So, apparently Biden is kinda understanding his approval is in the toilet in part over immigration and is trying to work out a bipartisan deal with the republicans to give them border concessions in exchange for funding for Ukraine and Israel. It did not pass, and is obstructed by the senate. *sigh*
So, first, my thoughts on this ideal. I like it. I would personally support it. A lot of people on the left are upset over this, think Biden is selling out on the border, and given how "woke" the democratic party is these days, I can see why. However, let's face it. I HONESTLY don't give a crap about immigration or border policy. Unless you either go too far left into open borders or giving welfare to illegals, or too far right into outright fascist BS like the AFD recently did in Germany, I'm pretty flexible on immigration. My ideal policy would be moderate, with me striking a deal to legalize those already here, while having more border protections and stuff like that to appease the right.
Honestly, I believe in triangulation on the issue. I believe that the left is losing big around the world, not just in the US, over this issue, and the left's self righteous dying on the hill of OMG WE NEED TO CARE ABOUT THE POOR IMMIGRANTS is backfiring and creating a right wing backlash that could lead to the rise of fascism in the 21st century. In the US, we're seeing this with the Trumper movement, combining some low key economic populism with immigration fears, and in Europe, we're seeing brexit and anti immigration sentiment leading to a wave of right wing parties rising. The left is tone deaf and out of touch. but because they're so entrenched with the social justice nonsense, they're failing to read the room, and they're heading toward getting clobbered electorally.
And I'm going to be honest, this is one of those issues I'm perfectly willing, within reason, to compromise with the right on. If it makes people happy, and preserves the left and allows them to focus on making progress elsewhere, I'm perfectly fine to give this one to the right. I don't care. Some self righteous woke people will say I'm throwing people under the bus and how could I, keep in mind, my own perspective is shaped by enlightened self interest, not raw empathy, and this idea...doesn't affect me much. And if anything I'm more inclined to be affected in ways that would drive me right, rather than left on this issue, so push comes to shove, yeah, I do have SOME right wing inclinations there. But at the same time I think the left makes valid arguments that immigration is mostly benign, and it's NOT the threat the right makes it out to be, so yeah, I am a bit of a passive leftie in practice.
IN all honesty, I don't care. Im perfectly willing to follow the American peoples' lead on this one and just go where the center of gravity is. And right now, that's on the right. And given how I myself have looked at Biden's numbers, I honestly believe that trying to strike a deal is the best thing Biden can do. He's getting KILLED on this issue. It's one of the key reasons he's down 5-6 points in the electoral college to Trump, and why he's looking at a 91% chance of losing in November. So yes, strike the deal, get it off the table, so we can actually get this guy reelected.
But that's the kicker. The GOP....which is stoking resentment on this issue in the first place, understands that if Biden makes this deal, the American people won't be angry about issue in November. And won't vote for them in November. So in typical republican fashion, they're trying to block it. Just like they do on everything. That's their whole strategy. Even if the left gives them what they want, they won't accept it, simply because a leftie offered it and it makes a leftie look good. Rather than get results, they'd rather keep using the issue as a bludgeon against Biden and act like Biden is bad on it, when it is they who are opposing it.
If anyone wonders why i normally hate triangulation and why i gave up trying to work with the GOP a long time ago, look no further. This is GOP strategy since 2011.
To be fair, it aint just the GOP. Some republicans (the moderates) voted for the bill. Meanwhile some progressive democrats also voted no, either because ermahgerd israel aid (seriously, Bernie?), or because they will die on this hill of immigration and can't read the room.
Honestly, it's cringe. Look, to call out my own camp on this, let me say this. I like the left's, including bernie's desire to stand on principle, but DO WE HAVE TO DO IT HERE?! God, lefties keep dying on the worst of hills lately, and it's pissing me off. Why arent yall doing this to get us healthcare or UBI or something? Why does it have to be israel or immigrants? (To be fair, the israel thing is increasingly unpopular on the left and Netanyahu is committing war crimes, i just ain't particularly motivated to take that stand as NOT publicly supporting Israel could give problematic signals to Israel's enemies that could blow up the conflict further).
Honestly, immigration is an issue where the right is killing us, and it makes sense to make a deal.
But at the same time, the GOP doesnt want a deal, they want to use the issue to push their own electoral message in november. So Biden is darned if he does, and darned if he doesn't. If he doesnt make a deal, he will lose because for some reason a lot of the country believes THIS is the big problem we are facing right now. But if he does make a deal, the GOP will just tank it and he will just lose credibility on his own side anyway. This is what killed Obama's presidency too. The GOP did this every year from 2011 on, and it stopped us from doing ANYTHING. Which is why, come 2016, I was just full on bernie and "who gives a crap what the GOP thinks, let's just push what we want while the hillbots were like "BuT wE NeEd CoMpRoMiSe!!!11!"
We can't compromise if the GOP won't play in good faith. So as much as I'd like to make a deal on this issue, we're stuck kinda entrenching into our own side because the GOP won't play ball on something they want in the first place. And then people wonder why political polarization is so bad. Gee. Maybe because this is how they conduct themselves?
But I digress. This is just a frustrating mess in general. I don't particularly care either way on this issue, so long as it doesnt affect me personally, and as long as we don't go to one of the two extremes, I just want to get it off of the table so we can move on to other stuff. I hate that we have to take time out of our day to try to address it, and then the GOP won't even advance something they wanted in the first place because they're too busy playing political games.
I hope Biden goes scorched earth pointing out the GOP's games, but he won't. He's more the type to take the blame himself for whatever reason, even though it's not politically advantageous for us at all. Ugh. I hate modern politics.
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