Domestic Trade War and Lawlessness

This is just the beginning and we're no where near the end. This
is as much a Texas issue as it is a federal issue. While it very likely illegal for Arizona to literally turn off the electric power to Los Angeles, a brown out might serve as a signal of States' Rights and would be an interesting move. But the chances are that before this thing is over, there will be more economic sanctions lodged by one state versus another than the US government is willing to lodge against a terrorist nationstate like Iran.

Whether you like or not, whether you agree with it or not, the Arizona law (1) has not yet taken effect; (2) when it does take effect, it will be as legal as any other law in the US until it is struck down and overturned, potentially by the SCOTUS.

Los Angeles and Austin are not alone in protesting the Arizona SB1070. None other than Columbus Ohio of "Goodbye Columbus" fame (the movie with Richard Benjamin and David Benedict) has come out against the law.

Now I am willing to believe that when it all comes out, the Arizona law will be overturned by the SCOTUS, even if more than 50% of Americans disagree (depending on who you listen too, it could be as many as 60%).

But, I think that Charles Krauthamer has it right on this one. Whether you have read it in its amended form or not, or whether you believe that the Attorney General of the US or the Sec'y of Homeland Security should actually read SB1070 before stating opposition to it, it is absolutely maddening and creating a "level of livid" among the law enforcement and national security community that el Presidente Felipe Calderone could lecture the Joint Session of Congress on how unfair the Arizona law is, when his country cannot control the violence, cannot provide the basic needs of a huge portion of its population living at or near the poverty line. If it is argued that illegal immigration stems from US businesses being willing to pay for lower priced labor or that Mexican people cross our border illegally in search of opportunity, ask why their own government does not provide for that opportunity.

This can be argued and debated all weekend and into Memorial Day. The facts are that the system of immigraiton is broken, it takes time for someone to legally enter this country (some say too much while others say too little time). That does not justify amnesty. That does not justify looking the other way when you know that someone is in this country illegally. It does not mean that allowing the border to remain porous allowing every Tom, Dick and Abdul to cross is the right path. It also does not mean that issues that are related should be ignored by those who want to see the issue of ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION to be seen only as a racial one. There are related issues. Looking at the plight of the illegal Hispanic to the exclusion of the other issues of security is seeing things through a very tiny window.

I do not expect everyone or even anyone to agree with this rant. But this is the end of the rant..