August 4, 2014
By: Kelly Diamond, Publisher
Two issues seem to be dominating the internet this past week or so: Immigration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the former has more to do with immediate economic issues in the United States, the latter will send me off the deep end and couldn’t be covered in a lifetime of perpetual writing.
So, in the interest of brevity and my frail heart, we’ll stick with immigration.
Immigration is the government term for what really amounts to nothing more than moving or migration. Here at GWP, we’re big fans of internationalizing. We wholly endorse and promote the idea of getting multiple passports, residencies and when possible citizenships. I’ve been challenged several times on this with people criticizing the countries we suggest. But never once do they consider the strategic benefits of investing in additional residencies, passports and citizenships!
There is the ease of travel, the ability to set up bank accounts, the ability to live and work in various places around the world, access to neighboring and partnering countries… none of which have anything to do with planting roots in one particular country or another! It’s just greasing the wheels of a global life!
That being said, these processes are difficult. Even the “easy” ones can be time-consuming. It does require some money as well.
As we discuss and try to facilitate legal migration on this site, it’s important to address the multitudes who don’t have the means to pay-to-play internationally. The North Korean defectors, the Sudanese fleeing to Israel, the Mexicans and Central Americans fleeing to America are the larger populations of individuals who are simply seeking a safer and better way of life than what they were dealt in their home countries.
My own position on this matter is that migration is as natural a phenomenon in nature as foraging for food. Butterflies migrate. Deer migrate. Whales migrate. All without regard for our national borders, and by and large humans don’t stop them either. In fact, in many cases, we protect them! But when other humans decide to do the same thing, all of a sudden, people get upset.
I don’t think there should be a process or a price tag or paperwork for something as fundamental as migrating and moving. I can hold that position because I’m not plagued with senseless fears over people from other geographies. I know who is really to blame for the economic woes of my country and it’s not some poor migrant from Central America. I know who is responsible for the violence in my country, and it’s not some tattooed gang member from Mexico.
There are some countries who recognize the economic value of immigrants. The United States used to be among them. America built industries off the backs of immigrants. Now we have Eastern European countries who are relaxing their processes to make themselves more inviting to those who wish to do business in them. Estonia and Poland, for example, have far less onerous policies toward businesses than their Western European counterparts.
Again, however, they still appear to be policies geared toward businesses more than individuals. I wrote an “Open Letter to South America” about a year ago entreating each country to open its borders and offer an expedited process for disenfranchised Americans. I stand by it. While I don’t advocate for borders or government, even from a totally statist point of view, it would be in the countries’ best interests to give streamlined access to industrious individuals who don’t represent large corporations or businesses. It’s been demonstrated that industrious people, even those who perform the most menial of tasks, bolster the respective countries’ GDP.
The United States, despite its incessant complaining about immigrants from the South, still benefits greatly from them. I mean NET benefit. They ultimately contribute more than they take, and are helping to prop up the American economy with essential services unemployed – and dare I say entitled – Americans won’t take. Why would they, when unemployment benefits and welfare pay more than minimum wage!?
The crack-down on immigrants will only hurt our economy and overall GDP. The crack-down on immigrants will hurt states whose GDP largely relies on agriculture and construction. How can anyone be so nationalistic that they would sooner forsake their economy before allowing people to move where they wish?
What really puts a strain on the American economy when discussing the immigration issue is not what the immigrants do, but what the government does in response to their efforts to migrate!
In a ten year span from 2000 to 2010, the US spent $90 BILLION on border control. Where’s the return on investment there? In the past couple days, Obama and Congress have exchanged various proposals for the immediate future ranging from over $3 BILLION to almost $700 MILLION.
While border advocates cry about the dangers of gangs coming over the border, I have to wonder if that would still be a concern if we ended the War on Drugs, lifted the regulations on guns, and legalized gambling and prostitution. These are all the big revenue sources for black market gang activity.
Border advocates likewise get indignant about how immigrants will drain our welfare system while at the same time steal American jobs! I have no idea how that is meant to work. I mean, which is it? Are they stealing the jobs, whereby disqualifying them from welfare? Or are they on welfare, whereby absolving them from stealing jobs?
Interesting to note that in all of my moving around the United States, I’ve never once been accused of stealing the new state’s jobs. When I moved from California to Michigan, no one said I was stealing Michigan jobs. Nor did they accuse me of trying to mooch off of Michigan welfare programs. That’s probably because moving is rarely related to attempted theft. Moving is historically and inherently a survival tactic.
I say all this for two reasons: 1. I wish more people would and could see, experience, and live in other countries; and 2. To encourage a discussion that would guide folks toward a more open policy for human migration. Both of these things would change the scope of discourse extraordinarily with regards to how people view immigration… or migration… or moving… or traveling.
Economies thrive on choice and dynamics, not stagnation and protectionism. Businesses get this. Some individuals get this. But for some reason, governments and the sheep who follow and worship them, don’t.
Live free, everyone. And allow others to do the same.
Thank you Mr. Kelly Diamond, excellent observasiton, it goes back to the 1970’s for me and can be seen in what was going on with in the Garment industry, as far as something called sweat shops and the Imagration service, then called Imegra the rounding up and deporting of un-documented workers process. I will say this SOME OF THE HARDEST WORKING PEOPLE I HAVE EVER KNOWN IN MY LIFE. Not drunks, good for nothing but suck of the system, I have always been proud to have met and worked alongside them and always will be. I will admit like with anyone anywhere yes you are going to have a few that fit the bill, but what I have now said holds true for every country on this planet with respect to a few who fit the bill.
Thank you
T.Derr
Indeed, I’ve never asked for anyone’s papers to qualify them as a good or bad person. I’ve watched their ethic, as a person and as a worker.
Wow, I am shocked at the message as much 8 am about the messenger.
I trust you are speaking about LEGAL immigration, but after re-reading it, I now believe you are talking about open borders….if so, how insane.
All the poor, misfits, convicts of the world will all proceed to the land of riches ( and in our case…because of asswipes like Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reed…subsidized by some of the Republicans… The land of hand-outs, the U.S.A..
So if you intentions is to turn the US into a cesspool, keep that thinking. And while you are at it, let’s in the Hams over, too.
How assine.
With regard to the social programs, I think they should be abolished. But more so because I’m tired of all the government workers, banks, and other countries getting my money… much less mortgaging future generations for the privilege.
But eliminating the domestic policies that make immigration a threat seems a better road to take for everyone: citizen or not. Qualifying someone with a piece of paper is meaningless. Having your papers? It’s like a page out of Nazi Germany. Property has papers. People shouldn’t. We aren’t things to be bought and sold and ruled over. We are individuals with our own will and lives to live and lead.
You made this post and yet Alabama has the strictest immigration policies in the union and has a very gloomy economic forecast ahead of it.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-02-14/alabamas-immigration-law-could-cost-billions-annually
You say this apparently in a vacuum of the history of America and how it was built on the backs of “the poor misfits and convicts”. Read the poem at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty sometime. “Bring me your poor your hungry your huddled masses yearning to breath free”. I guess that’s just false advertising huh?
You think immigrants make the US a cesspool? Wow, does bigotry get you very far in your other conversations? Considering that the illegal immigrants bolster our GDP both federally and on the state levels, I don’t think you need to thank them, but I don’t think you need to go out of your way to shit on them either. They are the backbone of our economy, but you’re so busy looking down your nose at poor people seeking a better life, I guess you can’t be bothered with all those pesky facts. I posted a list of links on this thread for your perusal.
The land of riches? How can you even type that without kicking yourself afterward? You want to talk about ASININE, calling the US the land of riches while it marinates in the face of over $17.6 TRILLION IN DEBT???? http://www.usdebtclock.org/
Convicts of the world? We have the highest incarceration rate in the WORLD. We are a nation of people criminalized by its own government for everything from not having permits, to possession of plants, to challenging a police officer when he summarily violates our rights. You’re probably a criminal and don’t even realize it: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704471504574438900830760842 or http://reason.com/archives/2009/10/19/were-all-felons-now
God forbid the poor around the world would want to do better for themselves!
Great article and somewhat synonymous with the sentiments of people wanting to have a more holistic experience in life.
From a business as well as general stand point, what are the top 5 immigration destinations (excluding the more popular USA, UK, Canada, Australia etc) as per your suggestion? How would you rate them for business friendliness and ease of processing the necessary paperwork etc?
It all depends on your goals, and whether you can or want to buy land or establish a business there, etc. My personal goal is to get residency in Paraguay so that I can travel about South America and live well on very little. It’s relatively inexpensive, doesn’t take as long as other places for the price, and allows you access to much of South America in the end :) In terms of business, I’ve seen expeditious and very convenient programs roll out of Estonia and Singapore. Anguilla appears to be a portal into the EU believe it or not and is amazingly friendly toward those who buy land there or do business there. Bobby has described this extensively, but if you have a business OR just want an in into the EU, Anguilla is worth a look.
This is just my personal take on what I’ve read about. However, Bobby is basically a citizen of the world at this point so he’d be the one to ask. The man walks the walk, so best to ask someone who’s been through the actual processes.
Do you know that Canada is starting to allow people to immigrate without a job lined up. Several provinces are doing it.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/canada-province-s-new-migration-scheme-no-job-offer-required-no-point-based-system-2014-04-01-1.543787
Kelly,
Can you supply statistics supporting your “NET benefit” position in paragraph 11?……or is that just your opinion?
Dennis
This link was in the article: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/203984-illegal-immigrants-benefit-the-us-economy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/30/study-immigrants-put-billions-more-into-medicare-than-they-use/
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2013-04-10/immigrants-on-the-dole-let-s-debunk-that-myth-again
http://reason.com/blog/2013/04/11/shikha-dalmia-5-reasons-why-low-skilled <-- if you don't have time to read those articles, then watch this 5 minute video.