Kaiserschmarrn wrote:I don't think it makes sense to call this shooting oneself in the foot, since the cost accrued because of policies that the same people opposed in the first place. In fact, the costs of illegal migration is one of the reasons why we are against it. As mentioned earlier, if there was a guarantee that an amnesty for people like the "dreamers" was a one off, after which immigration laws are actually enforced and if necessary updated to prevent a repetition of the same problem in the future, this wouldn't be much of an issue. It's pretty clear by now that this is not an option and probably never was, as any leniency today firstly proves that there is a reluctance to act once people are already in the country and secondly raises expectations of more leniency in the future, thereby creating an incentive for illegal migrants.
Well, in the USA, it seems that the discussion cannot be split into two sides: pro and anti immigration. There are many sides: Republican, Democrat, employers of illegals, the illegals themselves, the unions, etc. They all have their own agendas, and many of them differ.
As far as I can tell, the only thing that more than one faction can agree on is that they want the border to stay porous, and they want to keep illegals illegal. And they want this because this is how they supply themselves with a cheap labour pool.
So when I am talking about the people who shot themselves in the foot, I am discussing the coalition of factions whose interest lies in exploiting this labour underclass to profit themsleves, as this is a situation where the migrants being deported and Mexico have profited at the expense of those who wanted to exploit em for cheap labour.
My apologies for lumping you in with what is considered the left today. It's often convenience and sometimes laziness on my part rather than a claim that you personally agree with all or even most policies put forward by the left. I will generally accept that being on the right puts me in a group that also contains neo-nazis and KKK members, so when I speak in generalities I simply apply the same standard to the left. That said, it can certainly make sense to point out sub-groups and their differences and you are obviously right to point them out when I misrepresent your position.
No worries, K. I kinda did the same thing lumping several groups together to make my point. And your unimportant mistake helped clarify the other positions of the left.
And besides, I am progressive as well as leftist, so many people assume I am a "left-liberal"
Besides, I will forgive a lot from you, as you are one of the anti-immigration people who is clearly not racist.