The PYY Code Word Of The Week

Word on the street is as follows:

Immigration Reform = Amnesty For Votes Program.

But it's in code, so don't tell anyone.

Jihadist Smuggling At The Mexican Border Revisited

I am not much on linking back to previous posts to prove I was right about something. But this is one exception worth making--one that is imperative that we revisit, as we head deeper into this present legislative (and eventually election) cycle.

Way back when, I wrote some things about immigration that I thought was worth considering and well within the appropriate scope of the debate. One of the posts was what I think, very short and to the point. It dealt with this story, which was reported back in 2007.

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.

An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. Joint Terrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.

Most of you, especially who come here regularly, can probably guess what I said back then and I still maintain that same stance now. But it gets worse.

In the present news cycle, we see this one from the Mail Online.

Let's excerpt the following from the article:

U.S. border guards got a surprise when they searched a Mexican BMW and found a hardline Muslim cleric - banned from France and Canada - curled up in the boot.

Said Jaziri, who called for the death of a Danish cartoonist that drew pictures of the prophet Mohammed, was being smuggled into California when he was arrested, along with his driver Kenneth Robert Lawler.

Before we go any further, the title of the article indicates this guy is a "controversial" cleric. I don't know how they come up with this stuff, but he's been kicked out of France and Canada (that ought to tell you something right there). I'd say he was a bit MORE than just controversial.

But I digress....and here is what we do know:

Four years ago in the federal legislature, the Democratic party was the party in power. Congress spent 75% or more of its energies crying racism, xenophobia, and paranoia.... and they were loudest whenever we heard of things like this. They knew it all. You couldn't tell them anything. They knew what was best for us, and that (at the time) was the pressing need to end war in Iraq, and close Gitmo.

I know fully good and well, this blog was only one of many sites that warned of impending consequences of turning a blind eye to a porous and uncontrolled border, because I read countless blog posts that carried this warning. So I am not being an egotist here, just a concerned citizen.

It's even more important to note that in this the midst of all of this massive world turmoil, it is not inconsequential or unrealistic to believe this still needs to be addressed. And it needs to be done sooner, rather than later. There is no doubt in my mind that many will use the civil unrest in both Tunisia and Egypt as cover, to export some people who want to harm this country in some way.

My biggest fear is that if we do not get more people to wake up to this grave error of philosophy, this will be an issue that may cost us dearly someday (and not too far into the future). Even though, we have made some good finds along the way... some have only failed because the plan failed.

Some were caught through hard work and attention...I am certain of this. But we got lucky on a few of them... with some damned close calls along the way. And even with all of this going on, there are still plots and subplots going on 24/7/52.

It only takes one instance of success to kill innocent people. It's not a pleasant reflection to look back on with any sense of integrity and be forced to come to the conclusion that it was preventable. This is why we need to be ready to confront the same arguments that the Democrats will most certainly once again make.... once anyone with an ounce of sense begins to call attention to stories like this.

They will say this is but one time. They will undoubtedly claim that this was the exception, not the rule. And... they will surely tout the fact that this man was caught.

So there, the system worked. Shut up and listen!!!

But when they do, please understand something here: For everyone we catch, ten or more may come in undetected. It may end up being someone who has been trained in Pakistan or Yemen, somebody who has a goal of becoming a martyr for jihad purposes, and someone who may get past everything that one point in time....well after we have exhausted our hard work and unearned luck.

One time...that's all it takes to have funerals and memorial services we hadn't planned on having. One time....that's all it takes to ruin innocent lives for a lifetime, all for an evil cause. But now that we who are concerned are supposed to have some voices in Washington, we need to remind those voices of our concerns through phone calls, letters, and e-mails.

We turned over Washington once, we can do it again. And we'd prefer to not be compelled to do it after an attack has taken place. But it's not just about an election. See if you can find one country in the world that does not make every attempt to protect the integrity of its own border. Name one that is content to allow any and everyone access to its landed territory, and its services without any documentation or reasonable purpose for being there.

Immigration Myth Debunked

For those that have been skeptical about the efficacy of enforcing employment laws, in the matter of hiring illegal immigrants, you might want to read this story.

