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Comment by 11_4_time | Hacker News Reader

I'll go out on a limb and suggest that the U.S. immigration policy (or lack thereof) bears a signification part of the blame here.

Why in the face of globalization (and now increased automation) the U.S. continues to have an effectively open-door policy to low-skill workers makes no sense at all.

As a U.S. citizen, I'd like to see a return to the temporary moratorium that existed until the mid 1960s (say 10 to 15 years) on most immigration beyond high-skill (however that is defined) and an end to "chain migration" in which entire families are allowed to immigrate regardless of most other factors.

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> Give me your tired, your poor,

> Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

> The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

> Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me

I think it would be hypocritical at best, given America's history and current position to take such a stance. Surely the right thing to do is not to be scared of the immigration bogeyman and take some concrete steps towards the future, rather than closing the door and pretending things will get better by itself. It won't.

If you want to comfort yourself in a nice blanket of blame, go ahead and blame the immigrants rather than the people in power who have actually caused this.

That's from a poem tacked onto the Statue of Liberty in 1903, not U.S. law or policy. People quote that as if it's from the preamble to the constitution or something...

Mass immigration made sense when the U.S. was a manufacturing colossus, no longer. Immigration should be targeted and far lower than it is now.

Well it was also written specifically for the statue of liberty, and was 'tacked on' to it, not even 20 years after it was dedicated for a reason. Because that's literally what the statue represents.

It's kind of sad to see a nation built by, from and for poor immigrants completely forget their origins.

People haven't forgotten their origins at all; in fact most people are probably too overly proud of them.

But times also change. What may have made sense in 1903 may be detrimental to the descendants of those immigrants today. I believe we should have a sharp but temporary reduction in most immigration today to see if it benefits the lowest wage earners in the U.S. It's an easy policy to reverse if it doesn't.

It's funny. Years ago I wanted to move to the US, but I hadn't a chance. I have a degree and masters and years work but beyond getting an American company to sponsor me, no joy. I've moved on now. But I have a friend (again degree and masters) who enters for the Green Card lottery every year, he has no chance. I keep hearing yanks saying that immigration is a problem and I'm wondering why it's so hard for us!

> Why in the face of globalization (and now increased automation) the U.S. continues to have an effectively open-door policy to low-skill workers

This implies that the U.S. is a victim, and not an active participant and benefiter of this system (globalization and increased automation).

Since you created a sockpuppet account to do it, I'd say you aren't really going out on a limb.

Yeah that won't help one bit. What jobs in particular are you talking about?

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