Italian Minister says let navy shoot at immigrants

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by Faceman: Oh, And you Americans are damn lucky the Indians did not have a navy!

We are lucky. The Indians were highly territorial, and most tribes would kill or capture those trekking across their land. There was a whole Indian/pioneer mixed culture in the American Northwest, and early trappers and traders would wear very intricate little signs on their coats to identify who they were friends with.

[khazadman]

That might make the invaders think twice about entering Italy.

[sylent]

With the globalised communication that the internet enables, I foolishly thought that people might realise that we're all the same.
Seems in some ways its just further increasing the gap.
Reminds me of a time not so long ago when my good friend John Howard refused to allow a boatload of "illegals" (on the Tampa) in to "our shores".... And soooo many people just agreed with it... while these people were sick from malnutrition.
some people just don't give a f**k.
And those that do are so close to helpless that it doesn't even seem worthwhile trying.

[Timber Loftis]

Sylent, if those are the Haitian refugees you're referring to, of which there have been many boatloads, they were refugeed at Guantanamo Bay so they just didn't get plopped straight home.

There's a point: Cubans that make it to land get to stay, those that get picked up in the water get sent back (that's the result of a Treaty with Cuba and our policy that we don't deport to Cuba), while Haitians all get sent back. Is there any indicator here that we frown less on lighter-skinned latin immigrants? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

Anyway, let's assume people are all born equal (which, they obviously aren't, but it makes a workable legal fiction). Still, ALL PLACES ARE NOT EQUAL. And, we can't all run from the bad parts of the planet to the good ones -- lest they suffer a fate of overcrowding and poverty (and, in turn become one more bad place).

Final note: the US allows legal immigration, y'know. There's nothing wrong with the government acting as a faucet control to the stream of immigration. Remember the often-meaningless catch phrase "sustainable growth and development."

[ 06-17-2003, 09:43 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

[johnny]

Yeah, but it takes a lot of paperwork, and most countries where the refugees are running from, don't exactly have a very cooperative government. That's why they pay all their savings to some wise guy, and prefer to get dumped on one of the beaches, instead of taking the legal path.

Just out of curiosity....

Does any nation have the right to control who does and who does not come into said nation?

Does any nation have the right to defend it's borders from people seeking to cross them illegally?

Even if they are "unarmed" can they be considered "innocent" if they are breaking the laws?

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by johnny: Yeah, but it takes a lot of paperwork, and most countries where the refugees are running from, don't exactly have a very cooperative government. That's why they pay all their savings to some wise guy, and prefer to get dumped on one of the beaches, instead of taking the legal path.

Not to mention the fact that if you are from China and do not have immediate relatives living in the US (and you aren't Yao or some other really talented or educated person), you haven't a snowball's chance in hell of immigrating in the next 25 years. Now, the story changes if you're from Germany or Australia, of course.

[pritchke]

"Whether the government's allies agree or not, I want to hear the sound of the cannons by the end of the week or I'm off," he said.

Off of Italy?

I wonder were he will immigrate too, and what country would have him?

[Iron_Ranger]

I have to wonder...What would be the reaction if America seriously consider the policy?

I think we would get a far more upset reaction then we are seeing here.

[Harkoliar]

well.. i can honestly sympatize both Itay PM and human rights.. for the PM, it is like people invading his homeland and his home with forign people.. i mean who would want people living in your home land, your ancestry, and those people bringing thier culture and problems along with it.. and your paying for it. on the other hand.. i dont like killing people at all. im at a loss personally and im glad i dont have to make that kind of decisions.