Illegal immigrants are coming into Texas, but not from where one might think. The rush is coming from Arizona, Oklahoma and other states -- places that have recently passed tough new anti-illegal immigrant laws.

The two toughest measures are in Arizona and Oklahoma.

If the law was being enforced at the federal level, in every state, this would be another case of "long story short/problem solved".

State Immigration Bill Goes To Full Senate

Mustang at Social Sense has posed a question about a bird feeder.

In Indiana, a tough immigration bill has been voted 10-1 to go to the full state senate, for consideration of taking down the bird feeder. Not much time for me to comment today, but the details are here in the Indy Star.

Opponents of a tough new illegal-immigration bill say Indiana will be treading on constitutionally dangerous ground if it becomes law.

Naturally, the birds do not want the bird feeder down so the old "constitutionally dangerous ground" argument comes into play.

Check this out when you get the chance.

Recommended Reading

VDH has a new piece out.

If you have a moment, I recommend giving it a read

WANTED: European Input

Rest assured that I am not on the Social Sense payroll, but my friend Mustang is looking for European opinions on immigration in Europe.

Merci

Danke

Gracias

Grazia

Dank u

Obrigado

Takk du

спасибо


Note-These thank yous are sponsored by freetranslation.com

Swiss Elections Center On Immigration Issue

Last month, we read reports coming out of Switzerland about strong anti-immigration sentiment brewing. And now, with elections just two weeks away, there is more coming out of the land known for its majestic mountain scenery and banks.

From the IHT comes this article. It centers around a poster and a campaign that questions the wisdom of allowing immigrants that contribute little of anything to society (except for keeping police jobs secure) to remain in Switzerland.

Many that know Europe well, know about the countless political parties that exist. They understand small fringe parties (that sometimes make noise during an election cycle) usually end up beaten, when the votes are counted. But this isn't the case, here.

From the article:

The posters taped on the walls at a political rally here capture the rawness of Switzerland's national electoral campaign: Three white sheep stand on the Swiss flag, as one of them kicks a single black sheep away.

"For Greater Security," the poster reads.

The poster is not the creation of a fringe movement, but of the most powerful party in Switzerland's federal Parliament and a member of the coalition government, an extreme-right party called the Swiss People's Party, or SVP. It has been distributed in a mass mailing to Swiss households, reproduced in newspapers and magazines and hung as huge billboards across the country.

It's going to be interesting to see the outcome of these elections. Even more interesting will be the rest of Europe's response, if this party wins big.

Pelosi's Folly

From the USA Today comes this story:

EDINBURG, Texas (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called a plan to build fencing along parts of the Mexico border a "terrible idea" that overlooks local communities.

Pelosi made the comments during her trip to the Rio Grande Valley for the annual Hispanic Engineering, Science & Technology Week conference at the University of Texas-Pan American

.

Notice where she's at?

So, what (pray tell) were her comments?

"I have been against the fence, I thought it's a bad idea even when it was just a matter of discussion," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "These are communities where you have a border going through them, they are not communities where you have a fence splitting them."

The fence law may overlook a handful of communities along the southern border, but it looks out for a far greater amount of communities that do not sit on the border. These are those populations that must foot the bill for the droves of illegal immigrants coming in. daily. Believe me, they only stop in these border communities long enough to buy a pack of cigarettes and a Coke and it's northward-ho.

My community is one that must shell out for healthcare, welfare, and any other entitlement they can grab onto. My community must bear the brunt of the extra drain for people that have entered the United States without registering. Because of this, most do not pay income tax, to help pay for the drain.

But believe me, opposing the fence that both defines and regulates the sovereign territory known as the United States Of America is not the worst of the problem. The worst part of this is simple. Building a fence would not be necessary if crackpot ideas like this weren't being floated around, in an irresponsible manner:

Pelosi also touted legislation known as the DREAM Act that would make it easier for some illegal immigrants to receive higher education benefits. She spoke at a conference that drew more than 5,000 students for activities designed to inspire careers in science and technology.

The DREAM Act would eliminate a federal provision that discourages states from providing illegal immigrants with lower in-state tuition rates. It also would allow permanent residency for illegal immigrants who entered the country as children and have been admitted to an institution of higher education.

