Global immigration.

[Swampy]

Diane Francis, a columnist with Canada's Financial Post newspaper, says that Gerard Depardieu is part of a larger movement of people leaving their countries. According to her, 250 million people have left the country of their birth, which comes to 1 in 28. And a further 640 million would leave their country if they could, and 150 million said they would move to the US. I would suggest the number would be far higher than 640 million, because many people don't say what they really want for fear of retaliation.

In any case, as Diane says, would have an impact on the world's politics. And she should know - she's an American living in Canada.

[mcnoch]

Yes, and today you not necessarily have to migrate to another country to live in a completely different society/world. The new mega-cities are becoming more and more countries in themselves. I recommend reading Arrival City by Doug Saunders, about the migration of 1/3 of the world’s people that is underway.

[Sir John]

Mass (economic) migration cannot do anything but increase as the population explodes.

When I was a young lad in the mid 1940s the world population was 2 Billion, It has doubled and nearly doubled again and WILL hit 10 to 12 Billion in 2050, no matter what the UN dishes up for the gullible. The doubling time is getting ever shorter, NOT longer. Every extra Billion takes less time and it is now EXPONENTIAL!

This will guarantee mass migrations around the world, and some VERY nasty situations when countries try to stop the inflow. Think of all the heartburn about the Mexicans in the USA. Try 3 times as many.


SJ

[Swampy]

SJ has a good point, but, since the world is rapidly aging, I wonder how that is going to affect immigration flows and hence the world political situation.

[Swampy]

In a similar vein, Russian Muslims from Central Asia have gone to Moscow, where some of them are moving up the ladder. There's resentment, naturally from the locals, but the caucasian Russians are a shrinking population, while the Islamic one may (I repeat, may) be growing.

[Deleted]

Sounds familiar to those of us who live in the states, although it is primarily with hispanics. I'm much happier with them than I am with Muslims who are also making inroads in this country.