Reckless Experimentation

Ben Sixsmith on “open borders” posturing:

But what of the proposed merits of open borders? A consistent failure of the Economist’s article is a reluctance to distinguish between different migrants. If one finds the study, it turns out that 54% of the men and women who expressed a desire to migrate came from Africa and the Middle East — with another 20% being from Central America. Yet the most successful immigrants, in terms of launching businesses and earning wealth, have been found to hail from Asia and Europe. A UCL study found that European immigrants to Britain contribute more to the economy than they take from it, while the opposite is true for non-European immigrants. It is senseless, then, to claim, as the author of the Economist article does, that immigrants are “more likely than the native-born to bring new ideas and start their own businesses.” Immigrants do not come from “Immigrantland.” Population differences related to entrepreneurial and earning potential are real, and significant, and difficult to bridge. 

Worth reading in full, I think.

Comments

[David]

Somewhat related, these items here.

[Rafi]

What progressives should remember is that civilisation is not a science laboratory. The consequences of failed experiments endure. That is the main virtue of gradual change; we can test new waters and not leap into their depths.

That.

[Jonathan]

An excellent piece which will, sadly, do nothing to change the minds of those with power.

[Flubber]

Well the first Google video sandboxed was Jared Taylor's video on the IQ differences between ethnicities.

Why?

Because its the lefts no. 1 hate-fact. IQ is not equally distributed by race.

[John D]

It's amazing how quickly the Economist turned into the Guardian.

[Clam]

Somewhat related, these items here.

Douglas Murray nails Simon Schama. To a wall.

[Jeanne Crain]

https://kakistocracyblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/20/be-the-ceo/

If Mark Zuckerberg granted 10,000 shares of Facebook to every foreign national just trying to make a better portfolio for themselves, then soon enough his ownership percentage would fall to the point where migrating shareholder factions would be able to remove him from the board, and ultimately take control of the company. And just like that, the man who founded the Winklevoss twins’ company would be evicted from it. Facebook may continue to be successful, but as a concern completely independent of Mark Zuckerberg. Would you believe me if I told you he understands this perfectly? And that he has no interest whatsoever in ceding control of his company, even if the financial press call him stock dilute-o-phobic?

That is why you will find Zuckerberg stridently parsimonious with Facebook stock. That he is contrastingly profligate with American citizenship tells you exactly where his loyalty, and fortunes, actually reside.

It’s long been trite to say a fool and his money are soon parted, and corporate CEOs are anything but fools. Unfortunately the pyramid of foolishness flares out broadly beneath them and, as a result, few people make a point of contrasting corporate open-borders advocacy with their closed-stock companies.

When businessmen do issue stock that diminishes their control, they do so in exchange for great sums of money. We simply hand our far more valuable countries away for free. Men who would never dream of relinquishing their children’s college fund or inheritance do exactly that by inviting in foreigners to split it with them.

This isn’t how the corporate world operates at all. Majority shareholders aren’t interested in “diversity.” They’re interested in remaining majority shareholders. That’s why they prefer to feel the pain of obliterated social capital, foreign colonies, migrant crime, and H1B’d jobs vicariously while on a private jet to Monaco.

[R. Sherman]

It's interesting to note that the Open Borders advocates cited by Sixsmith seem to be quite honest in describing the economic benefits of unrestricted immigration as accruing to the rest of us. That is, these low/no-skilled immigrants would perform various menial tasks like driving us around, cooking our food, picking our lettuce and so forth. In other words, we get to balance our lifestyles on the backs of benighted brown people from the rest of the world.*

But those of us who oppose Open Borders are the racists.

*Presumably, these immigrants would never tire of being treated as flunkies for the elite and decide that a chef's knife can do things other than debone a chicken.

[David]

Douglas Murray nails Simon Schama. To a wall.

And rightly so. Mr Schama also came off worse in this exchange with Mark Steyn, shortly after he, Schama, had waved aside the shocking increase in rates of sexual assault, as if such details were beneath consideration. As if even to notice them, at all, were proof of racism, and therefore rendered invalid anything one said subsequently.

[Hal]

Simplifying sorting

[WTP]

It's amazing how quickly the Economist turned into the Guardian.

At first you go bankrupt slowly, then all at once. Applies to intellect and morals as well as monies.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

Then are the social and political consequences. Nathan Smith, an economist, writing for Open Borders, published a speculative essay in which he imagined a future world in which borders had been flung open...“Law enforcement would often be baffled by new and complex challenges.”

Speculative law enforcement issues, like the London police prioritizing non-English speakers ?

