"That's a neat trick you have there (but not very effective)... argue against a point that was never made. It's apparent that NK was speaking of the attractive power of the welfare state, your counter argument pretends to answer that point without directly addressing it."
I addressed it.
But I will address it again, for your benefit.
That America is a desirable place which draws in millions is not simply or even mainly due to the welfare state. It draw in millions before there was a welfare state. America is free and prosperous, and THAT is the draw. Europe is also prosperous and free, and that's the draw there too. America and Europe were attractive before there was a welfare state.
The problem isn't the welfare state drawing in millions of illegals. And it isn't a "problem" that America is free and prosperous, and therefore draws in people from all over the world.
The problem is that America does not control her borders, and so illegals become a burden which overwhelms the system. If America enforced her immigration laws, the presence of immigrants, including those on welfare, would not be breaking the bank. But add in another 10 million illegals, who have no right to be here in the first place, drawing on the social protection system that American citizens have rightly chosen to erect for themselves, and suddenly the burden becomes overwhelming. The problem ain't the social protections, it's the non-enforcement of the borders. American social protections are intended for Americans, not the whole world.
Japan has thicker social protections than America does, but the Japanese economy is not sinking. Japanese businesses, with those socially protected workers - like Toyota - are putting American competitors out of business. It is not because the Japanese don't provide health care for their workers or stint on social protections that Toyota is clobbering Ford. It's not because America has greater protections for workers than Japan does that Ford is floundering - the opposite is true: the Japanese are much more socially protected.
Social protection and the provision of fundamental infrastructure are not the problem. Lawless borders and other bad policies are.
Illegals are afforded instate tuition at universities in many states. Out of state US citizens and foreigners on student visas must pay the full rate. Non-citizens in Maryland's Takoma Park may vote in local elections. Democrats in California want to give illegals driver's licenses. How is this sound policy?
These are your magnets, methods provided for illegals to skirt immigration laws. And to hold up Europe as an example...native population growth has stagnated. Clustered neighborhoods of muslims - many unemployed are the growth areas. Discontented "youths" went on a vandalism spree turning over hundreds of autos.
BMW builds factories in the US because they can no longer afford to employ workers at a premium and provide exorbitant vacation time and pay taxes to provide for the myriad of social services that are holding down Germany's economy.