"A Day Without A Mexican" Movie Anyone Seen It?

[slow&rusty]

I saw this today, provactive and VERY thought provoking and I enjoyed it. The director unfortunately died young in his 40s from Cancer just before it was released.

I have more thoughts on the movie and the questions it asks, issues raised and there is alot you can miss there is alot on this movie if you do no pay close attention.

Anyone else seen it? Your thoughts?



Yasin

[legion]

I saw it expecting something thought-provoking. Instead it was an obvious pro-illegal immigration propaganda job.

[Dan in Pasadena]

C'mon, virtually no one is "pro illegal immigration." Well, except maybe illegal aliens that want their family members to join them in their new homes and don't want to wait for the process or don't have a clue how the legal process works. "Pro illegal immigration" is just a red herring.

What the movie is saying is illegal immigration is a complex problem and there are no simple solutions to complex problems. Only children and childish thinkers think they exist.

The movie only asks the viewer to consider the implicatons of overnight having none of the people that perform many, many common and taken-for-granted tasks.....that's it, nothing more. Thats its point. It IS supposed to be thought provoking...which means you gotta THINK! Its NOT advocating further immigration that is illegal.

[techweenie]

I have it in my Netflix queue, but it's a ways off.

In that same vein, El Norte is a movie worth watching.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Never seen El Norte, but thanks for the referral.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I watched "A Day Without an Attempt by Hollywood to Influence Political Thinking" instead.

Who gives a flying fig what Hollywood producers or actors/actresses think? Their feeble attempts to manipulate the masses through movies and television entertainment is entertainment in and of itself. How ironic.

These people are ENTERTAINERS. The modern-day jesters and marketplace fools of society whose job it is to keep the rest of us that actually contribute meaningfully to society from getting bored with day-to-day routine. The notion that they have any sort of enlightened viewpoint is just silly.

'cept Tom Cruise of course. The aliens told him so. And Chuck Norris.

[Jim Richards]

LOL! +1 to Jeff.

[wludavid]

P-O-P. I get what you're saying, but Hollywood producers and actors are voting citizens too. If you had a strong opinion about an issue, and the bully pulpit that they have, I bet you'd use it too. (I would.)

Besides, Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh are just entertainers too, and they have had immensely more impact on US politics than Hollywood has.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Have to agree with you - I probably would also, but I don't think I'd delude myself into thinking I had some sort of enlightened viewpoint or become absorbed in my own perceived self-importance like it seems most of these Hollywood/West L.A. people have.

On the subject of illegal immigration - kick the bums out. Don't care what the sob story is. I welcome anyone that wants to come to this country through accepted and legal channels (and efforts to raise immigration quotas to allow more workers in areas IF IT IS DETERMINED TO BE IN OUR ECONOMIC INTERESTS TO DO SO. OUR interests - not Mexico's, El Salvador's, China's, Canada's, Vietnam's or anyone else's.

This crap about "illegals do the jobs nobody else will" is utter bunk. The part left off the tail-end of that statement is "for the below-market-rate wages paid". Kick out the leechers, penalize the businesses promulgating this crap and let the MARKET dictate the price of labor, goods and services. It ain't our job to solve Mexico's problems - it's Mexico's job to solve Mexico's problems. If they're so damn industrious, let 'em figure out a solution and fix it and prove it.

I have no respect, nor will I support anyone that jumps a fence, swims a river or hides in the trunk of someone's car to sneak in here. They're not running from genocide. They're not seeking amnesty from a brutal dictatorship. They simply have it a bit tough and want an "easy road" rather than working for it in THEIR country (which they seem so eager to brag about through their flag-waving, airbrushing on cars, murals, "Hecho In Mexico" t-shirts, and all the rest). If Mexico (or whereever) is so great, why aren't you there? Sorry Jack, got no respect for that. Illegal immigration is CRIMINAL as far as I'm concerned, and should be stopped dead. If that means a bunch of uppity Hollywood types actually have to pay free-market rate for their landscaping, nanny-services, pool cleaning and what-not (perish the thought!), I could care less.

The self-correction mechanisms built-in to the free market are strong and reliable. If it means groceries temporarily go up 30% in price, so be it. The market will stabilize shortly and price will be set at a rate commisurate with the embedded costs of production and representative of the true value of the commodity - not some artificially low price deliberately manipulted by low labor costs to increase production and demand. Our economy ought to be (and is SUPPOSED to be) about rewarding those who contribute to it and not about coddling those that either try to "slide by" or otherwise take advantage of it. This goes for those here legally as part of the labor market and for those here illegally.

Part of my disdain for Hollywood comes from living in Southern California for the past seven years. . . I'm sick and tired of observing the self-absorbed and self-righteous attitude of these overpaid entertainment schlockers. If they have anything to contribute, let 'em get off their lazy asses and run for public office and put their money where their phat mouths are (Ronald Reagan did, so did Arnold Schwarzenegger - to their credit). Stop preaching from shi-shi Bel-Air parties with a chardonay in your hand and get out there and talk to the peasants that actually make our society go.

That'd impress me.

The typical sort of "silver screen" soapbox preaching doesn't.

At all.

[Tervuren]

Judging by the movie poster, it shows that modern day American's cannot take care of themselves, and need cheap "slaves" to do everything for them.

Not a very nice system...

Is that what it is promoting?

[speeder]

The movie I would like to see is, "A Day w/o just the Mexicans that have snuck in for the last 20 years, (since the last U.S. govt. amnesty), and their 10 million anchor babies."

You know, the extra ones beyond the number we needed to supposedly do every job that Americans "don't want to do".

