0538 - Borders

Flash! This just in from our Staff Director of Scientific Speculation. We have the results of a seminal experiment. As Readers know, the Objective Observatory is located on the Sea Rocks. The Observatory is reached via an Anguilla dirt road, which, like all such roads, is "surfaced" by a dressing of a reddish clay called "Marl", containing large and small lumps and stones. [Aside: at the Observatory, the Steward provides boiled cistern water labeled "Tang O' the Marl". Refreshing.] In the experiment, an observer was stationed on the road, with eyes three inches above the surface. What was the view? Reddish clay with lumps and stones. What did it look like, exactly? Right! The photos from the surface of Mars sent back by the NASA Landers. We call for an investigation, and suggest that all "Mars" research be conducted on Anguilla. You'll see the same pictures, cheap.

Turning to today's subject, it seems that somewhere from seven to twelve million illegal aliens have entered the U.S. and are illegally working hard at such low-pay jobs as picking fruit, cleaning rooms, and tending gardens in L.A. You may not be surprised to learn that Anguilla, too, has a border problem. Wages aren't as high as in the U.S., but Anguilla is relatively prosperous by all Caribbean standards. The island has many beaches, and is easily accessible by sea. The natural result is that rapid Spanish is frequently spoken in the grocery stores here. Nor will you be surprised to find that, as in the United States, there seems to be little effective immigration enforcement. We have asked our Staff Deep Thinkers to consider the problem in all aspects.

The Thinkers find two root causes of illegal immigration, consistent everywhere. First, the immigrants come from a poor country with few job opportunities, and want to be in a richer place (Albania to Italy, Mexico to the U.S., whatever). Second, the source countries are almost always sharply overpopulated, with high and continuing birth rates. Since birth rates have a connection with sex (do they not?), and the current U.S. Administration and Congress are frightened to death by sex and will not disseminate birth control information or equipment, nothing at all is done to control the population explosion. This, our Thinkers conclude, is the true Weapon of Societal Destruction (WSD). Look at pictures of bitter-poor slums anywhere in the world, and what do you see? Children, far too many children to be fed, housed, or educated.

The population explosion is aided by highly well-meaning international efforts to control disease and lessen infant mortality. Fine and good as these efforts are, they increase the population pressures. In times past, when the U.S. was relatively empty, the waves of immigration built the country and its industries. Now, in case you haven't noticed, the place is filling up. So is Anguilla, where the only real industry is tourism, all others being firmly discouraged. Anguillian population has quintupled since the great Revolution, and is continuing to increase. In one way, a young and growing population – if and only if it is employed – supports future obligations such as pensions. In another way, it presses on all demands for government services. "More Marl to the People" is the cry here.

What is the solution? Our Thinkers conclude that only radical changes will help. We won't print them here, but you know what they are. Unfortunately, no government in the world will ever face the problem.

Next time: SocialInsecurity [OO #539]

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