2 pages generals

Isolationism (anti-globalism), Nativism, Diversity, Immigration

(KEY POINTS/CONCEPTS)

ISOLATIONALISM

The concept or attitude of isolationism is a strong paradox in a country that prides itself on being “the leader of the free world”.

In this 21st century in America isolationism is not an official public policy. However, many people perceive and experience an attitude of “anti-globalism” in the hearts of Americans. This attitude is legitimately construed to mean the same as “isolationism.” Richard Nixon, a former U.S. president remarked in an interview in 1985 that although the country’s policy is not one of isolationism, the American people’s attitude is still isolationist.

The attitude that “what happens over there should not concern us over here” is still prevalent in the hearts of many Americans who firmly believe that America’s perspective on the world is so different from that of Europe, Asia and other societies that we should not be so involved in their affairs. This is especially prevalent in the hearts of those who believe that it is totally inappropriate for America to be involved in wars in other parts of the world. Many believe that America can advance the cause of freedom and democracy by means other than war.

American isolationism never meant disengagement from the world stage. This would have certainly been inconsistent with policies, which were used to justify advancing America’s territorial, ideological and economic interests in other parts of the world. Indeed, America expanded its involvement and interests in a global economic/industrial presence in Asia as well as South America. It did so by avoiding entangling alliances with other countries. Although America entered World War One with the view that we needed to be involved to “make the world safe for democracy” we refused to join the League of Nations and ratify the Treaty of Versailles.

The spirit of George Washington’s Farewell Address lingered long in the hearts of many Americans. “The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.”

This perspective lingered long in the hearts of Americans and was reflected in America’s political isolation from the rest of the world although it became intimately and inextricably involved in commercial entanglements. Although America claimed that it did not violate its creed by colonizing or controlling the governments of other countries it was a dominant player in their economic affairs. This led some observers to ask the question: “Who owns a country- he who owns the government or he who owns the economy”.

Although economic involvement was heavy for the purpose of promoting U.S. industrial interests abroad political isolation persisted into the 20th century. During the 1920s America isolated itself as it protected and shielded American manufacturers by imposing tariffs on foreign goods. It also restricted immigration into the country by imposing quotas. By 1929 only 150,000 immigrants per year were allowed.

During the 1920s and 1930s many Americans remained opposed to enmeshment in Europe’s alliances and wars.

On an early Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, America was forced to join the world as the empire of Japan attacked in Pearl Harbor. “ A day that will live in infamy” so declared President Roosevelt, also

World War II, American leadership in creating the United Nations and the “cold war” rivalry that followed and preoccupied the countries policies traditional American isolationism.

BUT BEWARE. THE ISOLATIONIST ATTITUDE OR POINT OF VIEW HAS NOT COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED FROM AMERICAN DISCOURSE. ALTHOUGH THE WORLD HAS BECOME FLAT AND CHANGED WITH THE TRIUMPH OF URBAN INDUSTRY AND FINANCE, EXPANDED EDUCATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS, ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP BY INTERNATIONALISTS A SPIRIT OF ANTI-GLOBALISM STILL PREVAILS IN THE HEARTS AND SOULS OF MANY AMERICANS. ALTHOUGH THE WORLD HAS BECOME A MUCH SMALLER NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE OUR NEIGHBOR IS ALSO A PERSON LIVING MORE THAN FOUR THOUSAND MILES AWAY IN EUROPE, ASIA OR ELSEWHERE WE HAVE NOT YET FIGURED OUT THE FORMULA FOR BEING ‘GOOD NEIGHBORS’. THIS REMAINS A CHALLENGE FOR AMERICANS IN THE 21st CENTURY.

NATIVISM.

Nativism is a twin of isolationism. It is a form of intense nationalism, which is predicated upon a point of view that America is so special it must not be corrupted by the values of external groups whose ways of life are different from home grown Americans. It is a combination of the fear and hatred of “aliens”.

The sources of “nativism” are many. The following represent the most prevalent.

1. ETHNIC ORIGINS. The earlier settlers were European Anglo Saxons who must be credited with the values, which underlie the American Creed. Many held the perception that their ethnic origins were superior to other groups. Therefore, they should be the dominant players in shaping the future of America.

