| Wait a second. I can agree with the basic premise of rising housing costs, but still call out BS with colonialism or inequality. First. This same effect is already happening in 1st class cities like NYC, Sf, Miami or Toronto. Chinese, Saudi, Latin and Russian oligarchs come and buy up the entire housing inventory, making locals feel the squeeze. Is that colonialism? No. That's just very poor local policy. Second, inequality. Take the exact same situation. Inequality is extreme in these cities and they are mostly progressive bastions. Why? Could it be that rich cities ineviably end up unequal? But then why youbhave unskilled very poor undocumented migrants flowing in? Could it be that inequality is not itself repugnant, but instead lack of dynamism in economic opportunity, the real problem, one which the US does not have (for now)? Unlike EU royalty, who seem able to hold on tontitles and riches inherited from a millennia ago? Third , if there are no benefits, why is this allowed in cities anyway? I posit thwt There are benefits, but the majority of benefits do not flow to the right parties (middle class) and instead flow to the elites, who pay themselves salaries off the permits, real estate and VAT taxes skilled migrants generate. So you have a problem originated from the ruling class. Not with skill migrants. Open up urban development, completely. Then make tax flow downstream. Problem goes away. Yet the elite class is not going to let go their golden goose and fire themselves in the process. So therein lies the real problem. |
Like I said also, the ruling class is at fault, but please don't gaslight me like I have something against skilled workers because I don't. I only said that due to Portugals problems, importing remote workers from abroad on tax breaks doesn't fix the issues created by their elite, it only makes life worse for the average workers who now see raising property prices due to increased wealthy competition.
That kinds of skilled workers they would need most would be those actually useful for society like health workers, teachers, construction workers, not laptop workers for foreign companies on tax breaks who contribute next to nothing to the host countries but increase prices for everyone. You're not saving their economy buying two lattes and a cocktail per day on their beach front while you build a next tech giant for the US/Swiss/Swedish economy.