Thank you, Arizona.

[Qutzupalotl]

Arizona just handed us a winning issue in November. The "Papers, Please" law is the height of government intrusion into people's daily lives. It institutes a police state, the polar opposite of small or limited government.

This law cannot be implemented without bringing up the issue of race — a losing proposition, since it contradicts the principle of equal protection, to say nothing of being damned annoying. There are murmurings of having to apply this law to *all* persons in order to avoid lawsuits over racial profiling. I hope so; any implementation of this law will either involve harassing a lot of innocent people, or racial profiling. Profiling will cause the law to be struck down in the courts; disturbing average citizens will make the law so unpopular across the board that it will eventually be repealed, and Republicans will be the ones to blame. So either way, Republicans lose; they're damned if they do ask white people for their papers, and damned if they don't.

This law is indefensible. No one can both support this law and advocate a smaller government without doing ridiculous mental gymnastics. But Republican leadership never admits a mistake, so they will dig in and try to defend it anyway, despite the obvious contortions — a recipe for disaster. Moderate Republicans and Independents will have to break ranks and oppose it, or else admit that they are not motivated by their philosophy but by racism. As support for the law erodes, so will support for the party trying to defend it.

Reid will have to present our alternative earlier than we had planned, but almost any proposal we put forward will look golden next to this. We need to keep pointing out that Democrats defend and value individual liberty — like the right to be secure in our persons — while Republicans insist on intrusive government.

[malaise]

1. Brilliant

For some odd reason or maybe not, the word that comes to mind is dialectics... thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.

[Qutzupalotl]

3. Thanks, malaise.

Unlike most of my posts, I put some thought into this. :D

[skipos]

2. the "Papers, Please Law" is a good name for it

[Juche]

4. nice photo

Now we can keep tabs on 'the others'

[indy legend]

5. unfortunately this won't resonate with the average teabaggin moron.

They only care about their rights. They don't give a damn about the rights of brown, black, or red people. That's their idea of compassionate,tolerant, open minded conservatism. Freedom and liberty is only for them.

[Qutzupalotl]

6. True, but supporting the law will make the teabaggers less appealing to independents.

We don't have to eradicate the stupid, just defeat it at the polls.

[WheelWalker]

7. Perhaps Firesign Theater was prescient 40 years ago... "...all out for Fort Stink'n Desert".....

May I see your passport, please?

Yes, I have it right here.

Why, this picture doesn't look a bit like you, now, does it, sir?

Well, it's... it's an old picture.

Precisely. Where is it that you are staying, sir?

Uh, what's the best hotel in town? Taxi!

Why, the taxis are all on strike, and it's, um, too early for the bus. You really are a problem, sir. I suppose that we'll have to put you up.

[csziggy]

9. "Welcome to Side Five"

When do we get to the plague?

[WheelWalker]

12. We're gonn'a be ok and ready to play,

Beat the REAPER!

[Zavulon]

8. Look at America today. Opposing this won't win us votes, it'll cost us votes.

People are tired of illegal "immigration" and I don't blame them. This law certainly goes overboard, but the federal government isn't ever going to do its job when it comes to illegals.

Also, since you can't go five minutes in this country without someone crying racism, people have turned a deaf ear to the accusation even when the complaint is legitimate.

I think we'd better look elsewhere for a winning issue. Crying out against a law designed to make life hard for illegals when the feds aren't doing anything to help will cost us more votes than it gains in a country that seemed all too willing to tolerate eight years of Bush.

[SargeUNN]

14. Don't bet on it

The thing you missed is that this law is such that ANYONE coming into Arizona is going to be likely to be affected by it. Like I said on my sports show Friday, if you come here to see your favorite team play the Arizona team, you might find yourself in jail and all because you didn't bring your birth certificate. I know many from New Orleans and that area that won't like it. I know enough of the hassle we went through in Katrina to know they will go viral. This can happen with this law and with the citizen being able to sue law enforcement if they don't feel the cops are enforcing the law, then guess what the cop will do when he is told that the Saints fan (or any other fan) is suspect?

[Zavulon]

15. I hope you're right.

I don't think what you describe will happen often enough to change the mindset of the entire country, but if you wind up being right so much the better (if you can accept backlash against the law as a silver lining which makes up for civil rights violations).

Where / how can I hear your sports show?

[HippieCowgirl]

10. Thanks AZ! Now Texas doesn't look quite as bad in comparison (nt)

[underpants]

11. Illegal search and seizure too

great post

[Kablooie]

13. As always the Republicans talk exactly the opposite of how they behave.

They condemn the things they regularly do and laud the things they attempt to destroy.

They are innate liars. It's the foundation of their philosophy.