The Wall Street Journal-20080129-The Informed Reader - Insights and Items of Interest From Other Sources

Return to: The_Wall_Street_Journal-20080129

The Informed Reader / Insights and Items of Interest From Other Sources

Full Text (620  words)

Politics:

Globalization Fuels Anti-Immigrant Mood

The backlash against illegal immigrants has deeper roots than the economic impact of immigration, writes John B. Judis in the New Republic. It reflects a broader anxiety over the health of the U.S. and the impact of globalization.

In states such as Iowa and South Carolina, voters' concerns do reflect a sudden and recent rise in the immigrant population. But strong anti-immigrant backlashes are also occurring in states where immigrants are scarce. In New Hampshire, exit polls from the primary showed that 25% of Republican and independent voters considered immigration the most important issue the country faces. Yet the state ranks 42nd when it comes to the number of illegal immigrants living there, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, and only 2.2% of New Hampshire residents are Hispanic.

In such states, Mr. Judis writes, immigrants have become the scapegoats for the economic anxieties brought by globalization. Those who feel the strongest about immigration are generally workers from the lower middle class without technical qualifications -- those whose livelihoods are most at risk from outsourcing. A poll last year found the statement "immigrants take more from our country than they give" garnered the most support among men between the ages of 30 and 39 without a college degree.

Along with economic grievances, the movement against immigrants also reflects "a loss of confidence in the cohesion and resilience of the American nation," Mr. Judis says. Polls show a rising number of people think the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction and that sense of decline makes the backlash against immigrants even stronger. The fear is that immigrants will undermine national unity just when it is needed most. Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo frequently cites those fears in his campaign for tougher immigration laws, saying immigration is "the issue of our culture itself, and whether we will survive."

-- The New Republic -- Feb. 13

Russia:

Soviet World View Lingers

Among Diplomacy Students

Russia will likely keep a Soviet approach to the world for another generation, if a survey of budding diplomats is anything to go by.

The survey of more than 500 international-relations students at feeder universities for Russia's diplomatic corps revealed an old- fashioned suspicion of the U.S. and skepticism over democracy, according to Yelena Biberman in Foreign Policy's Web site.

Students who said they planned to be diplomats were significantly less likely than other international-relations students to support free speech. While a majority of them supported democracy in principle, 37% considered some form of the Soviet system of government as superior to today's system.

A majority felt that, in a crisis, Russia couldn't depend on any other nation and that the U.S. was the greatest threat to Russia.

The students did show some signs of a softer line. Half of those surveyed think Russia shouldn't raise military spending and dedicate more to international organizations.

-- Foreign Policy -- January

Opinions:

A Call for Novelists to

Forgo Political Commentary

Novelists, playwrights and poets should stick to what they know and resist the endless requests to weigh in on political matters, says novelist Linda Grant.

Some say that writers are especially equipped to combat political spin. In fact, says Ms. Grant, novelists are most insightful about politics when sticking to what they know best: expressing their feelings. Ms. Grant cites as an example Margaret Drabble's essay in 2003 that described how her anti-Americanism was making her physically sick.

Otherwise, they should follow W.H. Auden's example when asked how he felt about the Vietnam War. He replied, "Why writers should be canvassed for their opinions on political issues, I cannot imagine."

-- Prospect Magazine -- January

---

See more on our blog, at WSJ.com/InformedReader. Send comments to [email protected].