He told London’s Evening Standard that it was “absolutely feasible” that these victims would be visited by police, while others will be placed lesser priority, adding that personnel cuts made it necessary...Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that there are plans to cut £400m ($516m) over the next four years.

I am not an expert on the economics of London, but one could speculate that the reason cuts are being made to the 5-0 is to redirect the money to benefits for "migrants", but I speculate that would be rayciss.

[Tom]

From the article linked by Farnsworth:

“Increasingly, as we go forward we will look at things like trying to assess people and crime on the sort of the threat, the harm, the risk, and people’s vulnerability,” he said.

'He' being Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey, the second most senior member of the force which would put him just below Dick... sorry, couldn't help meself.

I'm not a professional but shouldn't they always have been assessing crimes on their potential threat\risk level? Am I missing something or is the entire world now run by living examples of the Peter Principle?

God help Londoners if so, because your police department may not.

[WTP]

Am I missing something or is the entire world now run by living examples of the Peter Principle?

Why should anyone be immune. Consider this from the Boston police in response to rioting there recently (my emphasis):

#BPD is asking individuals to refrain from throwing urine, bottles and other harmful projectiles at our officers

https://twitter.com/Chet_Cannon/status/899036551627251712/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Faphilosopher.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F08%2F18%2Fconfederates-nazis%2F

If they had only asked nicer, I'm sure the rioters would have complied.

[Tom]

If they had only asked nicer, I'm sure the rioters would have complied.

I saw that on Twitter and I'm at a loss. The person responsible for issuing that statement should've been sacked, but that's a pipe dream which assumes competence and accountability, either of which would've precluded the 'request' being issued.

On the other hand I've just come back from Italy where, apparently, the mayor of Venice has stated that anyone yelling 'Alan's Snackbar!' prior to doing harm can expect to be shot dead. So the whole world's not lost, just some portions, where I don't happen to live.

I hope the good people of Boston like riots, they're more than likely going to see more of them.

[MC]

#BPD is asking individuals to refrain from throwing urine, bottles and other harmful projectiles at our officers

But intimidating people and setting shit on fire is still OK...

[Daniel Ream]

If they had only asked nicer, I'm sure the rioters would have complied.

I'm possibly being naive and optimistic, but I'm wondering if that wasn't quite deliberate, an attempt to demonstrate through understatement just what kind of people the antifa were.

[MC]

Excellent article by Sixsmith.

The Economist is great for providing people with basic information about areas where they have no knowledge. Ideal for helping you throw a few 'did you know?'s or 'I read recently's into conversation and sound a bit cleverer. However, it is also riddled with basic factual errors. Read an article in the Economist about a topic you understand intimately and you'll see.

The open borders lot, those who value random unknown strangers more than their own families, are genuinely mental. 42m more people for the UK? What the actual red shiny fuck!? 20m over a decade and the UK would be a failed state. As for the origin of immigrants, Rod Liddle once pointed out that Somalians had pretty comprehensively messed up Somalia, so what makes us think they will contribute positively to the UK?

[MC]

That is why you will find Zuckerberg stridently parsimonious with Facebook stock. That he is contrastingly profligate with American citizenship tells you exactly where his loyalty, and fortunes, actually reside.

That is a quite brilliant high concept article.

[WTP]

I'm possibly being naive and optimistic

If you saw later statements by the Chief or whomever in authority over the police..forget where I saw them or the exact things said, it was clear to me anyway that this was not understatement. Sorry to say but such tends to be lost on most of us Yanks. Especially those of the extremist stripe. Best case when those on the extreme left do understand it, they start screaming "dog whistle" at innocent statements made afterwards.

[Tom]

...but I'm wondering if that wasn't quite deliberate, an attempt to demonstrate through understatement just what kind of people the antifa were.

Police, in my limited experience at least, tend not to do understatement, they do ALL CAPS and multiple exclamation points. You're more likely to get...

DROP THE WEAPON NOW!!!!

...followed by...

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG

To be fair, twenty years ago you'd have gotten more reasonable cops but things have changed.

[Geezer]

“open borders”

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to collect welfare checks and food stamps.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

Speaking of open borders, "anti"fa's new chant "No Trump, No Wall, No USA At All"

The comments after Farage's tweet are stunningly stupid, "Communism is pretty good though mate ya gotta admit", and no, that wasn't sarcasm.

[David]

If anyone has trouble with comments not appearing, email me and I’ll lubricate the spam filter.

[Geezer]

I’ll lubricate the spam filter.

Is the lubricant something in one of those jars on the bar?

[David]

Is the lubricant something in one of those jars on the bar?

