
U.S. Should Open America’s Doors to Hong Kong’s Citizens - JumpCrisscross
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-05-27/trump-should-open-america-s-doors-to-hong-kong-s-citizens
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pmachinery
> it’s easy to forget that many oppressed and subjugated people around the
> world still look to the U.S. with hope

It's easy to forget because it's just a fairy tale Americans tell themselves.
Oppressed and subjugated people flee to the nearest country that isn't the one
oppressing them. Often that country is in fact China (from North Korea).

This article doesn't even pretend to be talking about saving oppressed and
subjugated people though; it almost brags that the idea is for the US to
cynically "benefit from the human capital that created [Hong Kong's] wealth".

The people this article is talking about - the "financial and creative genius"
\- could walk into any country they wanted to, if they wanted to leave their
home. They don't need the US.

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rchaud
Rich Western countries will for the most part, only accept the best and the
brightest, refugee or not. People who under different circumstances, would
still have been able to jump through the various hurdles to immigrate legally.

I read plenty of stories about the million plus people that have been afforded
entry to Europe in the last few years. Yet there is very little in the
English-language press about the millions more that have made their homes, for
better or for worse, in neighbouring countries like Jordan, Lebanon and
Turkey.

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sjg007
Best and brightest are wanted but that overlooks the millions of immigrants
who are not so by qualifications and yet they still achieve success. So having
these prequalifications is kind of silly. America's construction boom is
fueled by immigrants as is most of Los Angeles restaurant scene.

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bspammer
What would be the diplomatic consequences of this? I'm assuming China would be
very unhappy with any country making this offer to Hong Kongers, but perhaps
I'm wrong and they'd prefer for dissidents to leave.

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adventured
Minimal real diplomatic consequences, other than China issuing some loud
statements that they're furious at the US meddling in their internal affairs.
It might amount to 100k-300k people as a max range.

It's an excellent opportunity for China to demonstrate the superiority of
their system, as they so frequently claim.

We'll play a little game. Open immigration into China for US citizens. Open
immigration into the US for Chinese citizens. Let's see who gets the most
immigration (it'd be lopsided 1,000 to 1 with millions of immigrants flowing
into the US; we did it with Cuba from ~1960-1980, there's no reason we can't
do it for people wanting to flee China; if the next Democrat President is
smart, they'll implement a variation of this to create a more aggressive and
persistent brain drain on China).

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Simulacra
The last thing we need is another Nixon moment of opening America to China.
This has not proven to be in our best favor, aside from the multiple Chinese
viruses that have floated our way; trade imbalance, current manipulation,
gross human rights violations, IP theft, hacking, subversion of elections, oh
gosh the list goes on. America must close the door on China.

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billme
Add the UK to that list too.

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bloak
Yes, perhaps they could come to the UK and protest against the way the British
government allows its citizens to be extradited to the USA. The existing
British population seems a bit too meek in that respect.

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Simulacra
The United States should take the radical position that Taiwan is a country
separate from China. Especially now, why is this not getting more attention?

~~~
simonblack
China should take the radical position that Hawaii is a country separate from
the US. Especially now, why is this not getting more attention?

Same logic as yours. But even more relevant as Taiwan (Formosa) was
historically part of China, whereas Hawaii was a separate kingdom annexed by
force by the US.

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rchaud
I think it's safe to say that in an election year and with everything else
going on, the likelihood of this even being proposed is close to nil.

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86J8oyZv
Yes, let's provide as much cheap labor as possible in a time of record
unemployment! What could go wrong?

~~~
JumpCrisscross
> _cheap labor_

This does not describe the Hong Kongers likely and able to emigrate.

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rrss
yeah, even without considering who is likely and able to emigrate, HK median
income is higher than the median income of some U.S. states.

