I’ve been tracking for some years now the nature of political discourse in the republic. This video of Rivera-Malkin debate (here) provides valuable material. In the course of the debate that (at about 4:10 into the segment) Rivera forbids Malkin “invoking” 911 (at about 3:50 into the segment). This, after (at about 2:05 into the segment) “invoking” the treatment of Jews (e.g., the French, Spanish, British expulsions of Jews) at various times in history going back to Hamurabi. One wonders just why it is permissible for Rivera to “invoke” anti-semitism, but impermissible for Malkin to “invoke” the fact that some of the 911 terrorists were here illegally (which she did only in support of her overall argument that border security is a necessary component of national security.)

(It was unfortunate that Malkin employed a reference to Rivera’s suffering from “open borders narcisism”. That is ad hominem if I’ve ever heard it. Of course, that doesn’t alter the fact that Rivera tacitly asserted that those who want stricter border enforcement are racists. Yawn.)

P. S.

On the subject of the debate, Malkin says, in the second update to this posting, that the number of Mexican illegal guest workers in the U. S. (i.e., 12 million) amounts to 9% of Mexico’s population. I decided to check that because it seemed a little too high.

In reality the percentage is just a little higher. Mexico’s present estimated population is 108,700,891. (A figure I double checked at the CIA World Factbook, for whatever that’s worth.) Actually, then, 11% of Mexico’s population is here. And Rivera wants to accuse Malkin and her ilk of wanting a population transfer.

By comparison if the same percentage of the U. S. population (estimated to be in July about 301,139,947) were in Mexico, Mexicans would be dealing with 33 million of us. Having wanted, at one time in my life, to emigrate “back” to Mexico, I’m somewhat familiar with Mexican immigration law. I doubt the Mexicans would be debating what to do with 33 million gringos in their midst.

Actually, I’m certain of it. In the best of circumstances you would not want to have an interaction with the Mexican police over a traffic violation. You darn sure don’t want to be there illegally.