Immigration has become a great crisis in the United States and Europe, with (much like the old Roman Empire) non—assimilated invaders pouring across the borders unchecked. The situation is grave, with the likelihood of Europe becoming part of the Islamic world and the possibility of the United States being partitioned.

Nowhere is the situation more critical, however, than in Russia, which is being flooded by hordes of illegals.  The decline of Russia is dire, and presents a tremendous challenge to world peace and the Security of the United States.   

To put it mildly, Mother Russia has an empty womb. 

Her population is sinking precipitously, thanks to unrestricted abortion and financial hardships, while the death rate has skyrocketed due to poverty, substance abuse, crime and the stress imposed by a system which no longer guarantees financial security but, until recently, has not offered any type of free market opportunity.  In fact, Russia's population has fallen far below replacement levels, with a birth rate of 9.8 per 1,000 people and a death rate of 14.5 per 1000. Furthermore, Russia has one of the lowest life expectancies of any Western society with men dying on average at age 61.

There are more abortions than births in Russia. According to Bloomberg.com, there were officially 1.6 million abortions (and probably many unreported) in 2005, while 1.5 million children were born. 

What Russia isn't losing to mortality and abortion, she is losing to immigration.  According to Pravda, Russia has lost over 25,000 of her best scientists to emigration, with another 30,000 living and working overseas on a contractual basis.  This steady hemorrhage of skilled people is draining Russia economically and intellectually, with an estimated $30 billion lost in the last 15 years.

Meanwhile, thanks to the institution of a 13% flat tax, which has led to robust economic growth, Russia is finding itself under increasing pressure from numerous illegal immigrant groups — particularly from Islamic groups from Central Asia and from the Chinese. Russia finds itself in a terrible conundrum; she needs people — especially skilled people — but is unable to keep the skilled Russians at home to work. So Russia is forced to accept more immigrants to keep the economy moving. The larger the economy grows, the more Russia needs workers.

The problem is that Siberia has always been under—populated, and even the Russian oil pools were never swimming in Great Russians.  Many Russians are becoming increasingly disturbed by the invasion of non—Russian peoples, and the cry "Russia for the Russians" increasingly is being heard against this flood of illegal aliens. 

When President George W. Bush met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he apparently did more than gaze into his eyes and soul; the solution Putin advocates is the same as that of our own President — a guest worker program.  Putin and Bush seem to believe that the guest workers will serve their time and leave; unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that this will be the case.

Here in the United States we have already conducted the guest—worker experiment with abysmal results. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has had a guest worker program in place for years, and not only will the immigrants not leave, but they have destroyed the local culture of the Islanders.

Clearly, this idea is not going to be the salvation of the bereaved Mother Russia.

In point of fact, Western Civilization is dying and the implications of this depopulation are frightening. If demographic trends continue, Europe has less than 50 years before Islamic immigrants overrun the Continent.

The situation is even worse in Russia, which has recently upgraded its weapons system, thanks in part to American funding for the Cooperative Threat  Reduction Program, which finances the destruction of weapons while freeing Moscow financially to upgrade.  Furthermore, Russia had been producing nuclear material at pre—Cold War rates, thanks to a Clinton era program (the Nuclear Cities Initiative) which funded the enrichment centers to keep scientists working for the Russians rather than freelancing for terrorists.  What will happen to all of these weapons and materials if Islamic immigrants succeed in repopulating Mother Russia?

Clearly, this idea is not going to be the salvation of the bereaved Mother.

Russia seeks to become the world's energy provider, and is pursuing the development of nuclear power in addition to oil and gas.  She has already used her control of energy as a weapon against her neighbors in Ukraine, and there is no reason to believe that control of energy won't be a major part of Russian foreign policy in the future. If Russia is set on a course of building numerous nuclear facilities and slides into the Islamic morass, what are the implications?  An Islamic Caliphate with nuclear power is not in anybody's interests, yet we may be facing this in years to come.

Let's not forget the Chinese; the one child policy of China has produced a generation of boys (since most Chinese want to pass their family name) and this bodes ill for the future of Russia.  These young men are going to be searching for mates and a future, and the lure of pioneering in the relatively unsettled hinterland of Siberia may be attractive to them.  How long could Russia maintain control of the Far East if Chinese began immigrating in earnest?

Also, with Chinese consumption of oil rising, how long before the People's Republic casts covetous eyes on Russian oil fields?

Clearly, Russia should be courting America and the West for help in this crisis, yet the Russian government under Putin seems strangely reticent to obtain our aid.  Putin sees the development of mineral resources as crucial, but resists American help in exploration and development.  This is very foolish; American oil companies can provide the equipment and expertise to tap the hard to reach oil pools in Arctic regions, thus allowing Russia to reap the economic benefits while helping to stabilize World oil prices. It really is a win—win situation, but there are those who oppose this on all counts. Without robust economic growth, vital services cannot be maintained in Siberia, which will further encourage population loss in regions where Russia needs people most. 

What is Russia to do?  First, efforts must be made to keep the economic boom alive, and this means bringing in more Western corporations.  Second, Russia must reform abortion laws to encourage more women to bring their children to birth.  Russia needs political reform to reduce the bureaucratic stranglehold which promotes organized crime and corporatism. Immigration laws should be tightened and immigration from Europe and America should be encouraged. 

Thomas Jefferson believed it would take over a thousand years to settle the Louisiana Territory, and he missed his mark by 900 years. Why?  Because land was cheap and America had a system which offered the immigrant and pioneer the opportunity to prosper, along with the freedom to live the life of choice.  Russia needs to offer the same.

Americans who wanted to  settle in Texas were offered 'A League and a Labor' by the Mexican government.  As a result, Americans poured into Texas, and soon the vast, largely uninhabited region was able to become an independent nation (not necessarily a win from the Mexican government's point of view).  The draw was cheap or free land.  Russia should consider a similar system in Siberia: offer cheap or free land to any Russian or national of a traditional ally who wants to settle permanently.  For that matter, they could encourage people from other distant places to immigrate in a manner that will meld them into Russian civilization. Latin American immigrants come to mind.  Give them 'A League and a Labor' and let them settle the empty land, rather than allowing the Islamic World and China to take it away.

Ultimately, a nation must have hope and a vision.  America had Manifest Destiny and the spread of Protestantism to fire her ambitions and invigorate her culture.  Russia is a land which has lost hope.  Seventy years of Soviet domination has destroyed the Orthodox faith, and most Russians see no real reason for Russia. The Russians need to have their own version of Manifest Destiny.  They need prosperity.  They need to dismantle the corporatism now espoused by Putin in favor of a truly free system.  We can teach them this, if they will only listen.

People with hope, people with faith in the future have children.  The Russians, like their European neighbors, have lost this.  This is a moral and spiritual crisis; Russia has lost faith in her national identity, in her culture, in her intrinsic value.  Russia has lost faith in her Religion and her God. The people must renew their hope, rekindle their spirit.   Until they do, Mother Russia will find her cradle empty, and her enemies encroaching.

We must encourage Russia in this—not just for security reasons, or any other selfish purposes. We face a very similar challenge and if Russia can be saved, perhaps there is hope for us.

Timothy Birdnow is the proprietor of Birdblog.