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0 pointsanovikov13y ago0 comments

Try thinking of it that way: there are many Russians in the Silicon Valley, they are smart people, a significant part of its success story, definitely make a great positive contribution to the ecosystem.

Now imagine that U.S. allowed any Russian in. Getting my idea now?

So immigration is a good (maybe even necessary) thing for a nation to be successful. But just careful, selective immigration. In every country, by definition, average people are born on average. You don't want them, every country already has enough of it's own home-born mediocrity.

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ido13y ago

I'm not American myself but I'd have no problem letting every Russian who doesn't have a criminal record (and are able bodied etc..) immigrate to my country[1][2].

The fact that they're willing to pack up and move to a foreign country half way across the globe for the chance of finding work means they are already above average in their ambition & work-ethic.

[1] ideally every country would implement freedom of immigration like that, so they don't all end up in 1 place.

[2] incidentally I'm Israeli, and Israel has tons of immigrants from the former Soviet Union (over a million out of a total population of 7 million).

anovikovOP13y ago

Why don't you think they will direct most of their talent in squeezing as much public funds as possible, working inofficially in criminal or semi-criminal activities. That's what people in Russia do without immigrating anywhere, and those able to immigrate will be probably more talented in this regard.

ido13y ago

Do they do this because Russians are somehow genetically inclined to dishonesty? Or is it because the opportunities for honest work with a decent pay in Russia are a lot worse than in the west?

I postulate that even if the 1st generation immigrants might bring some cultural baggage with them, their children will mostly share the culture of their host country (modulo ethic cookery & speaking an extra language).

BTW we don't have to theorize anything, as the reason that there are so many Russians in Israel is that it was fairly easy for them to come here if they could prove they had some Jewish heritage (for many of which a very faint one, like one grandparent being a non-practicing Jew) & we don't see this doomsday scenario you predicted.

anovikovOP13y ago

Israel does not have choice: it is a Jewish country and it has to invite Jews, not someone else. There are not so many Jews in the world to filter them (and the better kinds of them are probably well-off enough in their current countries to repatriate).

America has choice on the other hand: lots of people want to get there, and you can't take all of them even if yo wish. Why don't filter? That is even more true about Canada.

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ido13y ago

I'm not American myself but I'd have no problem letting every Russian who doesn't have a criminal record (and are able bodied etc..) immigrate to my country[1][2].

The fact that they're willing to pack up and move to a foreign country half way across the globe for the chance of finding work means they are already above average in their ambition & work-ethic.

[1] ideally every country would implement freedom of immigration like that, so they don't all end up in 1 place.

[2] incidentally I'm Israeli, and Israel has tons of immigrants from the former Soviet Union (over a million out of a total population of 7 million).

anovikovOP13y ago

ido13y ago

Do they do this because Russians are somehow genetically inclined to dishonesty? Or is it because the opportunities for honest work with a decent pay in Russia are a lot worse than in the west?

anovikovOP13y ago

America has choice on the other hand: lots of people want to get there, and you can't take all of them even if yo wish. Why don't filter? That is even more true about Canada.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse