> Here's the thing. Would New Zealand stay that way if it pursued a policy of large scale immigration, they way the US has? Probably not. Anyone adopting the "

> Here's the thing. Would New Zealand stay that way if it pursued a policy of large scale immigration, they way the US has? Probably not. Anyone adopting the "give me your weary" immigration stance would by design attract those who could not "get in" elsewhere, so unless they had a stellar education system and benefits to help those people get up on their feet, they'd probably not do well (not saying the US does) > I do wonder why the US, which takes over a million immigrants a year, takes so much heat for enforcing immigration policy, while New Zealand receives so much praise for being an ideal society For the same reason some people still see reddit as having 'betrayed some principle' - it set itself 'apart' as living up to some purported principle (in the US' case, "anyone can come here and make it") which enforcement policies "seem" like they are against (even if they're implementing a means by which that ideal can be met). Apparently, first impressions w.r.t. companies, countries, and other organizations that center on ideals last. Make sure you're honest and upfront about your ideals, or figure out a way to re-brand, or get ready to 'always be seen as' some kind of 'welcher'. ...shrug