These are my favorite videos on the entire magical internet. 

NPR’s Planet Money: Episode 436: If Economists Controlled The Borders

For the first time in a while, there’s political momentum building to change the U.S. immigration system. On today’s show, we ask three economists: What would the perfect system look like? If we could scrap the mess of a system that we currently have and replace it with anything, what would it look like?

Among the answers:

  • Let in lots more doctors and engineers
  • Auction off immigration slots to the highest bidders
  • Open the gates, and let everyone in

People fail to realize how much value immigrants add. Not just in low-skill or low-wage positions, but also reversing the brain-drain of this country and funneling smart, innovative individuals back into our economy. 

I’m personally down for the “open ‘em all up” border policy. 

But if you do so, you must, MUST end or severely curtail the welfare and entitlement system*. This way you only attract individuals (or families) who are coming to work and contribute and not those who are coming here for better amenities and a free ride.

I’d personally prefer to end the welfare system, but I understand that doing so would take some time to wean off without any seriously adverse effects. Over a decade or two, we can eliminate all waste and inefficiency in the entitlement system and end the hurtful filtering of talent and labor force by the immigration system. 

- Sha

ArtistPlanet Money
TitleIf Economists Controlled The Borders
AlbumNPR
Moving For Money: A look at interstate immigration. 
No one’s going back to Cali, to Cali, to Cali. I don’t think so. 

Moving For Money: A look at interstate immigration. 

No one’s going back to Cali, to Cali, to Cali. I don’t think so. 

Immigrants don’t cost natives their jobs; they allow them to specialize in different ones. Because immigrants are willing to work at lower wages, many more unskilled jobs that would not otherwise exist are created. Remember that skilled jobs and unskilled jobs are complementary; more child minders enable more young parents to work in finance; hotel managers require more cleaners in order to manage their establishments efficiently; and immigrants spend money as well as earning it, thereby boosting domestic demand for goods and services and creating new jobs too.

Philippe Legrain (via laliberty)

This is why I take the position of allowing immigrant workers to stay so long as they want to work. 

Obama on immigration

Obama just said that it’s, “important for [immigrants] to learn English… so they can potentially pay a fine.”

LOL. This guy is the greatest politician. I don’t mean that as a compliment. 

Yes, if Mitt Romney is elected, illegals will self deport. In fact, some Americans might even join them.

Stephen Colbert (via kateoplis)

____

Not just if Romney is elected but if Obama is re-elected. Americans are leaving America in record numbers and some of them are denouncing their U.S. citizenship. 

From RT News:

According to statistics from the US State Department, around 6.4 million Americans are either working or studying overseas, which Gallup says is the largest number ever for such statistic.

The polling organization came across the number after conducting surveys in 135 outside nations and the information behind the numbers reveal that this isn’t exactly a longtime coming either — numbers have skyrocketed only in recent years. In the 24 months before polling began, the number of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 living abroad managed to surge from barely 1 percent to over 5.1 percent. For those under the age span wishing to move overseas, the percentage has jumped in the same amount of time from 15 percent to 40.

While the United States of America was at one point (and largely still is) a magnet for foreigners in search of work, the statistics makes it clear that an opposite trend is quickly picking up steam.

No wonder Obama waved his magic wand and amnestied all those illegals. He was just happy that someone, anyone wanted to live here.