Lawrence Auster, over at the View From the Right (VFR), has added a subtle but important refinement to the immigration debate. The truth of the matter is that there is no debate for conservatives. We are just following the whims, feelings and rationales that the opposite side decides to present for the day (or week, or year).
Read the full entry here, at VFR.
The important point is: immigration should be debated on the position that it benefits the nation. It is irrelevant that Third Worlders come here to reap the benefits of the generous and advanced societies; that people try to maintain the emotional memories of past generations of immigrants who came and "made it"; that those from south of the border (i.e. Mexicans) provide cheap labor for California's farmers.
Whenever such arguments are put across to promote immigration, the first question should be:
How do they benefit the nation as a whole?
Of course, this benefit to the nation is an intricate problem in itself. It could mean many things ranging from how immigration is changing the demographics of the nation to how immigrants are taking away the jobs of the natives through cheaper wages, and so on.
The point is, an immigrant-centered argument dominates the debate, and Mr. Auster is saying that it "needs to be exposed and refuted, and not just refuted, but delegitimized." In fact, he even goes further and says, "[P]ersons who are conspicuously compelled by their immigrant background to take pro-open borders positions should be recused from participating in the immigration debate."And the focus should turn toward national benefits, away from the needs of the immigrants to the needs of the nation.
Like I said, it is a subtle point, but it changes the focus of the debate considerably, from immigrant-centered arguments to those which focus on the nation, its needs and requirements. It also allows conservatives to take the lead in the argument.
For more of Lawrence Auster's writing on immigration, of course visit VFR (and simply make use of the search engine), but also read his critical works:
- "The Path to National Suicide: An Essay on Immigration and Multiculturalism" - revised version, February 2007 (available in pdf and html format)
- Huddled Clichés: Exposing the Fraudulent Arguments That Have Opened America’s Borders to the World - original publication in 1997 (available in html)
