Most all of what Simon has said I have said many times on this site. Unchecked immigration can't be absorbed by any country on an ongoing basis. The US has been more than patient, generous and benevolent. The latest US stats show that:
Nearly 70% of undocumented immigrants have been in this country longer than 10 years.
There are approximately 11 million undocumented in this country. A bit over 8 million undocumented are in the US workforce.
The vast majority of undocumented immigrants come from Mexico, Central and S America (which we knew). They come to the US for a better life.
The ongoing problems in C and S America are the primary reasons they come here: Crime, Gangs, Drug Lords and Drug Wars, Corruption and Incompetency are the rule rather than the exception in C and S America.
The immigration issue has been used by politicos from both sides, but primarily the Republicans, for decades to marshall the forces and to manipulate the rank and file. However, both parties are hypocrites, as they wink and look the other way, in some part due to compassion but in large part to assuage the farmers, construction companies, hotels and service industries and the factories that rely on lower wage undocumented to maintain a profit and a competitive advantage.
And yet the US unemployment rate is about 4.6%. Simon is right, however, in that the lower wages paid to the undocumented drive all wages of the middle class and lower middle class lower, which is one of the primary drivers of the shrinking, struggling middle class.
But if any redneck or Trump supporter wants to get angry at someone, it is not the immigrants, who work harder and behave better on average that all Americans. They should address their anger at the politicians and businessmen who say one thing about immigration and do another.
To that end, god bless Donald Trump. At least he is putting his $ where his bigly mouth it. I support 100% his actions to limit immigration, control immigration, get rid of the problem children, and change the paradigm.
But inciting hatred against a group of people, the majority of whom are humble, hard working, well behaved, long term residents is abhorrent. It is vile and evil.
And when the first innocent, hard working immigrant is beaten or murdered by a drunk redneck Trump supporter after he begins posting crime stats, remember this post.
It isn't a matter of if.
