The Feld-Blog

Progressives and Conservatives view the world in different ways. If there's one thing I have learned working in politics, this is it. Both want to "do good" for the country, but because the framework through which they view the world, their policy choices remain profoundly divergent.

Ok, that was a lot of big words, but I'll break it down for you. Progressives view immigrants, both legal and illegal, as people first - people who are just looking for a brighter future, people who have rights as citizens of the world regardless of their status as citizens of this country. Conservatives, on the other hand, view immigration through the lens of regulation, taxes and rules. Conservatives fear big government and they fear that illegal immigration will put an undue strain on American social services such as welfare, social security and Medicare that were intended for American citizens only. I think the primary impasse is that Progressives view the situation in terms of the individuals involved and Conservatives view the situation in terms of regulations and the effect on government agencies and services.

As you probably can guess, I prefer the Progressive lens. It is unethical to decide that the individuals don't matter, or don't matter as much as the increased strain on government services. The logic extreme of this is Rep. Kings new idea to build an electrified fence along the border. He even brought a model of the wall he designed onto the house floor. Here is the video.

This is what scares me. American government must be and has always been "for the people, of the people, and by the people." It must focus on the people - how government can help or protect people within its borders. It cannot afford to get bogged down focusing on the sanctity of existing laws. If every currently existing law was sacrosanct there would be no possibility for reform and really very little reason for congress or state legislatures to meet ever.

This is why I am a Progressive. This is why I think you should be too. Government exists to serve the people, not its own rules and regulations. Given the choice, government should bear the burden of hardships, not citizens. This is the Progressive framework. I think it is valuable and I think it is right. But choose for yourself.