Why all the fuss about Immigration?

The United States has never had anything close to an Immigration Policy, so why worry about it now.

Prior to the mid-19th Century, the United States had an agrarian economy, as it expanded geographically, and there was no real need for an immigration policy. Since then, the common thread in any discussion on this Country’s “immigration policy” has been the industrial revolution. Closely following the Civil War the Industrial Revolution kicked into high gear. There became an urgent need to staff the growing number of factories. Many workers came from the farmlands and overseas to realize the promise of higher incomes. In a nutshell, as the western Nations industrialized, they needed a workforce to staff and operate their modern-day manufacturing facilities (the factories). The United States seemingly dropped all attempts at immigration policy for the same reason Europe did: industrialization.
“Most Counties, however, have not reconciled the old need for a work force and the need to regulate modern day immigration trends. With the recent failures in many economies, the lack of immigration regulation has bloated the ranks of the poorer classes and is increasing the tension and squeeze on what is left of the middle class. This is a lose-lose proposition in that the poor require certain attention that the middle class tax base can support. Without the middle class tax base, the poor are being hung out to dry (kicked to the curb). The "upper class" has never shown much of a penchant for supporting the lower classes. If you follow a logical train of thought on this, you come to the conclusion that at some point the upper class has no one left to do, their bidding.

Post World War I, the U.S. began struggling with immigration policy. President after President, Congress alter Congress in the 20th century have tried to figure this out, and have failed time and time again. So, for the last 146 years or so, the U.S. has virtually had no immigration policy, and that is large part of our current situation. I have quoted a few sources to detail the chain of events that got us here.

The Rise Of Industrial America, 1876 - 1900: ^[1]

“In the decades following the Civil War, the United States emerged as an industrial giant. Old industries expanded and many new ones, including petroleum refining, steel manufacturing, and electrical power, emerged. Railroads expanded significantly, bringing even remote parts of the country into a national market economy.”

“Industrial growth transformed American society. It produced a new class of wealthy industrialists and a prosperous middle class. It also produced a vastly expanded blue-collar working class. The labor force that made industrialization possible was made up of millions of newly arrived immigrants and even larger numbers of migrants from rural areas. American society became more diverse than ever before.”

Allison Morey on the Center for History and New Media: ^[2]

“During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, millions of immigrants were coming to the United States. The majority of these immigrants came from eastern and western Europe. Immigration increased during this time-period for several reasons. One reason was the hope for a better life, which included economic opportunities and an escape from oppressive governments. Another reason was for the adventure. A final reason includes religious freedom, especially for the Jewish people who were facing religious persecution in Russia.”

Nancy Birdsall, in Foreign Affairs Magazine: ^[3]

“It is interesting to note that, almost to a Nation, the Industrial Revolution had a direct and lasting effect on Immigration Policies. There are a handful of European Countries who chose to readjust their Immigration Policy once they had established a firm manufacturing base. The folks that filled the factories were to become the much needed Middle Class.”

                                    “Say hello to the new Dark Ages!”

“Why is this Middle Class the topic of so many economic and governmental discussions? The answer lies in the realization of just who pays the taxes that allow the wheels of industry and government to turn. The height of the Middle Class in the United States was achieved in the 1960's. The apex was reached as a direct result of our Military Industrial Complex. As much as people like to bash this sector for economic prowess, the Military-Industrial Complex gave this Country its incredible ability to out produce any other Nation on the Globe. It was the sole reason that our Standard of Living was, and still is, head and shoulders above anyone.”

“Unfortunately, in the 1990's there was a Trade Agreement reached, initially involving Canada, The U.S., and Mexico, that started the downhill spiral of our middle class by allowing our manufacturing jobs to be shipped outside our borders. The politicians at the time reassure the American public that this mass migration would never occur. We the people chose to listen without questioning a thing. It seems ironic that the exact opposite of what they promised us happened.”

“Here we are in 2016 wondering if we will ever again see the likes of our old middle class. Another Industrial Revolution does not appear to be in our future; hence, a resurgence of our middle class seems unlikely, at best. The big question facing our young adult population is that of actually paying for things we so easily take for granted; Social Welfare, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, affordable housing, and, yes, government itself. The Baby Boom generation could probably come up with the solution, but we're just to tired and burnt-out. Our children and grandchildren will have to figure this out on their own, and all we can tell them is, “Good luck"”.

I spent much of my adult life in our manufacturing sector. When I learned the details of this NAFTA deal, it was painfully obvious the Middle Class was going the way of the dinosaur. I witnessed, first hand, the steady decline in my regional manufacturing base, and it was clear that our Nation's tax base was going to suffer from this ill-conceived trade agreement. The politicians, and Lords of Industry, fiddled while “Rome” was burning!

