RADICAL xenophobes in the immigrationdebate want to build walls and prosecute alleged "sympathizers." Only this time, the potential repercussions are global. Conservatives in the House of Representatives have put forth preposterous suggestions such as building a 700 mile-long wall along the Mexican border to keep out immigrants in a heap of protectionist rhetoric. The more disturbing issue is that this is no isolated incident but an inimical trend sweeping across this nation as evidenced by the Dubai ports deal, the response to immigration and several other issues including China's bid to buy Unocal. These incidents could combine to produce a destructive "protective" wave that could destroy the foundations upon which the global economy and the American value system are based.
The collapse of the Dubai ports deal was caused by the potent combination of Democrat politics and a backfire from a terror scare which the administration has created. The ports issue was a much-needed national security platform which Democrats need since they have lost elections on these issues and have struggled to find common ground or a viable alternative to Bush's Iraq policy. The Dubai deal saw Democrats united for the first time on a major security issue, turning a commercial deal with America's prime strategic ally in the Middle East into a hyped up security issue to exploit public fear.
This is false logic. Maritime security is a global, not a national concern and thus the real solution lies in building integrated and secure supply chains for goods and services rather than shutting out other nations. This requires the cooperation of foreign governments -- such as the United Arab Emirates which (how ironic) has championed measures such as the Container Security Initiative which identifies shipment anomalies before they leave port. Besides, the real problem is not that two Sept. 11 terrorists were UAE nationals but that our national maritime security is a joke. Right now, customs agents only inspect six percent of nine million shipping containers that arrive on an annual basis, and Congress has only provided $175 million out of the $5.4 billion that the Coast Guard estimates is needed for reform. Perhaps change should start at home.
The current immigration debate is no less disheartening. According to Time Magazine, 60 percent of Americans oppose allowing illegal aliens to apply for even a temporary work status, due to the prevailing assumption of many that "Mexicans are stealing our jobs" (neglecting the positive economic impacts of increased competition on which this country was built). House Republicans chose to ride this majority and displayed a hard line stance to play to the party's traditional advantage on national security issues by coming up with a radical bill in December. The bill stank of mass hysteria dating back to the black days of McCarthyism -- advocating insane policies such as turning the 11 million illegal immigrants now in the countryinto felons.
This tough talk goes down well in the Republican primaries but does more harm than good to the issue at hand. Turning these people into criminals will clog up the justice system and is an immature proposition at this stage. Thankfully, the Senate Judiciary Committee provided a viable alternative in a guest worker initiative with more sane proposals like a fine for illicit time spent in the United States. But it's amnesty, cry the Republicans. No, its not -- even Mexican president Vincente Fox does not want amnesty for Mexican immigrants, only a guarantee that the migratory flow will not be profoundly disrupted. Expect this debate to drag on, folks, because neither party can afford to lose the 14 percent Latino vote in 2008.
However, it is important to note that the way to curb immigration flows is not to build physical barriers but, rather, to improve our border security force, if you want to call it that. The entire force is 11,000 agents strong (a fourth the size of the New York Police Department), charged to control the annual illicit flow of 500,000 migrants. Once again, perhaps we should look to our own backyard to exact change.
Thus, instead of undermining the values of free trade and democracy that have defined America due to partisan politics, we should look to improve border and port security within our country. If Sept. 11 has taught us anything, it is that we must anticipate future threats and respond accordingly. A nuclear device smuggled in via maritime waters is not far from a reality. Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman claimed in his latest bestseller that today's world is flat, due to the integrating forces of globalization. However, most miss Friedman's cautionary note that this process will only be strengthened if governments embrace integration and do not venture back into isolationism due to such things like terrorism and protectionism. This is unfortunately what is happening in the United States, the once-hailed champion of freedom.
Prashanth Parameswaran's column usually appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He canbe reached atpparameswaran@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | 4 days agoThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 5 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
