> If a mansion is surrounded by a slum is society better off?

Who is in the mansion and who is in the slum?

Irrelevant

The government exists for the general welfare and and economic system that subsidizes idleness because the disingenuous say "look over there, its a net positive" while ignoring the externalized cost borne by the taxpayer is just theft from the taxpayer.

> Irrelevant

You made an analogy!

> system that subsidizes idleness

You’ve genuinely lost me. What does this have to do with this thread?

Displacement is a taxpayer funded externality. Companies are not entitled to taxpayer dollars just because theyre too cheap to hire american.

> Companies are not entitled to taxpayer dollars

Green cards? Companies pay for these applications. The applicants pay taxes. For this particular group, they're notoriously net tax payers.

As for idleness, if you lose your job your lose your visa and–I think–your green-card application.

There are legitimate complaints about all of this. These aren't among them.

In America we see homeless zombies running around the richest neighborhoods. Thats the definition of success here.