It’s best not to ask.

Pickled egg, anyone?

[R. Sherman]

Marginally related to the issue of immigration. Mizzou law professor argues that the pardon of Joe Arpaio--that is, the exercise of a plenary power granted to POTUS in the Constitution--is an impeachable offence (Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors) under the same Constitutions, because . . . well, because we don't like it, that's why.

And the law school wonders why alumni donations have cratered the last several years.

[TomJ]

However, it is also riddled with basic factual errors. Read an article in the Economist about a topic you understand intimately and you'll see.

Once again, the concept of the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect proves useful…

[TomJ]

I could have sworn I ended those italics…

[TomJ]

Oh for Christ's sake.

[David]

*cough*

[neal]

I would argue the mostly peaceful vibrant youths (mostly Somali and MS-13) that are being settled in the Ohio Amish country I hail from are addressing neglected areas of the local economy.

I am sure the Amish farmers will come to appreciate drugs, gun running, underage prostitution rings, and ritual long pig once they get their minds right.

Lose a few cows, maybe a child or two. Price of doing business.
Of course, they wear black and have scythes, and axes. So there is that.

[Pst314]

"Pickled egg, anyone?"

Are those still a common thing in English pubs?

[Hal]

I'm wondering if that wasn't quite deliberate, an attempt to demonstrate through understatement just what kind of people the antifa were.

Actually, noting the police openly announcing what the de facto fascists were doing is exactly what came to mind when I also read of that announcement/request . . .

[Daniel Ream]

I am sure the Amish farmers will come to appreciate drugs, gun running, underage prostitution rings, and ritual long pig once they get their minds right.

It seemed to work out for Banshee, PA. At least in the ratings department.

[Hal]

I am sure the Amish farmers will come to appreciate drugs, gun running, underage prostitution rings, and ritual long pig once they get their minds right.

More or less, the Amish actually already have a collective term for when they do actually, more or less, do that.

Rumspringa

[Tim Newman]

The Economist is great for providing people with basic information about areas where they have no knowledge. Ideal for helping you throw a few 'did you know?'s or 'I read recently's into conversation and sound a bit cleverer. However, it is also riddled with basic factual errors. Read an article in the Economist about a topic you understand intimately and you'll see.

Yes, this. I subscribed for about a decade, but ended it after having lived in Russia for 4 years and realised that they said about the place was utter bollocks written by somebody who, if he'd actually been there, didn't understand it much. I realised the editorial board is basically Oxbridge establishment types who think the world would be a better place if only they were allowed to tinker around the edges of the current political orthodoxy. They lack the balls to actually say they want to be in charge.

[Nate Whilk]

"However, it is also riddled with basic factual errors. Read an article in the Economist about a topic you understand intimately and you'll see."

Posted by: MC | August 28, 2017 at 16:29

"Everything you read in the newspapers is absolutely true—except for the rare story of which you happen to have firsthand knowledge."
--Knoll's Law of Media Accuracy (Erwin Knoll, editor, "The Progressive")

"It is a melancholy truth, that a suppression of the press could not more completely deprive the nation of its benefits, than is done by its abandoned prostitution to falsehood. Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knowledge with the lies of the day."
--Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Norvell (June 11, 1807)

[Ted S., Catskill Mtns., NY, USA]

Kindly turn your head when you cough.

[UnMe]

This is nonsense. Having a government that picks and chooses what immigrants are let in from where based on the fallacy that said government has the wisdom to optimize immigration is ham-fisted central planning. Open borders are the only policy compatible with freedom and capitalism. The wealth that would be generated is...immense.

[Ben]

@Nate Whilk

You left out my favorite Jefferson quote:

The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.

(I can't find a citation for that, sadly, though it's widely quoted)

[Geezer]

Open borders are the only policy compatible with freedom and capitalism.

Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish parody and reality. As I said above:

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to collect welfare checks and food stamps.

In other words, until the welfare state is abolished, open borders would result in more wealth being consumed than generated.

[Ben Sixsmith]

Thank you for the link, David, and for the kind words, Jonathan and MC.

R. Sherman writes:

That is, these low/no-skilled immigrants would perform various menial tasks like driving us around, cooking our food, picking our lettuce and so forth. In other words, we get to balance our lifestyles on the backs of benighted brown people from the rest of the world.

Indeed! It's always a tell when an immigration optimist mentions food. Their experience of migrants is limited to entertainment and convenience, whereas even as a restrictionist I will grant that many migrants are beloved colleagues, friends and family members.

[David]

And don’t forget this, on immigration and crime in Germany.