“Say No to Socialism”

In well-to-do middle class neighborhoods posters are appearing that indicate that the people are not familiar with Obama’s policy.

Obama’s honeymoon has been over for some time. Besieged by conservatives fearful of a social revolution, even be it democratic, Obama is waiting for the midterm elections that foresee a defeat that could have him losing his sparse majority in Congress. Republicans are all in, and although they do not have a singular visible leader, there are many spots they will compete for against the Democrats. Aside from the Congress, the elections for governor will be a model of what may be their attempt at re-election in 2012. The economy is not responding, and unemployment appears as if it was caused by Obama. No one recalls the ill-fated Bush days, the final ones, when the economy seemed to be collapsing along with General Motors.

The topic of immigration resurfaced with newer and more solid roots. Any solution in any direction, to take a firmer stance on immigration policy or to go after amnesty for millions upon millions, requires the participation of the Republicans and Democrats who are not convinced of Obama’s policy. That is without taking into account the Judiciary, who will have to decide various cases.

The SB 1070 law is causing threats of rebellion in various states attempting similar legislation. The participation of a considerable number of states, through their attorneys general, in the case and in favor of governor Brewer’s text, is an indicator that the local Republican leader is not alone. The attorney general of the state of Michigan, Mike Coz, a serious Republican candidate to the governorship of Michigan, was at the head of a legal proceeding in favor of the law. Accompanying him were Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia. The argument of state attorneys is that laws like the one in Arizona are essential, as they believe that the federal government has done nothing with regards to immigration, in which case it falls on the states to exert that authority.

Surveys show 60 percent of the population is in favor of the Arizona law. State rebellion against the federal government is nothing new in the political history of the United States. Conflicts between the authority of the federal government, and that of the states, take up many pages of judicial history. The Supreme Court has found in favor of the federal government and also in favor of the state. The coin remains in the air.

In the meantime, U.S. society is mobilizing in its own way. Posters with the warning “Say no to Socialism” are appearing on lawns in well-to-do middle-class communities. It indicates that those who are displaying them are not familiar with Obama’s policy and know even less about socialism. Nonetheless other more aggressive demonstrations have emerged.

In Utah, a state with territory that at one time belonged to Mexico, released a list of 1300 alleged illegal immigrants in which personal identifying information is given, with the aim that they be deported. The list contains names, social security numbers (essential for purposes of identification), date of birth, workplace, and telephone, names of children and likely delivery dates of pregnant women. The information, whose circulation is illegal and could constitute crimes, has immigrants terrified in this neighboring state to Arizona.

Legislators from Utah and many other states (Nevada, Texas, and Oklahoma among others) are preparing state laws regarding immigration, similar to Arizona’s, to be debated in their state’s congress.

The law SB1070 will become effective in a few days, unless judge Bolton, who is conducting the case, decides to suspend it.

Its effects will harm the lives of hundreds of thousands in Arizona.

It will also affect many families in Mexico, one more problem for the unwieldy national agenda. We know of no plan to confront this new eventuality.