~Di

Yes, but if the border fence is actually completed, they'll have to swim around it. Seriously, this is a major problem for millions and millions of people. I guess people who haven't been adversely affected can't understand the magnitude, but it truly is substantial. By adversely affected, I assume you are referring to the identity theft and drug wars. What percentage of illegal immigrants do you think deal drugs and steal identities? There are also plenty of US citizens that deal drugs and steal identities. It is also ridiculous to try and argue who's life is more adversely affected by illegal immigration. The reality is you see immigration very differently than I do. The education argument is a big one, being that I am a teacher. If I saw this issue the way you do, I would probably be upset that my classes are overcrowded, that I am spending extra time dealing with parents who don't speak English, that I have students who disappear during the holidays for a month to go to Mexico. But I see it as an opportunity to educate a generation of students, to give them a chance to lead a better life than their parents. I am helping children from poor families and giving them a shot at moving up. I know quite a few illegal immigrants. Most of them go back and forth between here and Mexico depending on work available or family circumstances. They are all people who have a lot of familial ties to both Mexico and the US. Some of them have worked towards taking the citizenship exam, some of them just don't see the need, as they plan on returning to Mexico when they get older. None of them have ever shot at me or stolen my identity. I know, what are the odds? I must live a charmed life. So the millions and millions of legal immigrants and citizens who have had their social security and green card numbers, they should just suck it up? After all, it hasn't happened to you, so it must not be a big deal. The ranchers who have their livestock and pets butchered, their homes vandalized and ransacked should just suck it up? After all, it hasn't happened to you so it must not be a big deal. The school districts that are nearing bankruptcy because the tax base can't pay the enormous additional expense, should just suck it up? After all, your school is doing fine so it must not be a big deal. How about the dozens and dozens of communities that have seen their hospitals bankrupted and closed because of the cost of illegal obstetrics? After all, your town's hospital is still open, so it shouldn't be a big deal. The millions of legal immigrants and citizens who have lost jobs in construction, restaurants, manufacturing, factories, landscaping, hotels to illegals should just suck it up? After all, you've still got a job so it must not be a big deal. Do you think I don't know illegals, families trying to eek by because their government is too corrupt to care for them when it's easier to hand out maps and lists of coyote names? I grew up surrounded by hispanic culture, and I love it. Individual people, legal or not, are mostly hard-working, warm-hearted folks. I get this. That does not mean that I believe those who have gotten here legally should get shorted by those who can't be bothered, and that employers who lure them here should be given free reign to break our immigration laws, or that our government should be bribed by cash or votes to look the other way, ignoring the very real plight of those who are suffering because nobody will do their damned jobs. I realize you have a relationship with illegals and bond with them personally, whereas you do not know anyone personally who has been directly harmed by the overall influx. To you they are faceless, and apparently unimportant. But 300 million Americans simply cannot take the responsibility of caring for the poor and poverty-stricken people of Mexico and Central America. Even if we could afford it, no country should be expected to do that. Twenty years ago it was 2 million; today it's more than 20 million; in two more decades it could be 50-100 million. The economic drain in welfare, education, incarceration, unpaid taxes, lost jobs, for legal immigrants and citizens is enormous now. When will it be too much? When it finally affects you? Bah, I'm done here. Any time someone speaks up and says that the government should do its job, do what every other country on the planet is expected to do, secure its borders and inforce its immigration laws, they are spoken to snidely and treated as racist scum.

Yes, but if the border fence is actually completed, they'll have to swim around it. Seriously, this is a major problem for millions and millions of people. I guess people who haven't been adversely affected can't understand the magnitude, but it truly is substantial. Thing is, they would. It's happened with Cuba (an island nation mind you) and even now drug runners are using small boats to go up the Cali coast to get in. Two water entry points along with XX highway entry points is a lot easier to secure than 3000 miles of open desert. Illegal entries and drug smuggling would decrease by 80-90%.

Yes, he was wrong. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense...lStatusDLID.htm ...The Department of Public Safety requires applicants who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States to present proof of lawful status in the U.S. before being issued an original, renewal, or duplicate Texas driver license or identification card... The link above goes to the Texas DPS Driver License requirements (which are the same as in California and most other states). There's no mention of a citizen/non-citizen designation on the license. People simply have to prove that they are citizens and/or legal residents of Texas. I fail to see the problem or discrimination here.

Yes, but if the border fence is actually completed, they'll have to swim around it. Seriously, this is a major problem for millions and millions of people. I guess people who haven't been adversely affected can't understand the magnitude, but it truly is substantial.

