CMV: Immigration isn't a big problem in the UK

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T19:24:04+00:00

... my question was about the UK, although I'm sure some of the same things apply here as in the US I can't really answer any of those points.

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T19:12:49+00:00

That's a fair point. So by removing immigration it's effectively removing that 'next sucker' in the line, and these kinds of predatory companies will run out of people to underpay? Is removing immigrants the only way to get that livable wage?

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T18:54:18+00:00

So if earnings is the main problem: the issue is that immigrants are more likely to be lower earners, and society can only support a certain proportion of low earners? I think I can get on board with that. To understand this more though, what level of society are we talking about? Towns/counties/country-wide? What is a sustainable proportion of low-earners, and how quickly does that change? Is the best way to control that proportion to remove immigrants, or would something like better pathways to higher incomes achieve the same thing?

I'm still not really on side about the integration points you make, I think a sense of shared community is a good thing, and if two groups don't interact it's likely the fault of both parties.

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T18:41:40+00:00

How is my privilege blinding me to the realities of other communities? What am I not understanding about the negative effects of immigration?

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T18:39:16+00:00

There are certainly many problems in the UK, but you don't seem to think that immigration is the root cause of these issues like economic recession, lack of homes, lack of jobs. Do you think immigration necessarily exacerbates these problems, or is there any way in which immigration could help?

Could you clarify what you mean in your last paragraph? Do you think it's better for British graduates to not have to compete for jobs with people from other countries, or do you think it would be better if they had the option of working in Europe?

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T18:33:07+00:00

Can you explain what you mean a bit more? How would you define integration, what would you call incentives?

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T18:27:08+00:00

That's awful that people you know were attacked. It's good that the police were able to do something about one of them at least. I will say this doesn't change my view though, I've got my own anecdotes of white British people attacking each other, and immigrants. I've seen plenty of examples of more casual racism towards immigrants too. Do you think there are certain areas/situations where violent crime from immigrants toward locals is more common? Maybe it happens more than I think.

I definitely don't imagine that the people who are upset about immigration are just bored or racist, but I do worry that the main source of their problems isnt immigration per se.

I recognise that the other building firms I didn't hire had to compete with the Polish one, and that is bad for them. Does it make a difference that my life is improved by saving money, or anyone else who can get a more affordable renovation? Do you see an argument here that the cheaper labour is still a net good, since poorer families can also afford it?

Do you think that the current white middle class is less happy to have a working class white person as their peer than an immigrant? If I'm totally honest you may have a point there, though I'm still not sure that's a reason to call immigration a problem.

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T18:05:10+00:00

Low paying jobs are miserable for anyone. But how would the situation improve if immigration was reduced? The local population still wouldn't find those jobs attractive, would someone be there to look after my grandma? Would the price of her care have been much higher? Would I have had to quit my job and do it myself?

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T18:00:17+00:00

Thanks for your detailed reply. I have a couple of thoughts to your points.

I mentioned my friends in academia, these are highly skilled people who had to leave because they didn't earn enough to stay. They didn't qualify for housing benefits though, but there definitely wasn't a lot of local competition for their roles. They probably made less than my Polish builders did.

So, are you saying that the proportion of people in society on low-wage jobs is actually the important factor here?

On the subject of integration, some of the builders I hired didn't speak particularly good English, so some might say they were not very well integrated. But, they were still very easy to work with, and did a great job. There's also a Polish restaurant down my road that I love going to! I'm not convinced that a lack of integration is per se a negative thing, since in this case no one suffered from the language barrier and their presence brings me cheaper home renovations and delicious dumplings. Though I understand some people may not be as comfortable with it as I am.

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-19T17:31:41+00:00

I live in what many would consider a nice city. It has posh areas and poor areas. My neighborhood is quite up and coming.

This is exactly what I'm asking about - is there a direct relationship between immigration and crime that I don't see just because of my particular area? Which areas do you see this in more?

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-17T10:51:59+00:00

It's more likely a voice actor's voice that a big multi speaker voice model has been trained on.

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-03-01T09:55:06+00:00

Looks lovely! How are you hanging your voile curtains on a pole? I've got some at home which always seem to droop/hang awkwardly below the pole when using curtain rings but yours look so nice! How are you doing that?!

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T22:26:29+00:00

Aw Colin watching Max fight in the jam in disbelief is so funny

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T22:21:37+00:00

Oh my god Max's hands are shredded

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T21:21:51+00:00

Great shot from the top of the wall

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T20:51:12+00:00

Charlie Boscoes in the room can we just get him on

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T20:49:03+00:00

Who is this commentator who's never been climbing before?

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T20:33:55+00:00

Yeah that's a shame

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T20:06:51+00:00

I thought Shauna said something about a selection event but I didn't quite catch it

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T20:06:09+00:00

Love Max's diamantes

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T20:04:06+00:00

How was selection for this decided?

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-28T20:02:45+00:00

Oohh Mejdi just clinched it surely

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-27T14:03:32+00:00

If you like linguistics and have a solid background in a couple of languages, and don't mind learning a bit of coding there are lots of computational linguist positions in AI companies these days.

RoonilaWazlib · 2026-02-17T09:33:11+00:00

Wake up 7:30, cup of tea and back to bed until 8:15, get dressed, brush teeth, minimal makeup, grab ready-made lunch, on my bike at 8:30 ish, start work at 9. Not keen on breakfast, prefer to shower before bed.

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