A “paranoid-sounding” theory

Joseph C. writes:

I just had a thought even scarier than before regarding this immigration sham.

What if the bill now being proposed is a Potemkin piece of legislation—i.e., one that is designed to fail? This bill is so ridiculous that it is drawing hellfire from even those commentators who are normally sympathetic to (or apathetic about) illegal immigration. Maybe this is no accident, and the Senate did not “misjudge the terrain.” Maybe this was the Grand Design all along.

After all, if the Senate wanted to ensure passage, why did they put forth both a bill that was chock full of loopholes and propose a timetable that was sure to raise the ire of the electorate and the media? Could it be that they are saving their dry powder for after they have primed the pump (forgive the mixed metaphor). When this bill is debated, the traditionalists will scream their lungs out over the glaring weaknesses and have a sympathetic audience in the general public. But when the shrieking stops, the Party of DC can then go back to the well, pull out the legislation they really want (something remarkably like what narrowly missed last year) and say “OK. We have taken your concerns to heart and come up with a better plan—one that really works. And now that we have already had extensive debate, there is no point to maintain this division. Let’s finally put our differences aside and move forward with this legislation, for the good of all. And please, let us not obstruct this process any longer with concerns over esoterica.”

Under such a scenario, many observers will relent, seeing the wisdom of The Plan. And traditionalists like yourself, Jeff Sessions, John Cornyn, et al will be accused of divisiveness, pettiness, etc.—in short, dismissed as cranks that won’t be happy until they have examined every jot and tittle.

I apologize if this sounds paranoid, but I would rather be vigilant than put anything past the Ruling Class.

LA replies:

It seems very unlikely to me. The writers of this compromise were involved in a tense, contentious process that went on for three months right up to last Thursday evening. The very morning of the day they announced it, the deal almost fell apart. The mess is the result of the compromise process, plus the fact that liberal committee staffers (as one columnist has suggested) obviously stuck as many loopholes into it as they could.

When we consider the actual mess of the bill, to suppose that this mess was the result of design passes the realm of possibility. Conspiracy theories such as Joseph has suggested require not only divine omniscience but a degree of control over events that even God does not claim.

Bobby writes:

The outrage over the disastrous comprehensive national suicide bill is having some effect, but I still fear the bill is going to pass. I saw Sen. Norm Coleman, who I’ve e-mailed and called several times, on cable this afternoon talking about how almost all the mail he gets on this bill is negative, but he isn’t going to stop supporting it. He introduced an amendment to the bill to end “sanctuary cities,” but that’s about it. I’m 80 percent sure this bill is going to pass the Senate, Coleman has a tough re-election campaign in 2008 and if he’s not going to change his mind, nobody is. My guess is they’ll tinker with this bill and pass it. So it looks like it’s up to Sessenbrenner, Tancredo, and Bilbrey to defeat this bill.

Keep up the fight.

LA replies:

I think it’s wrong and self-subverting, when in the middle of a fight, to start laying odds that you will lose.

Dunnyveg writes:

I think both you and Joseph make some good points. I don’t believe the authors of this bill were engaged in some kind of conspiracy. But I do believe that the open borders legislators are prepared to keep reintroducing the same abominable legislation as many times as necessary to get it enacted. They’re counting on the American people to lose interest in immigration, and there is little in recent history to disabuse them of the idea that this strategy will work. After all, I recall a spokesman for one of the immigration groups saying that S.1348, unlike last year’s Senate bill, initially attracted little attention, and senators were optimistic on pushing the bill through.

Undoubtedly, the open borders crowd will try, covertly if necessary, to push through an immigration bill to their liking. The question is whether or not the American people will retain their interest and vigilance in this most important of all policy issues.

LA:

I think the proponents are aware that they have a tough time keeping together the votes to pass a bill. If they can be stopped over the next couple of months, there is a good chance, that the bill won’t come up again during the presidency of Bush. But of course, it will continue to be pushed under the next president.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 23, 2007 02:06 PM | Send