[Skunk]

Originally posted by Yorick: Oh I think it's very apt. It's about time Europe reaped what it sowed.

Which is what?

Originally posted by Yorick: Nonetheless, antiimmigrationism is one short microstep away from RACISM.

Well for a start I'm not against immigration. But I am pro-immigration control. No economy can afford to simply throw open its doors to all and sundry without suffering ruination. You would be *very* challenged to find any country in the world that does not have such a policy - and to suggest that immigration control is racist is label every country in the world as racist - and as such, just plain daft.

Originally posted by Yorick: You're a bigot Skunk. Antisemetic...

Read the forum rules before you make statements like that.

Originally posted by Yorick: I brought up Australia and America as nations where immigrancy - Mexicans continue to pour into America, and Vietnamese pour into Australia - is STILL providing positive benefits to the two nations.

Austrailia is desperately attempting to limit the flow of immigrants into the country using questionable tactics (see: http://www.refugeesaustralia.org ) as a way of deterring would be migrants. Such is the damage to the economy that an unrestricted flow represents.

The United states is also seeing problems from the ever increasing uncontrolled flow of Mexicans - esp. social problems (see: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...CLE_ID=25920).

Originally posted by Yorick: In any case, property prices and rent are natural inhibitors. Neigbourhoods in NYC change accross a street.

Or in other words, the immigrants can live in shanty towns on the edge of the city, cleaning your toilet, eh? How generous!

Originally posted by Yorick: Polish business grads - based on real PRECEDENTS - will take on whatever menial work they can if it pays more than what they would earn at home. Be that waiting tables, kitchenhand work or whatever.

If you are not allowed to work in your profession by the immigration authorities or suffer from a racist atmosphere where 'the guy from the eastern block aint good enough to work here', then yes I imagine that they will take whatever work they can find - but Europe isn't like that.

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Skunk, I probably agree with you about the immigration issues more than I do on most topics. But, it's interesting to note your vehement compassion for the lesser peoples of the planet ends at your country's borders.

Sheer pragmatism - it serves neither country's best interests.

Many EU states are already fighting a losing economic battle as it is, and workers are already been shafted - extra unskilled/semi-skilled workers are not required and professionals are only useful in small numbers for specific industries.

For the originating countries, the problems are even more severe.
For the countries to develop, they *need* the unskilled/semi-skilled workers to drive industry. And as for the professionally trained - the cost of training say, a doctor represents an *ENORMOUS* investment - which is then lost to the country when the worker leaves.
And so those left behind are further impoverished by the outward migration.

It's far better to assist those countries to develop with development aid (as indeed the US Government has been doing successfully for many years via USAID - resulting in an ever growing level improvement in a long list of countries [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] )

Better that than to have them move from one 'hell-hole' to another. Better to have doctors working as doctors in their own county than have all that investment wasted as they clean some rich person's toilet instead...