When the prompt (AMERICA, AMERICA Can We Reassert the Value of Immigration?) popped up, my first thought was: Can we reassert the value of truth?
The truth does not serve the dark purposes and wishes of those who lie about immigration (and other things) because the truth is not frightening and does not inspire anger. The lying liars want to gain control not only of our government, but our lives.
Truth will not aid them. Therefore, they adopt the “enrage to engage” tactic. They do so to the detriment, and if successful, destruction of our country.
Trump's poisonous rhetoric is a continuation of the conspiracism and racism that has dominated rhetoric in US politics about Haiti since its founding, when it was viewed as a "warning" against black empowerment here in the States.
Attacking Haitians is a racist dog whistle that is heard clearly by Trump's racist followers, just as his talk about Obama's birth certificate was. GOP has gone too far. This is the biggest race card player I have ever seen!
How about wearing this "Keep the immigrants, deport the racists" shirt in front of bigots? 👇
DJT’s history of racism (and his father’s) has been present his entire adult life. He launched his 2016 campaign with racism as its centerpiece. He’s upped the volume as Americans became numb to it and his desperation to not be held accountable in court grows.
I can’t blame it all on the media. It’s not that voters haven’t seen & heard his messages beginning with the elevator ride. Why didn’t those words stand on their own as disqualifying? It was reported. More than the media failed. I doubt the public would embrace Water Cronkite these days. He didn’t editorialize.
When DJT labeled the media “enemies of the people”, it was a signal. The public outrage? More like ‘ho-hum.’
Now his campaign uses Patriot Front slogans. Such organizations are his foot soldiers. His voters say I don’t like things he says BUT…” They choose to look past what he is to: cheaper eggs & scapegoats. Others are disengaged - the choices are “2 sides of the same coin.” Some maga voters tell reporters outright they want a dictator. “The US needs a strongman to set things right.”
People chose to believe his image reality show image. The reports of his long scandalous & illegal behavior (personally & as a business person) were ignored.
Feelings over facts. The authoritarian path here was paved with decades of culture war, fear & gerrymandering (minority rule). The question for me is whether the threat is now obvious & large enough that voters will stop it.
No, they have a readymade answer: “My ancestors came here legally.” Never mind that there were few rules or if they came later the rules were design to favor certain populations.
Whenever I read a caustic remark about about immigrants, I am reminded of the simple thought that other than Native Americans, we each came from somewhere else at some point and contributed to this country.
Not all contributions were equal, though. The immigrants for the first few centuries after colonial settlement, aka the settlers and pioneers, were far different than the immigrants arriving today. The former created the United States, while the latter have little in common with the current majority.
No. I said not all groups have contributed as much, not that they don't try to. For example, English Americans essentially created the United States, developing its political system and most of its first major settlements. It's not controversial to say English Americans have made America what it is and are more essential to this country than say, Serbian Americans or Eritrean Americans.
Agreed. Another point is that if the working population does not increase, Social Security will continue its downward slide, benefits will be consistently decreased, and eventually cease to exist. 40% of American seniors use SS as their main source of income. And that is a whole other problem.
However, in case you weren't aware, Claire, if the cap were eliminated on the salary amount on which Social Security is deducted, the fund would be solvent forever. Currently, Social Security deductions aren't taken on any wages above $168,000, so the multi-billionaire CEOs don't pay into SS on more than a tiny percentage of their salaries. Yet they're still entitled to receive naximum benefits.
That may not matter to them. They’ve convinced many younger workers they are paying into a black hole. Ex: Rick Scott wanted it to sunset every 5 yrs with all other federal programs. It was in his manifesto even though he claimed otherwise. The blowback before the midterms from McConnell and others led him to remove it.
Good thinking. I had forgotten that. My adult children aren’t factoring SS in at all. One Gen X and one a swing generation between Gen X and Millenial.
Both my sons are Gen X. The younger son ranted about his vote for trump in 2016. He’s hopped from job to job with spurts of unemployment. (A lifelong attitude problem. He “retired” in his 40s.)
Most of the ranting was about greedy boomers. Especially SS. He began adding that boomers don’t do anything for anyone & keep jobs when they should leave to make room for younger workers.
In contrast, his older brother had a severe stroke and is not employable. Too young for SS but his work history qualified him to receive SS Disability Income & 2 yrs later, Medicare. A lifesaver for him.
