The League of Nations, Mars and the INS

What I know is this: the League of Nations was formally established on this day 84 years ago. Also, this week Bush announced a new goal for the US space programs: a manned mission to Mars. And, Bush also came forth with a proposal that would legalize the status of illegal immigrants in the US.

The immigration thing has application to the many millions who are filling such exciting jobs as picking thornberries, scrubbing floors, and washing dishes. We all know why Bush is willing to pursue it. There’s the southern vote. And, his buddies who hire countless illegal aliens want to be able to run for office without being exposed for having a nanny who speaks no English. And, no American worker wants to pick thornberries. Nor, for that matter, to wash dishes, especially under the hostile stare of waiters who resent having to share tips with guys blasting hot water on pans freshly burnt by slivers of foie gras (this I know for sure from my moments at L’Etoile). And of course, there’s that other reason called administrative efficiency: currently, there is no easy way to deport millions of illegal aliens. INS tried to do it by developing a bureaucracy that would be so tangled that everyone would lose track of what was happening, but in the end it lost track of things as well and so now dazed agents stare mindlessly at meaningless documents while the nation waits. It is very embarrassing.

There are many positive things to be said for legalizing illegal aliens: amnesty in general makes one think of forgiveness and a willingness to admit to our mutual mistakes before we all tally forth and move on. Of course, there are troubling aspects as well, and I should link to those commentators who question everything from implementation, to the feasibility, the fairness, and the intangible nature of benefits, but I am too lazy, and it is Saturday, and Ca has begun the packing rituals (leaving tomorrow). So for now, let’s concentrate on the positives.

The thing is, I can understand that there would indeed be a back and forth on the complicated topic of immigration. What I cannot see is where we would have room for even a remote back and forth on Mars. Where is the "forth"?

Maybe it’s like when you take a course in college and in the middle of the semester you are so behind that you just cannot keep up, and you don’t get what the professor is saying, and you hate your classmates because they all seem to get it, and you just want to drop it and move on, and you do, and it is all such a relief then. Could it be that Bush, having been recently characterized as incapable of showing any intelligent signs of life during Cabinet meetings (possibly being tired from his morning run), having an economy on his hands that refuses to produce new jobs (yesterday’s story), not wishing to look forward to a debate with Dean or Clark or Lieberman nor any of the others whose names, BTW he probably cannot pronounce, could it be that he just wants to chuck it all and take on Mars? He’s never worried about the cost of personal travel before, why should he now?

I think it’ll add new excitement to the currently tired observation: “we can send a man to the moon, but we cannot cure the common cold!” Let’s give it a try: “we can send a man to Mars (ed. note: the press refers to the manned mission, so I assume we’re sending a guy), but we cannot ensure health care for all…”

About the League of Nations – I just wanted to put in a good word for an attempt at unity. And, I feel obliged to say something that everyone hasn’t already read elsewhere. I bet no one knew about the League of Nations anniversary.