The Economist: What Are They Smokin'?

Perhaps Mr Fox's biggest mistake has been his failure to lobby effectively over migration on Capitol Hill. Andrés Rozental, who heads the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (and is Mr Castañeda's half-brother), notes that this contrasts with the effort made to secure passage of the North American Free Trade agreement (NAFTA) in 1993, when Mexico used its network of over 40 consulates to lobby Congress. Another unused channel of influence is the one-in-12 people born in Mexico who now live in the United States (see chart).
Most are there legally and many are eligible to vote.

This is a joke right?

Somebody tell me this is a freakin' joke.

Because I know a respected news organ did not just suggest that our patriotic hispanic population vote against the interests of this country. I know I didn't just hear that.

Because if that is the case I cannot think of a better argument for shutting down ALL immigration. That's right, you heard me right. ALL immigration.

Why? I am fairly convinced that we have welcomed groups of people that do not have THIS countries best interests at heart and as far as I'm concerned they can all go screw until they're prepared to at least pretend to be Americans.

Luckily the article provides a little levity...

Despite the public acrimony, Mr Rozental says that day-to-day co-operation between Mexico and the United States on matters such as public health, trade and law enforcement has never been greater. But he believes there is a minimal chance of significant progress on immigration reform under Mr Bush.

That's a good one guys, thanks, I needed a chuckle. Public health? Um, by that are we talking about people running over the border to receive free care that most Americans can no longer afford, like that? No? How about the re-emergence of TB here in the States?

Trade? Our current trade imbalance with Mexico is running about 16 billion, yep, with a B.

Law enforcement? Please, that's not even a good joke. Is it the part that Mexico keeps bitch slapping us by not extraditing criminals back here where they committed the crimes. Is that an example of day-to-day cooperation? No, how about the rampant corruption that has led to the deaths of American law enforcement agents?

COUNTRIES that claim to be the best of friends do not normally shoot across their mutual frontier. But on December 30th, an agent of the United States Border Patrol shot dead an 18-year-old Mexican as he tried to cross the border near San Diego. The patrol says the shooting was in self-defence, and that the dead man was a coyote, or people-smuggler. Vicente Fox, Mexico's president, made a diplomatic protest, and called for an investigation into the shooting. At the other end of the
border, in Texas, Border Patrol agents were reportedly shot at from inside
Mexico.

Mexico ain't our friend, countries don't have friends, countries have interests. When has Mexico ever stood with us on anything other than sending us milions of poor "migrants". They were against the war. They are against us addressing the illegal immigration problem, and become enraged when we attempt to do so. They will not extradite known criminals and thumb their noses at us across the border. It is rapidly becoming against our interest to have dealings with Mexico until they clean their act up.

That's my opinion,

What say you?

illegal immigration
The Economist
Mexican Traitors