Dream Act or Nightmare?

As part of the upcoming military appropriations act, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack H Obama will attatch a piece of legislation they refer to the Dream Act. This bill would grant high school age illegal aliens residency if they go to college or enter the military for 2 years. Knowing that most young illegals lack the money to pay for college, most illegals will likely join the military. After a 6-year commitment, these illegals will be eligable for US citizenship, as well as the benefit of the GI Bill which would pay for college.

According to the 2009 version of the senate bill, DREAM Act beneficiaries must:

* Have proof of having arrived in the United States before age 16.
* Have proof of residence in the United States for a least five consecutive years since their date of arrival, compliance with Selective Service.
* Be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of bill enactment.
* Have graduated from an American high school or obtained a GED.
* Be of "good moral character"

According to the 2009 version of the bill, if the immigrant met all of the conditions at the end of the 6-year conditional period, they would be granted permanent residency, which would eventually allow them to become U.S. citizens. An estimated 65,000 illegal immigrant students graduate each year from High School.

Look, I speak Spanish, and I love Hispanic culture, and food. However, there is a real problem with this bill. For those of us who don't know history, the Dream Act is the exact kind of thing that the Roman Empire did before its fall. Rome needed massive hordes of manpower to run its military machine. Rome had an extensive wellfare program and was bankrupt because of a huge trade deficit with China (sound familiar?). Rome was forced to continue it's conquest, because conquest meant more tribute and more slaves.

However, to supply their military with men, Rome what is know as the Marian Reforms. The Marian Reforms instituted by Gaius Marius were laws that waived the property requirement for men wishing to serve in the legions. Those recruited under these laws would receive their equipment from the State, and serve a sixteen-year term of service (which was later raised to twenty). After that, they would be granted land upon which to settle. In addition, allies (foederati) who volunteered were granted Roman citizenship after the end of their service.

The German Barbarian Foederati Hordes were then lead by conspirator Odoacer in a major insurection to overthrow Romulus Augustus and fracture and finally destroy the Roman Empire. The Foederati Insurrection was the final death nail to the Roman Empire.

The problem with the Dream Act is not granting amneisty or edecational opportunites and benifits to illegal aliens. The problem with the bill is allowing non-US-American's to serve in the US Armed Forces. This kind of thing is extraordinarily bad, because those "Federal" troops are more likely to be loyal to the government and not to the US people themselves.