politicsThe Brookings Institution has begun what it calls "China Initiative." It is a program designed to provide policy analysis related to China (internal matters) and U.S.-China relations.
As a firm believer of think tanks, I think this is a great idea. Economics scholars, policy analysts, and military experts can provide much-needed independent analysis that will be of great value as China becomes a world player economically, socially, and militarily. Its economic transformation from a Communist system to a market-oriented one will have global implications.
I look forward to Brookings' research in this area.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico City's former mayor (officially, 'Head of Government') has all but captured his party's nomination for the presidency in the 2006 election.
Independent polls show that if the election took place today, he would easily win. The leftist candidate, who gathers his support mainly from the poor, belongs to the Revolutionary Democratic Party(PRD)- a party that has been growing in both numbers and influence over the years. Until the 2000 election, the Insitutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) had held control of the presidency for over 70 years.
The conservative National Action Party's (PAN) victory that year, which gave Vicente Fox the presidency, convinced many that electoral corruption (if no other form of it) was over in Mexico. This has emboldended the PRD to seek the office held by Fox until next year (re-election is prohibited by Mexican law).
At this point, it looks like Obrador will have a good chance of winning the elction, though it is far from certain. Still, his rise to power and large following make many in America, including me, a bit uneasy.
Obrador exhibits a bit too many of the traditional Socialist traits for my comfort. I, like many others, fear that he will turn Mexico into anti-business, anti-American, Socialist country, much like Hugo Chavez did with Venezuela.
What Mexico needs is a viable, business-driven economy and a government free of corruption, not a Socialist leader that will change the economy artificially and superficially for a few years before it collapses- as all Socialist economies eventually do.
Members of the Minutemen Project have begun patroling the El Paso border with Mexico and will continue operations in other stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border. The ACLU has responded by sending their own volunteers to keep an eye on the Minutemen.
Those are the facts, now comes the opinion.
In this entry, I will try to make two points. The first is that we a broken immigration policy. Our government has failed to secure our borders, which has made us extremely unsafe and created a virtually open border that will have huge political and economic repercussions.
This lax immigration policy has created an environment in which more illegal immigrants are entering the U.S. than legal ones. This is unfair to prospective immigrants who are playing by the rules and waiting their turn in their home countries in order to enter the U.S. legally.
It is also unfair to legal immigrants already here. I don't buy the notion that illegal immigrants are taking Americans' jobs. That argument is simply ridiculous. The vast majority of illegal immigrants are unskilled an uneducated. However, illegal immigrants are taking the jobs of legal, tax-paying immigrants with a similar background.
The current situation is also hurting the U.S. economy, especially by way of entitlements. Entitlements to illegal immigrants are huge, there's no doubt about it This is especially true in states like California, where the number of illegal immigrants is huge and government programs are easily obtained. Add that to the fact that little, if any, tax revenue comes in from recepients of government entitlements who are here illegally.
All this shows the government's failure to do anything about the current immigration system and illustrates the urgent need for reform.
My second point is about private activism and the role of checks and balances, not only in government, but in society at large.
The situation is fascinating. Minutemen patrol the border with vigor and a sense of duty. Out of frustration with the massive failures of our leaders, they take it upon themselves to protect our borders from terrorists and to curb illegal immigration. Until now, the organization has been peaceful in its efforts.
The ACLU on the other hand, plays the role of regulator. Volunteers for the civil liberties group are also near the border. Their very prescense on the scene ensures that the likelyhood of abuse by the Minutemen is minimized, if not eliminated. I believe both groups are generally sincere in their efforts.
We will never, as a society, agree on everything, so it's a good thing to see concerned citizens doing what they believe is right in a peaceful manner. I am not a fan of either of these organizations, but I will say that our nation's leaders could learn a lot about checks and balances from a situation like this, especially at a time when checks and balances seemingly mean nothing to any of our three government branches
I'm an American. A proud American.
My love for this beautiful country often leads me to oppose the U.S. government and its policies, an entity I feel has repeatedly betrayed the ideals of our founding fathers. Government today is driven by greed, corruption, and a sick obsession with power and partisanship.
Our two main political parties are really one. They differ on social issues that really have no business in a political discussion in the first place, but when it comes to issues that matter to Americans, both parties are oppressive political machines.
My goal is simple: to speak up against this covert oppression of the masses by the powerful few. I have no power and I have no money. But I have a brain and I have a pen to write my thoughts with. Thoughts that will eventually make it to this humble blog.