Gosh, this is harsh, Ann. I think the value of older workers in the workforce is that we hold wisdom and experience the younger ones doin't have and probably don't want. I couple of years ago I was at an event for foreign assistance specialists (I am one). I over hear these late 20 early 30 somethings babbling excitedly about "improved wood stoves" that they considered the solution to the deforestation problems. I made of the mistake of sharing that we tried these extensively across Africa and improved stoves are not accepted by the national populations. So they end up being used for chicken coops or whatever. The kids just stared at me like I was nuts and should go back to my hole.I think the same is true with our younger generations. As seniors in the workforce, our best move is to consult. That way they call on us when they need us and it gives us permission to share. Perhaps they even listen--sometimes. Of course, I'm sure our parents and grandparents had the same complaint about us---and around it goes....
The world according what we don’t have can be an angry, dismissive place. Especially if you spend time with others wallowing in it.
Consulting is good, as are fresh ideas. I had interns who were great. When I retired we were in a 2nd round of younger p/r oriented leadership favoring speed (60% is good enough) to increase “outcomes”. I was over programs that couldn’t operate that way. It affected safety for program families & staff or sometimes the public. Luckily after a couple close calls, a higher ranking administrator (young enough to be my son) put an end to it. (He’s now also retired.)
Yes, there’s a tendency to think of everything unfamiliar as new. It feeds disdain for boomers who have “ruined everything”. Solar energy. Few realize Carter put panels on the WH or that Reagan removed them and so miss its significance. I worked in a Metro area. A young colleague came back from a training in a more rural city amazed the community had a recycling center. She thought of recycling as a new idea for urban areas.
I agree with you. The functioning seems to happen on the basis of 3/4 empty and blaming is great avoidance. I’m not saying that we did nothing wrong. We did a whole lot right, though. was working in DC when all that happened. Under Carter, the panels were being manufactured by a Maryland company (as I recall), Solarex. After Reagan took office that company went defunct. I believe the subsidy for going solar was cut. Until then, we were using them on our renewable energy project in Djibouti. They worked really well and were especially useful in things like solar wind pumps for water extraction and for photovoltaic refrigerators for vaccine storage in the field where there was no electricity. We did a lot of other stuff with renewables as well. Now China makes most of them. I love that your work was so impactful and so needed.
They take SS on wages up to $168K but not beyond that. Sort of weird especially with the notion that SS is going broke as we discussed earlier. Keep the rich richer and the poor poorer…
SSA trust fund needs 4x active workers to retirees to stay solvent . But the birth rate is flat and there are more retirees every year. Absent increased migration, benefits will need to be cut or payroll taxes increased. A great way to kill SSA without fingerprints!
We baby boomers won’t live on ss forever. In another fifteen years most of us will be gone. The generations after us are more evenly populated I think.
Beats becoming a minority. Japan and South Korea have population and economic issues but they're still well-off and they'll never have the discord and racial tension the US has because their nations are homogeneous.
Read Thomas P.M. Barnett’s ‘America’s New Map’. Immigration at the southern border will continue and increase due to climate change and a deteriorating social and economic environment in the southern latitudes.
Rather than demonizing immigrants, Barnett argues that a longitudinal realignment of the Americas will ultimately strengthen the U.S.; offsetting an aging demographic. Of course, this will require substantive immigration reform in the face of the xenophobia of the Red Party.
Barnett is a fascinating, big thinker. The most interesting read this year for me in addition to Cheney’s ‘Oath & Honor’ and Haberman’s ‘Con Man’.
Thanks for flagging this. I had in mind to write more about climate migration that will make our current issues seem tiny. I decided to save that for a stand-alone discussion. And yes, it will require major rethinking regionally.
I think climate change dovetails with national security issues creating an entirely different set of vulnerabilities when it comes to erasing or manipulating mentions of climate change or the weather bureau at the federal level.
We every one of us in America are immigrants. We have come from all over our beloved planet! Stop the hateful verbiage the Republicans and particular vulgar ignorant rantings of Trump and his self defined horrible lack of understanding he has shown. Realize the truth that each one of us came to this country for hundreds of years and all have contributed to the greatness of America. If we truly believe in God we must believe in every single person here in the US and all over our planet 🌎
Interesting that, if any segment of our population is native, it is our Native Americans. All newer immigrants set forth to rid and destroy them, by those "most succinctly bred", (ee c) with full support of local and federal governments, especially along with strong FBI support. The justifying bonafides were simple . . . the savage, non-believing savages/infidels against the "real Americans" elite, morally superior, fully Christian. Sound familiar? The "immigration problem" continues relentlesly today by immigrants themselves. Button, button button . . . who's got the button?
