(Credit: John Moore/Getty)
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One has to admire the chutzpah of Kamala Harris. Less than 24 hours after Title 42 expired, there she was, merrily clinking glasses at a Democratic Party soirée in a wealthy Atlanta suburb. When a journalist asked about the possible fall-out from the termination of Trump’s pandemic policy, which swiftly turned back immigrants at the border, she was typically nonchalant. “I hear that everything in the last couple of days is going rather smoothly,” she replied. There was no mention of the 30 migrants who had been bussed to her home in Washington DC from Texas the evening before; nor of the deep misgivings expressed by officials who work on the border. Everything, you see, was going “smoothly”. Nothing to see here.
In Delaware the following day, Joe Biden did his best to keep up the act, opting to go for a bike ride near his beach house. When he bumped into a gaggle of reporters, he broke into a laugh and told them that post-Title 42 America is clearly “much better than you all expected”. Everything was still going smoothly. Nothing to see here.
To some extent, Biden and Harris can be forgiven for displaying a certain level of self-satisfaction. Today marks one week since Title 42 expired, and the expected surge of migrants is yet to materialise. Quite the opposite, in fact. The number of illegal crossings seems to have dropped; short-term bed capacity appears to be increasing; the country’s southern borderlands have not descended into anarchy. As the media has enjoyed pointing out, America’s immigration crisis appears to be waning.
Except, I suspect, it isn’t. Overshadowed by the gleeful coverage in recent days was one story that, more than any other, hints at the chaos to come. On Friday, footage from the Central Processing Center in El Paso showed an alarming level of overcrowding. The site, according to Texas Congressman Tony Gonzalez, has a maximum capacity of 1,000 migrants; on Friday, there were 6,000.
This hardly came as a surprise to those, such as Gonzalez, for whom the border crisis is a matter of everyday politics. America’s immigration numbers have been soaring for months: as of Friday morning, the Border Force had more than 24,000 migrants in custody — twice the average daily number last November.
The more significant problem here, however, is more complex than a straightforward numbers game — and it extends beyond the practicalities of the border issue. Of course, stories abound of governmental and administrative failure on either side of America’s crossing with Mexico. There’s the smartphone app required to apply for asylum that often doesn’t work, the arbitrary nature of the decisions over who is allowed through, and the inhumane conditions that plague so many migrant centres.
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Subscribe“given up solving”
“unable to fix”
Has it ever crossed the mind of the author that the high levels of immigration are intentional?
Whilst illegal immigration captures the headlines, in the background legal immigration to the UK is at a record level and is far greater than illegal immigration. Visas are being handed out for low skill, low paid jobs. High immigration is the plan.
If high immigration is the plan, then endless arguments about illegal immigration is a great distraction from the far larger issue of planned high legal immigration.
But how could a plan so at odds with public opinion have been implemented and sustained through 5 general elections, 7 PMs, and the entire apparatus of the state? Surely such a huge conspiracy would be impossible to orchestrate?
The truth is no orchestration is needed. There are so many unrelated special interest groups that benefit from high immigration. Often these groups violently oppose one another on most topics, but not immigration. Whilst the individual groups are tiny minorities, the agenda of their influencers converge on a common desire for high immigration:
– The empathetic want immigration to help people.
– The politicians want immigration for the new voters.
– The radicals want immigration to transform society.
– The anarchists want immigration to destroy society.
– The mandarins want immigration to stabilise the demographics.
– The intelligence services want immigration to increase cultural links for future intelligence sources.
– The Foreign Office wants immigration to buy influence over origin countries.
– The Treasury wants immigration to boost GDP and so underpin future liabilities.
– The globalists want immigration to diminish national borders to create supranational systems of regulation.
– The authoritarians want immigration to undermine societal cohesiveness and create a popular demand for more surveillance.
– The net zeroists want immigration to provide labour to replace energy.
– The international socialists want immigration to narrow global inequality.
– Etc, etc, etc.
So what of democracy? Well, a large minority of voters belong to one or more of the groups on the list above. For the larger majority, they view politics as filled up with chancers and they have turned away in a vicious cycle. Material wealth first kept ordinary people sufficiently satisfied to not bother with politics. Risk of losing that material wealth now keeps ordinary people out of politics. Only the most ideologically driven and the empty suits are left in politics, people either on the list above or willing to do anything for the patronage of the people on the list above. Consequently democracy will not bring about change. High immigration is here to stay whether the public want it or not.
