Looking backwards
The New York Times wrote on June 7 about the defeat of the Senate immigration bill that was described by some Democrats and Republicans alike as one of those “half-baked, grandiose schemes” that often emerge from the Beltway maw:
Immigrant Bill, Short 15 Votes, Stalls in Senate — Supporters of cutting off debate got only 45 of the 60 votes they needed; 50 senators opposed the cutoff…38 Republicans, 11 Democrats and one independent voted not to shut off debate; 37 Democrats, 7 Republicans and one independent voted to bring the issue to a head.
You will recall that this was a rather stunning defeat for the bill, accomplished by a big and bipartisan group of Senators. In the end, the immigration bill failed by a wide margin, and both Republicans and Democrats contributed to that defeat. Now comes the former president of Mexico to comment on those 50 US senators and their constituents who opposed the bill. AP:
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said Monday that the United States is letting racism dictate its policies, especially when it comes to immigration. “The xenophobics, the racists, those who feel they are a superior race … they are deciding the future of this nation,” he said, without naming names, in an interview with The Associated Press…”To be so repressive isn’t democractic or free … to be putting up fences, chasing Mexicans, that isn’t right,” Fox said. “The U.S. needs better answers than repression, weapons and violence.”
The world has gotten far too weird when the traditional, essential, and universal practice of nations’ controlling their own borders is characterized in this way.
October 9th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
The world has gotten far too weird when the traditional, essential, and universal practice of nations’ controlling their own borders is characterized in this way.
Unsustainably weird, IMO…without even taking into account Mexico’s rampant corruption and the racism of Mexicans of Spanish/European descent against those of Indian heritage.
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Fox does not sound like an elder statesman of an up-and-coming nation. That he chooses to speak in third-world UN rhetoric is a discouraging indicator of Mexico’s future–especially given the current demand for the country’s resources.
However, the USA’s current direction doesn’t make me feel overly entitled to gibe at Mexico.
October 9th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
If we had a free press they might have pointed out the gulags Mexico maintains on their southern borders, the brutal way they dispose of their illegal aliens and the oppressive way they prevent naturalized citizens from ever having the full rights of native citizens.
I think the word I’m looking for, to describe this… person… would force you to delete this comment.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:21 am
We might point out that Mexico does not accord US citizens with the same privileges they are demanding from us. The hypocrisy is staggering.
Well, if you act like a wimp, I guess you just take the abuse.