2. PHILOSOPHICAL ORIGINS. There existed and still prevails a fear that people from “authoritarian cultures” are likely to betray the spirit of democracy and a people centered government and society.

3. RELIGION. In America’s earlier history Catholics were the targets of attack. There was the fear the Catholics would be apostles of the Pope and America would become a puppet of Rome. Of course this was a fear without a foundation. In the current time that fear has been replaced with Islam phobia. Again, this fear is fueled by ignorance. Most people who are so possessed don’t have a clue about the religion of Islam.

4. RACISM. This source of nativism stems from America’s creation of a system of racism. America was the first country in the history of the world to legislatively create and judicially endorse a “race based slave system”. This system was created for two purposes. The first was to philosophically justify a system that was fundamentally at odds with the American Creed. The second purpose was to make the race based system of slavery work. The emphasis of this “system” was faked belief in the ‘biological superiority’ of white/Anglo Saxon Europeans. The ‘system’ in creating a culture of hate and exclusion actually enslaved all Americans.

5. POWER. People who hold power will resist its loss. In a republic or representative democracy, such as America, power has a direct relationship to population diversity and demographics. As the Anglo - Saxon population begins to lose its majority status in America, the fear of the loss of power dominates the nativist agenda and fuels the fears associated with it. Thus there is an elevated resistance to “foreigners’” immigrating to America.

6. NATIONAL SECURITY. The most blatant example of this form of nativism is reflected in times of war. World War One and World War Two are great examples. Even citizens of the ethnic origin associated with combatant countries were officially and unofficially targeted and penalized. Today, with the high interest on fighting terrorism and belief that ‘religious terrorism’ is America’s major enemy nationalism is on the rise. Cultural mythology fuels this storm and targets individuals as well as groups who are perceived to be national security threats only because they are members of a group.

7. ECONOMIC COMPETITION. Throughout America’s history there has been the fear that immigrants who are obliged and willing to work for low wages will negatively affect the economic welfare of other citizens. This was the foundation argument of the Chinese Exclusion Act of the 1880’s and the Japanese Exclusion Act at the beginning of the twentieth century.

8. DIVERSITY/THE OTHER. Diversity has become America’s greatest asset as it becomes a global village. In spite of that fact many people see it as a curse to be feared. ”E Pluribus Unum,” out of many comes one, is America’s motto. Many people see “diversity color blindness” to be the answer. Is it? We need to find a way to promote “appreciation of the other”. When we do so, America will have matured.

Although Nativism is an attitude buried in the souls of many Americans, parading under the balance of presumed legitimate patriotism, it is not a policy officially embraced in the laws and policies of America. Nevertheless, extreme nationalism is narcissistic and dangerous in a world that is globally flat. When it is manifested in a hatred of outsiders/foreigners and when immigrants and prospective citizens are scapegoated we violate the spirit that gives America its exceptional character.

DIVERSITY

Today, America is a global village. That is a fact that cannot be reversed.

President Franklyn D. Roosevelt reminded Americans, in 1943, that diversity in America is more than ethnic. “The principle on which the country was founded and by which it has always been governed is that Americanism is a matter of mind and heart. Americanism is not, and never was, a matter of race and ancestry. A good American is one who is loyal to this country and to our creed and democracy.”

E PLURIBUS UNUM

(America’s Motto)

The source of this motto is Virgil. He describes a recipe for salad-“garlic, parsley and raw vegetables, seasoned with cheese, salt, colander and sprinkled with vinegar and oil. The ingredients remain separate but harmonious.”

AMERICA IS A SALAD BOWL. IT IS NOT A SOUP PUREE OR FRUIT SMOOTHIE”.

The challenge in the American character is to find harmony between individual aspirations and achievement of the common good. All Americans have a stake in the outcome and all have a fair chance to win and to rise as high as their abilities will take them.

To use another metaphor we may prefer to think of each American individual as a candle. America’s philosophy is that each candle has a right to shine and to acquire the capacity to shine, as well. What is the responsibility of ‘the group-the government’ to assist in the acquisition of this capacity? Should we, the group, provide the equal opportunity for this candle to shine or are we morally obligated to provide access to the match so that everyone who wishes may light his/her candle? This is the question. It is also the challenge to understand the inalienable right to “the pursuit of happiness.”

