12 Million Human Beings

All men are children, and of one family. The same tale sends them all to bed, and wakes them in the morning. (Thoreau)

Newton Gingrich, during the National Security Debate, took a valiant stance when asked about the undocumented immigrants in this country. He advocated AGAINST deportation, the official Republican position, citing humane considerations. It may cost him some points in the race for the White House, but one has to admire his gumption and audacity. To begin with, he will certainly gain the favor of Hispanic groups who are tired of waiting for the Democrats to show some backbone and present a comprehensive immigration bill. The former Speaker (I'm tired of people calling him Mr. Speaker after more than 10 years of leaving the post) surprised everybody and once again took the limelight in the debate.

I remember talking to old, very old Mexicans many years ago and asking them about the border with the U.S. They were adults when Porfirio Diaz, the Mexican dictator, was still in control. They spoke with nostalgia of walking into American border towns to buy a few trinkets with nary a custom agent in sight. In those days, the border was more a line on the map than a reality on the ground. Today, of course, it has become an object of contention due to the threat of terrorism and drug cartels. Some Mexican friends who came over for a visit on November 20 (a holiday in Mexico) complained that a checkpoint manned by the Mexican army delayed them for 2 hours before reaching the bridge. That's how bad it is on the other side.

This lengthy historical introduction has one purpose: Mexicans were here long before the White Man took over. Latino last names such as Martinez and Hernandez are just as American as Sandford and Smith. Yes, the Alamo still rankles in our minds as a mindless massacre and a heroic stance by a few Texans, but the days of hostility and resentment are over; at least, they should be when we consider how much the Hispanic community has contributed to this country which is also THEIRS. The two countries, the U.S. and Mexico are joined at the hip by a 3,000 miles border and by a common history of trade and cultural exchange. Thousands of American families live in the Aztec country where life is cheaper and simpler. Thousands of retired winter Texans still go to Mexican border towns to get cheaper medical treatment and drugs. We cannot undo centuries of blood ties with the stroke of the pen.

Deporting 12 million undocumented immigrants would be, first of all, totally impossible; the logistics are simply too complex. When we stuck Japanese-Americans in concentration camps at the beginning of WWII, a blot on our country's history of compassion and tolerance, we had to deal with far fewer human beings who were betrayed by their Asian factions. Today, identifying people by their last name or their skin color as potential illegal aliens would be unacceptable racial profiling, an action that has taken place in Arizona numerous times while harassing legitimate American citizens. I can just imagine the plethora of lawsuits against the government, all paid by our dwindling tax dollars. In addition, the world at large would condemn our lack of compassion; we can scarcely afford more damage to our reputation.

There are better ways to enforce immigration laws; we could offer a monetary incentive to return to their country of origin; we could offer citizenship to mothers with children born in this country; we could allow the brainiest young people without documents to earn their green cards (Dream Act) the American Way, by joining the Peace Corps for 2 years; we could offer citizenship to young men willing to join the military for 5 years; we could reignite the bracero program by allowing illegal aliens to work for 6 months in agriculture if they pledge to return to their countries the other 6 months; we could allow green cards for those who have been here for more than 10 years and who have been model citizens.

Let's accept the fact that undocumented aliens have always been (in our modern history) a part of our work force. Even if we could deport all of them, most would find a way back. We cannot secure the border against illegal immigration, that's a pipe dream. Let's concentrate on the real problem: drugs and terrorists.

The Latin America Affair

President Obama briefly mentioned a much needed free trade agreement with a couple of Latin American countries in his forceful message to Congress about jobs; such a deal with Colombia and Panama has not yet been approved by our legislature. This light reference to what used to be our primary backyard under the infamous Monroe doctrine has become a forgotten part of the world under both Bush and Obama. Yet, our exports to the countries with which we have a free trade agreement have grown faster than with other nations and with all know that exports mean more jobs here in the U.S.

