At 1+38 into the CNN/Heritage Foundation Presidential Candidate National Security Debate we got to something that I thought was interesting and doable and reasonable. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich said we need to secure the border and then convene local boards to review local resident illegal immigrants and those with family and ties to the local community and those who have made themselves Americans should be given a legal status. Not Citizenship. But, a legal status to remain here for the rest of their lives.
Governor Rick Perry agreed with him. Others did not.
The thing I would tie to this is that for immigrants to whom we grant citizenship, we should require that they renounce their former allegiance and we should make it an automatic renunciation of ones US Citizenship to take up citizenship in another country. But, that is just me.
Regarding Iran, I think we not act to take down their capabilities, but give them a strong signal of deterrence. If we attack Iran, and that is what it would take, we are making war on Iran and many would die. On the hand, with deterrence we have the chance of never going to war.
Regards — Cliff
In re immigration, there are doubtless a fair number of folks who have lived here for decades and done so constructively and beneficially. They have not just migrated, but integrated. I think that while we should determine some general guidelines, only their neighbors know for sure. Why would we, for instance, suddenly deport a physician who has practiced in a community for 20 or 25 years when we discover he or she is an "illegal?" And while I am far from an advocate for DREAM act kind of legislation, I am also not for mass roundups of a whole class of people in the name of what...."national security?" Mass anything is also totally bereft of any ability to discriminate.
ReplyDeleteIn re attacking Iran vs deterrence, I would ask only "What do you do when the deterrence doesn't deter?" In its essence, "deterrence" is a bluff. And if someone calls your bluff, you must either then resort to that which the deterrent was hoping to avoid, or you must redraw the line in the sand. However, if you simply redraw, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see through your game. We must do what we "threaten" or "promise" to do or we are merely an illusion...sort of The Great and Powerful Oz. I think that there are those in the world today that already think that about us.