picture is our foreign policy in those countries that the immigrants are coming from and our ineffective laws to keep employers from hiring them. Instead they are buying into the red herring that is being presented as the problem. The real problem is not the one people think it is. Yes there is a problem with employers hiring immigrants for less than our workers, however, there are recruiters for those workers in those same countries who starve their working classes and they are being encouraged on both sides of the border to continue with business as usual.

Not calling the ruling classes of those nations to task to start labor reform in their countries by our country exacerbates the problem. Our foreign policy would rather prop up oligarchies that are in line with our Monroe Doctrine than make those same oligarchies responsible for their working class people. It's much more complex than single bumper sticker bytes about building walls, deporting them, and fining employers. Frankly there is no law that has any teeth in it to stop the employers and fine them because there are big loopholes in the laws that make them useless. I posted the law and the loophole some time ago in DU and no one was interested in it because it didn't fit their preconceived notions about the "problem".

[glowing]

3. You are correct. It is the foreign policies that are corrupt and

bad for all people worldwide. Globalization has created more inequality for all people in the world and the top dogs continue laughing all the way to the bank... And if we all continue to quabble over our differences, it is the workers of the world that will continue to be screwed....

Worker's of the world unite.... should be the new union motto...

[Rydz777]

4. There is no consensus, but in the end the corporate elite will get

their way. They want a continuing supply of cheap labor that comes to this country desperate and exploitable, and they will get it. Since NAFTA, we are in the process of annexing the Mexican economy into our own, and we will get that too. It is a sinking economy, corrupt and narco-ridden, and it's just as vulnerable to exploitation as are the impoverished workers.

[mema42]

5. Nothing we can do about it

There is absolutely nothing we can do about it. That is true because the people that agree that this is an issue, and that it is business that causes it, are worst enemies, the progressives, and the religious right. So basically the people are divided, the middle is stuck in the middle, and the big corporate, power elite agenda succeeds. As ugly as the truth is, until people are so desperate for change that they are willing to work together, we lose.

[depakid]

6. Repealing NAFTA

and strengthening unions are two of the most positive steps we could take- all that's required is for people to make the connection with the underlying "causes" of migration.