30 Comments

• DennisQ | Jul 20, 2010, 06:38 AM EDT

  Incidentally, there isn't any subsidy of foreigners - that's just an accounting convention whereby government costs are allocated to segments of the population served. That kind of accounting is useful in private industry as a basis of production decisions. Since nobody is seriously considering denying the American-born children of undocumented workers an education in American schools, it's really pointless to "allocate" these costs the way the anti-immigrationists advocate. The larger point is the facile - and bigoted - assumption that undocumented workers contribute nothing to America; presumably they just sit around and loaf. That's not true either. We need reasonable regulation of immigration; we don't have that now. Many of the criticisms of the current situation are entirely the result of the absurd stringency of America's immigration policies. Fix those policies, and the associated problems go away.

• Conjoly | Jul 19, 2010, 08:23 AM EDT

  er... lostgold which century do you think you're in? '...A nation of exiled food suppliers' !!??

• DennisQ | Jul 19, 2010, 07:40 AM EDT

  There was never a time when Irish immigrants were welcome here. They came anyhow and were greeted with No Irish Need Apply signs. I don't expect anyone will be deterred that Mayor Bloomberg won't be heading up any Failte committee. Here's what's going to happen when these people come here. They are going to knock on doors to find work, and they'll find it. In fact, American employers will be pleased that they can get a day's work for a day's pay out of these unsophisticated foreigners. The real reason immigrants don't get deported is that Americans don't want them deported. Sure, the right wingers squawk about foreigners taking over our country, but they've squawked about that for centuries. Nobody really pays them any mind, and that won't change until the immigrant Irish stop giving a day's work for a day's pay. That hasn't happened in several hundred years, and it's not going to start happening now.

• Ajreaper | Jul 18, 2010, 06:05 PM EDT

  So woundedknee you actually believe it's "normal" for people to just hate large groups of people they do not know? There is nothing at all normal about that, in fact it leads to very abnormal behavior and anti social behavior (suicide bombers and acts of terrorism for example). The overwhelming majority of people do not think or believe that. As to telling me what I experienced, saw or heard- please just let that be that's completely silly for you to attempt to tell me what I REALLY saw, heard or experienced.

• MaryM232 | Jul 18, 2010, 10:46 AM EDT

  New York might still be subsidizing it's Mexican illegals, but it can't afford to do so much longer, the city is close to bankruptcy. The gravy train is over, and the city's Irish spongers will soon come to see that they aren't welcome, and no, it's not just a matter of shuffling off to Boston or anywhere else. I mentioned this article's premise to friends and got the word out, and the response was, well, to put it in a general manner as possible, was essentially the Irish who tried this wouldn't find much of a reception, in fact it was downright hostile and that's from the minority communities who are already at each others throats. One respondent even suggested a move to paint Ireland as racist for not opening their country up to hundreds of thousands of illegal Mexicans, and their families who could soon follow. Seriously, if Mexicans can afford to pay a coyote, they could afford one way tickets to Ireland and it's generous social services. I think that's a generally worthwhile thing to encourage, after all there aren't enough Irish to do all the jobs Mexicans would be happy to do, and for much cheaper wages as the social service programs in Ireland would subsidize them, affording them a better quality of life than in their home countries. And it would afford Ireland the diversity it so sorely lacks, and you'd have the Mexicans demanding grants to open taco dives.

• MaryM232 | Jul 18, 2010, 10:15 AM EDT

  WoundedKnee, your choosing that username is disrespectful to the indigenous of the US, and illustrates how those like you treat them as little more than something cheap to exploit. As a woman who is half indigenous, you need to change to something else, preferably that would give offense to your own.

• WoundedKnee | Jul 18, 2010, 07:37 AM EDT

  Ajreaper: "As to "many Irish" disliking the dispora I think that is a gross generalization- why hate a group of people you do not know" ---- Shows how naive you are, Ajreaper. You know nothing of human nature. I suspect you didn't have the antenna to pick up the snide remarks about "Yanks" (what a stupid word) that you heard but missed in ireland. It is very common for people to hate groups they don't know. And of course in the case of the irish, because they are immersed in American movies and TV shows, most of them think they know more about America than we do, even if they have never set foot outside Cahirciveen.

• Ajreaper | Jul 17, 2010, 06:33 PM EDT

  Immigration brings in those who will best fit the jobs that are available- Americans can get their fair share of entry level jobs in the U.S. why leave your country to aquire the same? As to "many Irish" disliking the dispora I think that is a gross generalization- why hate a group of people you do not know? They dislike rude, obnoxious, or pushy people- I am very certain many Irish who live in areas visited often by tourist have a few horror stories to tell about such people. While in Ireland I never felt anyone ever thought poorly of me because I was an American but then again I did not treat them poorly or behave like an ass.

