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The Cody Blog: Protectionism is the New Racism

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Protectionism is the New Racism

I've been commenting on news about the closing our borders to both trade and people, and those comments have generated a lot of feedback and discussion. I want to delineate my stance on this important issue by drawing some parallels to another -ism that has so long hurt our planet, our societies and our economies.

Just 50 years ago, racism was widely accepted in our culture and racists were vocal in private and in public. Back in those antiquated days, how hard did it used to be for a black man in Harlem to interact with a Jew in the Upper East Side? How difficult did it used to be for a white cowboy in Mobile to connect with a Mexican dancer? They just didn’t converse, they didn’t communicate.

The barriers to upward mobility and economic/class freedom have fallen today in large part because we communicate with others so easily. Racism itself has become a widely accepted evil – nobody with a brain in the US today thinks it’s okay to be racist. And those who want to talk and act racist can only do so in the shadows and out of the light. And it’s extremely noteworthy that it’s not because the government has outlawed racism. No, in fact the backlash against racism as an accepted belief system has eroded along along with barriers to communicating with others. Communication begets learning and learning begets knowledge and knowledge begets understanding – and all of this begets friendship and community.

Today a black woman is a likely front runner for the Presidency of the most powerful country in the history of the planet and a black man is a front runner for the Pope! The end of mass racism is nigh.

If you look back at how racists used to rationalize their beliefs, they often centered around economics. “Those niggers take our jobs,” so said the white supremists for oh so many years. Of course, the reality is that widespread upward mobility allows for economies to grow, which in turn creates value and wealth for everyone who’s willing to partake in the economy. It’s not a sum zero game. It’s a virtuous cycle of growth and value.

Rather ironic that we allow our government to continue to put up trade barriers and fight outsourcing and so tightly limit immigration to this country. Protectionism is the new racism.

The communication revolution will erode this barrier too over the coming decades.

posted by Cody Willard at 4/12/2005 06:47:00 PM

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cody,

Protectionism is not racism. Its protecting what we have earned. Most of these illegal immigrants are a drain on our local/State Municipalities. They use the services but contribute very little.

They also don't want to conform to our society (education), learn our language etc. This is a drain on our education system since the system conforms to them.

I also live in a large urban area, so I view it first hand. The argument about them contributing to Social Security is only 15% true.

Almost all of the immigrants I am familiar with work under the table or are self employed. This includes Mexican, Eastern Euorpean, etc. Not all are illegal.

We never hear about the number of illegal immigrants who contribute 0 to the tax base. It is much larger than we all know.

And restaurants that limit W2 hours and pay extra under the table.


The jobs that are being outsourced are being replace by low wage retail. There are a lot of people in this country who's wages are stagant. I personally know of upwardly mobile people who are being forced to sell their 1 million dollar + homes because they can no longer afford the taxes and insurance due to income reduction resulting from the effects of out sourcing. And taxes increase to help cover the cost of servicing the immigration population that contributes very little in taxes.

Because of their years of success, they are not in bankruptcy. Also throw in the increase in Real Estate values they may retire comfortably, if they recieve their social security. Which is a big question mark. If Foreign countries stop buying US treasuries, this country is in big trouble financially.

Another housing point, most people moving to this country are no longer able afford a home.

If we don't limit immigration and outsourcing, the US will resemble Mexico. A small island of wealth surrounded by a vast amount of poverty. The Virtuos cycle of growth will be for the very few. The US has been ethnically diverse for decades. So where is the Racism?

5/19/2005 05:03:00 PM  
Blogger Cody Willard said...

Why should it be illegal for those non-criminal people to immigrate to the US at all?

"Illegal immigration", indeed.

Your concept of protectionism begets our current concept of "illegal immigration" to begin with.

Illegal immigration should mean that we're trying to keep criminals out.

5/19/2005 05:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cody,

Non criminals can immigrate to this country legally. However there has to be system in place to monitor who enters and how many along with proper processing.

So the people entering can pay taxes to the government like the rest of us to support the infrastructure they use.

At this time, along the Mexican & Canadian border, there is a system that is in need of great repair. Anyone can cross the border unchecked. And are doing so in great numbers.

Maybe potential immigrants from the Middle East are having problems. But that has more to do with National Security than race.

I equate the current state of immigration (at least the last 15 years), to a underperforming tech company that keeps issuing stock, convertable debt, and officer stock options.

The share holders (US citizen and Legal immigrants) get diluted. The Investment bankers & officers (multi-National Corporations - Senior Execs) get rich.

Cory due to unchecked immigration coupled with unfettered outsourcing, the majority of the american people, even many of the upper middle class are being diluted, EXCEPT IN REAL ESTATE. That debate is another issue.

It is not about race. If Canadians were coming over the border like the Mexicans, we would still be having this debate.

5/19/2005 08:04:00 PM  

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