David Sirota: The Immigration Con Artists

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



COLUMN: The Immigration Con Artists
Submitted by David Sirota on November 19, 2007 - 1:26pm.


Note: If you are tired of major issues like this getting no coverage in the face of a media blackout and thus you would like to see my nationally syndicated column in your local paper, see the bottom of this post on what to do to make that happen. - D

The debate taking place in America over illegal immigration is not just overheated. As I discuss in my new nationally syndicated column out this past Friday, the debate is dishonest. Both parties are trying to focus attention on the illegal immigration issue in order to distract attention from the underlying problem of worker exploitation and regressive economic/globalization policies that intensify the exploitation. We see it most often from Republicans, but we saw it just last week from Democrats at the presidential debate, as that debate only addressed the immigration issue from a punitive standpoint (driver's licenses, etc.) - rather than discussing the root of the issue, which is economic exploitation of all workers.

The fact is, both Democrats and Republicans know that exploitation is at the heart of illegal immigration, but neither party is really willing to confront that exploitation because that would mean confronting their big corporate donors who are profiting off the status quo. And so, taking a scapegoat play out of the Reagan and Clinton playbooks, the con artists in both parties are trying to channel Americans' intense anger at Big Money interests into a rage at illegal immigrants.

This is particularly disgusting on the Democratic side, mainly because the Democratic Party is supposed to be the party of the little guy, and of fairness. Instead, it is becoming the party of Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) - the former investment banker and NAFTA architect who is cravenly trying to protect the moneyed interests that have underwritten his political career by playing to the ugliest societal instincts. The whole debate is about how much or little to punish undocumented workers - rather than about how to punish the moneyed interests that are abusing all workers, undocumented or otherwise.

Clearly, illegal immigration is a serious issue that needs to be addressed - but simply bashing illegal immigrants or proposing punitive measures against them doesn't go the root problem, nor will it solve the issue. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/column_immigration_con_artists?tx=3

[Selatius]

1. It also distracts away from the issue of free trade, which is probably worsening the problem.

What happened to the idea of fair trade? As it stands, more and more Mexicans are flowing northward into the US, but there is wealth in Mexico. Carlos Slim, Mexican billionaire, is now the richest man in the world. He is proof positive that there is wealth in Mexico. It's just that it's not getting to the people who need it most.

[Avalux]

2. David Sirota is awesome.

Every time I read one of his articles, it's as if he writes exactly what I've been thinking. :thumbsup:

[Strelnikov_]

3. Column

http://action.credomobile.com/commentary/2007/11/the_immigration_con_artists.html