• WoundedKnee | Jul 17, 2010, 11:19 AM EDT

  lostgold: You have a good idea there. There has been some thought in ireland of trying to attract immigration not from people who know nothing about the country and care less--say Poles, Lithuanians, Pakistanis, Nigerians etc.--but rather from people of Irish ancestry who have preserved an interest in their heritage. These could be Americans, English, Argentinians, Australians etc. But you should realize that many Irish people despise the Irish diaspora and lose no oppoprtunity to sneer at it, even while hoping that they can make a buck out of Irish-American tourists.

• AmAncINED | Jul 17, 2010, 09:30 AM EDT

  Dennis Q, you're right about trying to sound like an American. We have so many different accents and can tell when someone is trying to speak American English. In the film, "From Paris With Love," any American could tell who was the native born American - Travolta or Jonathan Rhys Meyers - just by listening to them. Travolta all the way. JRM gave it a good try, "but no cigar."

• DennisQ | Jul 17, 2010, 08:02 AM EDT

  Here's a piece of advice for Irish who come here illegally. Don't mimic what you think American English sounds like, thinking it will help you blend in. It won't. You might fool an odd one here and there, but most Americans will get suspicious if you mix and match pieces of different American accents. There's a big difference between how American English sounds to an American and how it sounds to an Irish person. You're better off letting your speech naturally pick up the flavor of the locality.

• GeorgeDillon | Jul 16, 2010, 09:24 PM EDT

  chester.michals--you make a good point. It is much easier to settle in Ireland now if you are a Latvian, Pakistani, Russian or Indian than if you are an American. You may have Irish blood, you may have gone to the trouble to study Ireland's history and heritage, you may be a fluent Gaelic speaker, but you have less right to walk thru Immigration in Dublin than someone from Lithuania or wherever who thinks he's arriving in England. That's why Irish Americans should not be taken in by bogus appeals for solidarity from ireland now that that country is broke.

• McNabb1966 | Jul 16, 2010, 07:32 PM EDT

  The Obama administration has no interest in promoting Irish immigration to this country, nor do the Hispanics who control the issue. In fact, anytime the Irish attempt to get involved, the Hispanics begin crying about "special preference" based on "racial" bias.

• lostgold | Jul 16, 2010, 12:03 PM EDT

  I think the idea of anymore Irish immigration anywhere is absurd. Its time for the Irish to start immigrating back to Ireland and reverse the population bleeding of centuries. Its time for all Irish organizations truly interested in Irelands fate to form a group similar to the Zionists in Israel to make that country come to life again and not have it be an immigration dump that exports its children on the world market while people from east Europe,Asia and Africa pour into replace them. Irelands name Erin definitely comes from a word closely related to Aryan of the Hindu Vedas and to the name Iran of that modern nation.Its time for Ireland to go back to its ancient roots and develop its naturally great harbors and not become a nation of exiled food suppliers headquartered in New York. A nation of exiled food suppliers til they intermarry with other stocks both abroad and at home and cease to be a people at all.

• chester.michals | Jul 16, 2010, 11:58 AM EDT

  i think that all irish should stick together. and should settle and make there own neighborhoods all across the usa. furhter more for any american irish who wish a second home in ireland or to move to ireland should be easier than it is preasently.the irish federal government is to strict on visa requirements educational requirements. if your irish american your irish catagorie.if you wish to return to the old countrie of your ancestors you should be able to. futher more the us citizens should have presidents as good or better than european union countries.why, i'll anser my own question the political achievements of irish americans.concerning the troubles in the past the peace process itself. and lets not forget the blood contubution on both sides of things irish.the ties are there lets keep them in the usa. neiborhoods and for gods sake lets keep the american irish comming back to ireland. the natives need to partner up with the american irish. let us immigrate back if nessicary. thanks for your taking the time to listen. sincerly chester e. michals jr.

• Monsoonman | Jul 16, 2010, 10:18 AM EDT

  America is fast becoming a service sector economy, the root for service is serf.

• AmAncINED | Jul 16, 2010, 09:42 AM EDT

  There are other cities in the U.S. to emigrate to besides NYC, just saying. They may not be as big, but they still have a lot to offer. As to NYC, ok to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. Not everyone in the U.S. thinks the "world revolves around NYC." Btw, Chicago has a sizable Irish-American population. Tons of Irish-Americans in the Midwest.

