Mrs. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, beneficiary of immigrant social conservatism. Note leopard-skin hijab.

Beyond the Fence
By DAVID BROOKS

... First, immigration opponents are effectively trying to restrict the flow of conservatives into this country. In survey after survey, immigrants are found to have more traditional ideas about family structure and community than comparable Americans. ... Immigrants go into poor neighborhoods and infuse them with traditional values.

When immigrant areas go bad, it’s not because they have infected America with bad values. It’s because America has infected them with bad values already present. So the first thing conservative opponents of reform are trying to restrict is social conservatism.

I really despise this kind of divide-and-conquer shuck-and-jive. Besides being just stupid and dishonest empirically (Gen. Douglas MacArthur was an American conservative, a Chechen boxer or a Mixtec day laborer is just kind of backward), one of the basic patterns of history is that, no matter how much your fellow countrymen get on your nerves, you are a better off being stuck arguing with them endlessly than in inviting in people from beyond the seas to help you win your petty domestic disputes.

For example, in 1167, one Irish lord was losing a struggle with another Irish lord. But then he had a great idea: he'd invite over some Norman knights from England to help him put that other Irishman in his place.

The Normans were Vikings who had conquered a chunk of France, learned French, then conquered England. What could possibly go wrong if he brought some to Ireland? What?  Were the English Normans going to conquer Ireland and own it for most of a millennium? Hah! Likely story ...

No, the truly important priority was to show High King Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair that he couldn't push King Diarmait Mac Murchada of Leinster around. These cool new English underlings of King Diarmait's would show High King Ruaidri who's boss!