That's the ticket, create more reasons for the fence to have a need and a function. But wait, it gets better:

"It just isn't fair," Pelosi said. "Those young people who came to America one way or another ... their opportunities are curtailed because of the situation. And it's not only harmful to them — it's harmful to the country."

I'll tell you what's not fair in all of this. It's the mere fact that I have to pay some of my hard-earned money (and if you think I don't work hard to earn my money, just hang with me for a day), to attract more needy people from another country that cannot get their own house in order, well enough to be self-sufficient. After all the money that has been thrown at Mexico over the years, there is still poverty beyond belief, with no signs of any potential improvement, anytime soon. So they see the American leader of the House Of Representatives promising a gold mine.

And while we are at it, what's this nutty idea about?

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that every child born in the United States should get a $5,000 "baby bond" from the government to help pay for future costs of college or buying a home.

That's it. Let's just add another $20 billion to the debt.

Brilliant, ladies. Brilliant. You've just added billions to the national debt to, in essence, buy yourself a bunch of friends that wouldn't be your friends, if you didn't buy them. In fantasyland, it's called helping people that need help. In reality, it's called buying power. (And it creates an unhealthy symbiotic relationship, by encouraging more dependence on big government as a secondary gain.)

A Different Kind Of Immigration Problem

Now, it seems Canada is complaining about Mexican immigration. From the Windsor Star:

Over the past three weeks, 45 families and 31 individuals -- approximately 200 people -- entered Canada at the Detroit River crossings and applied in Windsor for shelter and social assistance after filing refugee claims with the Canada Border Services Agency. Municipal agencies dealing with the sudden influx of mainly Mexican refugee applicants are renting out hotel rooms and bracing for predicted thousands more to come.

So, what's their reponse?

Here's what the Mayor of Windsor wrote to PM Harper:

"We don't have the means, ability or capacity to deal with this additional cost. We are not able to deal with this potential crisis locally," Francis wrote Harper.

"I don't believe that Windsor's residents and taxpayers should have to foot the bill for U.S. immigration policy," Francis told The Star. He was referring to the suspected source of the problem -- a recently begun crackdown on illegal immigrants in economically struggling regions of the U.S. South.

The question I have is, why didn't they go back to Mexico? The Mexican border is closer to Florida than Canada's. But even more pressing is the question I would pose to Canadians: Why is it the U.S.'s fault? You think we should absorb them and allow them to break the bank here, let's let you see how you can do it better. Show us all how it should be done.

And I might add, you are off to a great start. You've not had them in country three weeks and you are already complaining that it is a drain on your resources. Go ahead, we are in utter awe here. We're watching the masters of compassion in action.

Switzerland: The Dark Heart Of Europe?

Recently, we had a discussion here about the new proposal being debated in Switzerland.

As you may have guessed, there are some critics.

Switzerland is known as a haven of peace and neutrality. But today it is home to a new extremism that has alarmed the United Nations. Proposals for draconian new laws that target the country's immigrants have been condemned as unjust and racist. A poster campaign, the work of its leading political party, is decried as xenophobic. Has Switzerland become Europe's heart of darkness?

Most that have read this blog for any substantial length of time, well know this: I am not the biggest fan of the UN. I think they are irrelevant and they have no right to tell a country which laws are just and which aren't. The only time I would side with the UN in this area is, if mass genocide were taking place.

Although I personally think that deporting an entire family for the crime(s) of one of their members is a bit harsh, I feel this should best be decided by the Swiss people and not the immoral moralizers of the UN, or nations that claim a similar moral high ground. It makes no sense to me for countries that are in this category, to vehemently criticize the Swiss for this, especially when the same people are usually silent on Darfur.

Here in the U.S., some people are adamantly against us deporting immigrants that commit crimes. However, there will soon be a massive outcry and possibly even a backlash for this to become more commonplace, especially after the recent case in Newark. But, for now, the pro-immigration people that consider open borders as a right, will have their way. Not until many more crimes as horrific as this come to light, will people be willing to look at something as harsh as the Swiss proposal.

But as we look at the proposal by the Swiss one cannot help but think, maybe, despite the drastic nature of the entire thing, they are one step ahead of the process. Families that have a member deported may become embittered and subsequently take actions that are reflective of that bitterness.

