Ann Coulter hates “anchor babies.” She doesn’t think that just being born on U.S. soil should automatically entitle you to citizenship. (source). I agree.
But, I would go further than that. I think “birthright citizenship” ought to be done away with altogether. I see no reason why you should be a citizen just because your mom or dad happens to be a citizen — or because you were born on U.S. soil, or frankly, even if all of the above are true.
Citizenship ought to be earned, not inherited. This earlier post explains my view.
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The Legal Satyricon 
If the mother is legally in the US then I think it’s ok, but if not hell no.
Why? If the mother is a worthless piece of shit, who just happens to have American citizenship, then why do we want another generation of worthless pieces of shit in this country?
Citizenship should be EARNED.
Robert Heinlein had a rant (as he was often prone to do) about this in his book, ‘Starship Troopers’. He made similar assumptions about citizenship, but went so far as to say that people should serve in the military before they could be eligible.
It is interesting to contemplate the nature of this country if it were stratified by citizenship.
Sounds like a recipe for fascism and abuse, and possibly the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard posted on this blog. If you don’t see the stupidity of this idea, you have a crippled imagination. The first hint is that Anne Coulter agrees with you.
Wow, that’s a hell of a beating you just administered to me!
What if everyone had certain basic human rights, but there were privileges of citizenship that you could earn?
It isn’t as if we don’t have precedent for this — even the founders felt that there were qualifications for citizenship: property ownership and a lack of melanin. I wouldn’t suggest returning to those qualifications, but replacing them with someone making a positive contribution to the commonwealth in exchange for the commonwealth giving them citizenship … seems allright to me.
I simply have a big problem with inherited privilege. To me, America should be an idea, not merely a place. And, I’d like to see us sweep up all of those people, world wide, who adhere to that idea. Geography be damned.
Of course, we already have a way to sweep up like-minded folks from around the world. I can’t really help but think that this 14th Amendment talk is nothing more than bluster.
I have to agree with what the guy said: unless one major change is made: a complete and perfect redistribution of wealth before the meritocracy begins. Otherwise, your ability to earn points is essentially tied to your social status.
Let’s say Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt had a child. We can all agree that those two are worthless human beings, but wealthy. Their offspring, despite being born to “non citizens” under the meritocracy system, can now afford the tutors to get into better schools, and earn better diplomas, and more “citizenship points.”
On the other hand, a child born to a crackwhore who doesn’t even know the father has essentially zero chance in life to earn any “citizenship points.”
Anyway, that’s what makes the idea unworkable. As if there isn’t enough socioeconomic inequality now, imagine if you needed to earn points, most of which require some capital outlay (starting a business, getting advanced degrees and inventing something were your specific examples, and all require a substantial capital outlay)
So I suppose the only way for the less fortunate to get points would be to join the military, which I guess works, and becomes the plot of Starship Troopers.
However, insects cannot grow to be that large because they would need essentially a 100% oxygen environment, and we know they don’t live in such an environment because 1) the entire atmosphere doesn’t explode in contact with flame and 2) the troopers aren’t wearing breathing apparatus since 100% oxygen would be lethal to them.
In any event, both major portions of Starship Troopers- meritocracy and giant insects, are equally likely to happen.
First, I’m glad to see you posting entries more often these days.
Second, I love the idea of a point system for citizenship, but only so far as idiots didn’t hijack and corrupt it. Which, I suspect, is exactly what will happen. Build a system; they* will come. (*”They” meaning, loosely, any person who craves power, wants to control the lives of others, etc., etc. – see also entry under “politician.”)
Anyway, the trouble I think is that any moron can have a child. The only entry requirements to become a parent are to reach puberty and have someone shag you (notwithstanding your occasional turkey baster method conceptions). Not exactly a high bar, ya know? Perhaps we need an exam before you can spawn? Pass the test and you’re free to have children, at your peril. If you raise stupid children, if you’re a bad parent, then you lose citizenship points.
If you combine a breeding rights exam with a fair point system, I’m with you 100%.
But wait… who designs the exam? Who grades it? Who do we empower with such decisions? Balls, it’s never going to work. Oh, well…
Thank you. Things have been a bit hectic what with a new baby and all.
And, I understand that any system will be open to abuse. Our current system is open to abuse too, isn’t it? Maybe my idea trades one set of problems for another, but it seems worth trying.
Never fear though, I can’t ever see my idea gaining any real traction. The people who would benefit the least, worthless fucks who have American citizenship as a birthright, are a huge voting bloc.
Ok, so, I am an American Citizen, and I have a kid. Let’s say I’m a “piece of shit” (a technical legal term, yes?). My kid is born and is a… probationary citizen? Presumably, as the parent, it’s my job to get the kid ready for full citizenship — e.g., point collection or test passing of some kind. Yes?