Are there really 10 million anchor babies, you might be asking? 10M "new citizens" under the age of 20 or so? I don't know. And anyone or any group that says they do is lying. The expression, "who's counting" has never been so apropos. I'll bet there are a lot more, and growing by the minute. But don't worry. They will not continue to over-populate and under-educate the country, we'll be fine in this century.

The only true red herring is the premise that we could ever be short of ditch-diggers or toilet cleaners in this country. The opposite is true, if economic trends continue. The good-paying blue collar jobs that have traditionally supported the non-college educated class in this country, (and Europe), are evaporating quickly. I might need a lawn mowing or construction job in the next year, but I might as well schit in my hat and pull it down over my ears w/ the over-supply of bottom-feeder labor in my state. I am competing against people who are willing to live w/ 6 people in a 1 BR apartment and do absolutely everything illegally, from forged work documents to using ERs for basic health care under a fake name. And work in the underground (cash) economy. Anyone who thinks that most illegals pay income tax is either woefully ignorant or willfully dishonest. Have you never seen a W-4??? "Married w/ 12 children" is an option, or just plain "exempt" is another. One can also choose a percentage that you wish to have withheld, all under the penalty of perjury of course. Like anyone gives a schit.

That POS film, and the whole illegal rationaliser lobby can just kiss my ass. This country is gone.

[pmajka]

We Need a bigger fence.

my problem with illegals is the dont pay taxes on income.

[john70t]

When a Mexican or a Chinese or a Ugandan legally immigrates to the USA, they become welcomed AMERICANS....right?

Everyone else is (insert blank), and should go back to their country of orgin after their stay permit has expired.
If the laws are not what the public wants, they should be changed. Everything else is breaking those laws and should be addressed accordingly.

The problem with the current mode of thought is that it has the potential of the federal gov being pulled apart by a mexican-dominated southwest wanting one agenda, a chinese-dominated northwest wanting another, an irish-dominated north-east wanting another etc..., etc...
Melt or get filtered.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by Tervuren
Judging by the movie poster, it shows that modern day American's cannot take care of themselves, and need cheap "slaves" to do everything for them.

Not a very nice system...

Is that what it is promoting?

The system works pretty well, economically. But what's happening is a culture war. Where some Hispanic immigrants have long lived in certain parts of town, those parts of town are spreading; the population segment is growing at a faster pace than the other races, and some people are feeling overwhelmed (see some above posts).

In day-to-day reality, the bulk of the labor force in basic construction, janitorial, low-level food service, landscaping, wholesale logistics, farming labor, etc. is of immigrant origin -- especially in So Cal. I have several friends who would be out of business if all "illegals" were gone tomorrow. There seem to be a vocal few (above posts) who are unaware of how tightly immigrant labor is tied to their economic well-being. This movie was made for them.

[john70t]

I fix my own car, paint my own house, and mow my own lawn.

The odd-jobs can be filled by anyone unemployed, such as American teenagers building a solid work-ethic, or a laid-off auto worker/etc... The idea that jobs are "unfillable" is leudacrist.

Mabye tax filings can be diversified into two catagories:
1)"I support illegal immigration and am willing to contribute to reimbursing the state for traffic accidents by the unlicensed/uninsured illegals, as well as their entire familys medical costs" or
2)"I don't".

It's true that the hand-picked food industry is currently dependant on cheap illegal labor, but what was the situation 20-50 years ago?
More is not always better.

[john70t]

Mabye Americans should get off the internet and away from the t.v. and go outside.

[mikester]

Originally posted by techweenie
The system works pretty well, economically. But what's happening is a culture war. Where some Hispanic immigrants have long lived in certain parts of town, those parts of town are spreading; the population segment is growing at a faster pace than the other races, and some people are feeling overwhelmed (see some above posts).

In day-to-day reality, the bulk of the labor force in basic construction, janitorial, low-level food service, landscaping, wholesale logistics, farming labor, etc. is of immigrant origin -- especially in So Cal. I have several friends who would be out of business if all "illegals" were gone tomorrow. There seem to be a vocal few (above posts) who are unaware of how tightly immigrant labor is tied to their economic well-being. This movie was made for them.

Your friends are breaking the law by hiring undocumented workers. They should be prosecuted accordingly and their employees should be deported. I've got a friend who tried this down under, she overstayed her visa and got a job as a waitress. Within a month the employer had been fined and she was deported back to the states.

It's really not that complex; the thing that makes it complex is that it's been going on so long. Enough is enough, it's time to draw the line and deal with the consequences (and lack of traffic). The effect that undocumented workers have on the economy as a whole is not a good one. While it may assist individuals with their economy (your friends and the undocumented themselves) the effect it has on the economy as a whole and those who live their lives lawfully is obviously painful.

[mikester]

Originally posted by john70t


It's true that the hand-picked food industry is currently dependant on cheap illegal labor, but what was the situation 20-50 years ago?
More is not always better.

To be fair there has always been an immigrant class in this country doing this hard labor. The chinese built our railways for example. Maybe we do need a work visa for migrant workers but I won't support something like that until we tighten up our border and have control about who gets in. If you want a work visa, go home and apply from there.

For what its worth, I too mow my own lawn (and you can tell).

[nota]

there are simple solutions
DEPORT THEM
REAL FENCE [BACKED BY TROOPS]
JAIL THE PEOPLE WHO HIRE THEM
just not the will to inforce the laws

[Moneyguy1]

Will elected officials ever enforce the laws that are already on the books or will they continue to shuffle things around just to appear as if they are busy?

Lately, noting of import has been accomplished by Congress. I do not expect anything in the near future either. The Republicans have nothing to crow about, and the Democrats have provided no viable alternatives to the status quo.