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| Tancredo goes over the edge |
| 2006-11-23 |
| PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Bush believes America should be more of an idea than an actual place, a Republican congressman told WND in an exclusive interview. "People have to understand what we're talking about here. The president of the United States is an internationalist," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. "He is going to do what he can to create a place where the idea of America is just that – it's an idea. It's not an actual place defined by borders. I mean this is where this guy is really going." . . . "I know this is dramatic – or maybe somebody would say overly dramatic – but I'm telling you, that everything I see leads me to believe that this whole idea of the North American Union, it's not something that just is written about by right-wing fringe kooks. It is something in the head of the president of the United States, the president of Mexico, I think the prime minister of Canada buys into it. . . ." "And that's just for starters. Think of what'll happen when they flouridate the water! . . ." Other conservative commentators, including many who favor stricter immigration restrictions, think he's gone bat-looney. John Podhoretz at National Review: I speculate in my book, Can She Be Stopped?, that Tancredo will run as a third-party candidate in 2008. Sounds like he'd be perfect to top Lyndon LaRouche's ticket. If you are serious about the importance of immigration restriction, you'd best be looking for a leader who hasn't chosen to place himself beyond the political fringe. Allahpundit, posting at Michelle Malkin's "Hot Air" blog: I’d hoped never to have to serenade TT with our official conspiracy-theory theme song. But I fear the hour has arrived. "Captain Ed" Morissey: George Bush may not have responded very well to immigration concerns from his base, but he's done more than his father, Bill Clinton, and even Ronald Reagan in bolstering border security. Tancredo is engaging in mindless demagoguery with these doomsday descriptions, and moving closer to the realms of paranoia. Here's my $0.02: 1. Immigration is not a hot button for me the way it is for a lot of others here in the 'Burg. If this were one of my causes, I'd be damned upset at Tancredo for flying off into Lyndon LaRouche territory in a black helicopter, because he's one of the "leaders" of the restrictionist position, and this sort of nonsense discredits the whole movement by association. If there's a rational case to be made for stricter border control (and I think there is, mind you), one might reasonably ask why Tancredo has to resort to wild-ass conspiracy theories. 2. On a more basic level, Tancredo is making the same fundamental mistake as Pat Buchanan. The United States is not, and never has been, a blood and soil nation. It is founded on a set of shared ideas, not on ethnicity. I'm not ethnically Japanese, so even if I were to relocate to Osaka, become fluent in the language, drink tea, eat sushi, admire the cherry blossoms, and become a naturalized citizen of Japan, I'd still be a gaijin. On the other hand, any Japanese person who subscribes to the American idea can move here, become a naturalized citizen, and he and his kid will be just as "American" as the rest of us. Indeed, the world is full of "Americans born in the wrong place." George Bush understands this. Tom Tancredo appears not to. Michelle Malkin, Bobby Jindal, Michael Steele, Alberto Gonzalez, Rick Santorum, Garo Ypremian, Lance Cpl. Noe Mezarodriguez, the Hmong girl running the cash register at Rainbow's, the naturalized Mexican guy up on the roof with a nail gun--they're just as American as you, me, and Tom Tancredo. |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #19 Congrats Mike, your post and your comments lumping Tom Trancedo in with the likes of Lyndon LaRouche has discredited you as a serious person regarding immigration. Rest assured, I won't be looking forward to your "insights" pro / con either. Please enjoy the rest of Turkey Day and take the time to polish up one of your shirt buttons and call it a medal. |
| Posted by: RD 2006-11-23 23:56 |
| #18 Seal the southern border. Define Islam as a death cult and outlaw the practice of same. Deport anyone who continues to practice Islam. Deport anyone breaking the law, any law, who is not here legally. Make English the only language. Stop immigration into the US and rewrite the limits allowing Europeans with educations in first, Orientals second, North and South Americans third (there should be a long waiting list of illegals on that line). Then, we'll work on lowering taxes and education that teaches how to think, not how to pass. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-11-23 23:38 |
| #17 #15. JustAboutEnough. What you describe is happening everywhere, and it is accellerating. The people in charge (whomever that is) are doing their damn best to turn this country into a multicultural 3rd world sewer. And Bush is content to go right along with it. He's an Internationalist underneath that fake veneer of conservativism. Parts of the DFW area are turning into little Pakistan, and other parts are turning into little Mexico. Crime has shot up...you name it. |
