Well said Alexis. I’m reminded of my experience with cutting in line during my first overseas tour in Mexico. You’ve now put my recollection in proper context.
Yes. May have over interpreted it a bit, but what the heck. As Ortega y Gassett said, to think is to exaggerate. Thanks for reading and commenting. Interesting times.
Hey Lyn. Great to hear from you, and thanks for paying me the compliment of your occasional attention. I appreciate it. That’s a big question you ask, and I don’t have a perfect answer. I totally get we have to control our border, so first things first. Obviously. But I also understand what it’s like on the other side and why all those people keep on coming. Take Venezuela, a failed state run by criminals. Over 20% of its population has been forced to flee over the past ten years, many of them to our country (not all or even most, Colombia received 2 million, and is reeling as a result). Or take Haiti, a country in free-fall without a government and where violent criminal gangs roam. Or take Guatemala, where my wife is from. It won’t take you long to see that, given the lives many people have there, it makes too much sense for people not to come here if they can. There are two ways to try to deal with it. First, try to make peoples’ lives better where they live. Believe me, we’ve tried. Spent lots of dough trying to build the kinds of political and economic institutions that we’ve taken for granted here. It hasn’t really worked, at least not to a degree that could put a dent in immigration. Second, try to make their lives as miserable as possible here. I understand that was the approach in the first Trump term, and a redoubled effort along the same lines will probably take place in 2.0. We’ll see. There are at least two immediate problems I see with this approach. The first is it will clash with our values and ideals, particularly if we build detention camps and separate family members. Will we be able to muscle our way through such trifling concerns? You tell me. Second, things would really have to get pretty bad here for the incentives to balance out, and for people in so-called shit-hole countries to believe that it’s worse for them here than there. We’re talking seriously bad. As in really bad, we’d have to fall really really far. (Maybe one day, one can only hope.) And of course, these answers don’t even deal with the question of whether immigration really is our main problem. (The lack of control definitely is, but besides that.) Depends on for whom. Certainly not for the upper middle class folks like me and you, and that’s not even to mention the legitimate concerns of people who work in fields like construction or farming. (Ask my brother about who really wants to work, and who can, and who does.) My own view is that, if the next administration tries to go frontal at this problem, it’ll get ugly fast, and very few peoples’ lives will get better, including in forgotten places like Louisiana or Kentucky, or for that matter the Central Valley of California. I also know that for things to work efficiently, you need effective tools, institutions, and systems. Maybe Elon Musk will turn us all into his little happy serfs and slaves to fuel his travel to Mars. I guess we’ll see soon enough. Thanks again for reading.
Alexis, you are hitting your stride! I now believe that you are an even better thinker/writer than you are (were?) a basketball player! I have seen you streaking down the full court from my winded position in the back court... and now, predictably, you are actually contributing something useful, while most of us sit on the sidelines carping.
I see you charging toward the key with the cleverness, and courage of a Steve Nash. And as you have pointed out to us, the big monsters you must pass through, the forwards and center of the defense-- whose "defense" (maga) is in fact a ruthless, offensive power-grab. To play out this b-ball metaphor, we can only hope that you, and your team will grow in strength and number, till you can stage a full-court press, and take the win in '28.
I will mostly remain inactive, hiding in the mountains, but I will now kick in something to help fund your efforts. Buenos Suerte.
My problem, or one of many probably, is I was always a mediocre basketball player. You were much better than I ever was. As for writing, I find if you rewrite enough times, a hint of meaning can begin to peak through. Though it’s even more tiring than hoops, which, sadly, I don’t dare play anymore. You?
Well said Alexis. I’m reminded of my experience with cutting in line during my first overseas tour in Mexico. You’ve now put my recollection in proper context.
Yes. May have over interpreted it a bit, but what the heck. As Ortega y Gassett said, to think is to exaggerate. Thanks for reading and commenting. Interesting times.
Alec Alec Alec - my biology desk mate & my Ludwig bro 💜
Tell me your thoughts on current immigration dilemma.
To this Americano, it's OUT OF CONTROL
Solution would be what & how feasible?
Hey Lyn. Great to hear from you, and thanks for paying me the compliment of your occasional attention. I appreciate it. That’s a big question you ask, and I don’t have a perfect answer. I totally get we have to control our border, so first things first. Obviously. But I also understand what it’s like on the other side and why all those people keep on coming. Take Venezuela, a failed state run by criminals. Over 20% of its population has been forced to flee over the past ten years, many of them to our country (not all or even most, Colombia received 2 million, and is reeling as a result). Or take Haiti, a country in free-fall without a government and where violent criminal gangs roam. Or take Guatemala, where my wife is from. It won’t take you long to see that, given the lives many people have there, it makes too much sense for people not to come here if they can. There are two ways to try to deal with it. First, try to make peoples’ lives better where they live. Believe me, we’ve tried. Spent lots of dough trying to build the kinds of political and economic institutions that we’ve taken for granted here. It hasn’t really worked, at least not to a degree that could put a dent in immigration. Second, try to make their lives as miserable as possible here. I understand that was the approach in the first Trump term, and a redoubled effort along the same lines will probably take place in 2.0. We’ll see. There are at least two immediate problems I see with this approach. The first is it will clash with our values and ideals, particularly if we build detention camps and separate family members. Will we be able to muscle our way through such trifling concerns? You tell me. Second, things would really have to get pretty bad here for the incentives to balance out, and for people in so-called shit-hole countries to believe that it’s worse for them here than there. We’re talking seriously bad. As in really bad, we’d have to fall really really far. (Maybe one day, one can only hope.) And of course, these answers don’t even deal with the question of whether immigration really is our main problem. (The lack of control definitely is, but besides that.) Depends on for whom. Certainly not for the upper middle class folks like me and you, and that’s not even to mention the legitimate concerns of people who work in fields like construction or farming. (Ask my brother about who really wants to work, and who can, and who does.) My own view is that, if the next administration tries to go frontal at this problem, it’ll get ugly fast, and very few peoples’ lives will get better, including in forgotten places like Louisiana or Kentucky, or for that matter the Central Valley of California. I also know that for things to work efficiently, you need effective tools, institutions, and systems. Maybe Elon Musk will turn us all into his little happy serfs and slaves to fuel his travel to Mars. I guess we’ll see soon enough. Thanks again for reading.
Alexis, you are hitting your stride! I now believe that you are an even better thinker/writer than you are (were?) a basketball player! I have seen you streaking down the full court from my winded position in the back court... and now, predictably, you are actually contributing something useful, while most of us sit on the sidelines carping.
I see you charging toward the key with the cleverness, and courage of a Steve Nash. And as you have pointed out to us, the big monsters you must pass through, the forwards and center of the defense-- whose "defense" (maga) is in fact a ruthless, offensive power-grab. To play out this b-ball metaphor, we can only hope that you, and your team will grow in strength and number, till you can stage a full-court press, and take the win in '28.
I will mostly remain inactive, hiding in the mountains, but I will now kick in something to help fund your efforts. Buenos Suerte.
My problem, or one of many probably, is I was always a mediocre basketball player. You were much better than I ever was. As for writing, I find if you rewrite enough times, a hint of meaning can begin to peak through. Though it’s even more tiring than hoops, which, sadly, I don’t dare play anymore. You?