Well, just maybe, Ms. Birdsall’s admonition of “good luck" is not enough. What is left of the middle class could easily team up with the lower classes and forcibly make a change in the status quo. The upper class isn^’t going to like it much, they will try everything in their power to fight back. I have a fairly good grasp on how the rank and file of the Military think, and, if the Military comes around, as I suspect it will, the upper class will have no option but to capitulate. Everything I see happening around me keeps pointing me in this direction of analysis. Yes, we could have a “bloodless” coup d’état, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Our economic and financial structures have become so polarized I don’t see a peaceful solution to the combination of no immigration policy and a disappearing tax base.

Taking a little bit from a number of points of view could possibly solve the problem of this Country ceasing to be a democracy. Take a little bit of isolationism. Take a little bit of libertarianism. Take a good bit of fiscal conservatism. Make our borders a little more secure. Take a little bite out of our financial sector. Make an investment in our infrastructure. Make a few less abominable trade pacts. And, come up with a logical immigration policy that stems the depletion of governmental resources to anyone who can enter this Country: legally, or not. Now, if we don’t get the ball rolling on this, our States will start declaring bankruptcy at an alarming rate (14 of them are on the brink right now). You think you know what true anarchy might look like. Believe me you have no idea what this Nation in total chaos would look like.

Watch this space.......................

References:

[1] Library of Congress, web site-

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/index.html

[2] Center for History and New Media-

Author: Allison Morey

Emergence of Modern America

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://chnm.gmu.edu/tah-loudoun/blog/lessons/immigration-why-come-to-the-united-states/

[3] Foreign Affairs Magazine, March/April 2016 - Nancy Birdsall, President of the Center for Global Development

COMING TO AMERICA ?

Can you say, “U.S. National Immigration Policy”?

Over the course of two hundred and thirty-nine years, thirty-seven out of forty-four U.S. Presidents have tried and failed. The other seven, apparently, just didn’t give a damn. Do not lose sight of the fact that the U.S. Congress hasn’t been able to craft a workable solution either, so no political Party is above this short-coming.

The United States has been able to craft the World’s most powerful economy, military, democracy, and progressive society. The Nation has overcome Colonialism, slavery, women’s voting restrictions, Labor abuses, major diseases, one major economic depression, countless recessions, two World Wars, and a slew of natural disasters. Based on this short list, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to assume that the Nation could come up with a comprehensive Immigration Policy that would stand the test of time (as the U.S. Constitution has). At the start of the Industrial Revolution, our Immigration non-policy was necessarily open to the masses. The U.S. needed a work force to fill the emerging factories, and build a solid middle-class for the Nation. This approach is no longer valid given the World economy and the U.S. economy in the twenty-first Century. No one who preaches the historic policies is dealing in reality; the Government needs to step away from that train of thought.

The solution might be multifaceted, and, as such, require folks from all corners and persuasions of the Political, Social, and Economic spectra to actually agree on something other than their own trite, insignificant agendas. A practical proposal would take “a little of this, and a little of that” to construct at least the framework of a comprehensive, long-term plan of action. This may best be served by, first, looking at the short-term; three to five years out. Follow this with a seamless transition to a long-term, permanent Policy, Legislation, and/or an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

There are a number of basic areas that need addressing

in the overall, larger picture of Immigration Policy:

Categories – Normal, modern-day flow of immigration; refugee immigration; student visas; tourist visas; business visas; any more that make sense; permanent vs. temporary; keep it simple; *based on the U.S. Constitution, there is a division between Church and State, so Church will not be a considered

Numbers – in each category, come up with an annual quota amount; leave some room for emergencies (war, natural disasters, etc.)

Tracking – U.S. citizens who leave the Country and end up in a war zone aiding, abetting, or fighting for the enemy will automatically forfeit his/her U.S. citizenship and passport/visa –they will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S., ever; for temporary entrants, a strict no nonsense verification method (a three month, or one semester, re-registration stipulation); any deviation from this will result in immediate expulsion and a ban on re-entry; certain restrictions on Social Services will apply

Entry - airports and seaports designated and fully  equipped to handle the processing of immigrants; as for the borders - the Nation must make a decision to stop invading other Countries with armed forced; The northern and southern borders can then be patrolled by the Army National Guard rotating on a State-by-State basis; Naval Reserve will help enhance to Coast Guard; the Air Force Reserve will secure the air space; this will guarantee that the Nation will have a  “well maintained Militia” as eluded to in the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution; appropriate, modern surveillance techniques and hardware will be used in all instances; ( a collateral spin-off might just be a gross reduction in drug and human smuggling across all four borders)

Path to Citizenship – a one-size-fits-all program; must learn to be proficient in English; residency rules will apply; birth in the U.S. does not make one a citizen until parent(s) fully fulfill their obligation; certain restrictions on Social Services between entry and citizenship

It is probably unrealistic to think about a Constitutional Amendment. The current state of the Federal Congress might preclude any meaningful legislation. That leaves a State-by-State nationwide referendum as the most viable way of achieving the goal. A simple 2/3rds majority should seal the deal. The referendum in each State will be identical; no changes allowed; and, definitely no “ear-marks”, or addendums. There will be no list of “exemptions”, thus closing out any attempt at creating “loopholes”.