| Posted by: Mick Dundee 2006-11-23 22:56 |
| #16 Mick D: OK. As for Tancredo, he might have overstated his case, but I can't write him off. Why? He is a total patriot who has proven that he can define the enemy. I should put my money where my mouth is and buy his book. |
| Posted by: Sneaze Shaiting3550 2006-11-23 21:52 |
| #15 I think the overwhelming majority of us are incensed to white-hot about the continuing failure of the US government to secure the borders. I will concede that GW has done a bit, but way short of enough! Further, his willingness to grant amnesty to illegals is guaranteed to bury the American Southwest, if not the country, in hispanic-democrat politicians like the Mayor of Los Angeles, Villaregosa, for decades, replete with the graft, corruption and collusion that continues to make Mexico a sump and is dragging the border areas of California and Az down. I challenge you to drive the 405 in LA and identify the number of English language stations on the AM dial. Less than half! Go down to Hill or Spring Street in LA after dark if you dare! Entire towns are being converted into new ethnic ghettos throughout California, like Monterey Park (Chinese)Hayward (Afghan). The largest Iranian city in the world after Teheran is Los ANgeles, 600,000. Assimilation isn't working people, and we just blather on about the American Ideal! But, more than anything, we have to stop the 90,000 + Muslim immigrants who enter legally year after year. It's insane to keep pretending they will develop into good American citizens who happen to be Muslim. Overwhelmingly, they just become prosperous Muslims who happen to live in America! |
| Posted by: JustAboutEnough 2006-11-23 21:02 |
| #14 As Hispanics approach majority status in California, secessionist movements favoring integration of the state with Mexico, cum Latin America, are flourishing. Gee, I wonder how Hispanics managed to reach majority status in California (Texas also)? Couldn't have anything to do with illegal immigration now could it? Nah, I didn't think so. Why pretend that all aliens embrace an American identity? Exactly SS3550! In Mexico, the schools have been teaching for decades that the El Norte Americanos stole Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California from Mexico, in spite of the historical facts. They're not interested in being Americans, they want what they believe is theirs. |
| Posted by: Mick Dundee 2006-11-23 19:19 |
| #13 As Hispanics approach majority status in California, secessionist movements favoring integration of the state with Mexico, cum Latin America, are flourishing. First the majority will support dual sovereignty, and when white and black flight begins, California will no longer be American. Ask the island people of Fiji what happens when natives become the minority. Ask non-Germans in the Sudenten region of Europe what happens when a strong German neighbor state, decide they have protective rights where Germans live as minorities in other states. If Tancredo believes a Latin American Anschlus is possible, then he has the historical evidence to support him. Why pretend that all aliens embrace an American identity? |
| Posted by: Sneaze Shaiting3550 2006-11-23 19:08 |
| #12 Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in Parliament he would recognize the country's francophone Quebec province as a "nation" within Canada. In an unprecedented move to woo Quebec separatists, he said he would present a motion later in the day asking the House of Commons to "recognize that Quebecers constitute a nation within a united Canada." I guess this sort of cuts the guts out of Steyns' argument now, doesn't it? |
| Posted by: Mick Dundee 2006-11-23 17:37 |
| #11 Tancredo is right on the money. There are several groups whose specific goal is to end national sovereignty. The first issue is the "port of entry" in Kansas City and the rail/road/whatever link from southwest Mexico to somewhere in Canada.All this is being done without involving Congress or the normal Federal bureaucracy. While it sounds like a typical conspiracy-theory pile of crap, there is ample evidence of its reality. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-11-23 17:31 |
#10 Mark Steyn comments:Chances of an EU-style sovereignty pooling arrangement in North America? Zero per cent – whatever Tom Tancredo and the CFR say. In Europe, the EU controls trade policy, sales tax rates, immigration and a ton of other stuff including the approved curvature of bananas. In North America, the Province of Quebec sets its own tax rates, controls its own immigration policy and regulates a ton of other stuff including the color of margarine (it is illegal to sell butter-toned butter substitutes in Quebec – hence, no I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. It would have to be a wan off-white color and you’d very easily believe it’s not butter). Seven million Quebecers are not going to submerge themselves within 300 million anglophones – and, as Quebec determines Canada’s disposition in almost everything, an EU-style North America is not going to happen. |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-11-23 17:07 |
