Immigration questions for Max Sawicky

Max Sawicky (of MaxSpeak) recently posted this entry which purports to smash several of the myths surrounding immigration. Unfortunately, he lumps all forms of immigration under the same banner, and he also only discusses financial-related issues. Thus, he doesn't really answer some of the even more perilous aspects of massive illegal immigration. So, here are a few questions he can try to answer next time:

1. The downsides to remittances include: creating an unnatural dependence between countries, encouraging the U.S. Federal Reserve and member banks to profit from illegal activity, and propping up the Mexican government.

2. Many of our "immigrants" come from Mexico, a country which used to own part of this country. 58% of Mexicans think the U.S. southwest (their "lost territories") rightfully belongs to Mexico. Only an ahistoric fool or a hack would try to downplay that major difference between current and past immigration.

3. Many companies profit from illegal immigration, and they donate money to politicians who support illegal immigration in one way or another. That is political corruption no matter how you want to look at it, and massive illegal immigration is leading to massive political corruption.

I look forward to Sawicky putting on price tag on those in a future post.

Related: An immigration challenge for Andrew Sullivan

Comments

Very well, Mr. Wacko. People call me wacky too, so I can identify.

The remittance thing is trivial, as I said in my post. Just compare the remittance figures with the trade deficit. The remittances allow low-income families elsewhere to better support themselves. The trade deficit is really a trade of foreign-made goods for assets denominated in dollars. We get cheaper stuff, and foreigners own more land, structures, plant and equipment in America. If I was going to worry about something, it would be the latter.

It's true the ability to send remittances is an incentive for workers to come here and facilitates their exploitation. But they are better off than they would be otherwise.

I've said the overall wage effect is minimal. I realize that this does not satisfy the many people who have been screwed financially by changes from job churning, much of which has nothing to do with immigration. Nor should it. But immigration, illegal or otherwise, is the wrong focus IMO.

The Mexican takeover thing is silly. Suppose you're a Mexican immigrant and you become governor of California, with an economy larger than that of most countries. Are you going to have allegiance to the bankrupt, impoverished country to the south? Why? If anything, they are beholden to you. You are the real president of Mexico. People that make it in America usually become Americans.

Of course there is money and corruption in illegal immigration. Also in failure to enforce labor law for non-immigrant workers. Let's enforce labor law, upgrade labor standards, support unionization. This will discourage use of immigrants to undercut wages.

An irony in all the discontent caused by job churning -- celebrated by those who are secure as our great dynamic economy -- is that there would be huge disruption as well if you could suddenly deported millions of illegals.

My answers are certainly short of perfect. It's a tough problem. I think it is best addressed by a united working class, not one turned inward against itself.

cheers, and keep whacking.

"So when the pundits tabulate the cost of illegal immigration do they add in all the costs of anchor babies "

Unfortunately the costs of those anchor babies are tabulated under "US citizens". That is why you find stories about how US citizens are greater users of X and Y than immigrants are.

Here is a fact by our so called government, 2 out of 5 mexican babies are in fact anchor babies living inside mexico, do you under why? mexico get from our government over 3 billion each year sent to mexico do you know why? no matter what is done or said this non nation of fools will be by
defact with 10 years hispanic and the power of laws and police and the so called justice system will be used against all non hispanics, by the way cops are becoming each day more and more hispanic the system is becoming hispanic and the death of a nation no matter what anyone will do outside of open rebellion against this evil can stop it. so have fun in the coming hell you all helped to make. by the way in mexico city 50,000 murders happen each year.

So when the pundits tabulate the cost of illegal immigration do they add in all the costs of anchor babies and the costs of increased government services or the "yet to be paid for" costs of government employee benefits?

You know all those unfunded pension & benefit liabilities tabulated in the trillions?

I read just last week LA unified isn't setting aside sufficient money for their employee's retirement liabilities, do they expect the LA unified graduates to pay for their teacher's unfunded liabilities?

If test scores are any indication LA UNified graduates won't even be able to support themselves let alone their own kids or some "old white teachers".

Essentially LA has launched some time delayed tax increase missiles that won't land for 10 or 20 years but eventually they will crash as sure as there's gravity.

I also wonder about the number of police killings, which seems to be growing all the time. Today in So Cal there was three attacks--don't know if the guys will make it or not--and it seems like this happens regularly.

Of course the MSM will not cover it, but it would make a good project for a researcher.