[cortic]

People come to the US for its socialist school system, or the security of its socialist policing and fire services. Or the benefits of a socialist military industrial complex that prop up half the country and invest huge amounts into socialist research and development. People come for the security of the socialist banking system named too big to fail. Show me someone who comes for the capitalist healthcare or prison service...

There are very few countries in the world that lived by the laissez faire rules of capitalism, because its been a disaster every time.

[Mirioron]

People want to go to the US because the US is wealthy. It's wealthy due to private businesses, low corruption, and the rule of law.

[cortic]

Sure, but how much of that is down to the socialist things i listed, and how much is down to Wall street? Even if you believe mostly the latter; The success of the financial services of Wall St and private enterprise in the US is a direct result of socialist policies. Can you imagine any of this success without socialist schools? can you imagine any rule of law with a private police force?

If a country is too far socialist or too far capitalist, the result is the same; the few gaining great power and privilege, while the many are powerless and suffering in poverty. Its obvious that a balance is needed, socialism can be very good at leveling the playing field for basic necessities, while regulated capitalism can be good at distributing power hierarchies while remaining fairly efficient.

The problem i see us facing right now is that capitalism has had a lobby on political power for fifty years and is preventing this balance, substituting its own power-wealth hungry pseudo-balance. This is why we have difficulty dealing with climate change, and why places like the US are struggling with a universal health system, or why the UK is dismantling theirs.

[Mirioron]

Don't US colleges have their own police? The rule of law seems to still apply. And I wouldn't consider the police to be "socialist".

>Can you imagine any of this success without socialist schools?

Yes.

[nercht12]

I agree with your point on laissez-faire capitalism. Unfettered capitalism never works. However, pardon me for beating down the straw-man. You box things in by naming a select few "socialistic" systems that seem to work (only because they've been here with everything else) and selecting a few capitalistic industries that are obvious failure. If socialism was so successful, then why don't people go to OTHER socialist nations in higher rates?

But to answer why people come here, I'd say they come for freedom and the hope of a future - and many try to stay. The east coast is full of Indian doctors who come here for their degree and have no intention of ever going back to India.