| #9 Wop wop wop wop wop wop wop What's in it for Bush? Oil. Always oil. For undermining US, he and his crowd get access to ownership of the tremendous oil reserves in Carribean all the way down to the Columbian fields. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-11-23 16:53 |
| #8 “…they want not only to stop illegal immigration, but also legal immigration--and they come off as wanting to do so on grounds of race and ethnicity.” Not true Mike . In fact, it’s almost pathetic how Tancredo and others are always forced to add disclaimers every time they explain their position. Their concern is the detriments to American society resulting from mass migration over uncontrolled borders …period. And their definition of “enforcement” of existing laws does not call for a mobilization of troops for a mass deportation for those here illegally. But those that favor open borders and amnesty never miss an opportunity to portray Tancredo, and others like minded, as “anti-immigration bigots”. And for all those that are content to think that there isn’t a larger agenda behind this boondoggle called “Comprehensive Immigration Reform”, I suggest you continue to listen to Sen. Kennedy and his ilk wax nostalgic how their granpappies came over on a boat and how we’re all a “Nation of Immigrants”. Hell, it might even help if you occasionally roll your eyes and call Tancredo a conspiracy kook. Take a look around brother! |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2006-11-23 14:03 |
| #7 rriiiggghhtt. One currency? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-11-23 12:24 |
| #6 What Tancredo is talking about is this North American Union idea Bush is cooking up outside the legal jurisdiction of Congress. Its going to encompass all territory down to South American border. One currency. No restriction on movement of populations. Ownership ability for corporations and wealthy few throughout this sphere. American taxes supporting the third world economies of Mexico and Central America. All jobs worth anything will be transferred to Mexico at rates 1/3 to 1/5 paid in US. What's in it for you & yours? A reduced quality of life. What's in it for Wall Street? Tremendous profits. They go from a low level servant class in US to a very real slave class to accomplish their efforts while they live fat and happy in NYC. What's in it for Bush? Oil. Always oil. For undermining US, he and his crowd get access to ownership of the tremendous oil reserves in Carribean all the way down to the Columbian fields. Sound like an idiotic conspiracy theory ? Its happening right now and you are not aware. |
| Posted by: SpecOp35 2006-11-23 12:22 |
| #5 I want to do so over issues of education, ideology and net worth. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-11-23 11:26 |
| #4 Dave, Frank: your position and mine on this issue are actually pretty close. My problem with folks like Tancredo and Buchanan and Derbyshire is that they want not only to stop illegal immigration, but also legal immigration--and they come off as wanting to do so on grounds of race and ethnicity. |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-11-23 11:16 |
| #3 "Immigration is not a hot button for me the way it is for a lot of others here in the 'Burg." This has nothing to do with immigration. Immigration is not the issue: the issue is our government's continued failure-- or refusal-- to protect our borders and control who comes into this country. GET CONTROL OVER THE DAMN BORDERS. Do that, and I'm perfectly fine with letting in as many people as we want-- provided we know who they are, where they go, and they work to support themselves. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2006-11-23 09:42 |
| #2 Mike, your examples were all of legal immigrants. I would guess that, like me, the overwhelming majority of "immigration-concerned" RBers are not against legal immigration. I detest the lawbreaking by both the employers and the Mexican gov't in enticing the flood of illegal immigrants. Since I live in San Diego, I'm primarily focussed on Mexican and Central American illegals, but I also think we need to stop the influx of Islamic immigrants, legal as well as illegal, for a while. Muslim first seems to be a problem for them, and they need to want to be American first. Tancredo has just severed any influence he can have on the debate. Sad to say.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-11-23 09:25 |
| #1 It isn't just an idea, or a set of shared ideas, it is also the place where those ideas are nurtured. A place of "blood and soil" where like minded peoples of all ethnicities can pursue those ideas and ideals. Kill the place, and the ideas will wither and die. And this place is in the process of being killed. I think Tancredo hits the nail on the head in most of what he says. Bush is an "Internationalist", along with a large part of our Government, it's how they've been educated. |
| Posted by: Mick Dundee 2006-11-23 09:13 |