Understanding diversity in America must begin with acknowledging there is no single American way of life. Instead, there is American WAYS OF LIFE. Diversity in America is not just about ethnic heritage. It is more about the diversities of cultures. CULTURE all/everything that you are- your manner of speaking, your world view, your life style and all that defines you as a person.

To become an American does not require you to abandon your total cultural history. We should replace the discussions about ‘ethnic diversity’ with one centered on ‘cultural pluralism’. America has become “not one people” but a federation of different nationalities and culture groups.

YOU ARE REQUIRED ONLY TO EMBRACE THE BASIC AMERICAN VALUES EXPRESSED IN THE AMERICAN CREED: a word: LIBERTY, a tendency: EQUALITY and a method: DEMOCRACY.

THE ABOVE IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS ALL THESE AMERICAN WAYS OF LIFE TOGETHER. IT IS WHAT MAKES DIVERSITY WORK SO WELL. THIS IS ALL THAT DEFINES THE “AMERICAN RACE”.

America is generally described as a “melting pot”. A dentist in Australia wrote the following published on the Internet.

“An American is English, French, Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

“An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as Native Americans

“An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish or Buddhist or Muslim. In fact there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

“An American is also free to believe in any religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for GOD.

“An American lives in the most prosperous land in the world.

“The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the GOD given right of every person to the pursuit of happiness………….

“The national symbol of America, the Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These, in fact, are the people who built America. Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001. The victims were from at least thirty different countries….

“Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit everywhere is an American.”

The words “E Pluribus Unum” symbolize the character and spirit of America’s diversity. The source of this motto is the poet Virgil who describes a recipe for salad: “garlic, parsley, rue and onions seasoned with cheese, salt, colander and vinegar and finally sprinkled with oil. The ingredients remain separate but harmonious”. America is a salad bowl and not a soup puree. The challenge in America is to develop an “appreciation” rather than just a tolerance for its multiple diversity. The American Character is further challenged to find harmony between individual aspirations and achievement of the common good. Every person has a stake in the outcome and every person has a fair chance to win. This is the America all aspire to see.

Time Magazine, in a Special Issue, published in the fall, 1993, captures the theme “The New Face of America”. Although written more than fifteen years ago this publication still merits serious study. It highlights themes, which are still current and examines issues, which challenge us to look hard and reflect on who America is today and is likely to be tomorrow. Time describes America as the “World’s first multicultural society.” The implications of this descriptor are awesome. If America is, indeed, the world’s most authentic multicultural neighborhood, it behooves all Americans to understand what it means to be a “global neighbor”.

We must study the application of cultural diversity to the growth of America and examine its implications for America’s moral leadership in a global society in which diversity is a blessed virtue.

Let us study the trends in the last and current decade.

· Same sex marriage has now been nationalized.

· In 2012 we elected, in Wisconsin, the first openly gay senator.

· Several states have legalized marijuana and others are likely to follow.

· A record number of women now serve in the U. S. Senate.

· A record number of Asian American and Latinos have been elected to Congress.

WHAT DOES THE ABOVE TELL AMERICA ABOUT ITSELF?

· We are redefining what it means to be an American.

· Americans want a more culturally inclusive government-one that looks more like America.

David Simons. a noted TV producer/journalist, predicts:

“America will soon belong to the men and women… who can comfortably walk into a room and accept with real comfort the sensation that there are no real majorities, only pluralities and coalitions. Those who do not understand (this reality) will either be obligated to accept the changes or retreat to the gated communities from which they wish to wax nostalgic and brood on political irrelevance.”

How do all the different cultural constituencies find common ground and coalesce? How do we use this cultural diversity to promote “appreciation of the other”?

We argue that the American appreciation of its cultural diversity is America’s gift to the world. It is also America’s greatest strength that will prevent any demagogue from successfully hijacking ‘American democracy’ by appealing to a “general will” of the American nation or state. The only general will s the tie that binds- THE AMERICAN CREED.

