The Great Philosopher…Sarah Palin?!

The Notion of Fact v. The Idea of Fiction: Once There Was a Politician, Now We See a Philosopher: Sarah Palin’s Immigration Solution

By Jimmy M.

     A few short weeks ago, and this problem is still lingering today, the New York Times reported the huge drug bust of a couple of cartels along the border between Texas and Mexico. As time has shown, immigrants have found and take these opportunities to make it to America and earn a better living. They bypass all the necessary requirements to become an official citizen, and therefore none of their salary goes into the Social Security system. Another benefit is that these immigrants, when hired, do not adhere to regular standard wages laws. Their jobs could last for 45 to even 55 hours a week in some rare and extreme cases. But why is this a big deal now? What makes it worth writing about? Well that can be answered by the statement Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin made regarding the problem. According to Palin, they are not America’s problem. These immigrants are not even a “problem” at all, for Palin believes that since they do not follow the standard procedures to obtain citizenship, they cannot be officially recognized as people, no matter what the circumstance. The immigrants have a sort of phantom condition, where local authorities are told to ignore or condone any crimes they may commit because they really aren’t here. What a great philosophical understanding Sarah Palin has, huh?  I guess as long as the police officers know that the immigrants aren’t thinking when they act, that they really don’t exist.

     I think Mrs. Palin’s best bet is to stick to what she knows best and that is anything immediately related to Alaska. I think a strong reform to challenge the problem of immigration in the United States is to create some sort of incentive, a long lasting benefit for the immigrants. But then that would raise the ire of many current citizens, so some sort of middle ground needs to be reached. It is imperative to have some sort of legal device to close the turbulent streams as it stands right now. The immigration problem is so complex and there are so many intricate weaves in this huge web, that somewhere along the line someone is going to get snubbed. For our politicians, you really can’t be afraid for snubbing someone just because you have to get things done. I wonder how ancient philosophers would view Sarah Palin’s advice. Would Socrates approve, because I am pretty sure Descartes does. Hopefully, Glenn Beck won’t follow in Sarah Palin’s footsteps. We can’t afford now for politicians to become islands unto themselves as Hemingway warned.