A recent survey by Gallup found that roughly 700 million people would like to move to another country permanently. 165 million people name the U.S. as their preferred destination. Most of the others want to move to Western Europe, Canada, or Australia. (I imagine many of those would go for America if given the option).
Not surprisingly, most of the people who want to move live in a Third World country. Sub-Saharan Africa leads the world with 38% (or 165 million--a coincidence that it's the same number as above) wanting to leave.
Two questions come to mind. What would the U.S. be like if we followed the open borders crowd and invited 165 million Third Worlders to move in? How can any sane person favor that?
Second, why do 165 million Africans (once again, the numbers are a coincidence) want to leave a place where they are surrounded by fellow blacks to developed countries that are majority white? Is this some masochistic wish to put yourself in the middle of people who live for the chance to oppress you? To leave the warm embrace of your dark brothers for the U.S. of KKK? I'm befuddled.
"What would the U.S. be like if we followed the open borders crowd and invited 165 million Third Worlders to move in?"
ReplyDeleteFilthy, impoverished, corrupt, dysfunctional. And that's if it's still a functioning nation state. I happen to think the chances are much better that large scale 3rd world immigration will result in disintegration.
I do think there are some parts of the country that will be reasonably homogenous ethnically, culturally, and linguistically. Unfortunately, those will be the Spanish speaking, Mexican parts of the country.
(I imagine many of those would go for America if given the option).
ReplyDeleteUhm..wrong. I've met quite a few recent immigrants and talked to them at length about the subject, the U.S is not first choice for many anymore.
That's 165 million that would like to move here permanently. I'm betting at least twice that many would like to move here to work for a couple of decades.
ReplyDeleteIf we opened our borders, the motivation to move here would decrease as these new Americans fill the demand that many US businesses have for low-skill labor. Mean wages would decrease, but that doesn't mean those with lots of human capital would necessarily be worse off.
ReplyDeleteThe US could also solve much of this problem by unilaterally ending agricultural subsidies and other policies that make growth even more difficult than it already is for countries with weak institutions.
Open borders only make sense for open economies. A flat tax rate, the elimination of the minimum wage, and an end to the welfare state are the answer, not centralized population control.
In short, we should make economic freedom our goal, not sealed borders. However, we shouldn't open the border until we are laissez-faire enough to let prices function.
I own a few million acres and want slaves. Open the boarders you racist xenophobes!
ReplyDelete