IMMIGRATION: COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION AGENDA

The following elements comprise the discussions on a Comprehensive Immigration Policy.

1. UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

*Amnesty

Without penalty?

With penalty?

*Deportation

Re-entry after deportation

*Pathway to citizenship (Different from those who enter the country legally?)

2. BORDERS-entry rules

*Why are the rules important? (Answer: American is a country that is governed by laws, written and published.)

*Identifying the weaknesses that enable people to enter the country illegally

*Correcting these weaknesses so that the borders are secure.

*Should persons who enter illegally be treated as criminals?

* Should parents of children born in the United States be given preferred status?

3. QUOTAS

Should a policy include quotas for each country?

Is the Comprehensive Immigration Bill -1926 a good model? (For example: Use the census of a previous period to calculate the percentage of a given nationality within the U.S. population. Use that percentage as the quota for that nationality.)

Should quotas include the following considerations?

· Ethnicity (regardless of country of origin)

· Religion (regardless of country of origin)

· Political relationship of country of origin (e.g. Allies or Adversaries)

4. PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT: Should preferred treatment be accorded persons in the following categories?

· Persons whose family member(s) are already U.S. Citizens

· Persons who wish to marry a U.S. citizen

· Persons who have skills that would enhance the U.S. labor market pool or would respond to shortages in the pool (e.g. Nurses)

· Students educated in U.S. universities/colleges.

· Political refugees

5. AUTOMATIC EXCLUSION: Are there categories, which should automatically disqualify a person from applying for a visa or for citizenship?

· Political opponents of U.S. policies

· Persons convicted of a crime or misdemeanor anywhere in the world

· Persons who have publicly expressed views that are considered offensive to “American Values” (What are they and who decides the views are offensive?)

6. HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE (other than the President of the United States)

Should there be restrictions?

7. GUEST WORKERS – Persons sponsored by corporations and are restricted to employment in the sponsoring entity. Such visas are employment and time restricted.

8. POLICIES that promote “assimilation and American values”.

· English language proficiency

· Evidence of understanding the American Creed or (required seminar on related subjects)

· Ethnic enclaves (Policies that discourage their existence or promote their demise)

· Response to the meaning of E Pluribus Unum: Should America be a salad bowl or a fruit smoothie?

· Should America be a Commonwealth of National Cultures – a Democracy of Nationalities or One American Race? What does this mean?

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Bottom of Form

Comprehensive Immigration Reform

What's So Comprehensive About It?

One of the key buzz phrases in the federal illegal immigration debate is "comprehensive immigration reform." Some legislators say they support it, while others describe it as code for amnesty. What gives?

Two Approaches to Immigration:

Comprehensive immigration reform represents a combination of, or compromise between, two approaches to illegal immigration: the law enforcement approach and the human rights approach.

The Law Enforcement Approach:

According to the law enforcement approach, illegal immigration demonstrates that our immigration system is broken because people are able to bypass the process and live here anyway. The law enforcement approach attempts to solve this problem by securing the border and enforcing existing immigration policy on undocumented immigrants who already live here.

The Human Rights Approach:

According to the human rights approach, current laws governing immigration are cruel and impractical.

The human rights approach emphasizes the question of what happens to the 12 million undocumented immigrants who are already here, some of who are adults who have been here since childhood. The human rights approach attempts to address their needs by creating a path to legal immigration for undocumented immigrants already resident in this country.

Neither Approach Works in Isolation:

A pure law enforcement approach to immigration would be inhumane and impossible to put into effect. But a pure human rights approach to immigration would allow anyone from poorer nations to immigrate to the wealthier United States to achieve a higher standard of living, which would create long-term economic problems on both a domestic and international level.

A Comprehensive Solution:

Comprehensive immigration reform favors giving a citizenship path to the 12 million undocumented immigrants already here while simultaneously putting policies into effect to discourage future undocumented immigration. These policies often include increased border security and employer sanctions for the hiring of undocumented immigrants.

The Amnesty Claim:

Those who describe comprehensive immigration reform as "amnesty" tend to have a strict law enforcement approach to immigration, and are generally out of sympathy with the objectives of the human rights approach.

Question: What is Illegal Immigration?