After spending more than 20 years in Mexico, I can state with total certainty that life in the Aztec country revolves mostly around its relation with us. The U.S. Census bureau reports that in July 2011 we exported goods worth $16 billion to Mexico, $3 billion more than last year for the same month. True, we also bought around $20 billion, thus creating a trade deficit. In comparison, we only exported $8 billion to China in July 2011 while importing more than $35 billion, an enormous trade deficit that created a lot of jobs in the land of Confucius. Mexico imports twice as much from us than China, and yet we dedicate much more attention to Beijing than we do to our southern border allies.

 The Mexican Flag

Why the neglect? And what are the consequences of such attitude from our State Department?

Cartel Wars

The drug wars are not limited to Mexico; their tentacles reach into Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama. The citizens of these nations suffer the daily violence and uncertainty caused by rival gangs which fight for the enormously profitable sale of drugs to... the United States. If by some miracle our country stopped buying these illicit substances from local dealers, these armed conflicts in Mexico would gradually cease, just as land stops being productive when rains disappear. It would take a few years of course to recover, but by then these Latin American countries would only have to deal with small groups of bandits ill-equipped and bereft of financial resources.

As things stand nowadays, the government in Mexico City is simply overwhelmed as if a powerful army had invaded that country. The Mexican military makes a valiant effort to root out the "cabecillas" or leaders of the cartels, but as soon as one is arrested and jailed, another takes his place. Why? Because the temptation to become rich and powerful is irresistible to many lower class citizens. Corruption is endemic among politicians, among policemen, and among soldiers who receive a pittance in exchange for risking their lives. It's a lot easier to turn a blind eye as the heavily armed convoy passes by than engaging in a risky firefight. It's a lot easier and much more profitable for a powerful politician to add a few million dollars to his offshore account than to openly defy the drug trade.

Do we have a drug policy in place in the present federal administration? Aside from giving a few helicopters and tips to the Mexican military, what do we do to seriously make a dent in the drug wars?

The simple answer is very little; an all out effort to help Mexico fight its way out of this growing conflict is needed in order to save one of our principal trade partners from falling into anarchy and thus killing thousands of jobs in our nation. And I haven't mentioned the need for an immigration policy...

RIOTS IN THE QUEEN'S REALM

Burning buildings,  flying rocks, chanting youth, store looting, police taunting, and innocent victims crying, this must be the eastern city of Deir al-Zour in Syria, where the hated regime of  President Bashar al-Assad is mass murdering its own population. Oh surprise! We are actually in the middle of London, the epicenter of riots and violence initiated mostly by young disaffected people. Troubles quickly spread to four other English cities and authorities are baffled as to the causes of this popular uprising.

We cannot blame the weather as the temperature in London hovers around a balmy 70 degrees F. We cannot blame the full moon as it isn't due for another week. There have been 10 riots since 1985 in England, mostly due to police brutality, although a few had to do with increases in taxes and university fees. Indeed, college students have been at the core of the fray a few times, but the finger points mainly to disaffected young people who cannot find a decent job. Street protests usually start peacefully but quickly degenerate in violence caused by those who see an opportunity to loot stores for the rich, Armani's in London was sacked, and by those who enjoy violence (as crazy as this may sound).

The main reason for these riots lies at the heart of the (unjust) capitalist system which creates an abyss between the "have" and "have not". Racism and discrimination against immigrants also play a role. Let's remember the terrible violence that occurred in France in October 2005, where unemployed youths, mostly Arab immigrants, caused hundreds of millions of euros in property damage and thousands of wounded among police and rioters. England is also fertile ground for racial discrimination, as are several other European countries.

Let's remember the Watts riot in Los Angeles in August, 1965, caused by a seemingly innocuous and common event: the arrest of a black man for driving under the influence. The summer heat and years of intense discrimination against African-Americans reach the boiling point and the resulting violence was instrumental in setting up profound changes in the police force and in the perception of minorities.

