There are plenty of
people talking about the politics and the optics of the situation at
our southern border. We're seeing a lot of pundits hitting hard on the
President's apparent lack of "give a damn". I could do that too, but
instead I'm gonna take a different direction on this immigration crisis.
I want to draw attention to what many claim are the root causes of this
problem: poverty and crime. Putting aside the conspiracy theories and
hidden agendas, let's assume, just for a moment, that these are the real
causes of this massive wave of illegal immigration. Let's assume
they're responsible for most illegal immigration. The President and
other Liberals would have you believe that the solution is money- give
everyone whatever they "need" (which the government gets to dictate for
all 330+ million of us) and the problem goes away. History tells us
repeatedly that this is not the case. The truth is, government cannot,
at least at the federal level, solve this problem. It's too
dysfunctional and our country is too vast and diverse for a federal
solution to have any concrete, lasting effect (New Deal, Great Society,
Drug War- all failures). The problem can only be solved by local
government and private entities. Think about it, some areas are better
off than others. Some states are better off than others. Try as it
might, the federal government has been unable to change this after more
than a century of progressivism. It's because State/local governments
and private organizations in some areas are able to tackle tough social
issues by addressing the specific needs of their area. Local governments
and private entities are closer and more accountable to the people.
They know the people, the land, the culture, and the livelihoods better
than any one in Washington DC ever could. So it stands to reason that
they're better equipped to address problems like crime and poverty, in a
way that works well for their city, county or state. It just makes
sense. When you try to use one-size-fits-all solutions for a country our
size, with all the different cultures and local economies we find
throughout the nation, it WILL NOT WORK- PERIOD.
Understand
this: like most Americans, I have a deep empathy for those in dire
situations that they can't control. That's true for those in America who
can't make ends meet no matter how hard they try, and it's just as true
for the children trekking thousands of miles to the US seeking freedom
from the plight of their native countries (I realize there are adults
and gang members coming too, but I'm focusing on fixing what liberals
claim is the problem in order to show that their solution is no solution
at all). I feel very badly for the children. I wish that I had the
money and the tools to help everyone in NEED. Hell, if the government
would let us keep more of our money and stop taxing the hell out of
those most capable of helping, we'd be able to address these problems
ourselves (the more we make the more we can help, and unlike rich
Liberals we don't need a law to coerce us into charity). Instead we're
forced, through taxation, to contribute our money to failing policies
and programs that the government needs for votes, but that actually do
more harm than good and are bankrupting our nation. That's not a
solution, it's a farce.
Right about now is when the liberal "he
hates Social Security and old people" argument rears it's head. I'm not
against safety nets, but I am against NOT doing anything to fix or
revamp a program that will cripple us if left unchecked. This is
America, the land of innovation and opportunity. We can do better. We
can fix our failing entitlement programs, or restructure them to be
better. Anyone who says we don't need to fix these programs is lying to
you in the name of votes and power. In the private sector, over time new
ideas come along, and upgrades are made. In government the first draft
of a policy is almost always the final draft, especially once it creates
dependency. Politicians cling desperately to old, outdated, failing
policies because they care more about power and legacy than they do
about actually doing what is right. We need to change our way of
thinking, and start utilizing new ideas, new technologies and new
policies.
Like any sane person, I don't want people to suffer
through circumstances they cannot control. Where I part with liberals
like Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Luis Gutierrez is at the
role of government in all of this. I don't believe government should
take an active roll in trying to rid the country (and the world, as
liberals now want to do with the tens of thousands coming over the
border) of every ounce of poverty and strife. I'm all for providing
opportunity, promoting good life decision making and establishing safety
nets, but when it comes to dumping billions of dollars into giving away
fish, while teaching no one to use a reel, I'm in the "no" camp. The
government can't keep doling out food and clothes, and medical care, AT
TAXPAYER EXPENSE, without doing anything about the root causes of
poverty and crime. We can't even begin to do that abroad until we make
extreme progress here. Let's solve these problems at home, and set an
example for our allies and neighbors. Let's show them how to solve their
own problems rather than relying on other countries to do it for them. I
understand wanting to help, but we just don't have the resources to
help everyone. We can't even get our veterans or our own poor taken care
of, so how can we be any good to the poor of the world?
Now
some might ask, "How is eradicating poverty and hunger any different
from eradicating terrorism?" The answer is much simpler than most
politicians would have you believe: Poverty and hunger can be best
handled at local levels by private entities (for reasons I've already
described) while threats to a nation's sovereignty, like terrorism, are
best handled by central governments and established military forces (and it's
actually spelled out that way in our Constitution). I have no problem
with lending a hand up when it comes to the poor. But to do that we need
to get ourselves right first, then give others the blueprint for
success. We can't solve these problems with hand outs that are nothing
more than a bandaid on a bullet hole. We have to look at this with fresh
eyes, and we have to go after the causes, not the symptoms...
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