Blank-American

[9000white]

reputable contractors have workmans comp.insurance.but people being what they are look for the cheapest contractor around and dont worry about it.until one of the unskilled workers is injured on their property and they get sued intending to let their homeowners insurance pay for it.then finding out that in their homeowners policy in very small letters is a clause stating that the insurance company will not pay for anyone other than a family member who is injured while working on property.

[zarakand]

I'm curious as to what you guys think as far as a possible solution to illegal immigration. The border is way too large to stop everyone from coming in, nor am I sure we should stop people who want to better their standard of living. Then again I can completely see Bob's and John's point where they feel illegal immigration hurts the middle class.

It doesn't seem to me that nationalism is on the upswing anywhere, is the nation-state on it's way out? Will we see more continental consolidation like the EU?

[oldnslo]

This topic is heatedly debated on a lot of fronts. Our world is changing, and our old ideas about immigration, legal and illegal , should be changing with it. They seem to be, but I don't neccessarily agree with all that is being done. Amnesty for illegals, and a whole new set of rights, privileges, and opportunities for them, will change our country forever in the future. I read an article that said by about 2050, we will have a population of approximately 500 million, up from the current 300 million. I suppose we'll find room for them somewhere, and perhaps employment for them somewhere...who knows? Anybody got openings for 200 million additional people in a non-manufacturing, information society? It wouldn't surprise me to see affirmative action applied to illegal aliens for the purpose of leveling the playing field for employment. Federally subsidized college education would fall under this umbrella, too. Of course, naturalized citizens will continue to pay for their children's education, plus a tax increase to cover the amnestied aliens.
I don't know the answer, but the problem keeps changing shape, and it seems like we have entirely too many tired and poor, and hungry to be free, already here.

[rdeviney]

zarakand wrote:

illegal immigration hurts the middle class.

Actually it's the tax laws that hurt the middle class. Since the 16th amendment was enacted, the taxes paid by corporations has dropped from 60% in the 1930's to 6% of federal receipts last year. And the government continues to give billions in contracts to companies that shelter their profits by setting up headquarters in off-shore tax havens and out-source jobs to other countries.

[9000white]

ahhh yes....but if you take all the bribes and kickbacks away from the politicians that make laws so that big business doesnt have to pay taxes then they have to find another way to steal--can you imagine trying to find a money trough in washington that isnt already picked clean by that bunch of thieving trash???