The Case For and Against Immigration
Elon and the Border Crisis, a history of immigration, and the American Dream
Hey MOZarts,
The latest episode of Moment of Zen is all about immigration, a heavily debated topic in American politics and tech circles alike, now coming to the fore on X with Elon Musk’s recent visit to the border town of Eagle Pass, TX. Dan and Erik dig in to the recent history of immigration, how asylum seeking is a new hack after the change to Title 42 policy, whether a country has the right to determine its demographics, and touch back on Balaji’s plan for San Francisco.
This episode is heavy on the references. You’ll find complete show links below.
TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (01:31) The American dream (05:37) Why does Elon Musk care about what's happening at the border? (10:44) The history of immigration in the US (13:30) H1-B visas and temporary protected status (18:04) Sponsors: Vanta | NetSuite (19:37) Immigration under Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump (20:02) Sponsors: Vanta & Netsuite (24:51) No place for nuance (28:21) Asylum seeking (31:38) Current state: complete failure (37:15) Arguments for and against immigration (45:04) Polling on immigration issue (49:01) Basic rule of law (56:18) Fringe theory: the great replacement theory (59:21) Dan’s proposal: voter ID (01:03:13) Does a country have a right to determine its demographics? (01:12:02) Do immigrants assimilate? (01:21:39) Pro-immigration but anti gentrification (01:25:11) Is it feasible for Balaji's gray tribe to take back San Francisco? (01:33:20) Dan’s optimistic take on a potential deal (01:35:31) Immigration and innovation
Moment of Zen is sponsored by Vanta. If you’re looking for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR or HIPAA compliance, head to Vanta and get $1000 off: www.vanta.com/zen
Book & Article Referenced in Episode 44
- , A Case For Color Blindness
Robert Menendez smuggling gold: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/22/nyregion/gold-bars-bob-menendez-bribery.html
Elon Musk goes down to the border https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elon-musk-wades-into-us-immigration-debate-texas-mexico-border-2023-09-29/
US sues SpaceX: https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-sues-spacex-alleged-discrimination-against-asylees-refugees-hiring-2023-08-24/
The gap in Trump’s wall at Yuma: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/biden-administration-fill-border-wall-gaps-yuma-arizona-rcna40567
New York Times on the Darién Gap: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/14/world/americas/migrant-business-darien-gap.html
Andrew McAfee book More From Less
Coleman Hughes on All In
Chris Rufo’s tweet about white people making up only 6% of new hires in 2021
Paul Graham’s tweeted chart on the slave trade:
Joseph Henrich’s book Weird
Marc Andreessen and other investors buying land in Solana County to build a city: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/25/business/land-purchases-solano-county.html
Eric Adams Asserts Migrant Crisis Will ‘Destroy New York’ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/nyregion/adams-migrants-destroy-nyc.html
Shane Gillis, When Your Dad Watches FOX News
Moment of Zen episodes mentioned:
- Balaji part 1 here and part 2 here
- Vivek episode here
Quick note - Turpentine, the network behind Moment of Zen, is looking for junior producers to join our team. If you're someone who is deeply curious about tech and investing and has an insatiable appetite for good, online content, please apply. Production experience not required! JD is here.
Next week. Antonio will be back along with Jacob Seigel who we’ve long wanted to speak with. Prepare by reading his excellent essay “A Guide to Understanding the Hoax of the Century: Thirteen Ways of Looking at Disinformation”
Moment of Zen is always evolving and we want to know what is most valuable to you. What do you want us to talk about or share in this newsletter? Leave us a note in the comments