They Are Vital To our Economy...Not

Quote from dddooo:

I am vehemently against illegal immigration but just out of curiosity:

If you conservative, republican/libertarian Ayn Rand loving free-traders believe that corporations have the right to freely cross the border in search of better/cheaper labor and just as freely bring back accross the border goods and services manufactured overseas without any obstacles, tariffs or limitations, if you believe in all that why do you not believe in the right of labor to freely cross borders in search of better opportunities and profitable employment?

Why all of a sudden all those "Globalization" and "The world is flat" concepts you've been talking about for years go down the toilet the moment immigration and border issues are concerned. How is it consistent that businesses and goods can freely cross borders but individuals can't.

Pecisely. Labor should be as free to cross borders as capital.
 
Quote from Ricter:

Pecisely. Labor should be as free to cross borders as capital.

Would you still feel that way if, oops, a Muslim terrorist bomber crosses the border along with the Mex's ??
 
Quote from Haroki:

Would you still feel that way if, oops, a Muslim terrorist bomber crosses the border along with the Mex's ??
The discussion has revolved around economic, not security issues. Would you be in favor of free trade if a China or Kuwait made dvd player exploded and killed a family?
 
Fabulous post, AAA. The best synopsis yet that I've seen.
Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

You draw a false comparison. Personally, I have always been a bit dubious about the supposed wonders of globalization. If running a huge trade deficit is such a good thing, why don't other countries try to do it? Are we the only ones clever enough to see what a neat trick it is?

But there is a vast difference between bringing in goods and bringing in people. Goods are consumed. People stay, bring in their relatives, collect welfare, clog ER's, create crime and gangs and end up going to the streets in mobs flying mexican flags to try and intimidate our legislators and citizens.

The economics columnists from the NY Times and Washington Post both wrote columns admitting that you do not create wealth in a country by importing poverty, which is exactly what our immigration "policy" does.

It's very clear what's going on here and it is ugly. Democrats see a vast pool of poor, uneducated people who fit their party's voter profile. Republicans fear a backlash from the hispanic groups, and their corporate backers like the cheap labor. Voters on both sides are heavily against illegal immigration and amnesty schemes, but they are being ignored.
 
Quote from Haroki:

Would you still feel that way if, oops, a Muslim terrorist bomber crosses the border along with the Mex's ??

I believe controls should be in place to protect people against the wrongful use of labor, and capital. Once those are in place, my point still stands.
 
Quote from Ricter:

Pecisely. Labor should be as free to cross borders as capital.

In that case immigrants from Mexico wouldn't even be a feature. I'd say within 5 years of that policy about half a billion Chinese, 250 million Indians and assorted others would have made there way to USA. Good for shipbuilders - they would be flooded with orders for huge, specialised transporters.
 
Watching all this drama (what is really different today than 1 year ago concerning the border and illegals) I am struck how this helps to distract attention away from all the other problems this administration wants the focus off of....

The repubs of course get to express their anger at Bush through this one particular issue, and as always blame the democrats in the process, because they can't blame the dems for Bush's fuckups.....

How quickly the repubs ignore the fact that we have an illegal alien problem because the republicans are the ones that are primarily employing the illegals.....
 
Quote from roberk:

In that case immigrants from Mexico wouldn't even be a feature. I'd say within 5 years of that policy about half a billion Chinese, 250 million Indians and assorted others would have made there way to USA. Good for shipbuilders - they would be flooded with orders for huge, specialised transporters.

It might seem like that would be the outcome, but in reality the costs of coming here would soon outweigh the benefits, and they'd go elsewhere. Think free markets.
 
Quote from Ricter:

It might seem like that would be the outcome, but in reality the costs of coming here would soon outweigh the benefits, and they'd go elsewhere. Think free markets.
You mean the average salary in this country will be the same as the average salary in China or Mexico - $0.50hr so it won't make sense for them to come here any more? You're right, that's exactly what's going to happen as a result of free market, free trade and open border policies, I just don's see turning the US into a third-world country as a good thing.
 
Quote from ZZZzzzzzzz:

How quickly the repubs ignore the fact that we have an illegal alien problem because the republicans are the ones that are primarily employing the illegals.....
It’s the Dems who inflated the cost of employment, forcing jobs overseas and illegals hired at home.

The best and brightest are vital to our economy. They are the ones who start businesses and bring goods and services to market. When Socialism creeps in and turns the screws, the best and brightest either find ways to circumvent it, or they flee.
 
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