• sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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    29 days ago

    Here’s the thought process:

    1. it was really hard to get into this country
    2. if we make it easier to come here, that nullifies the work I did

    A similar argument applies to a lot of other things, for example:

    • student loan forgiveness - I paid my student loans (or worked to avoid them), why should others get a pass?
    • mortgage assistance - I saved to be able to afford a home, why should others skip that step?

    A lot of people attribute this to selfishness, but I think it’s closer to jealousy. I have two kids who share a bedroom, and if I reward them equally for cleaning up when one did 90% of the work, that doesn’t seem fair to the one that did the most work, even if they’re older and more capable. I think that’s pretty similar to what’s happening here.

    That said, I personally am in favor of much more open borders, and I’d like to get to a point where we don’t have quotas or anything and people can come as they please. My ideal is a quick stop at the border to fill out a form (i.e. temporary work authorization), then perhaps monthly digital reports about job status, and then a longer-term authorization once you can prove employment (or at least financial stability). We have a huge backlog, so in the meantime I’d like to simplify the paperwork and increase the quotas until that backlogged demand is exhausted.