Bushology: Jay Nordlinger Talks To Jed Bush On Immigration
08/02/2011
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During the Cold War, there used to be a thing called Kremlinology, where Westerners tried to figure out what was going on in The Kremlin, which was the reverse of transparent.

Liberal journalist Murray Kempton, covering American conservatism from the outside, coined the term Sharonology for his attempt to understand the “internal studies of the American Right”--Sharon, CT was the home of William F. Buckley.

Trying to cover the Conservative Movement from the inside, we have to resort to Bushology–trying to figure out what the Bushes are up to, since for some reason they are inside the Conservative Movement.

Believe it or not, despite the experience of two separate Bush Administrations over the last 20 years, there’s a chance that Jeb Bush may be the next president.

National Review’s Jay Nordlinger (also inside the Conservative Movement) spoke to Jeb Bush on various subjects, including how to get out to the economic catastrophe that his brother George got us into, and he suggested, as an economic boost to America…more legal immigration!

Some weeks ago, I interviewed Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, and one of the best political thinkers we have. Not just one of our best politicians — one of our best political thinkers.

I asked him, “Are we going down the tubes?” (No sense dancin’ around.) I will give his answer, in close paraphrase.

We don’t have to. But we will, if we keep going the way we’re going. We have to reverse course.
[I've omitted the part about how Jeb Bush wants to lower taxes and drill for oil. Some people like that, some don't, but we knew that about the Bushes already.]
And No. 3 — this one is controversial in conservative circles. We have to get our act together on immigration. We have to control our border — stop illegal immigration. That’s not controversial, of course. But this is: We then have to welcome people who can help us.

We’re a country that can absorb people from all over the world. The contract is, basically, “You share our American values, we allow you to pursue your dreams.” This fosters a vibrant, dynamic society.

So, again, control the border — any great country does. Any country worth its salt does. But then recognize that, if we’re going to grow at 4 percent a year, we have to have young, aspiring people to create that dynamism, and we can’t do it with our existing demographics. We have to bring in people who want to pursue their dreams in our country.

I say, everybody with a Ph.D. who isn’t going to blow up our country and believes in our American values? He’s in. Anybody who wants to work hard, who shares our values and is willing to learn English? He’s in…

Remember now that, above, I have been paraphrasing Jeb Bush — without quotation marks, without italics.[The media and John Edwards, &c. , By Jay Nordlinger, August 02, 2011]

I don’t know whetter the indirect quotations are because Bush wanted it that way, or because Nordlinger didn’t take careful notes, but it doesn’t matter.
So under the Jeb Bush immigration plan, as I understand it

  • I say, everybody with a Ph.D. who actually is an American? He’s out. Immigrants will take his job.
  • Anybody who wants to work hard, who already is an American, and is a native speaker of English? He’s out, too. Immigrants will take his job, and take over his neighborhood.

An alternative suggestion: I say, everybody named Bush who wants to run for president? He’s out.

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