Mexican Drug Smugglers And Jihadists: Working Together?

Last month, brought this news of Iraqis being smuggled across the Mexican border into the United States. And as the PYY regulars may remember, I had a short post with some comments I'd like to revisit.

There are terrorist camps in the Middle East teaching Mexican culture and the Mexican dialect of Spanish, just so they can blend into the Mexican masses that are pouring into the U.S., like there is nothing there to stop them. That's because there isn't anything to stop them. And I fully expect that when we do get hit again, it may well be traced to Middle Eastern terrorists coming across the porous southern border.

This little revelation is certainly not new and may not concern many people, coming from me. But from this essay yesterday in Newsday, it appears more people are thinking about certain aspects of it.

....the cheap-labor lobbyists, terrorists and world-governing globalists are all moving ahead with their various plans. That's the conclusion to be drawn from an alarming story on the front page of yesterday's Washington Times, which informed us that "Islamic extremists embedded in the United States - posing as Hispanic nationals - are partnering with violent Mexican drug gangs to finance terror networks in the Middle East, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration report."

The DEA document, written and stamped "secret" in 2005, continues with these ominous words: "It is very likely that any future 'September 11' type of terrorist event in the United States may be facilitated, wittingly or unwittingly, by drug traffickers operating on both sides of the United States-Mexico border."

The Times article cited, can be found here. It starts off like this:

A ranking House Republican yesterday demanded a hearing based on recent reports that Islamic terrorists embedded in the United States are teaming with Mexican drug cartels to fund terrorism networks overseas.

When I think about all of the time wasted on Capitol Hill this year, conducting investigations into the matters that only have political implications, I wonder why these people cannot see past their partisan agendas long enough to come to the conclusion that we have serious problems that will not go away, without some attention. Just take a look at all of the hearings that show up on a search for hearings on global warming. Better yet, here's what shows up when you type in immigration. And the list goes on, all you have to do is type in the issue of your choice at GPO Access and you get a list of hearings, in which the majority of them address things that can wait. You do not see important issues like jihadists crossing the border.

So, I guess we will all just wait until there's another attack. Maybe when some Congressman or Senator loses someone important to them, we'll get some action. Either that or they'll blame the Executive Branch for not doing more. It's no wonder why, Congressional approval ratings are so low.

Tattle Tale, Tattle Tale.

By now you have probably heard of Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona. He's the one that houses his prisoners in a tent city, without the usual amenities that come with incarceration at the county level.

Well, now he has a hotline for citizens to call in tips on illegal immigrants. And as you may have guessed it's not so popular with some people. So as the old adage goes, for every action there's a reaction:

Some Latino advocacy groups will launch a hot line of their own to take tips from people who believe they've been unfairly reported to Arpaio's hotline, said activist Mary Rose Wilcox, a Maricopa County supervisor.

Basically what this says: If you tell on me, I'll tell on you. But there is a bit of a twist and it is evident: Not only will we tell on you, we'll have the ACLU or some hotshot attorney file a suit against you, too.

The Great Iraqi Smuggling Caper?

We can't say this is unexpected.

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.

Some think I am paranoid and some think I am xenophobic. But, those same people will now have to rethink this.

I am telling you, right here and now: There are terrorist camps in the Middle East teaching Mexican culture and the Mexican dialect of Spanish, just so they can blend into the Mexican masses that are pouring into the U.S., like there is nothing there to stop them. That's because there isn't anything to stop them. And I fully expect that when we do get hit again, it may well be traced to Middle Eastern terrorists coming across the porous southern border.

Does it concern you? Or is life too comfortable to care?

Breakdown Of The Immigration Vote

Here's how the vote On the Cloture Motion (S.1639) went down.


Yea: 46

Dems 34
GOP 12


Nay: 53

Dems 15
GOP 38

Not Voting: 1 (Dem)

Keep in mind that an overwhelming majority of the American people are against the bill, in its present form. I suspect there are a litany of reasons this is so. But in a nutshell, there were just too many loopholes.

One of the larger sticking points was/is: the American people do not trust the government to close the border and enforce the provisions included in the bill, for proper enforcement in the future. And why should they? Government is not a trustworthy institution. This can easily be concluded by looking at Congress's low approval ratings.

