I offer the following purely as a thought experiment. I suppose it’s more of a leftward proposal, and, thus may be deemed unsuitable for this blog. I’m hoping that it may be viewed simply as a theoretical proposal to initiate thoughtful discussion of pros and cons.
I think that it would be advantageous to form some sort of global confederation of the primary English-speaking nations:
UK, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ. We all have a similar heritage and basically compatible cultures. Sure, we are the most conservative of the bunch, but not so much more so that we are an odd man out. We’ve certainly got more in common with Canadians, Brits, Kiwis, and Aussies than Germans have with the French, Italians, and Spaniards.
Together, we’d have the economic clout to stay ahead of China as well as enjoy a large advantage in natural resources, arable farmland, marine resources, etc.
I wish that there were some bold political leaders who have the capacity to think ahead to what is happening to the world.
Consolidation. It’s been happening in corporate America for the past 20 years. I think that we’d benefit on a forward-looking geopolitical level by doing the same.
Hi Mata, regarding Bush:
I said that Bush wanted to “legalize” illegal aliens. I don’t think I said anything about amnesty or a path to citizenship, although Bush was criticized for promoting what hard core conservatives said would, in fact, result in a path to citizenship. Here’s what Bush says, in his book:
Now, if he’s not going to deport them, he is obviously seeking to change their status from “illegals” to “legals.” Note that the operative word in the above quote is “automatic.”
With regard to the Keystone Pipeline, I’m sure they’ll be a dedicated thread on that; so I’ll reserve comments for that.
To Gaffa, The issue is not whether individual politicians have ever existed within the UK who were conservative by US standards (Thatcher surely qualifies). The issue is my statement that the US is currently a more conservative country that the other anglo democracies. I am deliriously happy to have a F/A conservative (Mata, no less) actually taking my side of an argument. Yes, we are more conservative than are you, even though we have a Democratic President and you have a Conservative P.M.
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach CA
Oiiievay, Larry. Some leaps of assumption that don’t deal with historic realities. What the heck do you think “amnesty” is but post entry legalization? And there are more options that legal vs illegal in policy.
Bush did not want to “automatically legalize” anyone. He was proposing a guest worker program with *temporary* legal status… requiring performance just to even get a path to citizenship…. something I’m not necessarily in disagreement with, BTW. I’ll expect my thumbs down on that one any moment now… LOL. There is no fiscal, or practical, sanity to rounding up and deporting millions of illegal residents already here.
A possible path to citizenship with caveats and performance guidelines is not something I am against. I’m not that purist in immigration, tho I am adamant about drawing the line at new illegal entry. Stop the flow of illegals, then deal with those that have been present in this country for some time.
But the fact remains that in the wake of the Newt/student janitor ta doooo, apparently there are some jobs that American workers – mostly black minority if you listen to Juan Williams – find beneath them. And I do know that many a farmer depends upon harvest help that fits within the budget. So please don’t go misrepresenting historical proposals in immigration policy with blanket and inaccurate terms.
Keystone… yes, been collecting info about that tho I many not get to it in a timely fashion. At the moment, digging out of wet/heavy feet of snow.. plus still trying to get my room remodel done – all while trying to stay atop of business and dodge the intermittent power outages. Ain’t life exciting? No one really appreciates the little things in life – like plumbing and electricity – until you are doing without.
Hi Mata. All amnesty is legalization, but not all legalization is amnesty. Alas, one of our frequent arguments which ends up being an intractable dispute about semantics. Do you agree that Bush’s views on immigration were not shared by most conservatives, who did, indeed, believe that the end result would be legalization, as it was not credible that 12,000,000 people would voluntarily go back to Mexico and then wait in line for re-admission? Everyone saw that the idea was a fig leaf for ultimately maintaining the status quo for the people already here.
My own solution to the problem of halting illegal immigration is not to build a wall or to deploy an army of border agents, but simply to fine all employers $1,000 per day per “illegal.” This fine would be levied on farmers, meat packing plants, restaurants, contractors, suburban homeowners, and working mothers. It would be an easy law to enforce and enforcement would pay for itself. After about one year of this, I predict that everyone would have a greatly improved understanding of the illegal immigration problem.
I understand that the temperatures in the Pacific Northwest are going to be warming up, resulting in the genocide of a lot of snow men.
I stand corrected on the timing of the RU 486 FDA approval.
– Larry W/HB
Hi Mata (#49)…getting back to HSR:
Arthur Laffer (yes, THE Arthur Laffer) called Jerry Brown the best governor that California ever had, based on his fiscal policies, during his earlier governorship.
I love Jerry Brown. And so do most Californians.
Here’s what he just said about the proposed California bullet train:
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_19769185
If you ever visit the California Capitol building in Sacramento, don’t miss the hallway with the portraits of the governors. They are all pretty conventional, e.g.
Reagan: http://governors.library.ca.gov/images/large/rreagan.jpg
Arnold Schwartzengegger: http://governors.library.ca.gov/images/large/aschwarzenegger.jpg
etc. etc. etc. all Governors looking distinguished and handsome.
Well, here’s the portrait which Jerry Brown chose to hang among the assembled distinguished Governors of California:
http://www.midtownmonthly.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/jerry-brown-portrait.jpg
The man is a true original.
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach CA
@Mata – US/Canadian neoconservative
So despite a Republican followed by a Democrat President spending billions on bailouts you reckon the right is trending more right for conservatism than the UK? Although deep in debt like the US and helping to prop up Ireland and sending money to the IMF – Cameron after the mess left by his incompetent predecessor has embarked on a tough austerity package which will put the UK shortly back into recession. But unlike the US and many other European countries – the UK (for now – despite the best efforts of our dear friends, the French) still retains a AAA credit status due to these tough fiscally conservative measures. What’s Obama’s fiscally conservative plan to get the US out of debt?
btw – I admire and agree with fiscal conservatives values and rhetoric (unlike social conservatives who’s values are big government) except in reality unfortunately they don’t, for the most part, actually implement what they say. Those who support fiscally conservatism and laissez faire neo liberal capitalism are, as I understand it, supposed to belief in balanced budgets and keeping debt down. Instead under conservatives like Reagan, Thatcher and Bush etc – they got the US and UK further into debt and using cheap credit. Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
@Larry
And whilst US Republicans may talk conservative values – as I have shown Bush, his daddy, Reagan, Ford, Nixon, Eisenhower etc have all implemented liberal progressive policies which according to you would be are “beyond Barack Obama’s wildest socialist/Marxist dreams”. Again it’s all relative. The US implemented a minimum wage over 50 years before the UK. And whilst the UK does have parental leave – so does the rest of the world except 4 countries (the US, Switzerland, Papua New Guinea and Swaziland. Does that mean the US is more conservative than Saudi Arabia? lol