For example, let us think about illegal immigration. Our foreign trade policies, like NAFTA, cause excessive poverty places like Mexico (which is the opposite effect of what many proponents of NAFTA said it would do). This, in turn, causes many poor people in other countries to seek a better life by immigrating illegally to the USA. That, in turn, causes problems in our own country. Those problems divide us politically, which then hinders our progress on other more important issues.
This is where conservatives like to fight the problem by fighting the symptom. Some people (some conservatives) go to ridiculous and racist lengths to fight illegal immigration, blame all their other problems on illegal immigration, and call anything less than total expulsion of all illegal immigrants "amnesty". Other people (some conservatives, most moderates, and some liberals) say we should have a "guest worker" program. This is similar to failed programs already in use in countries like France. With all the riots that France suffered in recent years by their "guest workers," you would think we would shun this idea, but alas, the Bush Administration thinks it is a good idea. (As if they have ever had a good idea.)
Just like when you have a cold, you can fight the symptoms, but until your body kills the virus, you still have a cold.
This is why I suggest we fight the source of the symptoms: our bad trade policies. We should seek out fair trade policies, not free trade policies.
Fair trade policies work to improve health, work, and quality of life conditions in foreign countries. They work to prevent sweat shops, child labor, and other labor practices that amount to slavery. By improving the conditions, in other countries, you cut off the chain of events that lead to our problems with illegal immigration.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration, greedy corporations, many conservatives, and liars like Tom Friedman are against fair trade. They say it would hurt "our" economy when what they mean is it would hurt "their" economy. In reality, it may affect their bottom line, but they would still make a profit, and their CEOs are paid WAY too much for me to care. If they cut their CEOs pay, they could easily make up the difference. They prefer to exploit these countries for their own greed, and do not care at all how their policies negatively affect us down the line with the problems caused by illegal immigration.
If we worked toward fair trade, not free trade we could avoid so many problems while at the same time doing some good by improving the lives of so many around the world.
And we could also avoid problems like this:
Mother of slain Mexican immigrant seeks 'death penalty'
MEXICO CITY - The mother of a Mexican immigrant shot to death last week by a U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Arizona asked for justice on Monday and said she would like to see the agent receive the death penalty...
Francisco Javier Dominguez Rivera, 22, a native of the central state of Puebla, was shot and killed during a confrontation with the unidentified agent north of the U.S.-Mexico border between Bisbee and Douglas on Friday after the agent responded to a call about a group of seven people crossing the desert.
The agent took six of the seven people into custody without incident but then started fighting with Dominguez Rivera. The agent, who thought his life was in danger, shot and killed the man, the Border Patrol said previously.
You may put the plame on the immigrant or the agent depending on your point of view, but personally, I blame NAFTA.
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