Shomari Hines
**An Off Beat post is something we go through sporadically where we read something that we have to comment on because of the level of stupidity or we just feel like sharing our thoughts about it. It’s usually never associated with what we usually cover but never the less it has some tie in with the media industry.
Author Erik Rush's new book Annexing Mexico : Solving the border problem through annexation and assimilation.” may be far fetched but he does raise some serious points. But not serious enough for America to move towards taking over Mexico. Can you imagine how scared white people would be to know that the Mexican cutting their lawn now has all the rights they do?
The border between the United States and Mexico isn’t just a boundary between nations; it’s a chasm that separates a wealthy global superpower from a poverty-stricken Third World Country. To millions of Mexicans desperate for a better life, it’s a finish line-- to cross it undetected means to seek prosperity in America . But the U.S. spends billons of dollars each year on illegal aliens, making immigration one of today’s most contentious issues in American politics. While the angry debate rages over how to protect our border, perhaps the most realistic question is, why not extend the border and annex Mexico ?
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The border is 2,000 miles long, most of it in treacherous terrain that is difficult and costly to protect. In 2006, the U.S. spent $12 billion on border enforcement. Yet hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants sneak through every year. “We’re like a dog chasing its tail,” says political columnist and author Erik Rush. “We spend billions of dollars each year to keep immigrants out, then billions more on their education and healthcare once they get here anyway. We’d be smarter to spend those billions to improve and annex Mexico . We would solve the immigration problem and reap a host of other benefits.”
Balancing the costs and benefits of a peaceful annexation of Mexico is a monumental project. Yet Rush has thoughtfully researched and constructed a plan which he outlines in his provocative new book, “Annexing Mexico : Solving the border problem through annexation and assimilation.” While the book is certain to stir up fiery debates, Rush points to polls that show 40% of Mexicans would like to live in America and 10% of Mexico’s population is already here. So why not bring America to them. Could it work?
“Mexicans are generally a hard-working, family-oriented population,” says Rush. “Most Americans can appreciate those traits. The problem now is U.S. taxpayers are rightfully angry about carrying someone else’s load. The animosity will dissipate when the burden is shared equally by annexing Mexico and improving conditions there.”
Rush is very persuasive and logical when he demonstrates how both nations would benefit if Mexico becomes part of the United States . “The first step is conceding that patrolling the border does not and will not work,” says Rush. “We have terrorists sneaking through our back door-- and they’re not looking for jobs. After annexation, we’d be in a better position to protect ourselves from terrorist infiltration by heavily fortifying Mexico ’s narrow southern tip which is much easier to defend.”
Rush carefully dissects the obstacles of taking over Mexico, including bringing the infrastructure up to U.S. standards, shaking out the corruption in Mexico’s government, increasing minimum wage and improving healthcare. “We spend $1.4 billion a year on emergency room costs for illegal immigrants,” says Rush. “Diseases we once eradicated in the U.S. are re-emerging in frightening numbers. If we immunize, bring healthcare up to date and educate the Mexican population about the spread of communicable diseases everybody’s better off.”
Aside from the quality of life benefits, “Annexing Mexico” points out what many will see as the piece de resistance, the overwhelming crucial benefit to Rush’s proposal: North America could finally achieve energy independence. “ Mexico has huge oil reserves that could eliminate our reliance on OPEC,” says Rush. “The state run oil business in Mexico operates at a loss right now, which is testament to the corruption in the Mexican government. There’s no excuse for this—it’s time for a dramatic change.”
While Rush believes greed and fear are hurdles that must be overcome, “Annexing Mexico” explains how extending the border could improve the lives of millions of Americans for generations to come. “Our population is growing so rapidly in the U.S. ,” says Rush. “We need some relief. Mexico desperately needs relief from the poverty afflicting more than half of its citizens. It’s ludicrous for a line in the sand drawn more than a century ago to divide ‘the haves’ from ‘the have nots’ when a peaceful union can benefit everyone involved.”
Labels: BOOKS, OFFBEAT |
BY SDH