The political wheel will inevitably turn. High immigration will end one day, but not in my lifetime. And it won’t end because of a political decision or because of a lack of people. High immigration will end when the pull of the West ends. Since most of the globe shows no signs of quickly catching up with the West, the pull only ends when the quality of life in the West falls to an equilibrium with Africa, and that will happen thanks to unsustainably high population density. Ironically, the ultimate solution to the problem of high immigration will be high immigration, but not before what we have today has passed into history.
Thanks for that comment – bleak but brilliant.
What will our mass migration apologists/enthusiasts have to say for themselves when the West is dragged down to third-world levels of corruption, incompetence, depravity and criminality? I suspect that we in the West will be given the blame for not defending our values.
“WHEN the west is dragged down to third world levels of corruption?” Aren’t we there already? I do admire an optimist
I live in NYC. We are there.
It will get worse that it is now : and you will be hoppy.
Like the man said: “You ain’t seen nuthin yet!”
We still have a long way to go (downwards) – otherwise the exodus from those poverty stricken states would not be increasing year on year.
I live in NYC. We are there.
It will get worse that it is now : and you will be hoppy.
Like the man said: “You ain’t seen nuthin yet!”
We still have a long way to go (downwards) – otherwise the exodus from those poverty stricken states would not be increasing year on year.
Of course that is already happening.
Uncontrolled immigration holds down wages and inflates property prices.
Read Camp of the Saints to find out. If you can find a copy, since the English language “publisher” refuses to republish it.
You’re right. That legendary book is very scarce in English translation. I located a second hand copy on Amazon’s German website but at 187 Euros it’s much too pricey for me.
Update: managed to find the book in pdf format. Will read in due course.
You’re right. That legendary book is very scarce in English translation. I located a second hand copy on Amazon’s German website but at 187 Euros it’s much too pricey for me.
Update: managed to find the book in pdf format. Will read in due course.
They might not need to lay blame, goal of generalized poverty having been accomplished. Imagine finally living ruled by satisfied elites
“WHEN the west is dragged down to third world levels of corruption?” Aren’t we there already? I do admire an optimist
Of course that is already happening.
Uncontrolled immigration holds down wages and inflates property prices.
Read Camp of the Saints to find out. If you can find a copy, since the English language “publisher” refuses to republish it.
They might not need to lay blame, goal of generalized poverty having been accomplished. Imagine finally living ruled by satisfied elites
Could you explain your last statement to a curious – learning mind and late comer to social-political. (the problem being the solution)
Perhaps it’s a typo….high immigration means high EMMIGRATION ?
Perhaps it’s a typo….high immigration means high EMMIGRATION ?
I seriously doubt that. The intelligence community hardly want to have to watch young men who are hostile to the UK, or who could become radicalised.
I might disagree with the desire of intelligence services to “increase cultural links” through mass immigration (more terrorism, anyone?) but you’re spot on as to the many stakeholders who want illegal immigration on all points of the political spectrum. In the USA, Democrat leaders want more potential voters who will be dependent upon government largesse. The corporate sector, which used to be aligned with the GOP, wants cheap labor. And globalization loves the erasure of national boundaries and nationalism.
Our border control on the US-Mexico border is a shambles. Biden et al. are either criminally incompetent or actively encouraging the s—t show down there. And what’s most infuriating to me and many other Americans whose families were immigrants once is that LEGAL immigration, with its appropriate controls and legalities, is made a farce by this circus. We know and help a family from South Sudan who waited years to legally come to the USA, and work their tails off to stay off welfare and make a better life for their kids. Where is the justice or equity for folks like them in allowing unchecked illegal migration?
This. Absolutely spot an analysis. Why would any politician solve a problem that keeps everyone distracted from the real problems. And keeps them in a job. It’s just not in their interest. They must have high house prices and cheap labour. Also the low birthrates in Western countries are a factor. Decades ago when EU workers were living 8 to a house the writing was on the wall. Living standards for all must come down. 3rd world for all! There’s your equality.
Thanks for that comment – bleak but brilliant.
What will our mass migration apologists/enthusiasts have to say for themselves when the West is dragged down to third-world levels of corruption, incompetence, depravity and criminality? I suspect that we in the West will be given the blame for not defending our values.
