Thread: Jump-Start U.S. (Economic) Growth Through Immigration

Originally Posted by Bowman

Originally Posted by Judy

Originally Posted by Bowman

If they are talking about immigrants like the ones who started Google and E-bay, yes they are correct. But there are only a few thousand people like that in the world, and we already let most of them in.

Larry Page actually started Google. It was his idea and his concept and his research project at Stanford. Sergey Brin, Larry's co-founder joined him later on to complete the project because he thought Larry had a great idea. Just for the record.

Both Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google and Pierre Omidyar who founded eBay came here when they were 6 years old. Brin from Moscow and Pierre, who is a French-born Iranian, from Paris. And of course, both came here legally with their parents.

Thanks for the clarification, but you have to admit their businesses have contributed billions to the US economy, and I bet their parents were pretty sharp. Bottom line is I think the US is already letting in every genius (like their parents) who wants to move to the US, and I don't think simply letting in more "skilled" immigrants (about 1 billion people in the world have a college degree) will help our economy any.

Well, I really can't say that their businesses contributed billions to the US economy, because in reality they didn't. What Google did was make information available and expanded knowledge. A terrific tool for people but did it create economic activity that didn't otherwise exist? I don't really think so. It's hurt the newspaper businesses and printing and paper businesses. It also opened up internet sales which bypass retail stores and state sales taxes. I've never been on eBay but I think it has allowed a matchmaker business that's worked really well for people to sell, again, without a retail store. They have made many activities very convenient for people especially in research and gathering information and to me Google is a wonderful service that most of us would be lost without, but did it really grow our economy, create new jobs, increase wealth? No, it really didn't. What it did was better inform Americans about everything and that's its true value.

Their parents were scientists and computer programmers. That's why they came here. Brin is Jewish and in the Soviet Union at the time, they wouldn't allow Jews into some of the Ph.D programs. His parents were both brilliant but were limited in what they could do, especially his father who was sent to attend a conference outside of Russia and had such a good time sharing ideas that he wanted to leave and come to the United States. It took several years for him to secure his exit visa but he was finally given it by the Soviet Union and came here with his wife and 6 year old, Sergey, and the rest is history. Sergey grew up and went to Stanford, met Larry Page and now we have Google.

But Google is Larry Page's invention, his idea, his concept. Sergey helped and they started the company together, but it was Larry's vision from his expertise and knowledge, not Sergey's.

If you go read Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations", you will see that wealth is created by increasing productivity, in other words doing the same job or making the same product in less time or with less resources. That is what E-bay and Google do, increase productivity. If they didn't nobody would use them or advertise on them.

I see your point about Larry Page, but Sergy Brin did make contributions and is partly responsible to the great productivity improving invention of Google, thus Sergy has helped to make us all a little bit more wealthy.

Originally Posted by Bowman

If they are talking about immigrants like the ones who started Google and E-bay, yes they are correct. But there are only a few thousand people like that in the world, and we already let most of them in.

And there's also the small matter of increasingly desperate Americans and a chronically unemployed black underclass. IMO this would be a very good time for our insisting on it being Americans first in this magnificent country.

Originally Posted by Bowman

If you go read Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations", you will see that wealth is created by increasing productivity, in other words doing the same job or making the same product in less time or with less resources. That is what E-bay and Google do, increase productivity. If they didn't nobody would use them or advertise on them.

I see your point about Larry Page, but Sergy Brin did make contributions and is partly responsible to the great productivity improving invention of Google, thus Sergy has helped to make us all a little bit more wealthy.

Oh yes, there's no question Brin contributed and in a significant way which is why they're partners in the business and both call themselves co-founders.

As to eBay and Google increasing productivity ... that may be true for certain occupations ... but it hasn't increased the wealth of our nation. It's increased knowledge in certain areas, expedited information for those who seek it, and created an excellent shopping and selling medium with internet sales, but I mean ... our nation is flat broke ... so the wealth of our nation didn't materialize from these inventions.

If you factor in the loss of productivity on the job and at home by the number of hours a day people spend Googling and reading eBay items, they've probably reduced the overall productivity of our nation and our wealth accordingly.

Google has also added some very negative components to our society with easy porn, kiddie porn, scams, identity theft, fraud, loss of privacy, propaganda and increased government surveillance.

That said, I still think they're both great developments that have empowered our people in ways that wouldn't have otherwise been possible.