Pax Mexicana

Looks like the 'comprehensive immigration' bill is dead. Only this time, it's dead-like-Count-Dooku dead, not dead-like-Jason-Voorhees dead. In other words, no sequels, at least not in the near term.

I really never understood why we absolutely had to have a comprehensive immigration bill right now. What's wrong with, you know, passing the parts of the bill which have popular support in the legislature? President Bush says that we can't do it, because, well, you have to deal with all the problems. Which I agree with. You have to protect the border, and you have to enforce the laws of the country, but you also have to come to grips with the reality of 12 million-plus illegals here now, and they're not all going to go home. But the fact that you have to deal with it eventually doesn't actually explain why it has to be done all at once.

I hate to say it, but I'm with Mickey Kaus on this issue; first you enforce the border. Build a fence if you want. Make it harder for illegals to be here - not by making their lives miserable and breaking down doors, just enforce the laws making it illegal to employ them. I understand at least the concept of supply-side economics, but supply-side public policy is completely ridiculous. Let's reduce drug supply by attacking drug dealers, rather than by reducing demand. Let's reduce illegal immigration by attacking immigrants, rather than reducing demand by cracking down on the employers who make it economically feasible for them to be here.

Once you've done that, and made it a little bit less enticing for people to try to cross the border, whether it's because it's less likely that they'll succeed, or less likely that they can find a job once they get here, then you get to work legalizing everyone who is here now. Otherwise, it just seems like you are telling people all around the world 'come to America! Work for a while, then we'll legalize you!'

But, of course, I don't think the President *really* wants to stop illegal immigration. I believe this for two main reasons. One is his personal and political dedication to Hispanics. This is, to some extent, a laudable trait, although of course it is simply a continuation of his tendency to think that what is good for his friends and the people he likes is good for the country. The second is that, as a good corporate lackey, Bush is kind of in favor of increasing the number of people in the country that his contributors can employ that increase downward pressure on the lower end of the wage scale.

Between the bad faith and the bad thoughts about consequences, I think the status quo is better than what would have happened if this bill had passed.