Wherein a rambling rant.

I haven't written much on the border stuff, but that doesn't mean I haven't got an opinion on it, it's just that I don't know what to say about it and frankly, it pisses me off (that last link h/t Jeff Blanco). There is no serious effort to enforce laws we have now, nor will there be any later. So what's the point of reforming anything?

I'm amazed that members of the Left who are usually so vocal about worker's rights should be defending the right of people to exploit others, to give them no benefits, cut them loose when they're sick, prevent them from being able to bargain collectively... The labor is cheap? Of course...an object lesson that slave labor is addictive and corrupting. You say "slave labor" is hyperbole? Yes, but only slightly. There is a choice here being made by the worker, no doubt. But the effect is very similar. We're addicted (at least we think we are) to artificially low labor costs donated by people with no voice and no rights. Hiring is expensive. Employees need to make an after-tax wage that's worth their time, employers need to withhold money, match Social Security and Medicare withholding, pay insurances...but not for illegals. And all this just drags down even further the value of low-wage jobs -- making "the poor poorer and the rich richer." Thank you "immigration advocates."

So it's too expensive to hire people and pay benefits? You ever think that maybe payroll taxes are too high and that this might bring pressure to lower them? The Left doesn't want to face that, elements of the Right don't care, and everyone's pandering.

And why would anyone ever go on the books no matter what the new program is if there's no enforcement and the borders remain open? They wouldn't! And don't be fooled. Nothing will change after whatever "compromise" legislation goes through (And what the hell kind of compromise is this? Somewhere between enforcing the law or not? Outrageous).

And it's an uneven playing field between employers who don't want to break the law and those who do break the law.

And all this says nothing about the ancillary costs caused by illegals who use public services without paying in, and I can't imagine the feelings of private citizens being victimized by "undocumenteds" who you can never hope to get compensation out of.

So the law for legal immigration is outdated and not functioning well...so what? We need to reform and enforce (both!) what we have, not labor on in this artificial environment where no law is seriously enforced for the sake of availing ourselves of wage slavery. If we don't enforce the laws and the borders, we can't ever reform the system properly because the problems we're addressing stem from an artificial situation born of anarchy.

And just who's coming over the border? Do they love this country? Know what it's about? Want to integrate and contribute, or just want to take? Ability to integrate, be absorbed and belong, the dragging down of low-end wages -- that's enough for me without even getting in to the security issue. But let's: FBI stopped Hezbollah smugglers:

We need reform. We also need border control and law enforcement. Unless politicians (national and local) become serious, it won't be too many years (if we haven't gotten there already) before it's too late to do anything without tearing our country apart. Disrespect for the law and for a distinct American identity is a creeping sickness who's rot is already affecting us in unpredictable ways. Don't gloat too quickly watching Europe struggle with its immigrant problem. It could happen here sooner than you think.

Update: Tom Glennon gets it just right in his decidedly un-ranty style and usual aplomb, here: To Fix a Leak