Identity Crisis

So, the constitutionality of limiting who can immigrate to the United States is a real point of discussion. I have to admit that I rolled my eyes when the question first came up in response to Trump's comments last week. Complaining that Donald Trump said something crazy while questioning the constitutionality of the federal government regulating immigration is crazy. Just once it would be nice to hear the collective voice of America shout down institutionalized ignorance about America, particularly about the Constitution.

The United States gets to decide who comes into the United States. It's called sovereignty. The criteria surrounding that decision may be as arbitrary as the government of the United States decides to make them. Such criteria may be politically unpopular, but there is no constitutional requirement that anyone at all be allowed to migrate to the United States. The idea that the Constitution requires immigration is one more item for the list of absurd things people are willing to critically consider.

After offerings of historical precedent for limiting immigration into the United States were provided in response to the appallingly vapid arguments against, the distinction was offered up that previous limitations were based on national origin, not religion or ideology. You know, nations like Germany, Japan, Communism, and Terrorism. If ISIS were to launch an invasion I guess that would be OK.  They may say they're a "State", but we know that's not true. Heck, they even call themselves "Islamic", so please. Technically, they'd probably be refugees, or an ideology, or unaccompanied sappers.

My favorite quote of the past few days is that restricting immigration in virtually any way "is not who we are". And by "favorite" I mean the quote I find the most absurd. This may be the most schizophrenic period of history for the American people. I'm not entirely sure who the mass media thinks "we" are, but I'm reasonably sure that "we" aren't in agreement about it. In one of the more delusional episodes from the left wing, they are now seriously claiming that America's founders embedded cultural suicide in the Constitution, and now is apparently the time for us to get in the kool-aid line. It's incredible how consistently the left can pervert the Constitution to attack the Constitution and founding principles.

Nations do not, as a rule, establish immigration policies for the interests of immigrants. The United States is no exception, and the rule doesn't waiver when viewed from the left or the right. US immigration policy has gone through changes over the years, but has always been driven by national or political interests. Throughout American history there have been a number of different motivations for encouraging immigration through policy. None of them were ever to benefit immigrants. Once you get past the rhetoric about helping refugees, or illegal immigration being an act of love, or wanting to help those seeking the American dream, we can get down to the brass-tacks of agenda driven immigration policy in the United States.

The GOP wants cheap labor, and more workers to shore up entitlement programs. The democrats want the votes that Americans won't do. Donald Trump may be a crack-pot, but an immigration hiatus is a pretty good idea. It's a good idea for protecting the American people from existential threats. It's a good idea for protecting the American worker from wage depression. It's a good idea for protecting the Constitution from imported voters aimed at permanently transforming American culture.

The current administration has rejected suggested limitations on immigration from zones with infectious diseases, nations that have conspired to violate our immigration laws, regions awash with terrorism, or even to help American workers hurt by the protracted economic malaise. Promoting increasing amounts of legal and illegal immigration is one of the very highest priorities of the Obama administration, their media allies, and democrat politicians and bureaucrats. No crisis or protest has been allowed to diminish the immigration flood by a single drop. The immigration policies of the United States are being driven hard by people with a core belief that the percentage of Americans in America is simply too high. And "we" won't see "them" changing course as long as they can get away with it.