Historical context is for the birds, man

YOU ARE VISITING THE OLD MALKIN(S)WATCH. THAT'S FANTASTIC. PLEASE VISIT THE NEW MALKIN(S)WATCH WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE.

At the top of Malkin's new group effort is a quote from Ronald Reagan:

"This country has lost control of its borders. No country can do that and survive."

I had to wonder under what circumstances Reagan said that. So I did a little Googling and found out: He had just signed an amnesty. From, of all places, Newsmax:

In 1986, Congress passed and Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act. One tough measure made it a crime for any employer to knowingly hire an illegal alien. But the law also granted an amnesty to all illegal aliens currently in the country, and it created a new classification of "seasonal agricultural worker."

Rather than solve the problem of immigration, the law only increased it. Formerly illegal workers who had been given amnesty and could now remain in the U.S. left the low-paying jobs they had previously filled. That left many unfilled positions, which meant a new crop of immigrants were needed to fill them again.

In short, the 1986 amnesty established a vicious circle of immigration.

I don't put much stock in Newsmax's view of the world, needless to say. But I do find it funny that the cornerstone quote for Michelle's new anti-immigration effort is referring to the same kind of policy that she is desperately fighting against.