dickey45 said:
"Yeah, I was going to say the same thing about illegal border crossing increasing our population. Some are deciding to go back so we could see (possibly) a huge US population decrease."
and Scepticus said:
"I think many countries currently relying on immigrants to make up the numbers could be in for major contraction if they start leaving and going home.Particularly the US, UK and germany."
and Davos posted that great and controversial Roy Beck video.
You guys bring up such an interesting (to me) argument, which happens to coincide with a point made by Jered Diamond in reference to why societies collapse, namely (paraphrased): "There is a difference between what is good in the short term for the political elite and what is good for the general population in the long run; the United States is the quintessential example of this…"
There is essentially a war going on between the landowners (the political elite, for the most part) whose wealth and political electability is threatened by falling property values, and the general population who understand their quality of life and wages are threatened by overpopulation. Lot’s to argue about there…
What is, in fact, happening?
Well, unlike the forced repatriation of Mexicans in the last depression (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Repatriation ), we are seeing a voluntary exit; I say this as a resident of San Diego, a place that has been one od the target destinations of emigrating Mexicans for decades. If you travel down to the border town-ettes here, there are boarded up shops everywhere–like nothing I’ve ever seen. The Mexicans are going home…
Will this continue? Where would you rather be unemployed, living with your family on a farm in the country, or in an impoverished, violent city?
Here’s another interesting story: Mexican Repatriation in 1930s is Little Known Story