Immigration Bill Causes Deep Intra-Party Divisions

On almost any given issue in America today, one party takes one position and the other positions itself on the opposite side of the coin, in a diametrical fashion. Most of us all recognize the deep division in this country on the Iraq War, and how most of it follows a pretty strict party line. But the new bill being worked up and promoted on immigration is dividing the nation, yet this one is not falling along party lines. This bill has it proponents and opponents to be sure, but one cannot arrive at any conclusion that it is completely party driven.

In my conversations with a wide variety of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, I have found these divisions to fall mostly along principled values. I do not have polls to support this at this juncture because there hasn't been enough to draw an accurate picture of the party sub-divisions. The criticisms and the accusations are plentiful, and the nature of those will all depend on who is doing the talking and who is doing the listening.

Here's what I have been able to surmise from all of my informal data collections (most of which rests in my head). These are the factions in this issue and the reasonings for their positions:

1. There are the Democrats that oppose this bill for a variety of reasons. But in the interest of simplification, I will say that there are those that want open borders to increase the welfare state, out of some irrational feeling of guilt that we (as prosperous Americans) owe it to the poor people of Mexico and other impoverished nations. Some Republicans are prone to this as well, but theirs is driven more from theological reasonings.

2. There are Democrats that support this bill because creating a path to citizenship will garner more votes for them. More than likely, new immigrants are going to support the party that promotes give-aways at the expense of those that struggle to keep their heads above water, without depending on the government. The Democratic leadership is quite aware of this and knows well that this could seal a string of future victories, if this theory were to be realized.

3. There are Democrats that support this bill because they are bigwigs in the unions and membership in unions is decreasing. More legal immigration means that more laborers can come out of their closets and (potentially) be recruited to organize, which means more dues for the leadership's lavish lifestyles they have become accustomed to supporting.

4. There are Democrats that oppose this bill for fear that allowing immigrants a path to citizenship will create more competition for jobs. They believe that flooding the labor market will drive the price of labor down and cut down on the number of opportunities for all Americans. This will hurt most unskilled workers and maybe some skilled. Supply goes up, demand goes down, wages go down. This is Microeconomics 101 and doesn't take an Alan Greenspan IQ to figure out.

5. There are Republicans that support this bill because flooding the market with more workers will create that very same hirer's market, driving down the cost of unskilled labor in businesses that do not depend on illegal immigrants. Many businesses, both big and small, will benefit greatly from this.

6. There are Republicans (and some Democrats) that oppose this bill because their businesses depend directly on paying low substandard wages to illegals, in order to keep them in business. By creating a path to citizenship, they will be required to pay minimum wage, which means a pay raise for the bulk of their labor force. And that means less profit for them. Those that are already working on low margins, would forced out of business (and the job supply would go down, instantly increasing more demand).

7. There are Republicans that oppose this bill because they believe in the sovereignty of our nation's borders. They see that the government does not enforce the immigration laws already on the books and are very skeptical that they will be enforced if this bill becomes law. These are the people that also tend to believe that open borders present a clear and present danger, for security reasons.

8. There are Republicans and Democrats, alike, that oppose this bill because they are racist and do not like Mexicans. This includes both whites and blacks.

No matter where you see yourself in this issue, there are some things that will become more evident as time goes on.

1. This issue is not going to go away if nothing is done. In fact, it may not go away if anything (to include this bill) is done. The key to this will be enforcement. If the floodgates remain open, this will not solve one damned thing.

2. We cannot continue allow the influx of illegals or it will cause the system to totally crash. Healthcare is already decimated. Think of how much more it will sink, if another 10 million or so are placed on Medicaid in the next five years.

3. If we do nothing, we also run a higher risk of the real undesirables sneaking into this country, which are the ones that wish to harm this nation via terrorism. Somewhere, in the heart of the Middle East, there are classes in Mexican culture and the Mexican dialect of the Spanish language being conducted with one thing in mind: Get into America posing as a Mexican immigrant, and activate a cell. Call me paranoid all day long if you want, you cannot prove this wrong.

These are some things to think about, in all of this. One thing for sure is, no one will get exactly what they want in this. Not me, not you, not Dems, not GOP. Not anyone.