Let's take a deep breath and think for a minute
Julie Weise, Shtibl member and smart person, has written an important piece about the anti–14th amendment agitation–looking at countries (Germany, Israel, Japan) who don’t grant citizenship on the basis of being born in their territory. Her bottom line:
We can already see the future of our nation if it renounces birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants, and it isn’t pretty. Dragging economies, new forms of fraud, a disenfranchised underclass, children deported to places they have never even visited — countries that do not have birthright citizenship have experienced these problems and more, and have been forced to reconsider their practices. Germany, Israel and Japan are just three of those countries, and their experiences have much to teach us.
Read the whole piece here at the L.A. Times, then come back and opine.
Personally I like the Swiss system where generations of people born in Switzerland don’t have Swiss citizenship, while generations of people born to Swiss citizens outside of Switzerland all have Swiss citizenship.
This has created the world’s most internally and externally peaceful country.
I, too, used to think that correlation implied causation.
Maybe this peace was caused not by the citizenship policy, but by the chocolate. Or maybe the citizenship policy was caused by the chocolate.
Why would anyone choose to be part of an underclass? Not sure. But plenty of folks make that choice.
Personally, I’m in favor of very strict border controls that limited the ability of people in developing countries to illegally migrate for economic reasons to the wealthy west.
If you look at history and it’s pretty clear that this kind of migration retards political development in the home country. If you want progress in Mexico, Egypt, or any other outmigration country, the first step is to take away that safety valve serving the elites. The second step is to stop the brain drain by taking away HB-2 visas and the like. The third step is to get the government out of the foreign aid business, as it serves imperial power so darn well.
As for Israel, let’s just say I think the British would have done well to allow the Palestinians control over their borders beginning in say, 1922. Funny how colonial rule was an essential ingredient in allowing Jewish migration to Palestine…. Strict control would also have prevented thousands of Egyptians and Syrians from migrating to Palestine as well.
Economic needs will always play a role in the migrations of people. It is immoral to construct, or legally fortify, a class system predicated on this phenomenon. Obligatory Haggadah reference.
Or we could just have world citizenship, with anyone born anywhere being automatically a citizen of everywhere.
The Swiss chocolate industry really got going only in the 19th century (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_chocolate).
No, it is important for domestic tranquility to keep guest workers (except any pre-Israel Jews since they had no where to go) in a state of perpetual fear of expulsion to their native lands.
Its worked for Switzerland for centuries.
Think of the CHILDREN!
Oh Please, parents bring their children to the country they are migrating to all the time. But suddenly, when it is done under government duress it’s inhuman. Yeah right.
Here is an interesting test to give to the pro birthright fanatics. Tell them you’ll support birthright citizenship as long as the government puts up a wall along the mexican border and rigorously goes after illegal immigrants.
In fact, lets do the test right now. What does Julie Weise think of illegal immigration in general? My guess? Fanatical devotion.
It’s never about one thing.