Comments on: Jacoby and the Path to Citizenship

By: Zev Mo Bloggin’ » Blog Archive » John McCain’s War Cabinet

Zev Mo Bloggin’ » Blog Archive » John McCain’s War Cabinet — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:27:56 +0000

[…] BACKGROUND: A former Wall Street Journal editor and currentsenior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Boot advocates an imperial role for the United States similar to the British Empire. Believes that the United States needs a “colonial office” inspired by the British system in India in order to better fulfill its role of transforming the world. Advocate of a sort of foreign legion wherein immigrants and other non-citizens would receive citizenship in exchange for U.S. military service. […]

By: Wonk Room » Blog Archive » John McCain’s War Cabinet

Wonk Room » Blog Archive » John McCain’s War Cabinet — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:36:15 +0000

[…] BACKGROUND: A former Wall Street Journal editor and current senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Boot advocates an imperial role for the United States similar to the British Empire. Believes that the United States needs a “colonial office” inspired by the British system in India in order to better fulfill its role of transforming the world. Advocate of a sort of foreign legion wherein immigrants and other non-citizens would receive citizenship in exchange for U.S. military service. […]

By: Jim Bolton

Jim Bolton — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:19:56 +0000

This is a marvelous idea. Have illegal immigrants (or, I guess, people who haven’t ever even been in the country before) fighting to defend the rights here. Rights like entering the country any time you like without paying attention to the law, being employed in violation of the law, working without paying taxes, driving without licenses, registrations or insurance. The right to have your children clothed, educated, and fed by other people. Excellent. “Otherwise law abiding” indeed. Legal immigrants with green cards are certainly welcome. The rest is a very bad idea. A marine recruting station in Mexico City perhaps ? Just wonderful. Mayeb we could set up a boot camp in Cancun.

By: Lugo

Lugo — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:10:22 +0000

Max, you need to read up on the barbarisation of the late Roman Army. Barbarian recruits had no real loyalty to Rome and were happy to betray her interests whenever expedient. Further, the spread of barbarian customs and culture military led to a decline in traditional discipline, and internal army disunity due to friction between Romans and barbarians. Ultimately, the army degenerated into just a collection of foreign mercenary bands that were incapable of defending the empire effectively.

The United States has never had reason to doubt the loyalty of its military forces, and thus some people seem to think that the loyalty of the legions can never be doubted. I can think of no better way to introduce such doubt than to bring in a large influx of foreigners. A nation that cannot or will not raise an army of its own citizens is doomed, and deserves its doom.

By: Vladimir Dorta

Vladimir Dorta — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:56:55 +0000

So is this another type of “work Americans won’t do”?

By: Constantine Kipnis

Constantine Kipnis — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:28:09 +0000

I think that green card holders should be granted citizenship the moment they are inducted into the Armed Forces. Illegal aliens, on the other hand, may find this incentive to be too powerful to resist and we might be looking at a huge influx triggered by such a policy change. Given that the illegal alien population tends to be undereducated and cannot boast of high English proficiency, the net gain to this country seems to be negligible compared to the downside.

By: Michael J. Totten

Michael J. Totten — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:10:19 +0000

Agreed, Max, it’s a terrific idea. I know many Iraqis who would love to be Marines even if it would not get them citizenship. Why not let illegal Mexican immigrants join if they are qualified and otherwise law-abiding? Those who don’t make the cut could be sent back to Mexico.

By: Herschel Smith

Herschel Smith — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:54:53 +0000

Mr. Boot,

Gaining citizenship through military service is already possible, as is joining the service only with a green card. Your suggestion here (not even a green card required) is fairly draconian. But I have a better idea. Let’s increase the pay of members of the armed forces. I propose an across the board 30% increase, but if not across the board, at least in the enlisted ranks.

It’s (service) sure to be more attractive, but it would mean that the U.S. population would have to be serious about self defense. I’m not sure that this assumption is true, so I doubt that it will happen. Hence, we’re back to trying to rig the process.

By: Seth Halpern

Seth Halpern — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:40:34 +0000

Jon S., he will attack us as nativists and rub Maverick in our faces because he’s running interference for the open-borders crowd. If he weren’t, he’d be sensible enough to claim simply that a US “foreign legion” both obviates a military draft and is an acceptable mechanism for assimilation, and then get off the soapbox. Obiter dicta duly noted, Max, but stay away from juries.

By: Grumpy Old Man

Grumpy Old Man — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:07:36 +0000

Fill the legions up with Goths.

Great idea.

By: Jon S.

Jon S. — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:58:31 +0000

Max: the nativists may well object, but please stop implying those concerned with illegal immigration are necessarily nativists. I’m all for legal immigration and I support in principle the idea Jeff Jacoby is pushing (although I wonder about background checks and educational levels, but I suppose these are manageable issues), even if I have a problem with McCain’s stand on amnesty. And I support McCain without reservations, even if he wasn’t my first choice and despite my various policy differences with him.

By: David Thomson

David Thomson — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:02:45 +0000

This is an excellent idea. We should seriously consider doing this as quickly as possible.

By: Richard F.

Richard F. — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:24:00 +0000

This is how our family got over here. Great Uncle Charles, a bona fide communist, arrived here in the 1890s. Within a few years, his eyes opened and he joined the U.S. Army. He stayed in for 25 years, fought everywhere from the Philippines to Mexico and WWI, then retired. By that time he had earned US citizenship, learned the language, the country, and even more important, great love for this country. He had saved enough money to bring his parents and sibs over from Poland just before Congress closed the door in 1924.

It was said that whatever the public occasion, he would always say prayer thanking G-d for the U.S. Army.