On immigration and a social welfare society

Is Australian anti-immigration sentiment solely due to racism or is it concern for Australian economic and cultural health? Australian publication The Punch looks at how Australia — also a nation of capitalist imperialists, social outcasts, and the poor sots they imported to do their bidding immigrants — compares with the United States.

America has resettled the “huddled masses”, including large refugee communities and millions of illegal migrants.

This has been done by basically saying people should look after themselves, with minimum welfare offered and not even universal healthcare but usually free education.

What America traditionally provided was plenty of low wage jobs that require no skills and limited or no English.

In Australia we do not believe in low wage jobs.

The question David Southwell raises is a complex one: is it possible to have a society with a strong welfare safety net and have a liberal immigration policy?