Current Affairs 2024 POTUS race

[Noisy noise annoys]

We Yanks have to have a sense of humour (not humor) on these boards or we'd lose our minds

Americans get a lot of flack on these boards, it is aimed at 'those types' of Yanks though, and not the decent ones.

You all seem to wear it well tbh

 

[BlueTX]

Is that because of the NY Yankees?

That. Also, a yank is akin to a wank here. Among other things.

 

[davek]

That. Also, a Yank is akin to a Wank here. Among other things.

?!?!?!

I like a nation that doesn't take itself too seriously.

 

[RAFUH]

The man who confidently says we all call ourselves Yanks.

I have on here, but would be shunned or burned at the stake if I used it irl

 

[TimHowardsBeardJuice]

There are entire sectors of the economy that would collapse without undocumented workers.

Construction is one.

Hospitality is another. Undocumented workers supply almost all of the non-client-facing labor, and a significant % of front-of-house staff, in hotels and restaurants.

Agriculture.

Even healthcare - hospitals have a small army of people doing the many tasks needed to support the delivery of services, many of whom are not on the books.

That doesn't mean that the border can be open. There has to be some process to limit entry, screen for (actual, not imagined) criminals, etc. And the asylum process should be streamlined and some serious (non-xenophobic) thought devoted to what makes a real asylum case.

But unfortunately I think the current equilibrium, where the Border Patrol plays endless games of catch-and-release to let in about the "right" number of undocumented persons to keep the economy running, and we more or less look the other way once they're here, might be the least-bad solution for everyone involved.

 

[Tommy Chong]

That. Also, a yank is akin to a wank here. Among other things.

Wasn't Yankee also a derogatory term used by the Confederates for Northern Union solders during the civil war days?

 

[LinekersLegs]

There's no need for your question. It's well understood, as it has been for decades, that a huge percentage of the labor in building trades is provided by undocumented workers. It's why some of George Bush's biggest financial backers in Texas (housing developers) were in favor of a more sound immigration policy that would provide them with a steady immigrant labor force. Didn't happen back then because of House Republicans bucking the POTUS of their party and it's not likely to happen now, because of nativist nonsense.

Here's my point and I hope this helps: if the law is more stringently enforced, building slows, costs go up, home ownership becomes even less affordable for the consumer, and rents go up.

It's hotter than the hinges of Hell in Texas for months at a time. Very few Americans are willing to work outside in the sun for 8-9 hours a day for the rates builders want to pay.

I think it particularly noticeable for people in certain states like mine (CA) and yours.

Something like 5% of Ca population is undocumented.

The vast majority are just trying to make a living, own property and businesses, pay taxes/rent/mortgages, have US citizen kids/married to US citizens, go to church, help out in the community etc.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

Wasn't Yankee also a derogatory term used by the Confederates for Northern Union solders during the civil war days?

There are shades of derogatory, but yeah that's where and when it started (I think), and many southerners still use it today, ranging from tongue in cheek derogatory to full fledged derogatory

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

I think it particularly noticeable for people in certain states like mine (CA) and yours.

Something like 5% of Ca population is undocumented.

The vast majority are just trying to make a living, own property and businesses, pay taxes, have US citizen kids/married to US citizens, go to church, help out in the community etc.

And here's where it gets crazy, and why so many of us say the "immigrant problem" is not one Trumpers bring up in good faith.

While good points have been made on these last couple pages about both the need for undocumented workers to keep the economy humming AND the need for some system to keep it from being full-scale open borders, many areas of the county see relatively few undocumented workers in their everyday lives.

Yet "immigration" is a big deal with them.

Why?

Because it's become a hot button issue fed to them by right wing media. Even though it hasn't, yet, impacted their lives negatively in any real sense. My parents live in a small to mid-size town between Pittsburgh and Cleveland and are terrified of all the migrants. I'd be surprised if they've ever come in contact with one

 

[Wizard]

There are entire sectors of the economy that would collapse without undocumented workers.

Construction is one.

Hospitality is another. Undocumented workers supply almost all of the non-client-facing labor, and a significant % of front-of-house staff, in hotels and restaurants.