Of course it's completely ineffectual! That's why most Americans are so damned mad! The government is not giving the resources needed to do the job, it has been cutting the number of border patrol agents for years, and the promised border fence was never even funded. When the outcry got bad enough, Bush shipped about 1200 national guard troops to the border (pffft... that's about one every three miles) and wouldn't even arm the guys. I mean, people are getting shot by border crossers nearly every week down there. Unarmed troops are useless. Then he promised a fence, and promptly pulled the funding. In the late 1980's, we had 2 million illegals here. Reagan's amnesty plan was popular. I was in favor of it. However, his promise to secure the border was a total lie, and once people who wanted to come here heard the word "amnesty", illegal crossings literally went up 1000% in five years. Hence the mess we are in today, thanks to the greed of several administrations over decades who preferred money and votes to the security of their citizens. If the government did what it is supposed to do, secure the border and enforce immigration laws, then we wouldn't have 20+ million illegals here in the first place. THAT is the problem.

True. That's why no other country on the planet makes transporting/using drugs illegal, and leave their borders completely unsecured so that said drugs can be easily transported between countries unmolested. Oh, wait... As for the cheap labor, it's against federal law for employers to hire illegals, yet the government takes corporate bribes not to enforce those laws. That's why Americans are so damned furious. Republicans want the bribe money, democrats want the votes, and American citizens are taking it in the shorts, loosing millions of jobs (don't give me that "jobs they won't do" crap), millions upon millions of citizens with stolen identities, screwed up social security numbers, IRS headaches as they are charged tax on income they did not earn... never mind the billions it costs to educate the children of illegals, pay welfare to illegals, provide medical care to illegals (80-100 hospitals have been closed, bankrupted by the cost of obstetrical care for illegals). Our politicians don't give a damn about how citizens are affected as long as they get bribe money and votes. Seriously this kind of thinking is completely backwards. This would still leave the reason the mexicans are coming to the states: higher standard of living from low end jobs americans don't want to do. It would just make it harder and/or more expensive for the mexicans to get to the states, which would give more money to the criminal gangs who smuggle people in. But it makes it a hell of a lot harder to get in, and it keeps vehicles... like the Mexican army vehicles escorting drug dealers... out. When San Diego finished its border fence, border crossings there dropped more than 90%. So yeah, it works.

The number of illegals is twice that figure, well over 20 million. How do I know that when most of the "illegal statistics" sources will be shot down as biased for one side or another? Simple. The 12 million illegals figure was used by the government in the mid-to-late 1990's. Let's pretend it was in 2000 for discussion purposes. The government also admitted that between 1.5 and 2.0 million crossed over every year. Now let's presume that at least 1/2 to 1 million also went back each year, that's still an increase in our illegal population of 1 million per year, 10 million over ten years. No way that 12 million figure has been accurate for between 10 and 15 years. The percent from Mexico is actually closer to 69% (in 2006) with another 30% coming from Central America. There's already a massive guest worker program for seasonal agriculture work. In California, they were unionized by Ceasar Chavez, who got them the working conditions, decent wages, and benefits they deserved. These were all legal workers, because Chavez knew that if illegals came in, they would break the union and destroy it. And that's exactly what happened. Now forget agriculture. Nearly every entry level job in restaurants, fast-food, construction, hotel, resort, landscaping, retail, manufacturing, meat packing, you name it, has been taken over by illegals, especially in heavily affected areas. It's not just agriculture, and there already is a guest worker system for seasonal work. Has been for decades. Sorry, more than mild mannered agriculture workers are coming across the border. There are 3500 acres, up to 80 miles inside of AZ, that are so filled with violence and drug runners that signs are posted warning people to stay away... from land inside their own state. Drugs are pouring across, as is human trafficking and crime. Don't forget, anyone anywhere in the world can take a plane to Mexico, then cross into the USA without leaving a trace. And they can be carrying anything with them. Yes, the border is huge, but damn. Every country in the world has a right to secure their own borders. Citizens of this country have a right to expect their government to do the same. Got no problem with this. But first, let's enforce our immigration laws. Come down hard on employers that entice illegals with jobs. Fine them until it hurts, and up the ante everytime they're caught. Any employer can check to see if a SS# or green card # has been stolen. Force them to do that or break their piggy banks. No jobs, no enticement, no problem. Then secure the damned border to keep this from happening again, and to control the rampant influx of drugs and crime, because I guaran-damn-tee you that the Bracero Program isn't going to faze drug runners and criminals. No. Just no, dammit. Mexican government has been corrupt since I've been on this planet, which is a considerable amount of time. We already give a potload of financial aid to the Mexican government, and what do they do? They pass out the money to their friends and neighbors, let the poor starve then give out maps and tell their people to go to America and send money home. Money from America is Mexico's second largest revenue source. It's not the responsibility of 300 million American taxpayers to finance the corrupt government of another country. We've got poverty here that needs to be addressed, unemployment here that needs to be addressed, ecological disasters and human misery here that needs to be addressed. I guess people who haven't been impacted by the enormous problem that the groundswell of illegals over the past couple of decades have wrought can't understand the devastation of ranchers who've seen their livestock and pets slaughtered, their homes ransacked, their neighbors shot... or folks who've seen the town they grew up in change so that their own children cannot find the jobs that we at their age took for granted. It's a big damned problem. And when it comes to the point that there are 20+ million Canadians in here stealing identities, mucking up millions of social security accounts and IRS records, then we'll have to fence the upper border too.

