Wednesday, January 17, 2007

A New European Guestworker Program?

Someone once said, "there is nothing more permanent than a temporary guest worker". The EU is now examining a a proposal for an African guest-worker program that would promote "circular migration", see the Christian Science Monitor article link. Would it work in Europe? Would it work in the U.S.? Germany had the infamous "Gastarbeiter" program which brought in many Turkish "guest workers" in the 1960s -- many of whom never left.
The United States also had a "guest worker" program called the Bracero program which brought in millions of Mexicans to fill the labor gap in the 1940s. The program ended in the 1960s. Many of the Bracero Mexicans also never returned to Mexico.
A U.S. guest worker program is currently being promoted by the Bush administration. Do you think it will work?

Monday, January 15, 2007

Waiver for a sylum seekers

Thankfully, the Bush administration has finally realized that its policies associated with the REAL ID act and asylum seekers -- specifically the issue of "providing material support to terrorists" were inhumane. It trapped asylum seekers who were coerced into providing material support to terrorists as well as others who were actually fighting repressive regimes.
There is still a lot of concern among human rights activists over the logistics of the waiver, when it will be implemented, who will qualify etc., but right now, it certainly is a step in the right direction.

War against Euphoria

  Hate Hope and Human Rights  At least that's what the addicts describe it as. In 2020 alone, an estimated 9.5 million Americans, just A...