X-Message-Number: 11190
From: 
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 22:09:12 EST
Subject: immigration

This isn't directly about cryonics, but it concerns our future. Alan Greenspan
spoke to a congressional committee today, and one comment--which no one picked
up while I was watching--especially struck me.

He noted that one way to avoid or reduce the problems facing Social
Security--when the retired population swells and the working population does
not keep pace--is to have more immigration of working-age people.

As I recall, Yuri Pichugin had a typical problem getting permission to work in
this country, even though he has experience and skills that are in short
supply. Trygve Bauge was deported because he overstayed his visa.
"Immigration" often brings to mind an influx of people who may become a burden
on the welfare system or the prison system; but there are probably plenty of
people from many countries who would be undeniable assets, yet are not allowed
in. (People who watch MSNBC and similar programs, which often have interviews
with the heads of companies, must have been struck by how many of them have
foreign looks, names, or accents.) 

In fact, one could make a case that we ought very actively at least to
encourage the "brain drain" from elsewhere to here (or to Britain, if you live
there, or Australia, etc.) Otherwise, the huge populations of China and India
will surely dominate science in the next century. We should try to import the
best of them while we still have the attraction.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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