Blog

By Mish Shedlock of MishTalk

Why is the choice between shutting down the border and no controls at all? And what about demographics? Fertility rates?

Immigration Talks We Should Be Having

Eurointelligence discusses the Immigration Talks We Should Be Having.

The ideas also apply to the US.

US Fertility Rate

The lead image is from MacroTrends.

The following snip is from VOX.

The US numbers from VOX are a bit low. The lead chart is more current but I like the VOX discussion. Were it not for immigration, the US population would be in decline.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? At what point does increasing population become a Ponzi scheme due to the energy and food needs?

There are a lot of questions and the only thing everyone seems to agree on is that uncontrolled migration is bad. Even Biden admits that, but he is unwilling to do anything about it.

Progressive Irony

Progressives want open borders but they also want guaranteed living wages, clean energy, slave reparations, a right to shelter, a right to free health care, and net zero carbon. The goals are incompatible.

In the next 5 years employment in age groups 60+ will drop by ~12.5 million

On March 21, I commented In the next 5 years employment in age groups 60+ will drop by ~12.5 million

Government + Social Assistance Accounted for Nearly 60% of Job Growth in 2023

On January 5, I noted Government + Social Assistance Accounted for Nearly 60% of Job Growth in 2023

Family Formation

Taking a step back from immigration policy, why is it that family formation is so low? The unfortunate answer is Fed policy and fiscal policy is so inflationary, that young adults have come to expect they will be worse off than their parents.

If so, and that seems accurate, this will be the first time in US history.

Importantly, houses are too expensive. Zoomers and younger millennials are angry over housing costs. And millions of illegal immigrants need a home and services.

Rent is so expensive and anger so high over housing costs that People Who Rent Will Decide the 2024 Presidential Election

Finally, a recurring theme: The Fed’s Big Problem, There Are Two Economies But Only One Interest Rate

The Fed is largely responsible for the housing mess and Biden/Congress is responsible for the rest.

Yet Biden refuses to do anything lest he upset the Progressives who want open borders, guaranteed living wages, clean energy, a right to shelter, a right to free health care, and net zero carbon.