Agriculture.

Even healthcare - hospitals have a small army of people doing the many tasks needed to support the delivery of services, many of whom are not on the books.

That doesn't mean that the border can be open. There has to be some process to limit entry, screen for (actual, not imagined) criminals, etc. And the asylum process should be streamlined and some serious (non-xenophobic) thought devoted to what makes a real asylum case.

But unfortunately I think the current equilibrium, where the Border Patrol plays endless games of catch-and-release to let in about the "right" number of undocumented persons to keep the economy running, and we more or less look the other way once they're here, might be the least-bad solution for everyone involved.

The pet industry would take a hammering as well given people wouldn’t have to replace their cats and dogs as often.

 

[Tommy.]

He's a white nationalist little freak with more than half a million followers on twitter alone.

Louis Theroux exposed him quite nicely to the UK a few years back.

Clearly some failed to pay attention.

 

[Wizard]

And here's where it gets crazy, and why so many of us say the "immigrant problem" is not one Trumpers bring up in good faith.

While good points have been made on these last couple pages about both the need for undocumented workers to keep the economy humming AND the need for some system to keep it from being full-scale open borders, many areas of the county see relatively few undocumented workers in their everyday lives.

Yet "immigration" is a big deal with them.

Why?

Because it's become a hot button issue fed to them by right wing media. Even though it hasn't, yet, impacted their lives negatively in any real sense. My parents live in a small to mid-size town between Pittsburgh and Cleveland and are terrified of all the migrants. I'd be surprised if they've ever come in contact with one

Same thing we have here in the UK. Look at the places that voted for Brexit and those that voted remain.

 

[TN Toffee]

And here's where it gets crazy, and why so many of us say the "immigrant problem" is not one Trumpers bring up in good faith.

While good points have been made on these last couple pages about both the need for undocumented workers to keep the economy humming AND the need for some system to keep it from being full-scale open borders, many areas of the county see relatively few undocumented workers in their everyday lives.

Yet "immigration" is a big deal with them.

Why?

Because it's become a hot button issue fed to them by right wing media. Even though it hasn't, yet, impacted their lives negatively in any real sense. My parents live in a small to mid-size town between Pittsburgh and Cleveland and are terrified of all the migrants. I'd be surprised if they've ever come in contact with oned

Exactly the same here in Eastern TN. It’s almost 3x as far to the nearest part of the southern border as it is to Canada. Yet EVERY SINGLE campaign ad I saw here mentioned immigrants “invading” the country. There’s no conceivable reason why the border should be anywhere near the top of the list of issues Tennesseans are concerned with.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Same thing we have here in the UK. Look at the places that voted for Brexit and those that voted remain.

It’s lapped up by people as they like to imagine a strata of folk that are beneath them on the social ladder.
Happens the world over.

 

[bluestevon]

Agree that how you measure an issue can affect the data even if the underlying data itself has not changed. An example is Trump saying we should stop testing for COVID to avoid the cases rising.

Trump suggests US slow virus testing to avoid bad statistics

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday he's asked his administration to slow down coronavirus testing because robust testing turns up too many cases of COVID-19.

apnews.com

Trump told supporters at his campaign rally that the U.S. has tested 25 million people, far more than any other country. The “bad part,” Trump said, is that widespread testing leads to logging more cases of the virus.“When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases,” Trump said. “So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please.’ They test and they test.”

But border funding has increased

https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Homeland%20Security%20FY24%20Bill%20Highlights.pdf

● Provides funding for more than 2,000 additional Border Patrol agents (bringing the total funded level to 22,000) and 150 new Port of Entry officers.

Happy to look at any other data on border crossings that you think reflects a recording issue rather than an actual drop.

I've never really looked into the data or it's sources LL, good response btw and thanks, I do remember now actually the Trump thing as it was a very unpolitical thing to say - but well he's not a politician so to be expected.

Honestly not sure what to make of the immigration stuff, not being there and not seeing it, it's so hard to judge from afar. Will bow to those who actually are/do.