Daily Archive

Reuters writer Adriana Garcia:

…While most of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States are Hispanic, Bush could not convince his party to vote for a broader immigration reform that would both protect the border and offer immigrants a path to citizenship…

The obviously unbiased (it’s Reuters, remember) Ms Garcia may not realize this, but there is already in place a well-trodden ”path to citizenship” that is “offered” to immigrants. In fact, it has been successfully navigated by tens of millions of people in just the last few decades. It’s called entering the U.S. with a valid “Green card” and upon residing in the U.S. for five years (three, if a spouse of a U.S. citizen) one may actually apply for (and quite likely receive) U.S. citizenship.  

On the other hand, when it comes to people who deliberately avoid consular pettiness and simply decide to up and move to the U.S., Ms Garcia tells us that the evil Republicans unreasonably don’t seem to want to give such people a “path to citizenship.” How utterly awful of them. You have to wonder what gets into some people, really?

_____________________________

UPDATE:  A question to my U.S. resident readers.  The media, especially here, is asserting that the Iraq conflict is the overriding issue in the U.S. elections.  But my mother in NY told me yesterday (and who doesn’t trust their mother?) that illegal immigration is really a far bigger issue for most people on “the American street”. Anyone care to comment as to who’s right, the media or my mother?

The BBC reports:

…Anas Altikriti, the British Muslim Initiative spokesman, said the “sad reality” was that the verdict could mean the Iraqi people would “never have their day in court”.

“If he was indeed executed before the Iraqi people could find out what really happened over the last 30 or 40 years that would be another great tragedy,” he said…

Now he’s the “British Muslim Initiative” spokesman?  Not to digress, but Mr Altikriti appears to be a man of many jobs.  In any event, it is perhaps worth bearing in mind that stretching the necks of another bunch who really deserved it never kept us from finding out “what really happened” during their horror-filled rule.

_____________________________

UPDATE: November 7, The WSJ:

…The verdict reminds the world of his crimes, specifically the 1982 murder of 148 Shiites in Dujail, which in its systematic revenge recalls Hitler’s slaughter at the Czech town of Lidice during World War II. That the U.S. and its allies were willing and able to depose, and his countrymen then try and punish, a national leader who ordered those crimes is a warning to other tyrants. The U.N. routinely deplores the Saddams of the world but never has the will to act against them–whether in Rwanda, Darfur, Kosovo, Bosnia, Cambodia, or Kurdistan. In Iraq, the U.S. finally acted.

Justice for Saddam is one admirable legacy of the American sacrifice in Iraq. But to make it permanent, the U.S. must also defeat the insurgency that battles on in Saddam’s name. No matter what happens in Tuesday’s election, the U.S. commander in chief who ended Saddam’s tyranny has to find a strategy and generals who will finish the job.