By Paul Weiser
A major talking point of "pragmatic" illegal- immigration advocates is that, for various reasons, we need a continuing influx of illegals (whom they propose to legalize with a rolling amnesty, misleadingly named). Are unassimilated Mexicans really necessary to America's salvation?
The aspects in which "pragmatists" fault contemporary America are essentially three: labor, tax-base and morality. The first is well-known - the "willing worker" talking-point asserts that America's labor shortage can only be filled by immigrants (and, implied, abysmally unskilled labor consisting solely of dirt-cheap illegals with no English or rights). The circularity here is readily apparent: if we legalize illegals, they won't be cheap or disposable any more. Nor is the labor "shortage" undisputed: if we didn't have near-slave illegals, we would - because we'd have to - invest instead in automation and efficiency.
Related to the "labor shortage" argument is the (even) more cynical one that - without young illegals (and their children) paying into the system without hope of eventual benefit - the Social Security pyramid scheme will collapse before it finishes supporting America's aging baby boomers. This is, needless to say, an argument for fixing Social Security, not pumping illegal quicksand under its rotting foundation.
Finally, and most cynically of all, advocates claim Mexican immigrants will restore American morality in their Catholic religious zeal - staying married where Americans too often divorce or just shack up, heterosexual where too many Americans are sodomites, fruitful where too many Americans abort. The trouble is, America is corrupting Mexicans much faster than they restore America: Mexico recently legalized abortion, and Mexicans here behave at least as immorally as the natives.
No, illegal/amnestied immigration is not our salvation. We must work smarter, get our pensions house in order and - most important - morally rearm. In each case accepting illegals is a gigantic step in the wrong direction.
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