Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Labor markets trump attitudes as far as immigrants are concerned

Anglo Saxon countries report being less welcoming to immigrants than countries like Sweden or Spain. But immigrants do much better than average in employment in the wide open labor markets of the Anglo Saxon countries and much worse in the more closed labor systems of continental Europe.

Is this a case where politically correct talk is cheap? Or a case where people only resent you if you can compete with them for something they want?  In either case it's clear that markets matter far more than attitudes. A fact that should cause racial and immigrant activists everywhere to shift efforts from their traditional focus on narrowing what is acceptable to say to freeing labor markets to expand what motivated immigrants can achieve.

In other words: to hell with Kumbaya, let's Kumbay-work. Or would you rather have someone who tells you what you want to hear but wouldn't dream of hiring you or someone that will give you a shot at gainful employment even though he's dubious about "you furriners".

I can't end this post without pointing out that America's Community Organizer in Chief has been closing America's labor market while more aggressively policing expression (and sex and medical marijuana and...and..gee, this guy is turning into a regular blue stocking). Which is one reason so many Americans are idle...and increasingly hostile to outsiders. Sigh.

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