tightening of immiration controls - from human rights watch

[peaccenicked]

http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/04/valencias...aspeech0413.htm (http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/04/valenciaspeech0413.htm)
I will look for more recent articles and post them here, but this from April is scary enough.

[I Will Deny You]

Don't get me wrong. I think that the whole situation involving immigrants in Europe is awful.

But it's still a little bittersweet. For years I've heard Europeans criticize American immigration policy, and while I usually agreed with them I couldn't feel like they were just watching from the bleachers and, because they were not down in the trenches, they came off as a little snotty in their criticism. Maybe it's just because Europeans in general often come off as snotty (as opposed to Americans, who often come off as stupid). Anyway, now that they're having immigration problems I just want to say, "Told you so! You were right about the fact that immigrants are mistreated, but now you see that fixing the situation is easier said that done!" It's particularly easier when they saying happens an ocean away from the doing.

Now, I call on all of my American comrades to criticize Europe for treating its immigrants the way it does! What are we waiting for?

Lindsay

PS - How is it that Europeans can laugh at us for reacting so strongly to the murder of over 3,000 of our citizens, but then make very, very strict laws (supposedly) because of these murders, even though Europeans aren't under any credible threat?

[peaccenicked]

There is European snobbery and European snobbery.
Most of it is crap and hypocritical. You illustrate the point well. The intellectual side of the debate is an allegation that the US is akin to ancient Rome and Europe to ancient Greece. The old muscle and brain dichotomy. I think this is about European disbelief at the depth of
stupidity exemplified by Reagan and Bush, whereas someone like Chirac appears to have Statesman-like qualities. Hellish comparisons. Perhaps what is at the bottom of European leftism is the aspiration
to be akin to ancient Greece, something America can only achieve by isolationism. My favourite American aspiration.

(Edited by peaccenicked at 4:18 am on July 22, 2002)

[I Will Deny You]

Quote: from peaccenicked on 11:17 pm on July 21, 2002
I think this is about European disbelief at the depth of
stupidity exemplified by Reagan and Bush, whereas someone like Chirac appears to have Statesman-like qualities.You're right. One problem may be that the US thinks its news is the world's news, and therefore when there's a dumb American the whole planet hears about it. However, most Americans don't know or care about the rest of the world (see signature) so if there's a dumb European in office, we'll have no idea.

This is slightly irrelevant, but whenever I hear about the French left I think of Goldie Hawn's husband (not the one in the beginning played by Albert Brooks, but the other one) in Private Benjamin.

Lindsay