Immigration and War

For several weeks I have been trying to make some meaningful connection between the immigration issue and the war in Iraq. Today I found it.

The main argument in favor of staying in Iraq is because we (the U.S.A.) cannot abandon the Iraqis now that have begun such an enterprise. We owe it to them to stabilize their country until they can get back on their feet and rebuild the Bagdad that we bombed to pieces.

Yet, the major argument against immigration is the amount of taxpayer money that spent on these illegal immigrants, the money spent especially in public services like education and health care.

Ironically we have zero responsibility to those who provide us with services from the "maquiladoras" (factories) in their countries and the labor done here domestically.

I could bring out all the complex implications of this comparison, but lately I hear that complex thought is overwhelming, so instead I will quote what I said in a previous post and leave you with some numbers and links to their sources.

"If we have any duty to stabilize Iraq, we must acknowlege the need to give stability to those who pick our cabbage."

This is from a smart young man who left a comment on another post. I am very impressed with the clarity of his thinking. And I agree with his point. The cabbage line is original. And it is more than just cute. It is spot on.

This discussion is about priorities. Not budget priorities necessarily, but more compelling questions about "doing the right thing." We may be rich enough to piss away a lot of money, but we will never be rich enough to risk not being on the side of the angels.