From 2002-2008 illegal immigration definitely depressed wages but that was because the overall job market was weak because of the China Shock and a North American energy crisis. The recent illegal immigration spike started in 2019 and it was in the context of a very strong job market especially post Covid. Construction in America is heavily Latino and whenever we have a construction boom we have a spike in illegal immigration and the overall economy can be strong or weak.
I enjoyed the debate, and I'm in favour of a UAE/Singapore style policy on lower skilled migration.
However, what is almost always left out as context when this is brought up, is that these lower skilled migrants in the UAE/Singapore do not have the same rights as lower skilled migrants in e.g. the US or in Europe. They will never be allowed to gain citizenship; they cannot bring family members; they cannot have children; they cannot settle once their visa runs out; the slightest infraction leads to their arrest and deportation; etc.
I personally am ok with this system as you get the productivity gains without the potential cultural negatives. Though I feel that when brought up in a debate, the distinction needs to be made, as most people do note understand that the UAE/Singapore style policies are very different to what are being talked about in the west, when people talk about low skilled immigration.
Bryan ends by comparing the Gulf monarchies to Japan and saying Japan is missing out on innovation due to a lack of low-skilled immigrant workers. Do the Gulf monarchies produce more innovation than Japan?
I don't think the comment was about innovation, but rather, productivity. A Japanese guy working behind the counter at a 7/11 is probably qualified to be a manager, so if there were more low skilled immigrants, he could be more productive by managing a 7/11 and being replaced behind the counter by low skilled immigrants.
This would ripple through out the economy, with each "rung" of skilled workers in Japan being freed up and able to work on something better. So, presumably innovation would increase as, someone who was once a middle manager of 7/11 franchise is now freed up to work at a job doing something more innovative.
Although, to your question directly, about if gulf countries innovate. I can't really name specific examples (maybe the engineering behind the tallest building in the world?), it's hard to believe they operate such a unique economy and they are not the leaders in the unique aspects of how their society functions. When I ask Chat GPT for gulf country innovations, it lists cooling entire districts with chilled water systems, and carbon capture oil production. The huge scale their oil based finance and their LNG production are unique in the world and must have required innovations (concepts and techniques no one had figured out before them).
The question is not if the gulf countries innovate more than Japan. The questions are do the gulf countries innovate more than they would if they had less immigration and does Japan innovate less than they would if they had more immigration. The answer to those questions is a resounding yes.
Do you find traction when you make a rights-based argument for open borders? It is “my right” to invite anyone to be my janitor, even if they are not “American”.
From 2002-2008 illegal immigration definitely depressed wages but that was because the overall job market was weak because of the China Shock and a North American energy crisis. The recent illegal immigration spike started in 2019 and it was in the context of a very strong job market especially post Covid. Construction in America is heavily Latino and whenever we have a construction boom we have a spike in illegal immigration and the overall economy can be strong or weak.
Sadly, no transcript here.
I enjoyed the debate, and I'm in favour of a UAE/Singapore style policy on lower skilled migration.
However, what is almost always left out as context when this is brought up, is that these lower skilled migrants in the UAE/Singapore do not have the same rights as lower skilled migrants in e.g. the US or in Europe. They will never be allowed to gain citizenship; they cannot bring family members; they cannot have children; they cannot settle once their visa runs out; the slightest infraction leads to their arrest and deportation; etc.
I personally am ok with this system as you get the productivity gains without the potential cultural negatives. Though I feel that when brought up in a debate, the distinction needs to be made, as most people do note understand that the UAE/Singapore style policies are very different to what are being talked about in the west, when people talk about low skilled immigration.
Chris Freiman and I had a debate on whether libertarian philosophy entails a right to immigrate.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-202648721
Hughes's dishonest promotion of The Fall of Minneapolis eliminated him from the "great guy" category. Great guys are not liars.
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/the-retconning-of-george-floyd-part-382
Were those question askers actually students? They were sharp!
My comment at https://www.betonit.ai/p/immigration-laws-are-made-to-be-broken/comment/274207709 was for this video/debate.
Copying from there:
Bryan ends by comparing the Gulf monarchies to Japan and saying Japan is missing out on innovation due to a lack of low-skilled immigrant workers. Do the Gulf monarchies produce more innovation than Japan?
I don't think the comment was about innovation, but rather, productivity. A Japanese guy working behind the counter at a 7/11 is probably qualified to be a manager, so if there were more low skilled immigrants, he could be more productive by managing a 7/11 and being replaced behind the counter by low skilled immigrants.
This would ripple through out the economy, with each "rung" of skilled workers in Japan being freed up and able to work on something better. So, presumably innovation would increase as, someone who was once a middle manager of 7/11 franchise is now freed up to work at a job doing something more innovative.
Although, to your question directly, about if gulf countries innovate. I can't really name specific examples (maybe the engineering behind the tallest building in the world?), it's hard to believe they operate such a unique economy and they are not the leaders in the unique aspects of how their society functions. When I ask Chat GPT for gulf country innovations, it lists cooling entire districts with chilled water systems, and carbon capture oil production. The huge scale their oil based finance and their LNG production are unique in the world and must have required innovations (concepts and techniques no one had figured out before them).
The question is not if the gulf countries innovate more than Japan. The questions are do the gulf countries innovate more than they would if they had less immigration and does Japan innovate less than they would if they had more immigration. The answer to those questions is a resounding yes.
Do you find traction when you make a rights-based argument for open borders? It is “my right” to invite anyone to be my janitor, even if they are not “American”.
Great answer at the 28:26 point.