“I shall carry it with me to my grave, as a strong incitement to unceasing vows that Heaven may continue to you the choicest tokens of its beneficence; that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the free Constitution, which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained; that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue; that, in fine, the happiness of the people of these States, under the auspices of liberty, may be made complete, by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing as will acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause, the affection, and adoption of every nation” – George Washington ¹

Not only is the overwhelming majority of Americans justified in disapproving Barack Obama’s handling of the economy, they also have good reason to disapprove of his immigration policy.²

“The problem is greatest along our Southern border,” Barack Obama said, describing people coming to the United States from Mexico. “Our borders will not be secure as long as our limited resources are devoted to not only stopping gangs and potential terrorists,” added Obama, emphasizing that all migrants in pursuit of happiness should be treated like dangerous criminals, “but also the hundreds of thousands who attempt to cross each year simply to find work.” ³

Yesterday, describing his solution to the problem he perceives, Obama said, “That is why my administration has dedicated unprecedented resources and personnel to combating the transnational criminal organizations that traffic in drugs, weapons, and money, and smuggle people across the border with Mexico.” His complaints about Mexico are similar to past remarks about the demands of capitalism, such as the 1986 remarks of an American government official who said, “We are disturbed because we see a condition of flight from Mexico.” ⁴

The reason Americans disapprove of Obama’s handling of immigration might be due to his repeated insistence that Mexico is a problem for the United States instead of seeking to follow the advice of President Washington’s Farewell Address by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of the United States Constitution. The European Union has a policy dedicated to its enlargement with new EU member states.⁵

According to foreign policy experts, Mexico and the Caribbean Basin comprise the most critical region for America’s national security. Apart from Great Britain no culture has influenced America’s heritage more than Mexico. In light of such special relationships, it might not be so much of a coincidence that both countries’ populations largely agree with American opinions that Obama is weak.⁶

But Barack Obama seems to prefer strengthening the United Nations more than the United States.

“We can be a generation that chooses to see the shoreline beyond the rough waters ahead; that comes together to serve the common interests of human beings, and finally gives meaning to the promise embedded in the name given to this institution: the United Nations,” Obama said, who contrary to Washington, described his own wish to recommend the UN to the adoption of every American.⁷

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References

1.  John C. Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799, 39 vols. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1932), 35:217-218.

2.  Jeffrey M. Jones, “On the Issues, Obama Finds Majority Approval Elusive,” Gallup, August 11, 2010.

3.  Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President on Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” The White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-comprehensive-immigration-reform.

4.  Barack Obama, “Statement by the President on the Passage of the Southwest Border Security Bill,” The White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/12/statement-president-passage-southwest-border-security-bill.  Lester D. Langley, Mexico and the United States: The Fragile Relationship (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991), 97.

5.  Jeffrey Davidow, The U.S. and Mexico: The Bear and the Porcupine – Testimony of the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, 1998-2002 (Princeton: Markus Wiener, 2004), 217-218.  Fitzpatrick, The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 218.  “Enlargement,” European Commission, http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/index_en.htm.

6.  The World FactBook, “Mexico,” Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html.  Ronald Grey, “Cuba Libre,” Leadership for American Exceptionalism, https://ronaldgrey.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/cuba-libre-2.  Langley, Mexico and the United States, 107.  Nile Gardiner, “The Stunning Decline of Barack Obama: 10 Key Reasons Why the Obama Presidency is in Meltdown,” Telegraph, August 12, 2010, http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100050412/the-stunning-decline-of-barack-obama-10-key-reasons-why-the-obama-presidency-is-in-meltdown.  Jones, “On the Issues, Obama Finds Majority Approval Elusive.”

7.  Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President to the United Nations General Assembly,” The White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-the-United-Nations-General-Assembly.