Not Your Country, Idiot
The Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Derbez has decided that it’s his job to help his countrymen break US laws. Or at least, prevent anyone from impeding them. He thinks the Mexican government should sue people in US courts to stop them from conducting private border patrols. Aside from legal issues like lack of standing, why in the hell should we put up with this? Somebody needs to tell Mexico’s head diplomat to sit down and have a nice hot cup of STFU. You want to make sure your nationals don’t get hurt crossing the border? Keep them on your side of it, pendejo.
For those of us in the southern border states, illegal immigration is a huge hot-button issue. All of my usual libertarian leanings go right out the window on the issue. Yes, in theory, unrestricted movement across national borders is a positive good if you live in the theoretical libertarian world that isn’t a welfare state. Me, I have to live in the real world. Here in the real world a significant amount of money goes into paying for illegal immigration. Don’t give me all the crap about how illegals fill low-paying jobs Americans won’t take. I will, for the sake of argument, grant that issue. No one ever wants to admit the flip side about what illegals cost, in direct and indirect costs.
But of course, I forget how Mexico works. The government, which I will charitably describe as a corrupt oligarchy, needs the illegals to come work here. That way, the people in charge can continue to be mind-numbingly corrupt and avoid the possibility of reform. Plus, the people that come here to work send back oodles of money to help keep the economy going. If you happen to be at the top of the food chain in Mexico, it’s a sweet deal. Anybody with ambition and drive goes to America instead of hanging around and causing trouble. Then, the exported (potential) troublemakers send back money that you can take from the lower classes. We put up with this up here because whining idiots claim racism and because companies want cheap exploitable labor. In the long run, we all lose. Mexico loses the chance at reform and the possibility of becoming something other than a third-world disaster. We get to watch the continuing decay of the social compact and our public institutions.
Anyhow, Asshat Plenipotentiary Derbez needs to keep in mind that he really doesn’t have any recourse if we tell him to get bent. You can’t try to argue from a position of strength if you ain’t strong. Mexico can’t make any credible threats against the US. Anything they can think of to do would hurt them more than us. Besides, didn't we decide the border issue once the hard way? I don't think anybody wants to go through that again.
For those of us in the southern border states, illegal immigration is a huge hot-button issue. All of my usual libertarian leanings go right out the window on the issue. Yes, in theory, unrestricted movement across national borders is a positive good if you live in the theoretical libertarian world that isn’t a welfare state. Me, I have to live in the real world. Here in the real world a significant amount of money goes into paying for illegal immigration. Don’t give me all the crap about how illegals fill low-paying jobs Americans won’t take. I will, for the sake of argument, grant that issue. No one ever wants to admit the flip side about what illegals cost, in direct and indirect costs.
But of course, I forget how Mexico works. The government, which I will charitably describe as a corrupt oligarchy, needs the illegals to come work here. That way, the people in charge can continue to be mind-numbingly corrupt and avoid the possibility of reform. Plus, the people that come here to work send back oodles of money to help keep the economy going. If you happen to be at the top of the food chain in Mexico, it’s a sweet deal. Anybody with ambition and drive goes to America instead of hanging around and causing trouble. Then, the exported (potential) troublemakers send back money that you can take from the lower classes. We put up with this up here because whining idiots claim racism and because companies want cheap exploitable labor. In the long run, we all lose. Mexico loses the chance at reform and the possibility of becoming something other than a third-world disaster. We get to watch the continuing decay of the social compact and our public institutions.
Anyhow, Asshat Plenipotentiary Derbez needs to keep in mind that he really doesn’t have any recourse if we tell him to get bent. You can’t try to argue from a position of strength if you ain’t strong. Mexico can’t make any credible threats against the US. Anything they can think of to do would hurt them more than us. Besides, didn't we decide the border issue once the hard way? I don't think anybody wants to go through that again.
posted by T at 5:04 PM
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