Politics And Current Events

[Freddy Rumsen]

The problem isn't resources. It's govermental corruption. The lack of the rule of law. Latin America is full of resources. But when there are roving gangs of Police going around shaking down businesses and randomly arresting people you kind of find a way to get out.

[Tico Rick]

They may not speak English, but they've toughed things that would make mama June die from imagining.

I don't disagree. I think what I'm trying to say is that until we can stem the avalanche of migrants coming from the South, any talk about solving the humanitarian crisis is moot. We will simply be overwhelmed with people that need clothed, fed, housed, etc. I am not lacking compassion, and I do want to see an effective system in place for new arrivals into the country to be assimilated and to "come out of the shadows" and do well. But as long as we have absolutely no control over the border and the skyrocketing numbers of people coming in, we will not have the resources to help out the ones that are here.

It sounds like you've bought into Trump's baseless claim that we are dealing with an avalanche of immigrants from Mexico, which just isn't the case. Immigration isn't "skyrocketing" as you say, but is actually declining, especially immigration from Mexico.

Interestingly, while we've seen a steady decline in immigration from Mexico over the past 15 years, immigration from Asia has steadily risen during the same time period. Maybe Trump needs to build a wall between the US and Asia.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/20 ... mmigrants/

[NailedPenguin]

Those Asians coming here illegally?

[Tico Rick]

If you read the article I posted a link to, you will discover that the number of illegal immigrants has held steady at about 8 million between 2009 and 2015. Mexican immigration is decreasing, Asian immigration is increasing, while the total number of illegal immigrants remains steady. Ergo...

[Troy Loney]

Big part of illegal immigration is folks overstaying visas. That would be a taking point if the whole issue was about illegal immigration and not keep out the brown people.

[shafnutz05]

This is a bit surprising.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/235739/sat ... -high.aspx

Thirty-eight percent of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States today, similar to last month's 37% satisfaction rate but marking the numerical high since a 39% reading in September 2005.

Satisfaction with the nation is now back to the historical average of 37% for this trend, which was first measured in 1979, but is far below the majority levels reached in the economic boom times of the mid-1980s and late 1990s.

I'm a little surprised the number has been that low for the duration.

[shafnutz05]

https://lawandcrime.com/immigration/oba ... ies-too-2/

The Trump administration has an intentional and explicit policy of separating migrant children from their families if caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without permission. Long before that, however, the administration of Barack Obama ramped up a program with a sometimes similar effect.

Since 2008, the United States has had a policy known as the Alien Transfer Exit Program (ATEP), or Lateral Repatriation. This program focuses on detaining male migrants of Mexican descent.

Here’s how it works: Once an immigrant is caught attempting to cross the border without documentation, they are detained, flown or bused across the United States and then shown the exit at another segment of the U.S.-Mexico border–thousands of miles from their original point of entry.

Sparingly used upon inception, the Obama administration drastically increased the use of ATEP in 2011, responding to a perceived increase in attempts at immigration into the United States by Mexican nationals.

But immigrants’ rights activists had long cautioned that Lateral Repatriation breaks up families. The reason is fairly simple: many male Mexican nationals who are detained trying to cross the border often come with their families in tow. When ATEP is used, the men are captured and taken thousands of miles away, while their wives, partners and children are placed in immigrant detention centers.

Single Mexican fathers or men who traveled without an adult female companion while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border with children, when subject to ATEP, had their children separated from them. Unaccompanied minors would then be placed into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Such custody is supposed to be temporary and ORR is supposed to release children to an identified family member or sponsor.

The Arizona-based group No More Deaths, along with various other human rights organizations, refers to ATEP as “a form of cruel and unusual punishment” and a fact sheet released by the group noted, “Very often, families are separated and sent to cities far away from each other. They are never told where to find their loved ones, and humanitarian organizations often have to go through the Mexican Consulate to get information about family members.”

TIL "lateral repatriation" is a thing. I don't recall ATEP ever being widely reported on during that time.

[Freddy Rumsen]

Big part of illegal immigration is folks overstaying visas. That would be a taking point if the whole issue was about illegal immigration and not keep out the brown people.

[bhflyhigh]

Sure. All of my immigrant ancestors were originally non-english speakers. Most in the first generation learned to at least communicate in English, and their kids were fluent by the second generation. The main difference being that at the time there was a necessity to learn the language, where as now they really don't even have to try.

This is BS. You're generalizing all immigrants under this behavior? I know a couple of Mexican families around here and the parents talk mostly Spanish to each other but the kids go to school with my kids and speak English just as well as anyone else does. I'm sure there an odd ball family here and there that thinks learning English is for the losers but I'd wager that the vast majority of them realize that learning English is a ticket to a better life here.

[Troy Loney]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/clim ... v=top-news

Quite a headline.

and also, jfc,

Public transit, Americans for Prosperity says, goes against the liberties that Americans hold dear. “If someone has the freedom to go where they want, do what they want,” Ms. Venable said, “they’re not going to choose public transit.”

The Kochs’ opposition to transit spending stems from their longstanding free-market, libertarian philosophy. It also dovetails with their financial interests, which benefit from automobiles and highways.

[Gaucho]

Liberty is a hell of a drug.

[Troy Loney]

Ideologues are a menace.

[Troy Loney]

https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/hen ... ill-murky/

[Freddy Rumsen]

The vast majority of Americans do not like mass transit and the vast majority of our cities are not laid out in a way that in any conceivable rational budgeting can support it without massive subsidies.

