[mc32]

Of course I mean fair to Americans (just as every other country wants to maximize things for their own populations). Do you think when immigrants come to the US _they_ are not going to try to maximize their own advantage? It's not like they're going to say, ha, we made it, time to underachieve, let's not ask too much.

It's not as if we don't have our own poor --blacks and whites.

[JoeAltmaier]

We should, of course, be fair to all people. Especially as the most powerful country on earth, to play the gorilla is patently unfair.

[mc32]

And I also mean fair to all immigrants by granting all of any potential immigrants equal chance of acceptance, regardless of geography --but with an eye toward their potential contribution to the US --just as many other nations' immigration policies do.

Let's also remember, up and till WWi we were not a rich country. We were quite rural and not all that excellent. Many of today's poor countries were not that far behind the US.

[JoeAltmaier]

Revisionist history. During the US Civil war, there were two great armies in the world, and the US Army of the North was number one. Number two? The US Army of the South.

[mc32]

Around wwi the European powers were the most powerful, Russia, UK, France, Austria, etc.

Saying the civil war US was an example of a great army is like saying Syria has the greatest armies in the ME just because so many people are armed.

The US was rural, technologically backward, compared to some european powers, and not that far ahead of others.