[lbo-talk] Dean Baker on immigration

Wendy Lyon wendy.lyon at gmail.com
Tue Apr 18 11:48:25 PDT 2006


On 4/18/06, Marta Russell <ap888 at lafn.org> wrote:


> Xenophobia is a fear or contempt for strangers. I do not have any
> fear or contempt for the immigrants that live around me.

There is fear and contempt running all through your posts on this subject. Fear of a future in which you will have to survive on pathetically low benefits (for which you wrongly blame immigrants, as if benefits in states with low immigrant populations are any better). Contempt for people you describe as "working the system". It doesn't really matter whether you think this meets the definition of xenophobia ... it's certainly quacking like a duck.


> I want to be able to communicate with them.

Well, maybe they don't want to communicate with you. If they do, they will learn how to. If they don't, what gives you the right to demand that they should?


> English is the dominate language in California.

And presumably you know why that is the case. It's very bizarre hearing the "might makes right" argument on a leftist list though.


> Go ask the
> Russians and Persians to learn to speak Spanish or a Native American
> language. They will look at you like you are crazy.

I suppose it depends where you are. There are certainly parts of California where knowing Spanish would be an advantage.



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