Could you explain your last statement to a curious – learning mind and late comer to social-political. (the problem being the solution)
I seriously doubt that. The intelligence community hardly want to have to watch young men who are hostile to the UK, or who could become radicalised.
I might disagree with the desire of intelligence services to “increase cultural links” through mass immigration (more terrorism, anyone?) but you’re spot on as to the many stakeholders who want illegal immigration on all points of the political spectrum. In the USA, Democrat leaders want more potential voters who will be dependent upon government largesse. The corporate sector, which used to be aligned with the GOP, wants cheap labor. And globalization loves the erasure of national boundaries and nationalism.
Our border control on the US-Mexico border is a shambles. Biden et al. are either criminally incompetent or actively encouraging the s—t show down there. And what’s most infuriating to me and many other Americans whose families were immigrants once is that LEGAL immigration, with its appropriate controls and legalities, is made a farce by this circus. We know and help a family from South Sudan who waited years to legally come to the USA, and work their tails off to stay off welfare and make a better life for their kids. Where is the justice or equity for folks like them in allowing unchecked illegal migration?
This. Absolutely spot an analysis. Why would any politician solve a problem that keeps everyone distracted from the real problems. And keeps them in a job. It’s just not in their interest. They must have high house prices and cheap labour. Also the low birthrates in Western countries are a factor. Decades ago when EU workers were living 8 to a house the writing was on the wall. Living standards for all must come down. 3rd world for all! There’s your equality.
“given up solving”
“unable to fix”
Has it ever crossed the mind of the author that the high levels of immigration are intentional?
Whilst illegal immigration captures the headlines, in the background legal immigration to the UK is at a record level and is far greater than illegal immigration. Visas are being handed out for low skill, low paid jobs. High immigration is the plan.
If high immigration is the plan, then endless arguments about illegal immigration is a great distraction from the far larger issue of planned high legal immigration.
But how could a plan so at odds with public opinion have been implemented and sustained through 5 general elections, 7 PMs, and the entire apparatus of the state? Surely such a huge conspiracy would be impossible to orchestrate?
The truth is no orchestration is needed. There are so many unrelated special interest groups that benefit from high immigration. Often these groups violently oppose one another on most topics, but not immigration. Whilst the individual groups are tiny minorities, the agenda of their influencers converge on a common desire for high immigration:
– The empathetic want immigration to help people.
– The politicians want immigration for the new voters.
– The radicals want immigration to transform society.
– The anarchists want immigration to destroy society.
– The mandarins want immigration to stabilise the demographics.
– The intelligence services want immigration to increase cultural links for future intelligence sources.
– The Foreign Office wants immigration to buy influence over origin countries.
– The Treasury wants immigration to boost GDP and so underpin future liabilities.
– The globalists want immigration to diminish national borders to create supranational systems of regulation.
– The authoritarians want immigration to undermine societal cohesiveness and create a popular demand for more surveillance.
– The net zeroists want immigration to provide labour to replace energy.
– The international socialists want immigration to narrow global inequality.
– Etc, etc, etc.
So what of democracy? Well, a large minority of voters belong to one or more of the groups on the list above. For the larger majority, they view politics as filled up with chancers and they have turned away in a vicious cycle. Material wealth first kept ordinary people sufficiently satisfied to not bother with politics. Risk of losing that material wealth now keeps ordinary people out of politics. Only the most ideologically driven and the empty suits are left in politics, people either on the list above or willing to do anything for the patronage of the people on the list above. Consequently democracy will not bring about change. High immigration is here to stay whether the public want it or not.
The political wheel will inevitably turn. High immigration will end one day, but not in my lifetime. And it won’t end because of a political decision or because of a lack of people. High immigration will end when the pull of the West ends. Since most of the globe shows no signs of quickly catching up with the West, the pull only ends when the quality of life in the West falls to an equilibrium with Africa, and that will happen thanks to unsustainably high population density. Ironically, the ultimate solution to the problem of high immigration will be high immigration, but not before what we have today has passed into history.
Why do I still find this stuff shocking? I should never expect govt to implement competent and constructive policies, yet I still do. Regardless of someone’s personal views of immigration, it should all be legal. It shouldn’t be that difficult to make immigrants wait while they are properly processed, whether it be one day or 10 years. If the wait is too long or inconvenient, they can always go home.
