Posted on 12/27/2013 11:24:17 AM PST by honestabe010
In his press conference on December 20th, President Obama urged the House of Representatives to support the Senate’s immigration bill, which passed 68-32 in late June. Among the concerns cited by Americans who oppose reform are that immigrants will take their jobs, drive down wages, increase criminal activity, burden the welfare system, and reshape the cultural dynamic of the country. These concerns are mostly ill-founded. The legitimate concerns have real solutions, and a more open immigration policy will be a net benefit for all Americans...
Highlights from Article:
- A 2013 study by the American Action Forum states that "immigration reform can raise population growth, labor force growth, and thus growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”
- In 2013 the Bipartisan Policy Center came to similar conclusions. It makes the prediction that current provisions, as included in the Senate Bill, would raise GDP 4.8 percent over twenty years.
- According to the Immigration Policy Center, immigrant males between the ages of 18 and 39 (which constitute the greatest portion of the prison population) are five times less likely to be incarcerated than are natives.
- A 2011 survey by the Pew Research Center revealed that 92 percent of second generation and 96 percent of third generation Hispanics speak English proficiently.
- A 2010 Gallup poll revealed that Hispanics attend church services more often than non-Hispanic whites.
- Since an influx of immigrants means an expansion of the labor supply, many assert that the result will be less jobs and lower wages. However, as asserted by Jason Riley, a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board, “The number of jobs in the United States is not static. It’s fluid, which is how we want it to be.”
(Excerpt) Read more at reddirtreport.com ...
When it starts happening, parents will never see their kids really grow up.
Some of us believe we’re seeing that now.
I’ve always thought one way to accomplish life extension through artificial influence might be to gradually raise the age at which people are permitted to have children.
Do it gradually; increase the minimum by one year for every two that passes.
It would be a slow progression. But for those concerned about ostensible “overpopulation”, this would begin putting the brakes on in relatively short order.
Of course, this could only happen in a land that controlled its borders and its immigration. So, obviously it’s only a mental exercise at the moment.
When you think about how humanity got a jump in longevity on its related species, this would seem to be a part of the formula. It could work again.
Another thought is to study already long-lived species, and compare their genomes to closely similar but much shorter-lived species, to find the telomere-like markers that define and produce the marked differences.
Quantum computing, brain mapping, and the actual mechanics of how neurons work being blended together may give us viable AI.
I’m seeing the future more as a global economic collapse, burning the fence palings to boil kudzu, kids have to work or starve, sort of place.
I can see that happening as well.
AI is one thing. Human life extension is another.
These two things could work together.
We might need to add some advanced energy production, suspended animation, and other things, and we’d have the ingredients for a primitive star ship.
Humans didn’t populate every corner of the Earth by traveling in cars. They mostly walked, and started settlements and camps along the way.
We’ll move on to the stars in the same way, by taking a lot of baby steps.
Of course, that first step, off the planet, is a little more than the usual “baby steps”.
That sort of vision reminds me of those science fiction shows where they visit a "desert planet", or a "jungle planet", or an "ice planet".
No planet is all one climate, of course.
Similarly, no global collapse will collapse everywhere in the same manner. Some villages will be cut off from the outside world, but life will go on with rather ordinary fashion.
The thing for any individual or family to prepare for, is both food security, and physical security. If you only have food, someone will take it, among other things. You must be prepared to defend your locale, as well as produce your food.
“I don’t like it. Feels like we’re running with our tails between our legs.” Soames was grousing about the secret plan to launch the hab early.
The administrator smiled.
“If we don’t launch now, the navy will be here to confiscate everything we’ve built. Doesn’t matter which navy, there are at least three out there, all itching to come within the thirty mile exclusion zone.”
There was a seventy mile navigation warning zone, the exclusion zone was where ships that were suicidal would try to be during launch.
“One of our friends just kicked into flank speed and turned towards us.” the sensor station running the navigation radar reported.
“Everyone is strapped in. Now’s as good a time as any.”
Either they would fly, or explode in a nuclear rocket themed nightmare.
“Let us not disappoint then.” the administrator flicked a finger at the last switch keeping the rockets in check.
“Helm is green. We are a Go.”
Anyone who wants to can play with that “Warp Drive”.
I want to get my hands on their “Impulse Drive”.
I could go places with that.
Deliberately or impulsively?
Mostly by ignoring the torpedoes.
No planet is naturally all one climate.
Have you forgotten the one the French terraformed to be ideal for global viticulture?
I, naturellement, am referring to The Planet of the Grapes...
Oof.
Good morning!
“Come on, Amazon. Where are you?”
Waiting for the Package Bunneh.
While you are waiting...
Raisin dream
I was working in some industrial plant or university next to an open field . One day they were plowing the field and has teams of college age women walking shoulder to shoulder down the rows, the first group had long sticks that they would swing down in front of them and crete little divots. The second was hand scattering some undefined seed, the third had long poles that looked like metal detectors that they used the tap the divots flat.
The women quit the field and machinery came in to do the final plowing and grooming.
As I and several others were watching through a corridor window we were joined by a bunch of students. I recognized one as one of the ones scattering seed and asked what they were planting. Raisins she says. Huh? I thought they grew on vines that were kept year after year for decades? Not this variety, they’re special...
Later I found just how special. They have a loose seed that can be moved back and forth with applied voltage. It was the basis of an optical switch, the manufacture of which was the town’s main source of income.
I remember seeing a graphic that showed a long fiber optic system and noted that ‘a pastoral label was impossible’ because it covered so many locations.
On my off time I was staying with a family where my main duty seemed to be turning the TV antenna box (big as a desk!) to get best reception out in the fringe area we lived.
I had some other project, but it didn’t look like I could do it in the remaining time before they closed the town’s only bridge the next day.
2700?
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