Overflow

Immigration, both legal and illegal, affects all of us. And, the variety of subtopics surrounding the subject are more numerous than I care to think about. But, one big issue is louder than all of the others. How can we pay for it?

It's clear that people immigrate to other countries because of the conditions created by poverty. They leave home seeking employment and opportunity, not merely for the welfare system and free handouts found elsewhere.

We're left with deciding between helping the less fortunate, and following the law. We can permit people to immigrate illegally, allowing employers to hire them, or we can bar the gates at the border and arrest those who sneak in.

But, in the same way a glass can only hold so much until it overflows, any country can only offer so much support until the system crashes. What to do?

I think the solution is to enlarge the glass. The extraordinary wealthy, both private and corporate, have long gotten away without paying their fair share of taxes. With loopholes and schemes, diverting profits, creating tax shelters and phony corporations, the very rich have managed to get even richer, while the lifestyles (and bank accounts) of the not-so-rich-and-famous have dwindled. I often wonder how many million-dollar mansions a person can live in at one time.

In addition, let's add more glasses to help carry the volume. There are more than just one or two countries that could afford to contribute to the effort. Some of the smallest are the richest.

I wouldn't want to see a one-world socialist government, but long ago, pictures from space looking back at the Earth made it clear that we're all in the same boat.