Focusing on the cultural, political and economic long-term consequences of President Obama’s amnesty executive action obscures placing attention on a more fundamental problem lurking in the shadows of American culture and politics. That problem can best be described as political cowardness. The primary source of this pathetic state of affairs stems from the socialization of the American people regarding race.
Regarding Obama’s amnesty actions, Former US Attorney General Eric Holder provides a window through which we can view why Obama will ultimately prevail on amnesty.
In 2009 speech to Justice Department employees, Holder stated, “Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and I believe continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.” Holder’s statement is revealing for two reason. First, he was stating a truism. No need to elaborate here. For you doubters utter any politically incorrect racial slur at your place of employment and as you find yourself in the unemployment line you might appreciate the veracity of Holder’s claim. Second, and more importantly, it reveals the modus operandi of the ruling class’ amnesty policies.
There’s no question that Holder is a full-fledged member of the ruling class, as evidenced by his elevation to and transition from public office to a prestigious Wall Street firm. Moreover, it’s safe to assume that his “nation of cowards” view is shared by the bulk of the ruling class. This does not mean that the ruling class is necessarily united behind Holder’s views. But those dissenter within the ruling class have been mostly silenced by the charge that criticism of Obama and his policies are motivated by racial animus, not only towards Obama but the Latino targets of amnesty.
It’s also obvious that the ruling class has a subject class to rule over. That in and of itself is highly problematical. Nevertheless, the crux of the problem regarding illegal immigration/amnesty is that because the ruling class is of the opinion that Americans are cowards regarding race, race will be used as the hammer to pound the subject class and its few spokespersons in the halls of power into submission.
In a functioning federative republic, the response to Obama’s unconstitutional amnesty actions would include impeachment and/or the States exercising their constitutional prerogatives, such as interposition, secession, constitutional convention, etc. [I consider lawsuits filed in US Courts to be disingenuous.]
But the American people and their respective States will go along to get along. And the US Congress will make conciliatory gestures to Obama, meeting him more than halfway. In their calculations it’s better to add more links to the chains of submission than to be called racists.
In spite of the hue and cry from some Republicans, Obama’s amnesty is here to stay. To borrow from C. S. Lewis’s 1943 The Abolition of Man, “. . . such is the tragi-comedy of our situation — we continue to clamour for those very qualities we are rendering impossible. . . .We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.”
