Once again Congress is revisiting immigration reform.
Whoopee.
Pardon us if we fail to get excited.
We have been here too many times to expect anything that will even hope to fix the problem.
Way back at the turn of the last century America had the greatest immigration/assimilation policy ever in the history of civilization.
From 1840 to 1920 this country took as many immigrants as its “native” population.
It did so with two simple rules: the immigrant had to be able to work and the immigrant promised not to go on the dole.
According to the census by 1910 more than one in three “Americans” were foreign born and this country went from a colonial back water to ruling the world without even trying.
It had never been done before and it has never been duplicated.
Just how successful was this non-immigration policy?
Well by 1941 those immigrants, their sons and grandsons not only were part of the largest American Army in history, they also were the second largest German army, the largest Italian Army, the second largest Japanese army. All of whom bravely and patriotically fought against Germany, Italy and Japan.
They did it because the American experience changed them in ways no one predicted.
Freedom is a powerful mind altering drug.
Then Congress in its great wisdom decided to fix it.
It has been down hill ever since.
Right now there are literally millions of highly educated Europeans who can’t get a visa because they don’t meet a quota.
Right now there are literally millions of illegal aliens who are stuck in a permanent under class of low paying jobs.
Instead of tinkering here and there Congress should throw out the rule book and open the doors again with two simple rules: be able and willing to work and promise not to go on the dole.
The rest will take care of itself because freedom is a powerful mind altering drug.