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Reddit mentions of American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare
Sentiment score: 1
Reddit mentions: 1
We found 1 Reddit mentions of American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare. Here are the top ones.
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| Release date | August 2005 |
> I benefit from the efficiency gains.
What efficiency gains?
(fair warning: all numbers made up)
I keep hearing about efficiency gains from low-skill international migration from open-borders economists and I've yet to be convinced that there's much there there.
Consider some Mexican dude named Oscar. He works in the outskirts of Mexico City and is able to generate, say, $10,000/year of wealth. He then gets it in his head to move to a place with richer people because working for richer people will get you more money, so he heads to a suburb within driving distance of La Jolla and generates $50,000 of wealth because he's cutting the lawns of power couples who net over $1M/year. That's a massive efficiency gain! For him, at least!
On the other hand, this only looks good if you forget that there are unemployed black and white Americans who could be doing this sort of work if only they'd move to someplace within driving distance of La Jolla. Instead of consuming, say, $20,000/year of taxpayer-funded public assistance, they'd be making $30,000 a year or so cutting lawns. Can you convince me that there are massive efficiency gains to be had by hiring immigrants instead of unemployed black and/or white Americans?
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> If you let in both low-skill immigrants and high-skill immigrants, it's actually possible for virtually every native person in the US to benefit.
Theoretically, if you think of only money. Money's great, but it's not a substitute for doing useful things for people. I don't want to live in a country where going on welfare is just as good, social-standing wise, as having any sort of job. Do you think it's a good thing, or at least a neutral thing, that there are people in the US who've been on welfare for generations? If you're curious what these people's lives are like, I suggest American Dream by Jason DeParle.
I want to live in a place where work pays more than idleness. Do you think it's better to pay people to be underbid by immigrants?