Bill Gates: "freedom of migration is a good thing" (also: Reuters misleads)

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates - sounding like a cross between Vicente Fox and Martha Stewart - said the following in Mexico:

"I'm a big believer that as much as possible, and there's obviously political limitations, freedom of migration is a good thing."

He also supported immigration "reform". Obviously, Bill Gates should concentrate on creating clunky software. While Microsoft benefits from increased levels of high-skilled immigration, what's best for MS isn't always what's best for the U.S. And, in Mexico, "freedom of migration" means the right of low-skilled workers to enter the U.S. at will, thereby affecting our own low-wage workers, increasing social problems such as crime and school costs and on and on, and giving even more political power inside the U.S. to the Mexican government. About the only immediate benefit to Microsoft out of that would be lower prices for their employees' domestic workers, coupled with higher prices for social services.

Massive illegal immigration is also a strong indicator of massive political corruption, and Gates might want to be wary of the latter. While to a certain extent he might be relying on political corruption in the U.S. or other countries, it can always turn against him. He might want to take a lesson from the other billionaires in Russia and China and take a look at Hugo Chavez' nationalization moves.

The unnamed "reporter" from Reuters also makes a highly misleading statement:

Tens of thousands of Mexicans sneak into the United States every year...

Now, go back and add a zero to that figure.

Related:
Microsoft donated to CA Assemblyman Manny Diaz, who proposed a Matricula Consular bill
Fernando Guerra is a Microsoft lobbyist
"Who is the Cheap Labor Lobby?"
Big Business Balks at Bush Propaganda Plan

Immigration2007a · Wed, 03/21/2007 - 10:57 · · Importance: 1