Written by highly acclaimed historian Gary B. Nash, this book presents an interpretive account of the interactions between Native Americans, African Americans, and Euroamericans during the colonial and revolutionary eras. It reveals the crucial interconnections between North America's many peoples--illustrating the ease of their interactions in the first two centuries of European and African presence--to develop a fuller, deeper understanding of the nation's underpinnings. Coverage explores the interaction of many peoples at all levels of society, from various cultural backgrounds and across the centuries; African-Americans as active participants in the cultural process, drawing upon the work of African and African-American historians; the origins of racism, tracing the development of racial attitudes and the mixing of people across racial boundaries; Indians as much more than victims, reaching beyond the Europeans that "discovered" North America to explore the society that had already been here for thousands of years; profiles of the various European colonizers, examining French, Dutch, and Spanish settlers and comparing their treatment of enslaved Africans and Native Americans with that of the English. For those interested in Colonial American History.
^^^^^^ Assigned reading in many American History intro courses like mine at the U. of Minnesota, it of course makes nonsense of your flattened, one-dimensional caricature of wave after wave of immigrants dedicated to wiping the natives out - that they "all set forth to rid and destroy them." Which also ignores the already existing territorial disputes between the native populations, when it comes to that.
What happened is bad enough without turning it into a simplistic morality play - the land thefts and broken treaties, massacres and counter-massacres. It doesn't help the indigenous people at all, doesn't demand recognizing negotated treaty rights, for example, doesn't evince intellectual honesty about the historical complexities.
To begin at the beginning . . . Plymouth. The first encounter we usually find is the myth of the Puritans, whom history tells us were persecuted in Europe, and had to flee to America. Another historian of strong progressive persuasion like your esteemed Nash, Gore Vidal, corrected the altered history, pointing out that the Puritans, an authoritarian group of eager Calvin zealots, were in everybody's face, hounding all until they had had enough, and sent them packing. It was the Puritans who were doing the persecuting. Once in America, the Puritans were greeted heartily by Native Americans who helped them with food, provided information re the provisions of local nature, advice on surviving the weather and other increments. The Puritans, still aflame with their religious zeal, set to converting the natives to their hot-coal religion. When the natives, bewildered, refused to convert, the Puritans tortured them, skinned them alive, burning them alive at the stakes, as was commensurate of retributive reaction during those years when such resistance was met by specific politically-bent religions, not spirituality. To this day, open a revised History book, you will still see apologetic rewritten history put forth to all that the Puritans were the victims. This is the first altered history that I know of regarding Natives l. History has often been altered to accommodate to current feelings. The history of history is laden with such revisionary alterations.
. . . . "are claiming that all the immigrants were fanatical Puritans. Got it". You got it wrong. No such claim was made nor could be inferred by rational witness. What can be inferred is that you would suggest such a silly, dishonest assumption and then, grabbing up your marbles, would go home in a hussy elitist miff, pretending that your gluing my post onto your mendacious conclusion had any real merit at all. In spite of your arrogant, high,-sniiffing posturing, I can go on with a whole list of rewritten history regarding the continued racism of Native Americans. That way no one will wonder why you quit so quickly.
I live near the Southern border. It always makes me want to scream when MAGAts whine about border policies -- from OHIO. Are they talking about the Canadian border? Do they want to limit the French Canadian immigration into this country? No; it is always assumed they're talking about our border with Mexico.
Border crossings have DROPPED this year, but they don't care about the actual facts. Let me ask this: who's going to re-roof your house in July in Phoenix? It sure as hell isn't a bunch of Norwegians. MAGAts whine and complain about building costs going up; let's see what happens when they deport all the SKILLED workers who come here wanting a decent day's pay so they can send it home to their families. No one works harder than people who immigrate here to strive for a better life for their families. We need Congress to get off its collective asses to completely rehaul our immigration laws to be clearer and increase the capacity of the judicial system to process immigration and asylum petitions more quickly.
Great points. And thank you for a genuine laugh in the midst of such an agonizing subject: "Let me ask this: who's going to re-roof your house in July in Phoenix? It sure as hell isn't a bunch of Norwegians"
Let us not give up the fight for justice. And never forget how to laugh. We have that super power over MAGA.
My father’s ancestor came over to Massachusetts in 1640 as an indentured servant on a two year contract to a Draper. As soon as he fulfilled his obligations, he went south to Rhode Island and help build the settler community there. My mother’s ancestors emigrated from Germany in the mid 1800s as a so called Pennsylvania Deautch.
We are all just trying to make the best of it in America. So it was then, so it is now. I have many immigrant friends from the Philippines who have contributed so much as musicians, jewelers, women’s issues directors and many other things. I love them all and are my friends for life.
