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300B
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Joined: 9/16/2007
Msg: 52 | |
| The Overwhelming of America
Posted: 1/9/2008 11:41:37 AM | ["One question my friend, how do you think your life would have turned out if your parents had not emigrated to the USA when they did?"]
I believe the original thread concerned “uncontrolled immigration” and not immigration in general.
["In my opinion, I think that immigrants add to americas Economy, which helps to pay for the welfare of those who do not want to work and hence, not contribute to the pot."]
No one would deny that a certain amount of immigration is indeed beneficial to the host nation. However uncontrolled immigration has a larger social impact, of the kind we are now seeing in the UK. These include increased pressure on local resources, such as, housing, education and health services. And then there is the impact it has on those already living in the country, having their income cut and standard of living fall, as a direct result of the influx of cheap labour.
["One of the ways that Britain has got around it, has been to introduce the minumum wage."]
Britain has not got around it by introducing the minimum. That was introduced before uncontrolled immigration became an issue, and if I’m not mistaken America also has a minimum wage so this has little or no relevance the issues raised.
["Another way that I think this system can be enhanced to the benefit of any nation is to have the welfare benefits which Immigrats get, somehow linked to the study of that coutries language so that eryone enventually can add to the economy by working."]
Speaking as someone who intends to become an immigrant myself, as far as I’m concerned it is the responsibility of the immigrant, to learn the language and customs of your intended destination, and not to expect the host nation to bend over backwards to accommodate you. | |
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| The Overwhelming of America
Posted: 1/14/2008 3:30:54 PM | I agree that immigration, if done in accountable and controlled manner, does contribute to the general welfare of the country. I also believe that we can greatly increase the number of people we let in, from all nations, even those with only basic skills. The corporations will export jobs as they see fit, regardless of how badly the economic situation of the average-income person (having NOTHING to do with THE economy) may be hurting, as long as the de-reg, free-market, do-what-I-feel-like- mentality is the accepted paradigm for corporate behavior. It is primarily, though not totally, the local economic meltdowns which occured as an aftermath of NAFTA, WTO, and IMF policies that has propelled so many Central Americans northward. The lack of infrastructure developement by PEMEX also hurt their economy, too.
Putting quotas on industries and corporations who are large employers might help. These would limit the number or the % of American jobs which can be offshored or otherwise eliminated, without certain legal and financial penalties and restrictions being activated. Of course, this would require that these entities give up their law-writing, corporate-lobbying privileges, and obligate our elected officials to run for office on public financing, and without corporate cash. That, in turn, would require the current crop of mercenaries, ah, Senators in Congress to vote these changes in, cutting off their own gravy train, not too likely. In turn, CEO's would have to get used to living on only 50 to 100 times the average worker's pay, like in Europe and Asia, rather than 400 or more times, requiring that less money be spent on K street, 3rd and 4th homes, and bigger yachts and jets.
Since this would require a huge outpouring of CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, (including letter writing campaigns, visits to their offices, phone call, possibly even - gasp!- demonstrating in the street, demanding that congressional representatives actually work for those who voted, and not those who bribed them), it doesn't have much chance of happening. Possibly, if the amount of Republicans and right-leaning Democrats was reduced to less than 30% of the total, things could change. But we seem to prefer being ruled, rather than governed within the parameters of a citizen controlled government. Don't count on it happening, unless a lot of thingschange. | |
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