As I read this article it occurred to me that perhaps the USA could establish, with the permission and cooperation of the host country, advance registration centers or smaller ad hoc mission centers directly tied to the host country’s American Embassy where these travelers could interact with specialists in immigration matters before they arrive at the border.
That is an INCREDIBLY good idea--but it is also an admission of an intention to expand immigration and would be like blood to a shark to some Americans. We have a worldwide displacement problem. Solving the root problems would change the life of every first-world person. And my guess is that nobody wants to be less affluent and that few even ever understand that their wealth is IN PART the result of their privilege and was acquired by someone else's suffering.
Indeed you are correct. But does that mean it should not be attempted? At this point in time it seems to me that it is becoming necessary to ignore conventional wisdom and bring the battle to the enemy.
“DEEP, THOROUGH EDUCATION.” Is definitely needed, but as you point out the problem is one of perspective, and in order to create a common knowledge base for all people to understand and operate from it will be necessary to to eradicate the fixed epistemological mindsets that arguably produce the vast majority of our social ills and problems.
We can write and discuss these things all day long, but until education in America and by extension the world, assumes a uniformity of epistemological thought and practice we may as well be beating our fists against the wind.
I think the problem is that the only instruments of government that can effect early transit approval -- which would be GREAT, as you suggest -- are the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. And they are already doing that with the issuance of visas. Might that be expanded? Yes? But as soon as you try to make a significant change, people are all over you. This is a global, systemic problem, and it's possible the incredibly ineffectual U.N. might be the only body that could possibly handle it. And they won't. Even if they created a kind of CEDAW for immigration, member countries would just claim "exceptions on cultural grounds" and do nothing, as they did with women's rights in Egypt. Israel would still block immigrants from Muslim countries, for example. Myanmar would still throw out the Rohingyas. China would still ban Uighurs. And India would still be sending death squads to foreign countries to assassinate people. The only thing I can think of presently is DEEP, THOROUGH EDUCATION. But even then, this requires people to see the problem as a whole system, and that's a big, big leap. We're going to keep getting jerks who think an ugly, rusty wall is going to work -- or people who've completely lost touch with their humanity dumping megacoils of razor wire in the Rio Grande. Meanwhile, here I sit with a broken heart.
With regards to my proposal these ad hoc centers would not need to be full service immigration setups; no I am thinking more along the lines of places that would provide incoming travelers of all the various requirements and procedures that must be dealt with before arrival. I imagine that many of those who have been arrested or returned simply did not have the correct or necessary information about the whole process before they arrived at the border.
I was reading somewhere about how dependent the American side of things are upon an “App” designed for the travelers to use in the immigration process. It seems to me that someone is not thinking too clearly in that they have erroneously assumed that all of the incoming travelers are technically literate and use Apps as fluidly and naturally as first world citizens are accustomed to doing, especially by virtue of the fact that cellphone and app availability in America is a normal and expected part of our society.
What is typical and normal for Americans is not the same for less developed countries and individuals.
As I read this article it occurred to me that perhaps the USA could establish, with the permission and cooperation of the host country, advance registration centers or smaller ad hoc mission centers directly tied to the host country’s American Embassy where these travelers could interact with specialists in immigration matters before they arrive at the border.
That is an INCREDIBLY good idea--but it is also an admission of an intention to expand immigration and would be like blood to a shark to some Americans. We have a worldwide displacement problem. Solving the root problems would change the life of every first-world person. And my guess is that nobody wants to be less affluent and that few even ever understand that their wealth is IN PART the result of their privilege and was acquired by someone else's suffering.
Ps. I am warming up to get back to writing here now that I have had some time to clear my mind.
Indeed you are correct. But does that mean it should not be attempted? At this point in time it seems to me that it is becoming necessary to ignore conventional wisdom and bring the battle to the enemy.
“DEEP, THOROUGH EDUCATION.” Is definitely needed, but as you point out the problem is one of perspective, and in order to create a common knowledge base for all people to understand and operate from it will be necessary to to eradicate the fixed epistemological mindsets that arguably produce the vast majority of our social ills and problems.
We can write and discuss these things all day long, but until education in America and by extension the world, assumes a uniformity of epistemological thought and practice we may as well be beating our fists against the wind.
I think the problem is that the only instruments of government that can effect early transit approval -- which would be GREAT, as you suggest -- are the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. And they are already doing that with the issuance of visas. Might that be expanded? Yes? But as soon as you try to make a significant change, people are all over you. This is a global, systemic problem, and it's possible the incredibly ineffectual U.N. might be the only body that could possibly handle it. And they won't. Even if they created a kind of CEDAW for immigration, member countries would just claim "exceptions on cultural grounds" and do nothing, as they did with women's rights in Egypt. Israel would still block immigrants from Muslim countries, for example. Myanmar would still throw out the Rohingyas. China would still ban Uighurs. And India would still be sending death squads to foreign countries to assassinate people. The only thing I can think of presently is DEEP, THOROUGH EDUCATION. But even then, this requires people to see the problem as a whole system, and that's a big, big leap. We're going to keep getting jerks who think an ugly, rusty wall is going to work -- or people who've completely lost touch with their humanity dumping megacoils of razor wire in the Rio Grande. Meanwhile, here I sit with a broken heart.
With regards to my proposal these ad hoc centers would not need to be full service immigration setups; no I am thinking more along the lines of places that would provide incoming travelers of all the various requirements and procedures that must be dealt with before arrival. I imagine that many of those who have been arrested or returned simply did not have the correct or necessary information about the whole process before they arrived at the border.
I was reading somewhere about how dependent the American side of things are upon an “App” designed for the travelers to use in the immigration process. It seems to me that someone is not thinking too clearly in that they have erroneously assumed that all of the incoming travelers are technically literate and use Apps as fluidly and naturally as first world citizens are accustomed to doing, especially by virtue of the fact that cellphone and app availability in America is a normal and expected part of our society.
What is typical and normal for Americans is not the same for less developed countries and individuals.