Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Debating Immigration

"Alan Johnson, home secretary, has recently admitted that the government has been 'maladroit' in its handling of immigration. This is British understatement. It has been dishonest: it has pursued a radical policy, with profound consequences, on weak grounds, without serious debate. ... The government has been able to get away with its dishonesty because immigration is the 'third rail' of politics. Few wish to discuss the topic openly. But some discussion is essential. That is the democratic way. ... First, on the government's own figures, the population of the UK is likely to hit 70m by 2030. Immigration would account for 70 per cent on the increase, directly and via births from immigrant parents. The assumption here is that the net inflow would continue at 190,000 a year. It might be higher: government actuaries have, in the past, tended to underestimate the immigration rate. ... Third, net immigration from outside the European Union, which is, in principle, subject to control, has dominated the net inflow: this has been running at around 200,000 a year since 2000. Asylum seekers have become a small part of the total. ... Already, just over half of inner London school pupils have a first language other than English. Continuing immigration will transform populations in many areas. Such changes are significant. Are they desirable? ... The UK has a real income per head of about five times the world average. One must assume that the inflow, under unrestricted immigration, might be numbered in the tens, if not hundreds, of millions. The impact is not hard to imagine. I, for one, have no difficulty with arguing that immigration is a privilege, not a right. Most people agree. We are then, inescapably, in the messy world of having to decide how--and on what principles--to control immigration. My view is that the interests of the existing citizens are of decisive weight, though we should also place some weight, too, on the interests of immigrants. ... Yet there is little net economic benefit to the existing population from immigration", my emphasis, Martin Wolf at the FT, 5 November 2009.

"But while the President gears up his campaign for Climate Change [CC] awareness in Denmark, a Population Change anti-awareness campaign has long been in full swing in America. The acid test of the sincerity of the [CC] activists: do they publicly demand a US immigration moratorium to keep carbon emissions from increasing? ... 'The campaign recognizes immigration as the number one factor driving US population growth and makes the point that when immigrants settle in the US their energy use quickly becomes Americanized. As a result, immigrants' carbon emissions skyrocket. The result is a quadrupling of immigrants' carbon footprint compared to the amount of carbon emissions they produced in their home countries.' Mexicans don't illegally immigrate to avoid starvation. The average life expectancy in Mexico is over 76 years. ... Yet why are those [CC] insights so seldom applied to the quesation of Population Change? ... The changing nature of the population has far-reaching ramifications that deserve well-informed public discussion. But, of course, that's not a fashionable view on either the Left or the corporate Right. ... To serve my country, I just have to have a thick enough hide to withstand rage-filled respectable conduits of the reigning dogmas screaming 'How dare you? at me. ... California has already been inundated, fiscally, by the rising tide of population change. But only evil people like me are aware of that--and dare to tell the rest of America", Steve Sailer at Vdare, 3 December 2009, link: http://www.vdare.com/sailer/091203_climate_change.htm.

Britain, see your fate in California. London sounds like Los Angeles, see my 11 October 2009 post: http://skepticaltexascpa.blogspot.com/2009/10/boskins-baaack.html.

Yes Sailer.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

When America floated on easy money such issues were not that important...

But as ZimBen's economy deflates more sides of complex issues will need to be explored.

The costs to the nation of illegal immigration are real.

Yup -- California might want to doing a little more work verifying the cost accounting...

No free lunch on illegals.

Independent Accountant said...

Anonymous:

I read fact check. As far as I am concerned, it is junk. California spends $3 billion on incarcerating illegal aliens alone. Los Angeles spends $5 billion on illegal aliens and illegal aliens childrens' schooling. The $338 billion amount is George Borjas, a Harvard professor's estimate of total costs to Americans of illegal aliens. It could be higher. Uncle Sam does not collect the statistics. Why?

IA

cmcginnis12 said...

Everyone must be warned before coming to the United States. Even if you have a visa, you are putting yourself at risk of Homeland Security ICE officers. I have a friend that is from Paris France here on an education visa to finish his degree. He has been here since 2005. His visa is valid until March of 2010, His passport is valid until 2014, and his I-20 is current. He is not illegal. In 2008 He fell in love and married a U.S. citizen that just happens to be addicted to Prescription medications, He knew nothing about this. But he was arrested due to her mistakes. He was placed in detention, scheduled for deportation. He has been in detention center in Pompano Beach Florida for 5 months now. All this because of her mistakes. She should be the one in jail not him. Please everyone coming to America. Think twice. This couple has lost all there savings on lawyers, she lost her job, and they are in the process of losing there home. All this was caused because ICE has the wrong person in jail. They make up any story they want and when they are questioned about it you get nowhere. I have written many letters to Janet Napolitano, Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Ginny Brown-Waite and even President Obama. But no one will listen. So please people think twice about coming to America for any reason. Our immigration system is broken ….they all agree, but you put your life at risk when you enter our borders. Even if you follow the rules you may also lose everything as this couple has. No one will listen, no one cares. This man has never even had a traffic violation and is 51 yrs old. He has never worked in America has always been self supporting and took nothing from Americans social services. His American dream has turned into a night mare. Shame on America. I think it is about time someone revised this immigration and ICE practice. What is illegal in this case is the way DHS is treating this guy. John Morton and Janet N. should be ashamed of themselves. This is just wrong. While in there detention center they have abused him, denied him food and proper medical treatment. He is diabetic and they will not give him the proper food or medical attention. I think it is terrible. The phone system is very poor and not working everyday. They plan it that way so they can not contact there lawyers and family. Someone needs to stop ICE, They are totally out of control. I fear He will be next on the long list of persons that have died while in detention. Until you go to one of these detention centers and see with your own eyes, you will not believe what America is doing. I was shocked, on my first visit and after almost 6 months of seeing what happens, how they have to live. I am still in shock. Trust me it is all about money. He is in a private prison owned by a company called GEO based near Miami Fl. They are paid very well by our tax dollars, but the treatment is unbelievable. I just have to close by saying shame on America. I have seen it with my own eyes. I wonder how many congressmen have stock in this company. They are doing quite well. Just watch for yourself they are GEO on the stock market and are doing well in a bad economy. Makes one think a government contract like this is not a bad investment. I think the government is making a mountain out of a mole hill and now wants to sell climbing equipment!