by Zain Jaffer
Before I migrated to the United States, I always admired it as a strong nation. When we think of strong nations, we sometimes equate it with military might. Granted that strong nations need military might, but America goes beyond that. It has the majesty of the rule of law, strong institutions, a tradition of democracy, of hard work, of equality and fairness.
In recent years however some of that success has gone to our head. I am now a naturalized citizen of this country, but as a former outsider I see many of its flaws and not just its strengths.
One of those flaws is that we are now a nation that is divided. It shows up in the kinds of elections we have, in the politics we experience.
There are many points of divisiveness, but let me concentrate on one that causes us to become weak. We are now undermining the rule of law and fairness, not just in the laws Congress enacts, but in the way we approach many things.
Take immigration for example. Millions of Americans who took the same path I took had to wait many years before their legal status changed to become green card holders, and eventually citizens. But right now, south of our border, we are seeing thousands of foreigners take the short cut. They simply cross unabated and go ahead of the others, who like me, waited and still wait patiently in line.
This will become our undoing. When we change the rules of the game to suit a particular outcome. Maybe it is being done to affect the demographics of the voting population in certain areas. Maybe. That is another discussion for another setting. All I know is we are using two rules now. One for the people who cross illegally into this country, and another for those who wait patiently in line to be called and interviewed.
Now even Governor Gavin Newsom of California has said that even illegal immigrants in his state will be given health care coverage. Notwithstanding the fact that his state is running a large deficit and cannot even solve issues with homelessness and crime.
America became great not just because of military might. Many countries with dictatorships have that. We became great because we demanded a lot of ourselves, we follow one set of rules, and try our damndest to succeed.
Many Third World countries do not have strong laws and traditions. People advance because of who they know and how they game the system. There are wolves and the rest are just sheep. That is not the America I admired before I came here, but that seems to be what we want to be.
A step backward.
Bending the rules of the game for certain people will make us weak. America is strong because we all agree to play by the rules, not just the whims and caprices of kings and dictators.