January 29, 2007

Tamar Jacoby reiterates pro-busboy, pro-gardener stance

Tamar Jacoby debated Mark Krikorian of CIS at the National Review Institute's Conservative Summit over the weekend. Here's her thinking:

"I'll never forget the Border Patrol agent who said to me, 'If another 9/11 happens and it happens on my watch because I'm chasing your next busboy or my next gardener, I'll never forgive myself,'" Jacoby said.

"Let's give those busboys and gardeners a legitimate way to come and then the only people trying to swim across the river will be terrorists and swindlers and the border guards can go after them."

Jacoby called the current system "a nudge nudge, wink wink system of unrealistic law that we don't really enforce" and called on elected officials to "bring our laws a little bit more in line with reality."

Needless to say, Krikorian demolished what little argument she brought to the table.

And, as detailed at the second link, the quote from the BP agent sounded an awful like similar blather from Bush and the Wall Street Journal, although which came first isn't clear. David Brooks and John Fund have parroted Jacoby. See the third link for just a few of the ways her fantasy of a "guest" worker scheme ending illegal immigration would fail. And, the problem isn't with our current laws, the problem is with our current politicians who refuse to enforce our laws or exercise their oversight duty of making sure that our laws are enforced. Rather than re-making our laws to fit the desires of corrupt politicians, I suggest exposing those corrupt politicians and driving them from office.

What's most distressing here is that Jacoby can offer such incredibly weak arguments and still be somewhat taken seriously.

Posted to Immigration2007a at January 29, 2007 11:28 AM

Comments

Better recommendation for Jacoby. Let's bring reality a little bit more in line with our laws. Thats why we have them. Enforcement first. Deport all the criminals who have no respect for laws. Thousands, maybe millions, of unemployed busboys and gardeners already line our street corners and home depot parking lots, waiting for work that isn't there, isn't going to be there. BUILD THE WALL.

Posted by: Jeebie at January 29, 2007 02:48 PM

What's most distressing here is that Jacoby can offer such incredibly weak arguments and still be somewhat taken seriously.

You could say the same about very many public figures/"intellectuals" in America today, starting with Bush himself, which is one reason I said before the discussion about immigration "reform" seems to show the country is in terminal decline.

And, specifically about Jacoby, more important than the 'weakness' of her arguments is the consequences for America -- e.g. accelerated undesirable demographic change -- if policy is controlled by people like her.

"...then the only people trying to swim across the river will be terrorists and swindlers and the border guards can go after them."

But she does seem to be belligerently stupider than most.

Posted by: eh at January 29, 2007 09:59 PM

Tamar Jacoby has been such a fervent open-borders enthusiast for so long that I suspect her of receiving money payments from some Mexican racial group or illegal-alien employer organization.

Posted by: dchamil at January 30, 2007 05:35 AM

I watched that debate and it seemed to me that Jacoby was advocating the remergence of slavery. She should be ashamed of herself!!

Posted by: mary at January 30, 2007 06:40 PM