The Spanish press is giving echo to the indignation brought on by the administration´s ruling against entry into the United States by persons with the nationality of specific Islamic nations in North Africa and the Near East. Like many of you I find such a limitation on entry into the country to be naïve since it offers no guarantee at all against what its sponsors claim for it. Also, it is highly offensive to millions of persons. As we know, there is no such thing as a small enemy. Should the priests of terror want to harm us they would send in one of their zombies who, behind the local Dairy Queen, would hook up with a home grown or imported troll who would hand over a suitcase full of dynamite and shrapnel. Having said this, let´s give the administration at least a wait and see attitude toward its evolving immigrant controls measures.
Since President Clinton´s time and on through the Obama years, we have witnessed an on again, of again, sometimes yes, and sometimes no but usually a who knows policy of border control. Just maybe, the Trump administration is working to seriously put a policy into place. What Mr. Obama´s government started with the serious expulsion of illegals and criminal illegals was a move in the right direction. His decision to extend the barriers at the Mexican-US border was logical since millions of undocumented persons cross over the Rio Grande almost at will. Mr. Trump´s stance, then, is really a continuation of the steps taken during the last sixteen years to secure that our home does not receive any more uninvited guests.
Of course the United States should continue to welcome immigrants but on our terms. A nation has every right/obligation to secure its borders. While Spain supports the outrage of Mexicans against the fence along the Rio Grande it maintains its own fence facing Morocco. The disaster of wide open borders brought on Brexit and the revolt of millions of Europeans against a peaceful invasion out of Turkey and North Africa. Poland has slammed closed its border. Hungry, Austria and Slovenia have put up obstacles too. By some mysterious means migrants are entering Norway via Russia. Greece and Italy are at saturation. So it would seem to me that any advice out of Madrid or Paris or Berlin or Budapest or Vienna or Brussels or Amsterdam on the question can be ignored as tongue in cheek political jargon to placate the bleachers. If Mr. Trump and his administration are moving to secure logical solutions for the future in a serious manner, well, let´s give them a chance. Also, the real issue here is what we do to solve a problem and what Mexico is not doing to prevent it at its source. Maybe the protesters in Mexico City could identify things closer to home that need fixing. For example, the tradition of the mordida/bribes and toleration of organized crime constitute crippling forces that impoverish the nation´s millions while it allows a few patriots a life of Nirvana on Earth. Immigration? Of course, immigrants are men and women who have a right to a future they can´t achieve at home, but with an invitation in hand! For the millions from the south who are now among us, the administration might put in place a generous policy to allow them to become US citizens via a quicker route in a now or never procedure. At the end of the day the decision is ours, not theirs. I fully approve an opening of our southern door but is must be on our terms as evidence of our needs, our willingness and our means.
overcoffee 