William F. Buckley writes:
"The immigration problem is the primary unmet challenge of modern times. It is so because the whole of our political establishment cringes at any suggestion that the United States is inhospitable to immigration." [December 15, 2004]
Does that mean he's going to hire Peter Brimelow back?
Peter Brimelow comments: Buckley's comment is of course hilarious, given that he himself cringingly purged National Review of immigration reformers in 1998—it returned to the subject, with obvious distaste, some months after 9/11. After careful study, I have concluded that his opinions are more or less randomly grouped around his ego needs. We hope to publish a festschrift in honor of the 80th birthday of this maker and breaker of modern conservativism next year.
Today's edition of the Arizona Republic ran a story by Chris Hawley, a reporter with their Republic Mexico City Bureau.
"For the first time,
Mexicans would be able to vote in the United States for
the president of Mexico under a bill nearing approval in
that country's House of Representatives.
If the measure becomes law, it will likely set off a
fierce battle for millions of potential voters in
Arizona and other states and will allow Mexican
presidential candidates to campaign in the United
States."
[Mexico
may set up voting booths in U.S. December 15, 2004]
You might be wondering how this came about. According to Hawley,
"The final bill emerged Tuesday, the last day of the legislative session, after a week of intense negotiation and lobbying by activist groups from the United States."
Yep, activist groups from America.
If passed, Mexican candidates would be able to campaign in the United States and Mexican nationals would be able to cast their ballot at a voting booth in their home town. The Mexican government would consider the ballots cast from America to be "absentee ballots."
Absentee? Is that the new term for "undocumented immigrant"…I mean, illegal alien?
According to one Guadalajara native/Arizona transplant, this is a good thing.
"'The main reason why we're all here is because of the Mexican government, the abuse,' said Del Campo, who lives in the northwest Valley. 'So we ran away. This is a good idea.'"
(Why can reporters always find illegal immigrants when immigration authorities can't?)
