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Old 03-25-2016, 02:47 AM   #9
Archaea
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Join Date: Aug 2005
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinoCoug View Post
The reason immigration should be open is because from an economic standpoint, national borders are arbitrary. No one would stop someone from Virginia from moving to Maryland to work. So there are efficiency gains from allowing free labor movement.
I agree with that for citizens, but I don't agree that laborers who will work under the table so that the employer and employee can save taxes and not report everything to the detriment of employers and employees who play by the rules. You create a disincentive for anybody to play by the same rules. That's why enforcing citizenship rules is not arbitrary.

Unskilled labor may actually disappear through innovation and automation some day. At that point the undocumenteds become a greater hindrance to economic development. It is my argument that our economy does not need unskilled labor and we should eliminate incentives for there to be any who come seeking employment without skills.
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