Pick welfare or light rail. Cities cannot afford both.

[Troy Loney]

There's a difference between places where mass transit isn't optimal and a blanket opposition to mass transit.

Being opposed to mass transit on principle is probably the dumbest thing ever.

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

Do most people want to use mass transit, probably not, but often it is the only option. To say well just buy a car and drive yourself is akin to let them eat cake.

[shafnutz05]

There's a difference between places where mass transit isn't optimal and a blanket opposition to mass transit.

Being opposed to mass transit on principle is probably the dumbest thing ever.

I am definitely not opposed to mass transit, it is absolutely wonderful in Europe and Japan. Our regional geography just isn't conducive to it.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Mass transit is used predominantly by POC, especially in the south. Little bit of a dog whistling going on with the Americans for Prosperity here.

I personally would love to see light rail between large cities in states. Like say if Clan Rumsen wanted to go to Myrtle Beach or Wrightsville Beach for the day, they could pop on a train in Charlotte and go for the day. Obviously, they would need Uber or some sort of transit on the other end of that, but it would keep them off the highway.

I say this as someone who spent an extra hour in standstill traffic this weekend on I-95, because that highway is too congested for the traffic it gets through SC (and most of it is in bad shape).

[Troy Loney]

All a matter of convenience. In Pittsburgh, I guaranty that people in Mt Lebanon have a much different opinion of public transit than people in Monroeville do.

[eddy]

BREAKING. #Italy Interior minister and LEAGUE leader Salvini: "I've asked for a census of the Roma community living in Italy. The irregular ones will be deported. However, we'll have to keep" in Italy "the Romas with Italian citizenship, unfortunately" (ANSA agency)

https://twitter.com/antoguerrera/status ... 3832429568

[MWB]

Mass transit is used predominantly by POC, especially in the south. Little bit of a dog whistling going on with the Americans for Prosperity here.

I personally would love to see light rail between large cities in states. Like say if Clan Rumsen wanted to go to Myrtle Beach or Wrightsville Beach for the day, they could pop on a train in Charlotte and go for the day. Obviously, they would need Uber or some sort of transit on the other end of that, but it would keep them off the highway.

I say this as someone who spent an extra hour in standstill traffic this weekend on I-95, because that highway is too congested for the traffic it gets through SC (and most of it is in bad shape).

Charlotte to the beaches light rail would be amazing, and I’m sure would get a ton of use. There is no direct way to a lot of those places, and traffic is awful.

[Freddy Rumsen]

Problem with light rail to MB is what do you do when you get there? Say I want to play golf. Do I uber to all the golf courses? (That's not to mention the Labor Union lobbyists banning Lyft and Uber)

It is a matter of cost for a non-1% family.

[dodint]

Same thing you do when you fly somewhere? Rent a car, use local transit, cab, friends, etc.

Part of the reason I'm looking at moving to Germany is because it's relatively central in Europe and I can take rail anywhere on the continent.

[tifosi77]

https://lawandcrime.com/immigration/oba ... ies-too-2/

The Trump administration has an intentional and explicit policy of separating migrant children from their families if caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without permission. Long before that, however, the administration of Barack Obama ramped up a program with a sometimes similar effect.

Since 2008, the United States has had a policy known as the Alien Transfer Exit Program (ATEP), or Lateral Repatriation. This program focuses on detaining male migrants of Mexican descent.

Here’s how it works: Once an immigrant is caught attempting to cross the border without documentation, they are detained, flown or bused across the United States and then shown the exit at another segment of the U.S.-Mexico border–thousands of miles from their original point of entry.

Sparingly used upon inception, the Obama administration drastically increased the use of ATEP in 2011, responding to a perceived increase in attempts at immigration into the United States by Mexican nationals.

But immigrants’ rights activists had long cautioned that Lateral Repatriation breaks up families. The reason is fairly simple: many male Mexican nationals who are detained trying to cross the border often come with their families in tow. When ATEP is used, the men are captured and taken thousands of miles away, while their wives, partners and children are placed in immigrant detention centers.

Single Mexican fathers or men who traveled without an adult female companion while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border with children, when subject to ATEP, had their children separated from them. Unaccompanied minors would then be placed into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Such custody is supposed to be temporary and ORR is supposed to release children to an identified family member or sponsor.

The Arizona-based group No More Deaths, along with various other human rights organizations, refers to ATEP as “a form of cruel and unusual punishment” and a fact sheet released by the group noted, “Very often, families are separated and sent to cities far away from each other. They are never told where to find their loved ones, and humanitarian organizations often have to go through the Mexican Consulate to get information about family members.”

TIL "lateral repatriation" is a thing. I don't recall ATEP ever being widely reported on during that time.

The last paragraph:

To be clear: the Obama administration’s use of ATEP was not intended to break-up families–that was an occasionally expected side effect–while Trump’s recently-confirmed policy is expressly directed toward that end in the name of “deterrence.”

[tifosi77]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/clim ... v=top-news

Quite a headline.

and also, jfc,

Public transit, Americans for Prosperity says, goes against the liberties that Americans hold dear. “If someone has the freedom to go where they want, do what they want,” Ms. Venable said, “they’re not going to choose public transit.”

The Kochs’ opposition to transit spending stems from their longstanding free-market, libertarian philosophy. It also dovetails with their financial interests, which benefit from automobiles and highways.

Good public transit is wonderful, and people who oppose it are uncommonly stupid.