"Should the United States Limit Immigration Based on Merit?" The Debate Video
Here is full video for my immigration debate against Daniel DiMartino. My open letter to Elon is on point!
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It seems pretty easy to me: base immigration on potential income (there are various ways to establish that, which could include but absolutely should not be limited to having particular types of college degree - let's not empower that beast any further). Stay by demonstrating continuing income. And when you've proven you're a positive contributor, you're encouraged to stay.
As an aside, nobody believes that people "take up jobs". They may say it as a slogan but they don't act like they believe it. How do I know? Because people who want jobs move to cities. If anyone actually believed that people "take up jobs" they would move out of cities, where there's lots of competition for jobs, to the country, where there isn't. In fact, people do the opposite. Of course, they do that because the jobs are in the city, not the country. The jobs are in the city because that's where the people are. People create jobs. So, yes, there's more competition in the city but it's still better to look for work there. And it's not just city vs country: people tend to move to bigger cities vs smaller ones. When you want a job you look for places where there are MORE people to compete for the jobs. And that tells us you don't actually believe that people "take up jobs".
Now, maybe you tell yourself that you could get a high-paying job because you're highly-qualified, but all these other highly-qualified people compete for the jobs you want and put downward pressure on your wages. If you believed that, you'd look for work in places where there are few highly-qualified people. And yet, that's not what people do. And it's the same basic thing: more highly-qualified people means more competition for each job, but the greater number of opportunities those same people create, more than makes up for it. Everyone knows this, if you watch their behavior.
People don't "take up jobs". People create jobs.
Bryan, I’m in line with your position under one condition:
- Let’s stop confusing temporary with permanent migration!
We can and should let many more people come in the US than today and take up jobs. However it should only be done…
1. For countries that cooperate in taking in deported citizens back (see: Pakistan for an example of country that actively hinders deportation efforts)
2. Not allow any form of permanent immigration or even temporary family immigration for ~90% of immigrants. You come in, you work, you make money, you go home. Your spouse and kids cannot come.
3. Temporary immigrants should be completely excluded from all welfare systems and not even participate in Social Security for example. Let their home countries figure this out, not the U.S.
Once that’s done… welcome in! You’ve talked very positively about the system in UAE: so let’s copy *all* of it, not just the “welcome people in to work* part.