Great points. I can guarantee that 99% of America would not be concerned with immigration at all if it wasn’t for Trump making such a huge stink about it.
I don’t think so. This issue is complained about throughout the Western world, even in places that hate Trump. Americans complained about it before Trump and they will after Trump. As long as it happens in large numbers and is continuous, there will be a large contingent that opposes immigration.
True. 99% is a bit extreme. But I think I large majority don’t think about it on a daily basis. Also it’s hard to break trump out from the constant background noise of the right wing media that was there long before him.
My fathers family immigrated from Slovakia just after the Civil War to escape Magyarization. Austra-Hungary wanted to make everyone catholic and speak Hungarian. My Slovak speaking Lutheran ancestors all got the heck out of there. Streator, IL is where many went because they had skills in glass making. And now we are 4 generations down from them.
My husband works at a business that employs legal, seasonal workers from Guatemala, men who do manual labor and send money back to their families. He says that the local employees can't begin to keep up with the Guatamalans in terms of production.
Also, we recently had our roof replaced by a contractor who uses a similar crew. I've never seen people work so hard! They finished the entire roof, including tear-off, in a little over 10 hours. Other estimates had been three days. And they were happy in their work, smiling from the moment they arrived (exactly on time), calling back and forth all day. They were very grateful for the snacks and water I'd put out; they ate everything up and left no trash lying around. I couldn't have been more impressed. If these workers were even close to being typical of most immigrants, I say, we need all we can get!
How can you explain how immigration and diversity are such an awesome resource for a country before fear and the lies of Trump close access to a healthy discussion ?
The power of education comes with patience and time so some trust has to be established before. It is so tricky. I wish Springfield immigrants, Amon all the other immigrants, had time on their hands to tour around and speak about their love for their new country and the enrichment they brought.
It seems the best way to convince Americans of anything is to put it in a TV show or a movie. Get busy Hollywood. We need strong immigrant characters who save America on every episode.
In this firestorm of mass hysteria that Trump has unleashed about the issue of immigration, how is it even possible, at this stage a month before the elections, to hold a rational discussion about the issue? All of his unhinged rantings come, of course, straight out of the Putin playbook: demonize the weak, the indigent and homeless, make them the scapegoats for the misery of working and middle class citizens who find it increasingly difficult to cope within a financial system that is rigged for the benefit of the overlords and oligarchs.
Yes, we will need, once the dust of the elections has settled, to implement a just and orderly system for the process of immigration. But let's dispense with the lies and hysteria and consider what truly matters. We need to understand that freedom and happiness march hand-in-hand: we are truly free only when we reach out to the less fortunate with compassion, understanding and kindness.
My grand parents or great grand parents all immigrated here either from Italy or Ireland.
We looked up their names at Ellis Island.
My grandfathers, and all 4 uncles and my father volunteered to fight in WWII.
Although wounded severely my father survived as did the others.——-
All grew amazing family gardens. Almost self efficient.
One went on to be an Engineer, one cousin is an attorney. Others in various business. None required government assistance other than my Dad who was hospitalized for his war injuries.——
When immigrants come they purchase goods and services increasing the need for manufacturing etc jobs. When they purchase goods and services they pay sales tax both Federal State sometimes County.
Buying homes… they pay Property taxes.——-
This aids our economy.——-
The lies and the fears that Republicans chant hypnotically over and over are still sadly believed. They incite hate and violence.
We must not elect Trump.
Total chaos and violence will erupt.
Yes we must manage immigration. So we should constantly remind Everyone that Republicans killed the Border Bill.
When the prompt (AMERICA, AMERICA Can We Reassert the Value of Immigration?) popped up, my first thought was: Can we reassert the value of truth?
The truth does not serve the dark purposes and wishes of those who lie about immigration (and other things) because the truth is not frightening and does not inspire anger. The lying liars want to gain control not only of our government, but our lives.
Truth will not aid them. Therefore, they adopt the “enrage to engage” tactic. They do so to the detriment, and if successful, destruction of our country.
Right you are.
Trump's poisonous rhetoric is a continuation of the conspiracism and racism that has dominated rhetoric in US politics about Haiti since its founding, when it was viewed as a "warning" against black empowerment here in the States.
Attacking Haitians is a racist dog whistle that is heard clearly by Trump's racist followers, just as his talk about Obama's birth certificate was. GOP has gone too far. This is the biggest race card player I have ever seen!
