[lbo-talk] Re: Dean Baker on immigration

[ravi]

At around 19/4/06 6:55 pm, John Adams wrote:
>> You will not find coverage of disability rights by leftist
>> publications all
>> through out the times of our struggle, yet you are all willing to jump up
>> and shout for the rights of illegal immigrants.
> 
> This is the nub of it, isn't it? It's Marta's belief in the truth of the
> first statement--and she's got a point--that activates the sentiments of
> the second statement.
> 
> That doesn't make it right--that second statement, it's wrong, it's
> xenophobic, it's counter-productive--but when the left appears to bypass
> one group which deserves our support in order to support another, it's
> understandable when members of that group see that (possibly correctly,
> too) as discrimination against them.
> 

I see your point, but if we are to go down this route: At least 6
billion disabled people (or undocumented workers) aren't being tortured,
killed and eaten by humans, including most leftists, every year. Hell,
half of them won't even recognize what I am talking about and the rest
won't even consider it a legitimate issue.

In case it isn't obvious: not only am I using hyperbole, but also, I do
not even think of such description as I use above a valid presentation
of the cause I favour.

I think most leftists do support various notions that support disabled
people:

1. Universal healthcare
2. Basic welfare
3. Opposition to all forms of vulgar Darwinism
4. Support for state sponsored medical research
5. Accessibility laws, technologies, etc
6. Non-discrimination on the basis of physio/psychological issues

and so on.

The problem is not that we (leftists) favour "illegal immigrants" over
disabled people. The problem is that we do not do a lot about it, in
either case. After all it was the immigrants themselves who marched in
the 100s of thousands a few weeks ago.

	--ravi