In George Orwell's 1984, Ingsoc (the only political party and thus government in Oceania) would occasionally change its stance on who its enemies were from one day to the next. In the middle of Hate Week, the party went from hating Eurasia and loving Eastasia to hating Eastasia and loving Eurasia. The citizens quickly followed without question, turning their bile and anger against their newly declared enemies with no hesitation. I felt that this was hyperbole (which it is to an extent) on Orwell's part as I believed people would be smart enough to notice the switching allegiances of their party.
And then I watched it happen here in the U.S.
Sure there are the standard examples of how we once funded extremists who would become the Taliban, but this is a complete 180 from our political parties' stances on what is currently the dominant issue in the nation: immigration. In my lifetime, the Republican Party used to be pro-immigration (legal or otherwise) with the Democratic Party screaming for increased border protection. It made (and makes) sense for the Republican Party to support immigrants (again, legal or not). Even in the case of illegal immigrants, when statistically compared to natural born U.S. citizens, they are more likely to be Christian, less likely to commit violent crimes, more likely to work hard (usually for lower pay), more likely to support the military, more likely to hold strong patriotic views, and--until recently--more likely to vote Republican.
Ronald Reagan himself signed the largest amnesty bill in the history of the nation. While it penalized people who hired illegal immigrants, it created a fast track to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants currently within the country. I should also note that Reagan had some strong words to say against walls as well.
Somehow, the arguments have been reversed. Democrats have decreased their rhetoric about immigration crackdowns and Republicans have somehow gone to the extreme of denying entry to even those immigrants who are seeking legal protection (with the current president threatening to close the border entirely). Somehow, people have followed with rabid enthusiasm without recognizing such a fundamental shift.
I am still amazed that people are willing to buy into the propaganda that the people with the fewest rights, least amount of wealth, and greatest determination to live here are somehow one of the main threats to America--to the point that some people are willing to shut down the government because they want to spend an obscene amount of money on a wall of dubious value just to try (and fail) and keep immigrants out. But, I guess I'm just strange that way.
And then I watched it happen here in the U.S.
Sure there are the standard examples of how we once funded extremists who would become the Taliban, but this is a complete 180 from our political parties' stances on what is currently the dominant issue in the nation: immigration. In my lifetime, the Republican Party used to be pro-immigration (legal or otherwise) with the Democratic Party screaming for increased border protection. It made (and makes) sense for the Republican Party to support immigrants (again, legal or not). Even in the case of illegal immigrants, when statistically compared to natural born U.S. citizens, they are more likely to be Christian, less likely to commit violent crimes, more likely to work hard (usually for lower pay), more likely to support the military, more likely to hold strong patriotic views, and--until recently--more likely to vote Republican.
Ronald Reagan himself signed the largest amnesty bill in the history of the nation. While it penalized people who hired illegal immigrants, it created a fast track to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants currently within the country. I should also note that Reagan had some strong words to say against walls as well.
Somehow, the arguments have been reversed. Democrats have decreased their rhetoric about immigration crackdowns and Republicans have somehow gone to the extreme of denying entry to even those immigrants who are seeking legal protection (with the current president threatening to close the border entirely). Somehow, people have followed with rabid enthusiasm without recognizing such a fundamental shift.
I am still amazed that people are willing to buy into the propaganda that the people with the fewest rights, least amount of wealth, and greatest determination to live here are somehow one of the main threats to America--to the point that some people are willing to shut down the government because they want to spend an obscene amount of money on a wall of dubious value just to try (and fail) and keep immigrants out. But, I guess I'm just strange that way.
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