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Your [2] doesn't seem to understand how the Sander's opposition to guest workers, eg, H1B, which is a non-immigrant visa, isn't that of "decrease immigration" b
by eesmith 2y ago
Your [2] doesn't seem to understand how the Sander's opposition to guest workers, eg, H1B, which is a non-immigrant visa, isn't that of "decrease immigration" but an objection specifically to guest workers:
> Sanders defended his vote by suggesting that the guest worker provisions in the bill were “akin to slavery,” a notable shift from how Sanders talked about immigrant labor before his presidential bids.
The "before his presidential bids" quote from 2007 says the same:
> “If poverty is increasing and if wages are going down, I don’t know why we need millions of people to be coming into this country as guest workers who will work for lower wages than American workers and drive wages down even lower than they are right now,”
In both cases he singles out "guest workers" as the issue, and not the broad category of "immigrants."
This includes guest workers who work under an H1B visa which, quoting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa:
> has been criticized for potentially subsidizing businesses, creating conditions likened to modern indentured servitude, institutionalizing discrimination against older workers, and suppressing wages within the technology sector. Economists and academics remain divided on the program's overall effect, including its effects on innovation, U.S. workers, and the broader economy
As for your policy advice, do bear in mind that the last three Democratic presidents have been anti-immigration.
Clinton's Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 was part of his "triangulation" to attract anti-immigrant sentiment and take the wind out of the sails of Republicans.
Obama was nicknamed the "Deporter in Chief", and Biden was little different, while keeping most of Trump's changes, and even recently boasting about his deportation counts compared to Trump (II).
In other words, the Democratic Party has already implemented your suggestion, only to find that it didn't cause enough people to switch parties, while causing them to lose support due to the apathy and resignation by those who think the current laws are far too cruel and inhumane.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 in [3] could also be described as the right's willingness to suppress minority rights and autonomy.
Nor is there need to point to India: the left tends to support Native American tribal sovereignty, rather than the older expansionist practices of taking over Native land in the name of explicit demographic change.
- like_any_other 2y agoNo, Sanders was quite openly against open borders and for reducing immigration in general, not just H1B: Sanders, however, has long criticized open borders. In 2015, he referred to them as a "right wing proposal" pushed forward by the wealthy Koch brothers. "You're doing away with the concept of a nation state, and I don't think there's any country in the world which believes in that," he said in an interview with Ezra Klein of Vox. - https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-open-borders-poverty-world-immigration-1388767 https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-open-borders-poverty... As for Democratic (or Republican, for that matter, including Trump's 1st term) presidents being anti-immigration - that was entirely smoke and mirrors. Statistics show mass legal immigration continued (then massively accelerated under Biden): https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-u-s-net-immigration-by-president-2001-2024/ https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-u-s-net-immigration...
- eesmith 2y agoPlease define "open borders", and tell me which politicians support that. Certainly neither Democrats nor Republican consider it part of their party's goals: "Trump has inaccurately accused opponents from both parties, but especially Democrats, of supporting open borders, claiming they would allow "criminals" and "terrorists" to enter the U.S. undeterred. Democratic leaders have pushed back, pointing out that they support secure borders, and as Sanders said, wanted comprehensive immigration reform." - https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-open-borders-poverty-world-immigration-1388767 https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-open-borders-poverty... While we know that the Republican donors Charles and David Koch support open borders, as the Newsweek article quotes: "I would let everybody in who comes here to contribute, and no one who wants to come here to do harm". Open borders are what we have between the states. Open borders are like between England and Scotland. Very few places - Svalbard being the only one I know of - have open borders where anyone can enter the country, without visa or other permit, and even become citizens that way. I don't think any major political party has that sort of open border as a goal, left or right.