The Reason Magazine cartoonist offers a fine slab of pro-open borders propaganda in the cartoon ending here: reason . com/0608/bagge4.shtml. Let's take a look at a few of his points and see what he doesn't know or isn't telling his readers. (I'm fisking a cartoon?)

The cartoon ends with a plea to literally erase the borders, oddly enough just like the "delete the border" loons and just like the North American Union proposals. The last pane starts with this:

Our current "leaders" continue to wallow in factoids, demonization, and xenophobia when it comes to this issue. Here are some of the most overused arguments against allowing poor people to enter our country:

It's odd how libertarian open borders supporters frequently use the same race-card tactic as "liberals" and those on the far-left.

"There are terrorists among them!" The 9/11 attackers flew first class. They didn't get here by swimming across the Rio Grande! ...Why would any terrorist choose to sneak across the U.S.-Mexican [sic] border? They may be crazy, but they ain't stupid!

It would be extraordinarily stupid to assume that just because one set of terrorists arrived here legally then all future terrorists will do the same. In fact, if we close loopholes that allow them to come here legally or more closely scrutinize those who come here legally, then terrorists may choose to sneak over one of our borders (or through a port; see the guy who was caught in a shipping container).

As for the hijackers, some of their visa applications had gaping holes, such as lacking a real address ("Visas that Should Have Been Denied"). The same mindset that encourages illegal immigration may have been involved with those who enabled "Visa Express". See "Open Door for Saudi Terrorists", "Visas for Terror", and... this Reason page: reason . com/links/links072202.shtml. And, see "9/11 hijackers were illegal aliens; Senate bill would have given them a loophole".

See the 9/11 Commission Staff Report for past examples of terrorists being very well aware of our immigration laws. While they prefer legal entry, the report touches on possible illegal entry to the U.S. and past instances of terrorists bribing border officials or entering illegally in other countries. See also "U.S. Fears Terrorism Via Mexico's Time-Tested Smuggling Routes", "Study: Terrorists Exploit Immigration Laws", "Immigration Laws Might Have Stopped Sept. 11 Plot", and pretty much every post in my immigration terrorism category.

But, wait, there's more: the 9/11 hijackers took advantage of the illegal immigration infrastructure to help them remain here. One of the 9/11 hijackers used a "feature" designed for use by illegal aliens to obtain a CA DL. Two other 9/11 hijackers obtained VA DLs with the help of an illegal alien and the illegal immigration infrastructure that corrupt politicians have allowed to develop.

Much more could be said, but let's move on to this:

"They want to reclaim the southwest for Mexico!" I can't believe how much traction this "Reconquista" conspiracy theory gets, given that only a handful of lunatics with incoherent websites are advocating it [picture is of sweating blogger viewing aztlan.net-style website] Why would any Mexican immigrant want the place he just moved to become [sic] part of the economic basketcase he just fled from?

Several prominent Mexican-"American" politicians are former members of the racial separatist group MEChA, the group that says they want to "liberate Aztlan". Those include: Los Angeles' mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, CA State Senator Gil Cedillo, CA Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, and even a U.S. Representative, Raul Grijalva. And, it's not just that they're former members of a group with an extremist, anti-American, "reconquista" ideology. It's also that due to "liberalism" and corruption, the Democratic Party, the MSM, and even the GOP refuse to take them to task for their past involvement. That enables such ideologies to flourish and spread under the radar of most Americans.

And, that same "liberal" mindset enables "reconquistadores" to hide behind "race shields" and encourages race-based power and solidarity. Given a critical mass, racial demagogues like those in the California legislature could take advantage of that to start the process towards some form of secession, encourage closer ties with Mexico, and the like. Bagge might want to read up on past ethnic nationalism movements (answers.com/topic/ethnic-nationalism), specifically those in Europe in the last century. Someone like Villaraigosa or Cedillo - or even more extreme younger people schooled in Ethnic Studies - wouldn't sell their plan as making California into Mexico, it would just end up that way.