• BrendanPKeane | Jul 16, 2010, 09:29 AM EDT

  Marx describes the coming of an inevitable communist state. First, he thought, a society would have to "evolve" from hunting to agriculture to feudalism to industrial capitalism and then finally paradise under communism. He failed to understand that the capitalists would buy the communist avant garde and use the politboro to control the people for their benefit. Communism is a modern form of feudalism that replaces the lord in his castle with a communist party and their members. But this is besides the point.

• MikeyMurphs | Jul 16, 2010, 09:26 AM EDT

  Another Woodlawn sounds good to me!

• DennisQ | Jul 16, 2010, 07:25 AM EDT

  IAP, you know very little about New York. The current Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is a Republican and a conservative. The Mayor before him was Rudy Giuliani, who is certainly not a liberal. You are thinking perhaps of John Lindsay's New York, but that was forty years ago. Incidentally, the Irish who come to New York will be welcome by the only measure that matters - their ability to find work. New Yorkers are not small-minded. Start spreading the news.

• IrishAndProud | Jul 16, 2010, 02:44 AM EDT

  Uh, Brendan...where do you see, hear or read that Karl Marx ever promoted capitalism, in any form whatsoever? This is the author of the Communist Manifesto, remember...'workers of the world unite,' etc...it would seem he preached the supposed ANTITHESIS of capitalism. And...the only time he ever spoke of 'opiate' was in reference to RELIGION, not capitalism (he said 'Religion is the opiate of the people").

• IrishAndProud | Jul 16, 2010, 02:39 AM EDT

  Conjoly, this 'they' you're talking about...are you referring to liberals (20% of the American populace, according to Gallup) or majority conservatives? And...what sources do you get YOUR info from? Oh, and aj...you're right, all things change...including when conservatives take control of the U.S. Congress. Now, assuming that happens this coming November (as all indicators seem to point to), do you accept this as the change you mention? Or, are you going to take a big risk and dismiss such a thing as impossible?

• BrendanPKeane | Jul 16, 2010, 01:12 AM EDT

  Karl Marx would not be interested in saving our national industry. Karl Marx would see the off-shoring of American industry to China as a plus. He wanted feudal societies to get tooled with and evolve into late forms of capitalism, which he envisioned falling away with revolutionary war to reveal a world utopian super state. That vision makes me shudder in horror. I believe in Consitutional democracy and the rights of self-determination for nations. Marx would accuse me of false consciousness. He was delusional to think that feudalism would not follow super capitalism, because the capitalists have learned how to opiate the masses permanently using TV, food chemicals and popular psychology.

• Conjoly | Jul 16, 2010, 01:11 AM EDT

  Ajreaper, don't worry, they spend their time commenting on inane articles on the net... reality would only complicate their world view.

• Ajreaper | Jul 16, 2010, 01:06 AM EDT

  Good lord some of you are completely disconnected with reality it's scary. All things change and evolve over time to include cities and where people live and work- it's absolutely normal and it's not a liberal or a conservative thing it's called change and it's here to stay.

• IrishAndProud | Jul 15, 2010, 08:39 PM EDT

  Brendan, could you please explain to us what difference there is between what you say and what Karl Marx said?

• BrendanPKeane | Jul 15, 2010, 07:02 PM EDT

  Bless your heart WoundedKnee, that's the last thing I want to see happen.

• WoundedKnee | Jul 15, 2010, 05:00 PM EDT

  This guy wants the irish to abandon Ireland so that the Poles, Pakistanis etc. can take it over.

• BrendanPKeane | Jul 15, 2010, 03:21 PM EDT

  The cities went to crap because the Establishment de-tooled the cities. The Establishment sent the factories overseas. When the factories left, the jobs left. There was no industry to pick up the urban working class. The liberals that took office in the 60s and 70s were left with the impossible--a city of unemployed, a city without an economy. They spent and created a socialist safety net to accompany the prison system. Liberals are, however, the ones that gave the middle class a start by giving them collective power of negotiation with the boss man. The culprit for the destruction of the American city are the owners of the factories that stole our national industry and put it in other developing and more obedient (less unionized, less liberal) societies.

• IrishAndProud | Jul 15, 2010, 03:01 PM EDT

  Yes...let the Irish emigrate to the Big Apple. Maybe they'd bring some conservative common-sense to that increasingly isolated, non-mainstream, embarrassing, (not to mention bankrupt) hole. And it's only bankrupt because liberals have been running it for generations (like every major such city in the USA).