How about wearing this "Keep the immigrants, deport the racists" shirt in front of bigots? 👇
https://libtees-2.creator-spring.com/listing/keeplb
Racism is everywhere, with Trump some republicans don’t even bother to hide their racism and hate!
DJT’s history of racism (and his father’s) has been present his entire adult life. He launched his 2016 campaign with racism as its centerpiece. He’s upped the volume as Americans became numb to it and his desperation to not be held accountable in court grows.
so true. That's his game, isn't it? And the media largely assists him in making his heinous racism into a foible by sane washing all of this.
I can’t blame it all on the media. It’s not that voters haven’t seen & heard his messages beginning with the elevator ride. Why didn’t those words stand on their own as disqualifying? It was reported. More than the media failed. I doubt the public would embrace Water Cronkite these days. He didn’t editorialize.
When DJT labeled the media “enemies of the people”, it was a signal. The public outrage? More like ‘ho-hum.’
Now his campaign uses Patriot Front slogans. Such organizations are his foot soldiers. His voters say I don’t like things he says BUT…” They choose to look past what he is to: cheaper eggs & scapegoats. Others are disengaged - the choices are “2 sides of the same coin.” Some maga voters tell reporters outright they want a dictator. “The US needs a strongman to set things right.”
People chose to believe his image reality show image. The reports of his long scandalous & illegal behavior (personally & as a business person) were ignored.
Feelings over facts. The authoritarian path here was paved with decades of culture war, fear & gerrymandering (minority rule). The question for me is whether the threat is now obvious & large enough that voters will stop it.
Could not agree more on your last point, Beth. The media---all of them---are very much complicit in TMURP's rise and current status as a candidate.
It’s the old “wink and nod” thing. Sickening.
Science of Demonization....should I repeat?
Science of Anxiety Placebos like anger...should I repeat?
Hollywood portrayals free on YouTube... should I link?
Idiocracy?
Grapes of Wrath?
Where to Invade Next?
L.A. Confidential?
Ellyssium?
Exactly!
We are an immigrant nation. Full stop.
Try telling that to the maga heads that would probably be horrified to find out their origins. There but for the grace of immigration………go I.
No, they have a readymade answer: “My ancestors came here legally.” Never mind that there were few rules or if they came later the rules were design to favor certain populations.
Idjits
Whenever I read a caustic remark about about immigrants, I am reminded of the simple thought that other than Native Americans, we each came from somewhere else at some point and contributed to this country.
Absolutely! We are all immigrants if we are not descendants of indigenous peoples.
Not all contributions were equal, though. The immigrants for the first few centuries after colonial settlement, aka the settlers and pioneers, were far different than the immigrants arriving today. The former created the United States, while the latter have little in common with the current majority.
And you know this how? You assume new arrivals have no wish to contribute? Sounds like racist crap to me!
No. I said not all groups have contributed as much, not that they don't try to. For example, English Americans essentially created the United States, developing its political system and most of its first major settlements. It's not controversial to say English Americans have made America what it is and are more essential to this country than say, Serbian Americans or Eritrean Americans.
Agreed. Another point is that if the working population does not increase, Social Security will continue its downward slide, benefits will be consistently decreased, and eventually cease to exist. 40% of American seniors use SS as their main source of income. And that is a whole other problem.
However, in case you weren't aware, Claire, if the cap were eliminated on the salary amount on which Social Security is deducted, the fund would be solvent forever. Currently, Social Security deductions aren't taken on any wages above $168,000, so the multi-billionaire CEOs don't pay into SS on more than a tiny percentage of their salaries. Yet they're still entitled to receive naximum benefits.
Hi, Denise, this is a revelation and scary if exact.
Wow…I did not know that.
That may not matter to them. They’ve convinced many younger workers they are paying into a black hole. Ex: Rick Scott wanted it to sunset every 5 yrs with all other federal programs. It was in his manifesto even though he claimed otherwise. The blowback before the midterms from McConnell and others led him to remove it.
Good thinking. I had forgotten that. My adult children aren’t factoring SS in at all. One Gen X and one a swing generation between Gen X and Millenial.
Both my sons are Gen X. The younger son ranted about his vote for trump in 2016. He’s hopped from job to job with spurts of unemployment. (A lifelong attitude problem. He “retired” in his 40s.)
Most of the ranting was about greedy boomers. Especially SS. He began adding that boomers don’t do anything for anyone & keep jobs when they should leave to make room for younger workers.
In contrast, his older brother had a severe stroke and is not employable. Too young for SS but his work history qualified him to receive SS Disability Income & 2 yrs later, Medicare. A lifesaver for him.
But in the rabbit hole, facts don’t matter.
