[nathansoz]

This is just... wrong? We want smart people here in the US. We should poach them and entice them to come here by all reasonable measures.

Plus, people aren't having kids like they used to. So you need to replace population somehow. See also: Japan.

[monkeycantype]

'we want smart people' I agree with this sentiment, but feel in both the US and here in Australia it is used to deflect examination of the specifics of how immigration is being used. I think in our eagerness to oppose xenophobic ideologies, we are currently failing to articulate the problems with immigration programs.

I fear in Australia we are creeping towards a regressed, more limited form of democracy. Foreign workers who come here not as free agents, but within the constraints of a specific work contract are an ever increasing fraction of the population - a fraction that skews heavily towards non-professional working class - and have no access to political representation.

This leaves them vulnerable to exploitation, and that exploitation is used as an economic lever against the entire population.

I believe bringing people to work in our economies without a clear fast path to full citizenship is eroding citizenship for all.

[ralph84]

Why do you need to replace population? Is Japan really that bad of a place? And Japan's population has been in the 120-130 million range for the last 35 years, so it's not like there's been a huge swing either way.

[nathansoz]

Japan has had issues with finding workers to support their elderly population. No, it isn't a bad place. But yes, there are issues to solve that come with an aging population and a shrinking population.

[justaguy88]

I'm sure if they raise the wages they'll suddenly find enough people locally

[ralph84]

And yet Japan has the second-longest life expectancy in the world. The "we need open borders or we'll end up like Japan" argument just doesn't seem very strong when Japan does well in most quality-of-life metrics.

[refurb]

We want smart people here in the US

Agreed. But ~90% of all permanent residencies approved have nothing to do with education or employment. It's just family reunification.

[nathansoz]

"Just family reunification"

Also a good thing in and of itself.