a little memoir and some questions it raises

February 20th, 2008 by bkmarcus

Quick: what's the difference between Robert Higgs and an illegal immigrant? "If we must choose – and indeed we must – between the world's most powerful and aggressive state, on the one hand, and a man who wishes to move to Yakima to support his family by picking apples, on the other hand, which side does human decency dictate that we choose?" – Robert Higgs, "The Difference Between an Illegal Immigrant and Me"

Posted in history, law |

One Response

1. Lonnie Says:
   February 20th, 2008 at 10:01 am

   I think he grossly over simplifies the immigrant issue. First of all, the sovereignty of states isn't the same as the sovereignty of nations. Prior to the civil war, one might have made such an argument, but effectively since then the balance of power rests with the federal government.

   While I do agree that the blame for immigration problems shouldn't be placed on those seeking a better life for themselves, the solution isn't to open the borders. Nor do I think eliminating public schools and all publicly funded health care is a viable option either. Nations have borders so that they can pass meaningful laws and policies. The wealth of the U.S. and quality of life is greatly dependant on the idea that we can institute programs that benefit Americans exclusively by creating jobs, improving working conditions, and providing a safety net. Once you open the border, you effectively undermine the sovereignty of the nations ability to pass laws and policies that are meaningful. That also means that we'd lose our ability to stand as an example of the rule of law and the importance of human rights. In other countries, when they aren't satisfied with the state of politics, they strap on a bomb and blow up innocent civilians. There's a reason we separate ourselves economically and socially from that part of the world. Without that, there would be nothing preventing us from becoming a third world nation ourselves.

   So... what should we do instead? We should make it much easier for people to come here legally, and pay them a fair wage when they do so. We should also use our economic weight to force companies doing business in the U.S. to pay a fair and living wage even when their factories are outsourced to other countries. Lastly, we should crack down on employers that hire illegal immigrants. Each employer must file social security and taxes so it isn't all that hard to figure out who is using illegal labor. We must have a zero tolerance policy for employers. If there are no illegal jobs, then there will be no illegal immigrants.

   This may sound harsh, but I can tell you of countless situations where illegal immigrants have been grossly abused, and effectively treated no differently than slaves, because they were effectively invisible due to their status. In these situations, they can't complain lest they fear deportation. I say, don't deport the workers, arrest the employers. If we don't do that, then we are effectively legalizing slavery in the U.S. and undermining our own sovereignty.

   
   

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