Gosh, this is harsh, Ann. I think the value of older workers in the workforce is that we hold wisdom and experience the younger ones doin't have and probably don't want. I couple of years ago I was at an event for foreign assistance specialists (I am one). I over hear these late 20 early 30 somethings babbling excitedly about "improved wood stoves" that they considered the solution to the deforestation problems. I made of the mistake of sharing that we tried these extensively across Africa and improved stoves are not accepted by the national populations. So they end up being used for chicken coops or whatever. The kids just stared at me like I was nuts and should go back to my hole.I think the same is true with our younger generations. As seniors in the workforce, our best move is to consult. That way they call on us when they need us and it gives us permission to share. Perhaps they even listen--sometimes. Of course, I'm sure our parents and grandparents had the same complaint about us---and around it goes....
The world according what we don’t have can be an angry, dismissive place. Especially if you spend time with others wallowing in it.
Consulting is good, as are fresh ideas. I had interns who were great. When I retired we were in a 2nd round of younger p/r oriented leadership favoring speed (60% is good enough) to increase “outcomes”. I was over programs that couldn’t operate that way. It affected safety for program families & staff or sometimes the public. Luckily after a couple close calls, a higher ranking administrator (young enough to be my son) put an end to it. (He’s now also retired.)
Yes, there’s a tendency to think of everything unfamiliar as new. It feeds disdain for boomers who have “ruined everything”. Solar energy. Few realize Carter put panels on the WH or that Reagan removed them and so miss its significance. I worked in a Metro area. A young colleague came back from a training in a more rural city amazed the community had a recycling center. She thought of recycling as a new idea for urban areas.
I agree with you. The functioning seems to happen on the basis of 3/4 empty and blaming is great avoidance. I’m not saying that we did nothing wrong. We did a whole lot right, though. was working in DC when all that happened. Under Carter, the panels were being manufactured by a Maryland company (as I recall), Solarex. After Reagan took office that company went defunct. I believe the subsidy for going solar was cut. Until then, we were using them on our renewable energy project in Djibouti. They worked really well and were especially useful in things like solar wind pumps for water extraction and for photovoltaic refrigerators for vaccine storage in the field where there was no electricity. We did a lot of other stuff with renewables as well. Now China makes most of them. I love that your work was so impactful and so needed.
They take SS on wages up to $168K but not beyond that. Sort of weird especially with the notion that SS is going broke as we discussed earlier. Keep the rich richer and the poor poorer…
SSA trust fund needs 4x active workers to retirees to stay solvent . But the birth rate is flat and there are more retirees every year. Absent increased migration, benefits will need to be cut or payroll taxes increased. A great way to kill SSA without fingerprints!
We baby boomers won’t live on ss forever. In another fifteen years most of us will be gone. The generations after us are more evenly populated I think.
Beats becoming a minority. Japan and South Korea have population and economic issues but they're still well-off and they'll never have the discord and racial tension the US has because their nations are homogeneous.
Read Thomas P.M. Barnett’s ‘America’s New Map’. Immigration at the southern border will continue and increase due to climate change and a deteriorating social and economic environment in the southern latitudes.
Rather than demonizing immigrants, Barnett argues that a longitudinal realignment of the Americas will ultimately strengthen the U.S.; offsetting an aging demographic. Of course, this will require substantive immigration reform in the face of the xenophobia of the Red Party.
Barnett is a fascinating, big thinker. The most interesting read this year for me in addition to Cheney’s ‘Oath & Honor’ and Haberman’s ‘Con Man’.
https://www.americasnewmap.com
Thanks for flagging this. I had in mind to write more about climate migration that will make our current issues seem tiny. I decided to save that for a stand-alone discussion. And yes, it will require major rethinking regionally.
Barnett predicts a global longitudinal realignment - roughly in thirds - because of climate change. It’s a fascinating read!
I think climate change dovetails with national security issues creating an entirely different set of vulnerabilities when it comes to erasing or manipulating mentions of climate change or the weather bureau at the federal level.
Thank you so much for the reference! Some great new ideas for reading.
We every one of us in America are immigrants. We have come from all over our beloved planet! Stop the hateful verbiage the Republicans and particular vulgar ignorant rantings of Trump and his self defined horrible lack of understanding he has shown. Realize the truth that each one of us came to this country for hundreds of years and all have contributed to the greatness of America. If we truly believe in God we must believe in every single person here in the US and all over our planet 🌎
Interesting that, if any segment of our population is native, it is our Native Americans. All newer immigrants set forth to rid and destroy them, by those "most succinctly bred", (ee c) with full support of local and federal governments, especially along with strong FBI support. The justifying bonafides were simple . . . the savage, non-believing savages/infidels against the "real Americans" elite, morally superior, fully Christian. Sound familiar? The "immigration problem" continues relentlesly today by immigrants themselves. Button, button button . . . who's got the button?
