It isn’t just that The New York Times holds an editorial view that favors expansive immigration and amnesty for illegal aliens. They are dogmatic about their views. The paper’s editorials on the subject don’t opine, they rant. Only rarely do they even deign to publish a dissenting opinion on the op-ed page.
Perhaps it’s because all of the editors decided to take vacation this week (Manhattan can be pretty steamy in mid-June), but Tuesday’s New York Times blog site features a piece by one of the paper’s regular columnists, Ross Douthat, that is refreshingly honest and in-touch with reality.
In discussing the politics of immigration, Douthat makes a keen observation. “At the grassroots level of both parties, the politics of the issue are simply more fraught, and the advantages of the pro-legalization position less obvious, than the elite consensus tends to assume,” he writes.
Writing in perhaps the most elite of the elite media, Douthat nails the essence of the debate about immigration policy. Contrary to what one might perceive from the editorial page of the Times, the immigration debate does not pit good versus evil, or compassion versus mean-spiritedness. Rather the debate pits the social, political and economic elite in the United States against ordinary Americans. Douthat makes it clear that these ordinary Americans come in all varieties: Black, white, Hispanic, Democrat, Republican, liberal and conservative. In other words, immigration is yet one more manifestation of how out of step Washington and Wall Street are with the concerns, interests and daily lives of most Americans.
It’s what FAIR has been saying all along, of course, but it’s nice (and utterly surprising) to see that analysis confirmed on the website of the nation’s “newspaper of record.”
10 Comments
I had decided to vote against anyone that supported amnesty but I guess that won’t work because there are only those candidates that say that they support amnesty and the ones that are lying about it.
I don’t understand people that complain about people ( legal citizens) living off the Government but support giving Illegal everything including Social Security that they have never contributed a dime.
I am trying to hold back the tears I am sooo angry. Someone asked me if Bloomberg could really pull off this business about outlawing the “big culp” soda and I said “sure, they did it with cigarettes and soon they will take away all your rights. They are shovign Oboma Care down our throats when we don’t want it and it going to cost us more for less and look at all these Illegal Aliens; our gov. doesn’t enforce our immigration laws, gives THEM FREE HEALTH CARE and because businesses want cheap labor our gov puts Illegals above the needs and wants of Americans. So, yes, Bloomberg could most likely get away with it, because polititions never listen to those who put them into office any longer. We don’t have any rights any longer!”
I remember going abroad with three other girls in our 20s when I was single, many years ago. We were sooo proud to be able to say that not only did we come from NY, but the greatest FREE country in the world. I can’t say that any longer. It was getting bad before, but since BO, not only am I totally ashamed, but angry and frightened. I’ve tried calling, writing, signing petitions and sending faxes to my reps. Chck Schumers DC phone is always off the hook and he sends you a form letter id at all, but has his own agenda and does his rubber stamper Gilabrnd. None of them care about what you think on the BIG issues such as immigration and Obama Care.80% of people want the ILLEGALS gone and almost the same % didn’t want Obama Care!!
The solution is very simple. Don’t hire non American workers for anything. Don’t buy products from people who do hire non American workers.
I had a non American housekeeper working for me in my vacation rental business. I now have a english speeking American housekeeper that charges me less money to do the same job. There are plenty of American workers for every job out there. I am proof.
What it really amounts to in this country is globalists against American citizens. They would rather import cheap labor than hire Americans citizens. These global capitalists have no patriotism or loyalty to any one country. Ideas of patriotism or loyalty to one’s country just get in the way.
I agree with you, Chas, it sounds about right. One of our best defenses is in flooding the telephone lines and message boards and mailrooms with our voices of opposition. Tell your Representatives & Senators to act, that is why they are in office–they represent the Voice of the People! At the moment, due to severely broken Immigration Reform, this demographic, illegal immigrants, are falling through loopholes; despite State law, no one seems to be willing to enforce the law. In California our law clearly states ‘no illegal immigration shall have the right to be issued a California Driver’s License’, yet, it is a known fact, they do drive, and they are ignoring the law. Law enforcement does nothing. Furthermore, the Chief of Police decided to grant them leniency because the impound fees were too high! And the Mayor(also Mexican) says it is the right thing to do(sound familiar) because they have jobs to get to, and they need their cars!!!!!! Excuse me, what is it about NO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SHALL be on the streets and highways, do you not understand???? So it is just one concession after another here , and it is wrong and un-American. Fight and demand we enact legislation for English as an Official Language so we can all at least communicate and understand one another, and, we can save millions in printing up literature in another language(Spanish, etc). As for the 800,000 who may stay, I hope it is found unconstitutional and reversed; anyone here, through no fault of their own, while I understand their plight, we have laws, and those laws ought to NEVER be compromised for a certain group. As I see it, they were educated K-12, and that is enough. The challenge ought to be in making their own country a place they can live work and be proud of. America is bursting at the seams–charity must start at the home.
Douthat is a breath of fresh air on immigration. Other op-ed columnists, the liberals Paul Krugman and Nicholas Kristof have also had very good columns on immigration. It’s too bad the NYT editorial writer on immigration doesn’t seem to read this stuff.
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/opinion/27krugman.html?_r=3
select.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/opinion/09kristof.html
Unfortunately, the immigration reporter at the NYT, Julia Preston, has a very strong bias about the issue. And, yes, the NYT editorial page does “rant” on this subject. It’s really rather amazing.
If that’s the most enlightening sentence in Douthat’s op-ed, you wonder if he has an opinion … or if it matters.
The political bias of the NYT is well-known. Before Mr. Douthat decides to make a career of speaking truth to power, he should have a conversation with Pat Buchanan, who knows where that road leads.
The reason our farmers can’t find immigrant workers is because they got smart.Why pick aples for a low wage when they can take on other higher paying labor jobs.Like the ones they under cut my business for landscaping,painting,roofing,pressure washing.I’m struggling to stay afloat and keep my house while I look around at other contractors and they are mostly hispanic in these trades.Wake up people they are coming after your jobs next.Look at the cooks of fast food restaurants these were American kids first jobs to gain customer service skills and now there is a growing population of hispanics in these jobs.And people are wandering why our economy is crap.America is being bled dry by all the illegals in this Country,you can blame the banks but that was just a very small reason.The illegals are under cutting good paying middle class jobs because our own Country is letting them.Hire Americans and our economy will grow,if not it won’t.
….what part of billions of dollars per year spent on non-citizens, folks who have and continue, to violate the laws of this Nation. They are foreign invaders. Invasion is by definition, an aggressive act of war. Most other countries of this world at the least will imprison you for many years to life, or svae time and money by simply killing you straight out, for violating the soveireignty of their national borders. America?…..hell, we give them Federal benefits they have never and will never contribute to, while at the same time, Wasgington hard sells us a sob story of why they have to slash benefits and programs for the seniors, for the retirees, for the middle-class, have to raise costs and premiums, reduce policy provisions,……there is just no damn money for Americans. But, we have it to send to other nations, by the billions, and we have it to dole out to illegal, law-breaking aliens that should NOT BE IN THIS COUNTRY!…
Washington, D.C., and all the bleeeding heart Liberals and do-gooders (talikng to you Hillary)….need to find a way for you guys to pay for all this crap and leave the hard-working, blue-collared, American heartland, American CITIZENS….the Hell alone !