This is stupid because it means no more cab drivers for Texas. What?? That's ridiculous. If you mean that illegal immigrants cannot hold a valid drivers license in Texas... or California or Oregon or nearly any state in the union... that's absolutely correct. However, legal residents with a valid green card can indeed get a drivers license. See the problem is that illegals steal the identities of citizens and legal residents to forge drivers' licenses... and social security cards, and green cards... you get the gist. That's because they are here... stay with me now... illegally, which is against federal (and in one case state) law. While supporting the death penalty. Sacred indeed! :D *shrug* Most republicans are anti-abortion. I happen to be pro-choice, so this is another reason I disagree with most points of the GOP party platform. Also, I don't like to have religious dogma codified into law and forced on everyone else, whether they are believers or not. Still, it's not particularly radical. It's the core issue of the republican platform. This has nothing to do with Texans, and everything to do with the national GOP platform which contains much of the same material.

In all fairness, the document is 25 pages long and the snippets pulled out are chosen specifically to make the entire party look like raving lunatics. Now fair enough, I consider far-right wing conservatives to be extremists because I disagree with so many of their ultra-conservative philosophies... still, this was deliberately meant to be an inflammatory hit piece. "We propose that every Texas driver license shall indicate whether the driver is a U.S. citizen. No such documentation shall be issued to anyone not legally in the country." What the heck is wrong with this? Nearly every state in the union requires proof of citizenship or legal residency to issue a driver's license. This is hardly a radical position.

Does the current Americans with Disabilities Act include the bolded? It must, right, or they wouldnt be trying to amend them out. I would tend to agree that those particular cases should not be considered a disability. No, it doesn't. http://www.ada.gov/q%26aeng02.htm I'm not sure how credible the linked source is, but I'd be pretty danged surprised if this really was the platform of the statewide GOP.

It's 38c here, and it's 7:00 pm! Brits are such heat wusses! (j/k)

That article succintly details the reasons I believe that success in Afghanistan is not possible under current conditions. We're allowing our soldiers to be hogtied and basically slaughtered... for what? The people don't want us there, the corrupt government doesn't want us there, it's a tribal society that is not going to change its nature in our lifetimes, or in this century for that matter. We went in to push the Taliban and Al Qaida out. We did that, then systematically abandoned the place for Iraq, allowing everything that had been accomplished to be completely undone. Not only undone in Afghanistan, but also allowing for the first time a Taliban/Al Qaida foothold to be established in Pakistan. This is VietNam all over again. Ignore input from soldiers on the ground, use them as cannon fodder, lie to the public about how well the war is going, and implement rules of engagement that ties the hands of soldiers, making them even more vulnerable to an enemy that has NO limits or rules on how or who they kill. The American government has let our soldiers down once again, valuing global public relations above the lives of our military men and women, and history has been doomed to repeat itself. We need to get out of there now, and let the Afghans storm Kabul and tear their corrupt president from his palace by force. All we've taught them about democracy is that it's every bit as inept and corrupt as the Taliban... because we allowed it to be.

As supportive as I was about Afghanistan for many years, that support took a hard hit when we alienated India, our closest ally in the area, by climbing into bed with her arch-enemy... and ours, if we were being honest... Pakistan. Now Karzai's true colors have shown him to be a viper available to the highest bidder, the Taliban has found a new home in Pakistan and are again running roughshod over Afghanistan. We cannot change a society that is based upon a warlord mentality. That mentality isn't going to change in our lifetime. I'm afraid that our initial mission, to route Al Qaida and destroy bin Ladan, failed long ago. Now I don't know what we are doing there except watching things go from bad to worse as we... as we what? What is our mission there? I certainly don't know what it is. Kill the bad guys? Who are the bad guys? The Taliban? Al Qaida? They don't wear signs on their foreheads, so any time we end up killing someone, they scream "civilian" (technically they are all civilians) the world shouts "naughty soldiers!" and Karzai holds a press conference to villify us. We need to pull out. Now. This can only end in a bigger disaster than we already have. We simply cannot occupy and control two countries who do not wish to be occupied and controlled and expect anything good to come of it.