Written by highly acclaimed historian Gary B. Nash, this book presents an interpretive account of the interactions between Native Americans, African Americans, and Euroamericans during the colonial and revolutionary eras. It reveals the crucial interconnections between North America's many peoples--illustrating the ease of their interactions in the first two centuries of European and African presence--to develop a fuller, deeper understanding of the nation's underpinnings. Coverage explores the interaction of many peoples at all levels of society, from various cultural backgrounds and across the centuries; African-Americans as active participants in the cultural process, drawing upon the work of African and African-American historians; the origins of racism, tracing the development of racial attitudes and the mixing of people across racial boundaries; Indians as much more than victims, reaching beyond the Europeans that "discovered" North America to explore the society that had already been here for thousands of years; profiles of the various European colonizers, examining French, Dutch, and Spanish settlers and comparing their treatment of enslaved Africans and Native Americans with that of the English. For those interested in Colonial American History.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17593.Red_White_and_Black
^^^^^^ Assigned reading in many American History intro courses like mine at the U. of Minnesota, it of course makes nonsense of your flattened, one-dimensional caricature of wave after wave of immigrants dedicated to wiping the natives out - that they "all set forth to rid and destroy them." Which also ignores the already existing territorial disputes between the native populations, when it comes to that.
What happened is bad enough without turning it into a simplistic morality play - the land thefts and broken treaties, massacres and counter-massacres. It doesn't help the indigenous people at all, doesn't demand recognizing negotated treaty rights, for example, doesn't evince intellectual honesty about the historical complexities.
To begin at the beginning . . . Plymouth. The first encounter we usually find is the myth of the Puritans, whom history tells us were persecuted in Europe, and had to flee to America. Another historian of strong progressive persuasion like your esteemed Nash, Gore Vidal, corrected the altered history, pointing out that the Puritans, an authoritarian group of eager Calvin zealots, were in everybody's face, hounding all until they had had enough, and sent them packing. It was the Puritans who were doing the persecuting. Once in America, the Puritans were greeted heartily by Native Americans who helped them with food, provided information re the provisions of local nature, advice on surviving the weather and other increments. The Puritans, still aflame with their religious zeal, set to converting the natives to their hot-coal religion. When the natives, bewildered, refused to convert, the Puritans tortured them, skinned them alive, burning them alive at the stakes, as was commensurate of retributive reaction during those years when such resistance was met by specific politically-bent religions, not spirituality. To this day, open a revised History book, you will still see apologetic rewritten history put forth to all that the Puritans were the victims. This is the first altered history that I know of regarding Natives l. History has often been altered to accommodate to current feelings. The history of history is laden with such revisionary alterations.
LOL, so now you've moved the goalposts slightly and are claiming that all the early immigrants were fanatical Puritans, got it.
Blocked for unserious trolling.
. . . . "are claiming that all the immigrants were fanatical Puritans. Got it". You got it wrong. No such claim was made nor could be inferred by rational witness. What can be inferred is that you would suggest such a silly, dishonest assumption and then, grabbing up your marbles, would go home in a hussy elitist miff, pretending that your gluing my post onto your mendacious conclusion had any real merit at all. In spite of your arrogant, high,-sniiffing posturing, I can go on with a whole list of rewritten history regarding the continued racism of Native Americans. That way no one will wonder why you quit so quickly.
I’ve cried my eyes out reading Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee. I understand what you are saying.
I live near the Southern border. It always makes me want to scream when MAGAts whine about border policies -- from OHIO. Are they talking about the Canadian border? Do they want to limit the French Canadian immigration into this country? No; it is always assumed they're talking about our border with Mexico.
Border crossings have DROPPED this year, but they don't care about the actual facts. Let me ask this: who's going to re-roof your house in July in Phoenix? It sure as hell isn't a bunch of Norwegians. MAGAts whine and complain about building costs going up; let's see what happens when they deport all the SKILLED workers who come here wanting a decent day's pay so they can send it home to their families. No one works harder than people who immigrate here to strive for a better life for their families. We need Congress to get off its collective asses to completely rehaul our immigration laws to be clearer and increase the capacity of the judicial system to process immigration and asylum petitions more quickly.
Exactly.
