Mexico or New Orleans?
I'm bothered by two news items that I've seen in the past two days, and more bothered when I put them together than when I think about them separately.
The first is a post on a blog that was picked up by Maki Itoh on her site. I'm working with Maki, who is a web developer and designer, on the GenevaLunch site. But this is about a different world, New Orleans several months after Katrina the storm hit, and the lack of patching up there. The place is still a mess, judging by the photos.
I ran a GenevaLunch short report today on President Bush's decision to ship 6,000 National Guard members to the Mexico border to tighten the net on illegal immigration. Sure, the situation is a bit of a mess, but slamming the door in someone's face doesn't usually make them stop wanting to enter, so I doubt this will be effective .
On the other hand, ship those National Guard people to New Orleans and I bet they could clean it up pretty fast, with a little help from more motivated locals, if they saw the troops walk in, mops and hammers in hand.
Just a thought. You might want to reconsider, George.
posted by whistlestop caboose | 10:39 PM
3 Comments:
Brilliant!
Ellen, I've become so dissatisfied with the job our leaders (if you can call them that) in the U.S. are doing, I often wonder why anyone wants to stay here once they see the reality of it. Which brings me to this: I understand that the Swiss government's immigration policy is very restrictive, but is there somewhere else in Western Europe that has a more lenient policy, while still offering a good quality of life?
I think there is a huge gap between the reality of people moving from one country to another and the official information about it. While Switzerland sounds restrictive, more than 25% of the population is foreign, the highest rate in Europe. And elsewhere, the story is the same. I lived in France for 7 years without papers and had I wanted to stay, by then I knew how to go about it. There is rarely a straightforward way. On the other hand, the idea of moving and the reality are also two things that are often worlds apart! I have met soooo many people who arrived in a new country with enthusiasm and plans - and then found the adjustment was very difficult. I would not now consider emigrating anywhere without at least a couple years in the place on a trial basis, and that you can usually do anywhere, if you have an American passport.
I'm inclined to agree about the leaders, and I have a tough time using that word for them!
Post a Comment
<< Home