&quot;I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.&quot;
- Law of the Instrument<p>All Economists are universally indoctrinated into the same basic classical theories of economics. Using inaccurate mathematical models and pseudo-math to map the world as one big series of supply&#x2F;demand curves.<p>What&#x27;s worse. They delude themselves into believing there&#x27;s a divergence of thought by using Keynes vs Smith as counter-examples. There&#x27;s no divergence, both schools of thought are minor variations of the same basic fundamental concepts. Economic theory is -- and has been -- stunted for decades by Ivory Tower theorists who gave up on self-reflection decades ago.<p>Supply&#x2F;demand do a decent job of mapping basic short-term fiscal trends at the expense of evaluating the impact of long-term trends and&#x2F;or secondary&#x2F;tertiary influences.<p>For example. If immigration limits were eliminated, logic dictates that high skilled labor would migrate en masse to developing countries with a low cost of living. ie maximize profit gains by reducing costs of living.<p>In reality high-skilled laborers act contrary to Econ theory. The vast majority of individuals who earn enough to cover their costs + future savings are more likely to migrate to western countries where they have a less purchasing power.<p>Social stability and professional opportunity present a value that transcends the assumptions of traditional Econ theory. It requires a long-term sociological investment (ie measured in centuries) to stabilize a multi-cultural society enough to break down the barriers of tribalism, xenophobia, caste, prejudice, etc.<p>Economists love to argue that the US recovered from the Great Depression due to the increase in industrialization following WWII. I&#x27;d argue that the US became an international super power because of the massive number of high-skilled exiles who migrated the US in search of safety&#x2F;stability.<p>Decreasing the limits on immigration will only increase the &#x27;brain drain&#x27; from developing countries. Further stunting their growth and competitive standing in the international community.<p>On the lower-skilled end of the spectrum, people who can&#x27;t match the high standard of intelligence&#x2F;talent will be priced out. For instance, I currently live in San Diego not far from the border with Mexico.<p>Most low-skilled Mexicans that move here either: permanently survive with a lower standard of living (ie for at least a generation); live here temporarily and send money back to their family in Mexico; or commute across the border temporarily for work.<p>I have a lot of respect those who sacrifice to stay permanently. The rest live a parasitic, transient existence. It&#x27;s sad to see but I can&#x27;t really blame them. Mexico is an unsafe, destitute, overpopulated, shithole; run rampant with corruption and extreme economic inequality. Given the choice, I&#x27;d probably do the same.<p>Illegal immigration doesn&#x27;t hurt the US. We receive an abundance of cheap labor freeing up citizens to pursue higher-skilled professions or work in privileged positions managing low-skilled laborers. It hurts Mexico because -- by subsidizing their failing socio-economic structure -- we&#x27;re delaying the inevitable watershed effect that would happen when a poverty-stricken populace is absent any alternative.<p>Instead of addressing the corruption, restructuring the government, and focusing on developing policies that lead to a more safe&#x2F;stable society; Mexico defaults to a public policy of blaming the US for all of their problems while exporting their poorest&#x2F;underprivileged underclass as cheap labor to the US.<p>The most intelligent and&#x2F;or hardest working of those stay in the US, raise kids who are born naturalized citizens, receive a good education, rise above low-skilled labor, and prosper bringing more long-term benefit to the US overall.<p>The rest go as the wind blows. When the US economy contracts, opportunities for low-skilled laborers (ie construction, landscaping, etc) are cut and they immigrate back go Mexico.<p>The hidden impact from looser immigration laws is the potential for overpopulation. It&#x27;s no good for anybody when a populace increases in size dramatically over a short period of time. Cultural stability depends on some semblance of identity.