"Root Causes Aren't Behind the Migrant Surge--It's Open Borders"

The appeal to "root causes" is a way to obfuscate and divert attention and resources away from policies you don't like to ones you do. This seems to me to be more common on the left, but you know me. 

They don't like arresting and imprisoning violent criminals, so they wave their hands and assert that we shouldn't be doing it--it's superficial. We need to go after the "root causes"...poverty, not enough Head Start...whatever. They don't really want to stop people at the border...but they do want to waste more money on "climate change." You know what to do! And, of course, to focus on climate change with any hope of affecting immigration is the utterest nonsense.

   There may be "root causes" of crime that government can effectively address...or there may not be. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't lock your door. If your house is on fire, you need to call the fire department, not the electrician. 

   And, of course, it's easier to bullshit about "root causes"--easier to simply give the answer entailed by your ideology or perspective or worldview.