Re:Request For Research: Basic Income
by rewqfdsa on Wednesday January 27, 2016 @04:00PM
(#10983299)
We already have programs for granting preferential immigration to high-skilled foreigners. Every advanced country does. Unrestrained immigration is incompatible with a welfare state. Which would you rather have?
Re:Request For Research: Basic Income
by oconnor663 on Wednesday January 27, 2016 @05:32PM
(#10984080)
There's not necessarily a conflict between the two. One middle road would be to maintain the welfare state, but to add a rule saying that only people whose ancestors were citizens before year X could receive welfare.
The result would be extremely visibly racist, but I think the right response to that is to understand that existing immigration laws are in effect equally racist. It's the visibility that would change, rather than the degree.
There is another dimension to this problem though; national borders and status.
There are a TON of really smart mexicans and other immigrants of every nation who are stuck into an effective caste system based on their status.
In fact, modern American society would literally fall apart if all the mexican service workers were raptured.
My point is that while we look at those who cannot contribute to a technologically advanced economy, we also are pigeon-holing many many others who are based on the complexities of citizenship status problem.