Immigration Article

David French has a good article at National Review. I know that will surprise some of you, but it's true. His observation about Europeans, and the numbers he cites, agree with what I have observed, though that is a bit of a limited sample. I'm heavy on Eastern Europeans.

I will mention what he does not, that American liberals who keep comparing us to Western European nations as countries that we should emulate do not like having it pointed out that these are the whitest nations on earth. One can say that they love nations that just happen, almost accidentally and certainly irrelevantly, to be white.  Except when it happens over and over again it's not accidental and it's not irrelevant. I grant that the secular nature of Western Europe may be part of the attraction, as French notes.  As for the socialism, it doesn't exist as much as they think.  What those countries have is a strong safety net.  They are largely free-market, albeit with considerable top-down controls, especially in their dealings with other countries. And, as I have noted before, that social safety net is much easier to sell when everyone looks like second cousins and has a strong work ethic culture. As both of those slowly recede, tensions are rising.

I haven't read that 160-page report from "More in Common," but intend to.  If you read it first and think I shouldn't bother, tell me.

Update:  I quickly realised I had seen something by this group before, perhaps even this same report. Attitude questions are difficult, because sometimes when presented with two choices, I like both or don't like either, or approve of one POV only with certain caveats.  I could have many observations, but the most salient is that there were lots of 99-1 responses among the progressive activists. I find that unhealthy right out of the chute.  I am undoubtedly influenced by not agreeing with those premises at all - and in some cases consider it amazing and appalling that people even think them - but still...99-1 means people are not even being exposed to another side.  I wasn't thrilled with a lot of devoted conservative positions going into the 90's either, but 8% of a group believing something is a hell of a lot more balanced than 1%.