A Little Reality on Immigration

By David Brooks

Feb. 19, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/19/opinion/a-little-reality-on-immigration.html?comments&_r=0#permid=17628223

It is interesting, that the token Conservatives on the NYT blogosphere seem just as frustrated by the hardening of the (brain) arteries we are seeing in the GOP today. Both Douthat and Brooks oftem write columns, which correctly describe the current dogmatic positions of the GOP as completely insane. One almost has to feel sorry for them.

This analysis of GOP immigration "policy" is correct in that it shows that the GOP's position is completely nonsensical, but it misses the essential point that Conservative positions in general float in a "fact free" universe, where either ignorance or purposeful falsifications rule the discussion. This is true of immigration, of climate change, of their tax policies, and the list goes on and on.

Aside from the dogmatic ignorance of many politicians, I blame the media to a large extent for the persistence of these fact free polical discussions. In the insane media policy of "fair and unbiased", which is interpreted to mean that journalists never challenge patently rediculous statements by politicians, the public is left holding the bag when a politician makes rediculous assertions about immigration, climate change, taxes, etc. The "after the fact" fact checks which are oftem made are too little too late. Journalists should be prepared to challenge statements made during interviews with hard facts, and not let them weasel out with canned political statements. Of course that would take courage and hard work in preparing for interviews...