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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   3427 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of November 9, 2026

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I think what the US needs is a grand bargain between the two sides on immigration: one big amnesty for those already there, obviously excluding criminals, etc., and to then start actually enforcing the law.

Reagan did this in 1986. We've fallen short on "actually enforcing the law" since then: do you think another round will go any better?

That would be the bargain: the pro-immigrant side actually agrees to actually enforce the law. This would be a major concession from their side, which is why they would get a total amnesty in return.

I will concede that this does require a degree of good faith that probably doesn't exist in American politics in the current year. Maybe they could enshrine it in the constitution, in a very clear and unambiguous manner to avoid interference from the courts.

There would have to be an enforcement mechanism. Because the left broke the deal so flagrantly last time, they would have to make an additional concession.

A couple possible suggestions:

  1. Social security checks are docked if immigration exceeds a certain amount

  2. 20% tax on remittances plus $100,000 annual fee for H1b with all income generated going to ICE

Because the left broke the deal so flagrantly last time

There was no deal of the kind I'm describing with the Reagan amnesty. At the time, the Republicans were pro-immigration because they thought it was good for business and the Democrats were anti-immigration because they thought it was bad for US workers.

And to be clear, I'm only talking about illegal immigration. Legal immigration is an entirely separate question.

I think pigeonburger is on the money: if a Constitutional amendment plainly stating "shall not be infringed" and multiple Supreme Court rulings establishing common use and historical precedent over many decades don't stop progressives from trying to ban guns, what makes you think you'll be more successful with your dealings?

Guns haven't been banned yet, unlike in most of Europe. The vast majority of states allow you to carry a gun, either open or concealed. For sure it's not perfect, but it's much better than the rest of the world. 2A isn't useless.

If you were to get immigration restrictions passed in such a way that they would actually be followed 90% of the way 90% of the time, you really would have immigration restrictions worthy of the term.

2A has been entirely useless as a formal legal mechanism to protect ownership of guns in America. Multiple victories in the supreme court have proven entirely incapable to overturn gun control or ban laws in Blue-controlled regions. It is true that many places in America allow gun ownership; they do this because Reds won and maintain political control of those areas. Where Blues control, 2A is a dead letter, much like the rest of the Constitution.

You are appealing to a formalism that does not actually exist, and has not existed in living memory. There is no way to get immigration restrictions 90% followed 90% of the time under a Blue-controlled federal government. It does not matter what laws you pass, or even whether you pass a constitutional amendment, were such a thing possible. Blues are not willing to be constrained by law.

The strictest gun control in the US is similar to the loosest regimes in Europe.

That is because Gun Control is actually fairly unpopular with Americans, and previous attempts to implement it have been punished at the ballot box. It is not because the Second Amendment prevents Gun Control laws that are passed from being enforced, because the Second Amendment has never actually been able to do that.

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