No doubt, but entire ecologies will be lost... entire species of plants, animals, sea life could be gone forever, altering the entire life cycle of both oceans and land masses. Fragile areas like the LA wetlands, once destroyed, would never return. There are thousands of fragile ecologies around the globe. If this spill becomes massive enough to circumnavigate the planet, ecological damage could be immense beyond comprehension for generations, if not centuries... perhaps beyond. The oil will only dissipate after the gushing is stopped, and frankly, I'm losing hope that we have the technology to stop it. Imagine if the well keeps pumping into the oceans for months, or a year, or even longer. The mind boggles at the potential. It is not a legacy we would wish on our children. Scary, because it's already the largest ecological disaster I've seen, and there simply is no end in sight.

I don't know if it is worse than Chernobyl, but it sure tries very hard. That's what I was thinking. Chernobyl is the worst ecological disaster ever... so far. If this thing reaches Chernobyl levels, the entire world ecology as we know it will be radically changed, probably forever.

Congrats, Gifted. Fine choice!

Nooooo. I'm actually crying right now, and I almost never cry. Mike and I have been friends for so many years. He's a good person, who once downloaded a massive patch for me when I was on dial-up, and mailed it to my home. He's been so upbeat and positive the past few weeks, I was so damned proud of him. I can't believe this. I just can't believe it. Mike... god, I'll miss you so much. RIP, dear one. RIP.

Apparently it will be a Dungeon Siege game. I'm surprised you didn't know that.

Link? Source? Evidence? Dare I say... proof?

Maybe you should play DS, and then you will see that it is not a diablo clone. I've played both DS 1 and DS 2 and the expansion. I liked it very much for a fun romp dungeon crawl hack-and-slash. Played both games numerous times. However, it's not the kind of game I was hoping to see from Obsidian.

Agree, Divine Divinity was a very fun game! Like you, I loved to solo the multi-player map in Dungeon Siege 1, so I have a soft-spot for well-done RPG "hack-and-slash" dispite the fact that I truly couldn't stomach the actual Diablo series. That said, I'm still disappointed that Obsidian will not be working on a meaty story-driven RPG ala KOTOR2 or even NWN2.

I admit, I'm positively gobsmacked by this. I didn't really hate Dungeon Siege, but to pretend it was anything more than a fun little Diablo-clone romp would be heresy. I can't believe that my second-favorite game company hasn't made a game of interest to me since the original NWN2, and has no plans to make anything of interest to me in the future (with the possible exception of Fallout: Las Vegas... jury is out on that). Maybe it's just hard times in the gaming business, and they've gotta take what they can get to keep afloat. I'm just very, very disappointed in this news.

So you should be ashamed of removing Saddam and his regime of rapists and mass murderers? Both your country and mine have many things to be ashamed of, but the decision to go in is not one of them. Failing to handle the peace we can be ashamed of. We'll have to disagree here, Wals. Afghanistan, yep, I was all in favor. But Afghanistan had wronged us and we had proof of it. The decision to invade Iraq was made based upon deliberate lies and falacies, without a single, solitary thought as to how to keep the "liberated" country from imploding into civil war. Thousands upon thousands of dead soldiers, hundreds of thousands of dead civilians, all brought about by the lies and treachery of our own government. If that's not a national shame, I don't know what is. We broke that nation into pieces, and after we leave the bloodshed will continue until there is only one religious sect left. I honestly predict genocide of either the Sunnis or the Shiites. That will be on us, all on us. Yes, I'm ashamed.

Never should have gone into Iraq, it was based on lies and dishonesty, a poorly-prepared war waged by a bunch of incompetent, egomaniac politicians. Obama promised to get us out. He lied. We should pull every soldier out of there today. Of course, civil war will break out within hours of our departure... which was a known consequence before invading such an ethnically unstable country in the first place. What we broke in Iraq can never be fixed, not in our lifetime. It was our nation's biggest shame, in my view.

Oh goodie. Another let's-bash-Israel thread, because we can never have enough of those and they always end on such a positive note!