Items from "PostGlobal"
The Washington Post has
an on-line "global issues" discussion, at
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/
Since its structure makes it a little hard to point directly at the
middle of
discussions there, I repeat the body of my postings here with links for
people
who want to see the context.
(1) Immigration issues, reply
1, May 24, 2007 12:17 PM.
Click here for original.
Question: Rich countries need a steady supply of new immigrants
to keep up their growth
rates and welfare systems. But everywhere immigration is causing a
backlash.
What to do? Amnesty? Higher fences?
[essay by Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, I reply:]
With the opening up of Eastern Europe nearly 20 years ago, we began a
change
in the relations between people and governments comparable to (but
faster
than) the fall of the Roman Empire, and a flow of migration comparable
to that
of the Germanic tribes into Western and southern Europe.
A great many of our old models (of nation, nationality, national
identity
and loyalty) no longer work, and we haven't had time or leadership to
adjust
to new ones.
The United States model, so touted as demonstrating "tolerance", may
show
good internal tolerance within the US legal structure. But we are
increasing
the extent to which national tight control replaces loose local
control, and
doing great harm in some other parts of the world, vastly damaging any
role we
might have had as a model.
To illustrate how a simple shift in viewpoint or identity changes
things,
and using very simple fictitious numbers: suppose the average wage in
the US is
$20 thousand, and in Mexico $5 thousand. Suppose a bright Mexican
making $10
thousand moves to the US where he can make $15 thousand. The average
wage in
Mexico just dropped (lost a high wage). The average in the US dropped
(added a
low wage). The average wage in North American just increased (the man
got a
raise).
The best way to increase productivity and reduce conflict is probably
to
look at things on as large a scale as possible, and use the added
productivity
(and taxes) to provide the welfare necessary to mitigate harm locally.
May 24, 2007 12:17 PM
Edward Ordman
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