Amnesty

I'm impressed with this WSJ article and the author's take on illegal immigration and the distraction of the "amnesty" debate.

XY comment: While I'm right of center, I agree with that article. Having more open borders would alleviate the flow of illegal immigrants which is the long-term problem. However, I disagree with the idea that the illegal immigrants already in the country is a `self-correcting' problem. The fact remains that they circumvented the laws and rules of our country and that has to be dealt with. This is a belief in justice and the rule of law that is separate from economic arguments. Personally I'm not sure amnesty is the right solution and maybe there should be some penalty to illegally residing in the country. No - this is not a crime on the level of murder or fraud, but it remains a crime.

The Effectiveness of Foreign Aid

I keep meaning to read Jeffrey Sachs' The End of Poverty, William Easterly's White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill, and Paul Collier's The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It. Or other books that address the issue of international poverty and foreign aid. But I still haven't gotten around to it.

I still find the question interesting, though. Is foreign aid effective?

This WSJ article comes down on the Easterly side of things (arguing no). Jury's still out!