Do you mean ALL immigration should be legal? I hope you don’t.
The UK is an island & cannot expand to take all the people who want to come here without turning into a concrete jungle full of very high rise apartment blocks & car parks with no green space at all.
I have no objection to genuine refugees fleeing genuine persecution but that cannot be accepted as a reason when numerous other countries, equally as safe as the UK, have been passed through to get here.
Furthermore, mass migrants of the type which are flooding into the UK do NOT increase GDP if the net cost of those migrants including benefits paid (including housing benefit), education, health provision &, not forgetting pensions, are paid out to those who have never paid a penny into our system. Even if the ‘breadwinner’ of the family gets a job, the tax paid by that person is unlikely go anywhere close to paying for the benefits, as stated above, the whole family will receive in total. Sorry to be blunt but this is an economic fact & it matters not what the race, colour or creed of the family is. Those statistics which used to show that, overall, immigration is a net gain to the UK do not take account of all the above issues &, certainly, do not include any social costs which need to be incurred such as more (affordable) homes needing to be built, more schools, hospitals etc let alone the social cost & disruption to our culture.
Do you mean ALL immigration should be legal? I hope you don’t.
The UK is an island & cannot expand to take all the people who want to come here without turning into a concrete jungle full of very high rise apartment blocks & car parks with no green space at all.
I have no objection to genuine refugees fleeing genuine persecution but that cannot be accepted as a reason when numerous other countries, equally as safe as the UK, have been passed through to get here.
Furthermore, mass migrants of the type which are flooding into the UK do NOT increase GDP if the net cost of those migrants including benefits paid (including housing benefit), education, health provision &, not forgetting pensions, are paid out to those who have never paid a penny into our system. Even if the ‘breadwinner’ of the family gets a job, the tax paid by that person is unlikely go anywhere close to paying for the benefits, as stated above, the whole family will receive in total. Sorry to be blunt but this is an economic fact & it matters not what the race, colour or creed of the family is. Those statistics which used to show that, overall, immigration is a net gain to the UK do not take account of all the above issues &, certainly, do not include any social costs which need to be incurred such as more (affordable) homes needing to be built, more schools, hospitals etc let alone the social cost & disruption to our culture.
Why do I still find this stuff shocking? I should never expect govt to implement competent and constructive policies, yet I still do. Regardless of someone’s personal views of immigration, it should all be legal. It shouldn’t be that difficult to make immigrants wait while they are properly processed, whether it be one day or 10 years. If the wait is too long or inconvenient, they can always go home.
I can’t speak for the USA, but in the UK the other side of the immigration coin is the welfare available to the UK citizens as a consequence of not taking the low-paid, hard-work jobs that immigrants will come here to do.
I’m not about the start a Colonel Blimp rant about lazy scroungers here (though I think there’s a modest degree of truth to that), my point is more that politically, we simply are not in any place where we can collectively say “on yer bike” to the predominantly younger potential workers in question.
When Norman Tebbit said this 40 years ago, it was in a time and place where the jobs were there if you went to look for them, the career progression was there too, and most importantly the cheap houses were there for the buying if a person was willing to make the necessary sacrifices.
There is no way in hell we can tell young people today to up sticks and start a fruit picking job on minimum wage with some implied promise that this decision will lead to home ownership and a stake in society one day. Of course it won’t. Yes, there are other benefits to doing this, such as developing the stamina required for a working life and having a CV with at least something on it, instead of an empty void just when maybe you’re applying for a semi-decent job and HR is looking at yout employment history.
But even so, the prospects for the unskilled low-experienced in Britain nowadays are poorer than they have been in living memory. This is a national failure, one in which the permanently rising prosperity we ought to feel we owe to successive generations has stopped and gone into reverse. This is a problem we should ALL recognise, even those among us who worked hard for everything they had and can honestly claim that nothing was ever handed them on a plate.
In 200 years, not one of these headlines will matter. Our great-grandchildren’s great-grandchildren will have their own lives and cares, and neither know or care what their great-grandparent’s great-grandparents pondered over as they lived their lives, so long ago …
In 200 years, not one of these headlines will matter. Our great-grandchildren’s great-grandchildren will have their own lives and cares, and neither know or care what their great-grandparent’s great-grandparents pondered over as they lived their lives, so long ago …