Comments on: Lou Dobbs: Independent Populist (’08?) http://www.liberadio.com/2007/03/19/lou-dobbs-independent-populist-o8/ with Mary Mancini and Freddie O'Connell Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:27:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Freddie http://www.liberadio.com/2007/03/19/lou-dobbs-independent-populist-o8/#comment-25281 Freddie Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:43:58 +0000 http://www.liberadio.com/?p=642#comment-25281 Clearly, giving a thoughtful lecture in front of an academic crowd is a different ballgame than ranting into a camera, and I'm sure I was more taken with being a member of the audience than I have been when seeing him on a ceiling TV in airports (about the only time I've seen him on the air). Still, last night's lecture was more interesting than infuriating. The end-of-year issue of <em>Foreign Affairs</em> had an excellent article on comprehensive immigration reform that is the best analysis I've seen so far. I hope to write it up before I grow old... Clearly, giving a thoughtful lecture in front of an academic crowd is a different ballgame than ranting into a camera, and I’m sure I was more taken with being a member of the audience than I have been when seeing him on a ceiling TV in airports (about the only time I’ve seen him on the air). Still, last night’s lecture was more interesting than infuriating.

The end-of-year issue of Foreign Affairs had an excellent article on comprehensive immigration reform that is the best analysis I’ve seen so far. I hope to write it up before I grow old…

]]> By: Sean Braisted http://www.liberadio.com/2007/03/19/lou-dobbs-independent-populist-o8/#comment-25193 Sean Braisted Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:23:17 +0000 http://www.liberadio.com/?p=642#comment-25193 I wasn't able to go see Lou Dobbs last night (partly because I completely forgot), but I have been largely unimpressed with his "war on the middle-class" shtick. I think he takes small problems, and finds the extreme answers. Do we have problems with a trade deficit and unauthorized immigration? Sure, but I don't think we need a radical overhaul in the system. Yes we should have more control over the borders, but I don't see why we can't recognize that people exploited a system which was designed to be exploited, and allow those here a chance at citizenship. As for trade issues, perhaps we should look more closely at some of our trade pacts, but if I could choose between the US giving money to lesser-developed countries via trade, or via handouts, I prefer trade. They need to build up their industries, like we did in the late 1800s, and free trade helps. I think we should require certain worker protections in any trading partner, but I don't necessarily think pay parity should be one of those. As for a "North American Union", I don't see anything wrong with having closer ties to our border countries. If we want to reduce unauthorized immigration from the South, we need to do more to help grow that country, and cutting them off isn't going to do it. As for trading with Canada, I consider them the 51st state anyway, so why the heck not? This notion that we are destroying America by having closer ties to our neighbors is ridiculous Nationalism, imo. I wasn’t able to go see Lou Dobbs last night (partly because I completely forgot), but I have been largely unimpressed with his “war on the middle-class” shtick. I think he takes small problems, and finds the extreme answers. Do we have problems with a trade deficit and unauthorized immigration? Sure, but I don’t think we need a radical overhaul in the system. Yes we should have more control over the borders, but I don’t see why we can’t recognize that people exploited a system which was designed to be exploited, and allow those here a chance at citizenship.

As for trade issues, perhaps we should look more closely at some of our trade pacts, but if I could choose between the US giving money to lesser-developed countries via trade, or via handouts, I prefer trade. They need to build up their industries, like we did in the late 1800s, and free trade helps. I think we should require certain worker protections in any trading partner, but I don’t necessarily think pay parity should be one of those.

As for a “North American Union”, I don’t see anything wrong with having closer ties to our border countries. If we want to reduce unauthorized immigration from the South, we need to do more to help grow that country, and cutting them off isn’t going to do it. As for trading with Canada, I consider them the 51st state anyway, so why the heck not? This notion that we are destroying America by having closer ties to our neighbors is ridiculous Nationalism, imo.

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