Are we back in the 70’s? As a child of the 70’s myself, I have not so fond memories of the economy and the politics of that era. I am experiencing a sort of deja vu right now as I consider the possibility of immigration reform happening during this Congress.
Now, don’t get me wrong. there were good things about the 70’s. At some point I will think of them and write a blog about them. But, for now, let’s focus on the parallels that cause me concern.
The 70’s were famous for “stagflation.” a seemingly unending period of increasing prices, no or slow growth, coupled with a general feeling of the blah’s among the American People. We had lost our “mojo.” It was tough to find jobs, and what jobs you could find were not one’s you wanted to do. The politics of the era were even worse. Simply put: Vietnam, Watergate, Nixon, Ford, Carter. Not exactly a pantheon of great issues or leaders.
Here we are in 2010. We have a non-growing economy, with no “stagflation” but with a general sense of the “blahs.” Few employers are hiring, and no one is willing to take risks. Again it feels like that unique American mojo has dissipated. Politically? Well what can you say? If anything, the partisanship, and cross party rivalry is even worse than during the 70’s. Nothing is effectively getting done, and certainly nothing that requires courage is passing Congress.
Which, finally, gets me to my point. The entire immigration structure in America appears to have lost its way. Congress is lacking the courage and political will to tackle a difficult but necessary issue. The government agency responsible for “service” is currently in “screw you” mode, trying every which way to limit the ability of employers to get visas for prospective employees, seeing “fraud” under every bush and behind every tree, and trying its best to dissuade folks from actually using the immigration system. The agency responsible for enforcement recorded an increased number of removals for FY2009, and is on track for a “better” year this year. The agency in charge of letting folks into the country legally, is doing a terrific job of turning away nonimmigrants with valid visas. The agency responsible for protecting American workers jobs is doing such a great job that many employers with audited petitions now wait TWO years or more to see if the advertisement they ran TWO years ago was adequate for a position available TWO years ago, which the person can then wait another 7 years to fill permanently. Overall, I would say the immigration system has lost its mojo.
So, what can we do. Enlist Austin Powers to find the Mojo? Or, push forward with hope and a belief that the good and right will ultimately prevail. What caused me to ponder on this was rather unusual. I was listening to “great speeches in history” on my IPod, and happened upon Ronald Reagan’s’ Inaugural Speech from 1981. I particularly love this quote:
Well, I believe we, the Americans of today, are ready to act worthy of ourselves, ready to do what must be done to ensure happiness and liberty for ourselves, our children and our children’s children. And as we renew ourselves here in our own land, we will be seen as having greater strength throughout the world. We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom.
Whether you believe that President Reagan was a great President or not, you have to admit, the speech was inspirational. And, it made me think. Maybe not all hope is lost. If there were only someone to inspire us. If only there were someone to move us forward as a country on the issue of immigration. Right now, I am still searching for that leader, that voice. Let’s hope she shows up soon.