Many modern Republicans, including presidential candidates for 2012, favor a smaller government and a "laissez-faire" attitude toward the financial forces that move the market. They firmly believe that the federal government should not bail out large companies in danger of failing. "Let the economic and financial factors take care of themselves," they argue, and eliminate all government controls and interference. Maybe we should ask GM's and Chrysler"s employees and workers their opinion. These now very successful enterprises are paying back their official bail-out loans and will soon recover their independence. Thousands of people could have lost their jobs had it not been for the government's intervention.

Are we exempt from more riots in the U.S.? Of course not; what is happening in Britain could very well spill into the U.S., especially since the stock market suffered a huge decline, a potential harbinger of a new recession.

The Republican kind of savage capitalism favors the smart, the strong, and the rich (Bush's tax cuts for example), and leaves the others to charities (tax deductible of course) and to the vagaries of the market. Unless we change the system, we may be the victims of urban violence more and more frequently with the corresponding dire consequences.

The European Immigration Turmoil

Americans, when asked their opinion about European countries such as Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, France, and Italy, usually respond with glowing praise for these "socialist" havens. We love to take a vacation in Paris, Rome, Geneva, Stockholm or Oslo, all the while admiring the Old Continent' s easy way of life: going to work on a bicycle, or on the tramway, sipping espressos in the sidewalk cafe, taking a trip on picturesque canals, or even smoking legal marijuana in a Dutch restaurant. Compared to the daily rush hour grind in the U.S., European lifestyle seems much more relaxed, more enjoyable, in short, a paradise on Earth.

Behind this facade of daily bliss, there is, however, a much darker image. My relatives in Europe tell me of a much changed social interaction, where crime is on the rise, and where racial bigotry has raised its ugly head. Immigration from Eastern Europe and Africa has sparked a tense debate among political parties in all western European countries, and voters are beginning to lean toward those groups who oppose lenient immigration laws. The prohibition of "burkas" (full facial veils) in France sparked violent protests in Paris by French Muslims who feel as second class citizens. The construction of a mosque was forbidden in Geneva, the Protestant Rome, again causing public manifestations by the followers of Allah.

The opposition to more relaxed immigration laws is not just against Muslims, though it is by far the most controversial, it also addresses Eastern Europeans who seek better economic conditions. Some of these immigrants have a criminal past in their native country and continue to exercise their unlawful trade in their new home, thus showing very little gratitude for the opportunity to prosper. In Germany, things became so critical in a southern town that federal authorities had to intervene to avoid bloodshed; immigrants from Turkey actually convinced a school district to accept their native tongue as an official German language. They had such political influence that the town almost became a Turkish enclave. From this incident a new law was born forcing newcomers to learn German within a year or face deportation to their home country.

In France and Switzerland, strict new laws allow the State to deport immigrants (even those who are naturalized citizens) who have been convicted of a felony. In some ways, these laws mirror the tough new posture taken by the U.S. toward legal and illegal immigrants. After many years of liberal and generous views toward those who must flee their country because of economic or political conditions, western powers are tightening the restrictions on immigration, due mainly to poor economies and rising voters' move to the right of the political spectrum. Some of the more vociferous complaints by native Europeans touch on the delicate matter of religion, Islam in particular.

The war in Afghanistan, Al-Qaida's threats toward Westerners, the perception that most Muslims are extremists anxious to become martyrs by killing the "Infidels", all these events since 9/11 have contributed to form the conviction in many Europeans (and Americans) that there is a war between religions worthy of the Crusades of the 11th century. "If you come to my country as an immigrant and you don't like our rules and way of life, go back home," is a phrase uttered constantly by right wing followers in the European Union. There is indeed a grain of truth in that statement, especially with regard to Muslim women who, in the eyes of Westerners, are treated very badly in Arab countries.

The full integration of non-white immigrants in  Europe will take a long time, but I am  convinced that eventually, common sense will prevail as it has in the New World.