Great points. And thank you for a genuine laugh in the midst of such an agonizing subject: "Let me ask this: who's going to re-roof your house in July in Phoenix? It sure as hell isn't a bunch of Norwegians"
Let us not give up the fight for justice. And never forget how to laugh. We have that super power over MAGA.
That law exists. Tfg nixed it. I look forward to a President Harris signing it!
My father’s ancestor came over to Massachusetts in 1640 as an indentured servant on a two year contract to a Draper. As soon as he fulfilled his obligations, he went south to Rhode Island and help build the settler community there. My mother’s ancestors emigrated from Germany in the mid 1800s as a so called Pennsylvania Deautch.
We are all just trying to make the best of it in America. So it was then, so it is now. I have many immigrant friends from the Philippines who have contributed so much as musicians, jewelers, women’s issues directors and many other things. I love them all and are my friends for life.
Great points. I can guarantee that 99% of America would not be concerned with immigration at all if it wasn’t for Trump making such a huge stink about it.
Because immigration isn't actually a problem!
I'm absolutely sure you're correct about that, Aaron.
I don’t think so. This issue is complained about throughout the Western world, even in places that hate Trump. Americans complained about it before Trump and they will after Trump. As long as it happens in large numbers and is continuous, there will be a large contingent that opposes immigration.
True. 99% is a bit extreme. But I think I large majority don’t think about it on a daily basis. Also it’s hard to break trump out from the constant background noise of the right wing media that was there long before him.
If tfg really cared about immigration he wouldn't have ordered his cult followers to block the bipartisan bill that was presented to them.
My fathers family immigrated from Slovakia just after the Civil War to escape Magyarization. Austra-Hungary wanted to make everyone catholic and speak Hungarian. My Slovak speaking Lutheran ancestors all got the heck out of there. Streator, IL is where many went because they had skills in glass making. And now we are 4 generations down from them.
My husband works at a business that employs legal, seasonal workers from Guatemala, men who do manual labor and send money back to their families. He says that the local employees can't begin to keep up with the Guatamalans in terms of production.
Also, we recently had our roof replaced by a contractor who uses a similar crew. I've never seen people work so hard! They finished the entire roof, including tear-off, in a little over 10 hours. Other estimates had been three days. And they were happy in their work, smiling from the moment they arrived (exactly on time), calling back and forth all day. They were very grateful for the snacks and water I'd put out; they ate everything up and left no trash lying around. I couldn't have been more impressed. If these workers were even close to being typical of most immigrants, I say, we need all we can get!
the issue is, as always with Trump, fear.
How can you explain how immigration and diversity are such an awesome resource for a country before fear and the lies of Trump close access to a healthy discussion ?
The power of education comes with patience and time so some trust has to be established before. It is so tricky. I wish Springfield immigrants, Amon all the other immigrants, had time on their hands to tour around and speak about their love for their new country and the enrichment they brought.
It seems the best way to convince Americans of anything is to put it in a TV show or a movie. Get busy Hollywood. We need strong immigrant characters who save America on every episode.
In this firestorm of mass hysteria that Trump has unleashed about the issue of immigration, how is it even possible, at this stage a month before the elections, to hold a rational discussion about the issue? All of his unhinged rantings come, of course, straight out of the Putin playbook: demonize the weak, the indigent and homeless, make them the scapegoats for the misery of working and middle class citizens who find it increasingly difficult to cope within a financial system that is rigged for the benefit of the overlords and oligarchs.
Yes, we will need, once the dust of the elections has settled, to implement a just and orderly system for the process of immigration. But let's dispense with the lies and hysteria and consider what truly matters. We need to understand that freedom and happiness march hand-in-hand: we are truly free only when we reach out to the less fortunate with compassion, understanding and kindness.
My grand parents or great grand parents all immigrated here either from Italy or Ireland.
We looked up their names at Ellis Island.
My grandfathers, and all 4 uncles and my father volunteered to fight in WWII.
Although wounded severely my father survived as did the others.——-
All grew amazing family gardens. Almost self efficient.
One went on to be an Engineer, one cousin is an attorney. Others in various business. None required government assistance other than my Dad who was hospitalized for his war injuries.——
When immigrants come they purchase goods and services increasing the need for manufacturing etc jobs. When they purchase goods and services they pay sales tax both Federal State sometimes County.
Buying homes… they pay Property taxes.——-
This aids our economy.——-
The lies and the fears that Republicans chant hypnotically over and over are still sadly believed. They incite hate and violence.
We must not elect Trump.
Total chaos and violence will erupt.
Yes we must manage immigration. So we should constantly remind Everyone that Republicans killed the Border Bill.