Immigration Is The Solution Not The Problem

I am somewhat frustrated to continue to have to read daily the angry rhetoric of the world's nationalists.

Voters in France who reject the EU Constitution (right move) because of the fear of immigrants (wrong move); or the American trade unions who fight immigration at every turn for fear that one of their members might have to compete on the open market for their job.

My favorite is the Sierra Club, which opposes immigration because it's bad for the environment. WHAT? You mean that an immigrant from, let's say, London is going to harm the environment here, but not in the UK?

Without too much trouble, I think one can make the case for open borders and virtually unlimited immigration. I also think that whatever problems are being cited as being caused by immigration, one can make a counter argument that immigration is the cure not the cause of these problems.

Take economic growth and personal income. Far from having a negative effect on personal income, open borders would be a great boon to the American economy.

Cargill, ADM, Microsoft, Coke, Proctor & Gamble, GM, Chrysler and McDonalds all spend tens of millions of dollars each year to try to get more Chinese to buy their products. Do you want 10 million more Chinese to buy your product? That's easy. Let them live here. They won't buy anything else.

Let's just say you let 10 million Chinese immigrants come here tomorrow (believe me there would be at least 10 times that number wanting to come). What would be the first thing that would happen?

Well, the government would collect about $350 million in immigration taxes immediately. US carriers (American, United, Northwest) would make about $10 billion in airfare. American telcos would make about $15 million in calls home from the immigrants wanting to say "Hi Mom. I got here safely." American grocers would sell another 20 million eggs the first day as all these immigrants got hungry for breakfast.

You get the picture. Lots and lots of new economic activity. Housing, transportation, clothing, domestic communications would all be in demand as 10 million new residents set up shop.

10 million seems like a whole lot of people to absorb, but look at what Israel did in the last couple of decades. The country absorbed over 1 million Russians and Ethiopians. A comparable number for this country would be 20 million people coming to live in California.

During the 1990's the Israeli economy grew at an average rate of 6%. Almost all of that growth is attributed to the influx of immigrants.

Sure there are costs. Sure there are dislocations. Sure it's uncomfortable. Those people don't look like us; they don't speak like us; they don't laugh at our jokes and they smell funny too.

Just like my grandparents when they got here. They spoke funny, ate funny, smelled funny and made the neighbors just a little bit uncomfortable.

But they raised good kids who were proud to be Americans; served in the Army, Air Force, Marines and went to college and paid taxes as they raised families and pursued the American dream.

Here's my test to the naysayers. Name one signer of the Declaration of Independence that didn't come from an immigrant family and I will concede this argument.

Just one!

Really, you don't have an answer?

I didn't think so.

Open the Doors. Let 'em in.