Border Crisis Part I: The Role Of Government

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...