But, since I’m a piece of shit, I do a piss poor job of this, and when my kid’s probation runs out, my kid has no points and fails whatever test is given. So, then my kid has no citizenship, right? Meaning what?… deportation? (to where is an obvious question), or perhaps my kid just is entitled to no rights? So, my kid becomes part of the ever growing class of second (or lower) class citizens. Who will by and large then beget ever new groups of poorly educated, low-skill classes.
Yeah, that’s a recipe for a fully functioning democratic society. And, I’m sure it’ll function purely on merit and there’ll be no inherited caste problems. I wonder why no country has tried anything like this before?
Why couldn’t a piece of shit’s kid join the military?
Um…are you asking, why couldn’t there be forced military service for all resident non-citizens?
Aside from the obvious problems associated with forced military service generally, why would you want to arm people you don’t think are qualified to vote?
Actually, I believe in compulsory military service for all citizens. I think that if we all had to serve in the military, we’d be a lot more careful about which wars we stand in front of our trailers and support, Budweiser can in hand. Its easy to cheer on military exercises unless you know that your sons and brothers could be killed in them.
I am not saying that we should compel military service for non-citizens. What I am saying is that military service is a good way out of a shitty situation. If you’re in a crap hole situation, the Military is a perfect socialist solution for you.
Okay, then, perhaps my fictious kid can go that route. But, under your plan, that’s not an option for my kid, because he or she won’t be a citizen. Unless you’re suggesting that non-citizens serve in the military.
Or, more accurately, under your plan, my kid — who’s not bright enough (or been educated enough) to pass a citizenship test — would be given a gun and asked to protect the borders of a country in which he does not have the right to fully participate.
Compulsory military service, as you suggest, Swedish style, has many good qualities as a social mandate… if you also get the benefits that Sweden offers. Including citizenship.
Why shouldn’t non-citizens be allowed to serve in the military? They are allowed to do so now, as I understand it. Most countries have no qualms about allowing non-citizens to serve in their armed forces.
Also, I see no problem with someone fighting for a country that has not yet given him citizenship. The French Foreign Legion is built upon this premise — give them 5 years and they give you citizenship.
WRT Swedish style benefits — yes, I would be all for such benefits, if granted to citizens who earned the title.
Yes, you are correct, legal immigrants can enlist in the military, but cannot become officers — and I have no problem with that. But, those are ostensibly individuals who aspire to become citizens, and not people who have been affirmatively denied citizenship because they failed to acquire brownie points or pass a test.
My point was more that it seemed stupid to me to arm people, and ask them to put their lives on the line to defend us, after we’ve actively disenfranchised them from citizenship.
But I’m not saying that we arm them after disenfranchising them. We arm them as one of many means for them to earn enfranchisement.
Really? Whatever happened to skepticism for a standing army? I mean, I know our present day paradigm is imperial, but that clearly was not the initial design.
I bet some of you folks would also be against the selling of children as food products, wouldn’t you? Pansies.
I agree with the spirit of the idea, but i would would have to think it over some more before i support it. You put forward a bad idea for the right reasons, and everyone should respect that.
Education, the magic bullet, is a big failure. And absent that making citizenship something you earn is the simpler, more realistic solution. Because lets face it, no matter how much money you throw at it there is no way you will ever educate the mindless masses – who watch American Idol or The Bachelorette or what ever dumb show you see on TV religiously, every night, but will never read the Bill of Rights or Camus’s Myth of Sisyphus or Aristotle – to be full time, quality citizen.
Just hope that out of the “piece of shit” citizens there will arise enough “not piece of shit” citizens to hold back the tide of out demise.
I’m completely open to what might qualify as citizenship-worthy activities. The only part I hold fast to is that citizenship should be earned, not inherited or granted by accident of the soil upon which a mother’s water breaks.
As I understand it, every nation in the world awards citizenship automatically either by parental identity or by location at time of birth. The US is unusual in allowing both.
I can see getting rid of one of these qualifying requirements, but if you get rid of both, and require people to “earn” their citizenship, the process is liable to become as stupid and corrupt as any government program that imposes qualifications in order to earn a status. For example, the “citizenship test” for legal immigrants consists of about 100 questions, any of which may be asked during an interview. The questions are mostly irrelevant to real issues, such as, “How many legislators are in the Senate?” while the function of the Senate is not addressed. Moreover, all the questions are available from numerous sites online, and their answers can be learned by rote the night before the test and forgotten immediately afterward.
Regarding the military, conscription is a gross violation of individual liberties. Moreover I would support the right of anyone to refuse to fight in any particular conflict. We should trust our fellow citizens’ judgment regarding the safety of the nation, more than we would trust the judgment of the generals and politicians who send people out to die. I suggest that more than half of the conflicts in the history of the US have been avoidable.