Immigration

Some may have noticed our post on the immigration bill earlier. The assumption may be that we are 100% against immigration from Mexico and Latin America. Not so. We are ambivalent. Just as we believe capital should flow freely across borders so we believe, in theory, that human capital also should flow freely. But human capital is not the same as goods and services. A person who comes over the border can't be considered 'capital' if they end up imposing costs on our social services. As others, including Patterico, have pointed out these people are doing the jobs Americans won't because they have no access to welfare and other handouts. Once they are granted amnesty another wave of illegals will be required to do these jobs.
Another reason we oppose amnesty is that it is terribly unfair to the people who immigrate legally and follow the rules. We are a firm believer in the rule of law and amnesty undermines the rule of law.
Finally, we wouldn't even have this problem if Mexico could get its act together. Mexico has abundant natural resources and Mexicans have an entrepreneurial spirit, if given a chance. And it's not just corruption. Mexico's markets are fairly closed to foreigners and the economy is hampered by outdated socialist policies. It is irksome that the US must provide a safety release for the sheer incompetence and criminality of the Mexican republic.
That is why we have little tolerance for non-citizens "demonstrating" in the streets. Why don't they make demands on their own government?