by Stanley W. Shura

Created on: February 08, 2008   Last Updated: November 02, 2009

There is only one way to solve, and solve permanently, the "immigration problem" - whether it is to or from the United States of America, or anywhere else in the entire world. The only permanent, workable, beneficial, and fair way to solve this problem, is to remove the concept of immigration from public policy, and the word from the vocabulary of society at large.

"Absurd!", you may say. "That's not dealing with it, that's denying it!", you perhaps plea. What I am suggesting is to apply the same theory and practice that makes capitalism work - at least, work for the most part - to the condition of what is now called "foreign policy". In economics, there are natural forces that keep things in balance. The chief weight and counterweight are supply and demand. When we want something, somebody will provide it. When there is a need, there will emerge a person or product or service to fill that need. There is even some fortune cookie wisdom not just in the United States, but around the world, that seems to bear witness to the fact that this notion has been a part of the public discussion and culture for many generations. We have most of us, undoubtedly, heard the expression "necessity is the mother of invention", right? It's a little pithy, I know, but there is merit to it, and I cite it here to argue that there are cultural, aesthetic, linguistic, familial, political, ideological, and plain old logistical factors that are ultimately far more influential than any immigration policy, and in effect make it obsolete. At least, it should.

I am going to cite an equally quaint, but, as I hope to demonstrate, a much bolder declaration with which the majority of us are probably initiated: "If you build it, they will come!". Now what the hell is that doing in a piece about immigration policy? Well, I was just arguing that humanity, and human nature tends to find a way to profit from our fellow's need. I am taking that a step further to say that sometimes - SOMETIMES - the supply can determine, or at least influence, the demand. That applies to my notion of natural forces in "foreign policy" by means of commercial attraction and/or repulsion. Again, logistics often compel a person to stay stuck where he or she is - but I am referring to the *movement* of people across oceans and borders that has somehow either defied the logistics of economic or physical limitation, or else not had those problems to solve anyway.

America was borne of type A, industrious, risk-taking people,

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