Hasta la Vista, America!

Forgive my poor Spanish, being just a dumb gringo, but I am starting a new activist organization: Anglos Por Reconquista. In English that translates roughly to white people for the reconquest of California by Mexico. It’s a fledgling group, but no matter. This is a brilliant idea whose time might soon be upon us.

Currently, California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, a candidate in the recall election, is getting a hard time from talk radio — though rarely from the establishment media — for his previous involvement as a student in the radical Latino racist group known as Movimieto Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, or MEChA. That means Chicano student movement for Aztlan. The key word is Aztlan. When a Latino mentions Aztlan, that means he believes the American Southwest should be returned to Mexico.

Anti-immigration activists routinely send along brochures and articles showing the radical intentions of these groups that support Aztlan. They aren’t completely wrong. There is a contingent of Latino activists that really believes this dreck. I’ve never met a Latino who admits believing it, but they certainly are out there.

The group’s motto is "For La Raza to do. Fuera de La Raza nada." That means "For the race everything, for those outside the race, nothing." Its gameplan is typical of the 1960s-era radical Chicano Marxist/racist nonsense. We must drive the exploiter out of our land, unify with one another, liberate the race, teach ourselves in Spanish, blah, blah, blah.

It’s pretty funny stuff, and you can find MEChA’s rants quickly by doing a Web search. As various conservative writers have pointed out, there is incredible hypocrisy in the way Bustamante gets a free pass on his past association with this group, and the way Republicans get treated for their past associations.

This is just whining.

The chances of the American Southwest being officially reunited with Mexico are pretty slim. The real problem is that Democratic politicians are turning California into a Third World country, not just in demographics but in political philosophy.

The lieutenant governor’s brilliant new proposal — supported by Gov. Davis — would put the government in control of gasoline. Price caps and other regulations would be imposed from Sacramento. These morons can’t figure out that when prices can’t rise to meet demand that rationing occurs. That plan comes on top of Bustamante’s proposal to push California closer to a Cuban-style health-care system and increase taxes by a staggering $8 billion, including the elimination of Prop. 13 property tax protections for commercial property owners, who already are fleeing the state in droves.

Meanwhile, Bustamante rakes in the campaign contributions from Indian casinos and unions, and would be likely to act like Davis: curiously signing bills following large campaign contributions. I’m no expert on Mexico, but this sounds like it would be consistent with their system. Although in fairness, any average Mexican has a better shot of buying his way out of a fix than any average Californian.

Bustamante doesn’t want to distance himself from MEChA, so why make him? I believe in freedom of association. If someone wants to associate only with La Raza, why shouldn’t he feel comfortable doing so? I’m all for secession also, although reuniting with a corrupt Third World government isn’t exactly secession.

Nevertheless, seeing the path California is on, I cannot see that the reunification idea is such a bad one. Why not give it a try? Even the Bush administration should like it. Imagine Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, the wealthy Bay Area liberals, trying to plead Norte California’s case in Mexico City.

The big question is whether Mexico would want us. After all, right now the wealthy Mexican elites can send their unwanted, predominantly Indian citizens north to find jobs. That’s easier than having to make free-market reforms to provide jobs at home. If Mexico City gets California, then watch out Oregon, Washington and elsewhere.

What Bustamante and Davis and the state’s Democrats are doing, however, is probably worse than an outright reconquest. Anti-immigration activist Glenn Spencer "argues that Bustamante and other Latino leaders are working closely with Mexican government officials to allow more and more illegal immigration, which will add to their political power by giving California and other southwestern states Hispanic majorities," according to the San Francisco Chronicle. That is, indeed, true.

Heck, as Davis said about Mexican President Vicente Fox the other day, they are no longer just "amigos." Now they are "compadres." My Spanish is hazy, but I suppose Davis was saying they no longer are just friends but they practically are lovers. Or something like that.

There’s no doubt California officials are blurring the lines between legal residency and illegality. The governor is going to sign the bill granting driver’s licenses to illegals, which will then give them the ID cards they need to take advantage of every other social service California offers.

A recent news story explained how the Immigration and Naturalization Service has forbidden its officers from arresting illegal immigrants in many places in Southern California. Once you’re here, you’re here. The INS doesn’t even want to bother with you. And if you’re pregnant and you sneak across the border to have your child in a U.S. taxpayer-funded hospital, the child automatically is a U.S. citizen.

Recently, I heard the story of a man at traffic court who was paying a traffic ticket. In front of him was an illegal immigrant who had no license, no money, no address, no nothing, but was caught driving under the influence. The judge let her go. The story teller had to pay a fine. Actually, illegals have extra rights: They can do what they please, drive while drunk, whatever. There are no consequences.

These problems would cease after the reconquest.

Back to my new organization. Why don’t we just go with the flow? Why don’t we actually reunite California with Mexico? Think of the possibilities. The shakedown artists and communists who run the state could then be part of a government more in line with their philosophy and practices.

A lot more Mexican residents looking for jobs and citizenship would simply stay home.

The United States government would no longer be burdened by the state’s left-wing wackos in its congressional delegation.

Property rights might actually improve, because at least homeowners could directly bribe their new officials, rather than go through the California process of paying enormous regulatory and permit fees.

Police practices would remain roughly the same, but then the Mexican government would be the one having to pay for outrageous police pensions.

Where’s the downside?

As an Anglo, I could then lobby the government for affirmative action privileges for my kids. I doubt the Mexican government would be too sympathetic to such things, but one never knows. It couldn’t be any less sympathetic to people of my ethnic heritage than the California government is right now. And if Mexico retakes California, I would then gain the right to buy oceanfront property in Baja California, something I’m currently denied.

From the Baja coastline, with a tequila in my hand, it’s hard to care about much of anything.

It sounds like a win-win situation. Of course, just in case things don’t go so well I might put my house on the market now and try renting for a while. Don’t worry, I’m all behind the idea. I promise to lobby hard on behalf of my new organization. You can send your donations (in pesos) to Anglos Por Reconquista. We’ll have a post office box set up pretty soon. I promise. Hasta la vista.

Steven Greenhut (send him mail) is a senior editorial writer and columnist for the Orange County Register.

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