That Iran is providing bomb components is very much in dispute. Michael Yon, for one, a war supporter, calls bullshit. (The whole thing is worth reading, but the specific bullshit call is about two-thirds of the way down the page).

:: sigh :: some of us were out demonstrating against the invasion, and are wondering just where all these politically engaged people were who were out demonstrating yesterday in support of comprehensive immigration reform were when the issue was Iraq. Sadly, most people don't bother to care unless they are directly affected.

Of course, once people legalize, they are required to register for the drraft.

Eva, you bring up a good point... Why not make the path to leaglization be through the armed forces! Jose, you want to become a citizen? fine! then join the marines and go fight wars for your new country! when you're out, if you're still alive, you'll be a citizen!

just think... since they aren't citizens already, they won't need to be well equipped or trained. just give them an old gun and some bullets, and air drop them on Baghdad. it's brilliant!

Dr. Doug, you may joke, but that's actually already been at least a semi-serious proposal.

But what do you do with Jose's 55-year-old father Enrique, with the bad knee? Does he just get to be cannon fodder? Or Jose's pregnant wife Maria? And their 3 children under the age of ten, two of whom are U.S. citizens by birth?

i only half joke. this whole issue of immigration,etc, quite a nasty one. haven't yet made my own mind up yet.

perhaps a quota can be enacted. for every soldier, he/she can bring in two other people that can't fight due to medical reasons, etc. for any direct dependants (ie: children) under the age of 16 (or whatever the minimum age is to go to war these days), they can all come in free of charge but are expected to volunteer at the local community center.

hey! that's a good idea! why not make Maria volunteer at the nursing home? there is a severe shortage of staff at most rest homes, right? i bet something along the same lines could be found for Enrique...

yes yes! i can see it now! every able bodied person over the age of 16 must serve some arbitrary length of time (say 4 years) in public service. the military gets first dibs on everyone. if the military doesn't want them, then they fall to other organizations and on down the line.

okay, i've done my thinktank work for the day. where's my cheque?

In fact, joining the US military already makes it easier to become a citizen (but not automatic). But let's not turn the US into its Starship Troopers version, as interesting a social model as it is.

"Why not make the path to leaglization be through the armed forces'

30,000+ foreign nationals serve in the U.S. military, a relatively steady figure, and they are fast-tracked for citizenship, if they want it(Some of course, don't, fully intending to go back to their place of origin with newly enhanced military skills).

Not quite as fast as the famous French Legion promise of citizenship and a new identity ( if that still even happens) but it's something.

Immigrants really aren't all that more eager to go fight than citizens (link)

Just need to add that the idea of granting citizenship in order to become cannon fodder is not original; it was already done, by that great (excuse me while I vomit) prez, Woodrow Wilson, in 1917, with Puerto Rico. ("The 1917 act granted islanders a partial American citizenship; though without voting rights, Puerto Ricans were nonetheless available for the draft, just in time for the first World War.")

Another great example, I suppose, might be the Empire of Japan in late 1930s: Koreans were made Japanese "citizens" and were thus eligible to be drafted into the Japanese army or into gov't labor services under the slogan "unity of the imperial subjects," or something like that (literal translations don't make too much sense in English).

Of course, the idea of giving Koreans political rights wasn't even considered until 1944 (and never actually enacted), when Japan was on the verge of defeat and they needed Koreans to fight/work harder for the Tenno.