Immigration Luddism

Anti-Immigration Restrictionism Is for Losers

Nice article on the right, and the immigration trap.

Where the right goes awry here is instead of realizing the problem is one of progressivism stopping up economic activity through excessive regulations, they believe the problem is too many immigrants. The arguments are always, the immigrants are taking jobs from Americans, they just go on welfare, they are criminals. But with 5% unemployment this is folly. We are at full employment. Some do likely go on welfare, but most are the second most productive people in the country, right behind second generation children of immigrants. And some are criminals, but the vast majority of this problem stems from our absurd drug prohibition laws. We could cure this in a New York minute, but no, we are too puritanical to do the right thing and end drug prohibition, as we finally ended alcohol prohibition.

The problem is the progressives have gummed up the economy with idiotic regulations, and are standing athwart the new gig economy attempting to throttle it in infancy. This will not work, the Millennials want the gig economy too much, and they are too big a cohort, but the Boomers will, apparently, fight this to the death. With relaxed regulations, a strong nod to the gig economy, easier, and more open immigration, and work visas, and America could restart the economy, and restart a new cycle of prosperity. 

But the antiquated carbuncles in the Silent Generation, and the older half of the Boomers will have none of this. They are willing to sacrifice their children, and grand children on the altar of xenophobic fear of the other. 

Immigration today is lower than it was during the pre 2008 years, and no one but a few wackadoo fringe Republicans thought it an issue. Because the economy was booming during the 1990s, and then generally strong during the first half of the 2000s. So, what happened after 2008? Obama, Hillary, and the Democrats, with the help of the flapdoodle idiotic Republicans began layering on regulation after regulation, including banking, investment, tax regulations, and even the travesty of Obamacare. While nearly silent, this was a massive new imposition of regulations not just on business but on individuals. And it tanked the economy, and is eliminating the potential for actual recovery.

The right has two choices, play on the field the Democrats have laid out, meaning with high regulation, torpid economy, and malaise, which will mean low immigration, and live with the resulting even more depressed economy. Or not. Change this Bullshit, kill these unnecessary, destructive regulations, allow the gig economy to flourish, if sane, eliminate all income taxes from personal to corporate, and move to a national sales tax. Doing this would solve the state pension crisis, the national debt/deficit crisis, and most other fiscal, and financial crises. Economic growth would be massive. 

Then we would need more immigrants, both skilled, medium skill, and unskilled. So, Republicans which do you choose? Please choose wisely.

The video below is a good representation of how our economic growth would look.