Star Trek Meets Monty Python

War Between China and the United States

It wouldn't go well for America.

The Costs of Immigration

Art Carden writes:

According to the Center for Immigration Studies (via the Federation for American Immigration Reform), state government spending on welfare for immigrants is $11-$22 billion through programs like TANF. A report by the Center for Immigration Studies estimated that the Federal Government spend some $26.3 billion on services for illegal immigrants in 2002. These immigrants paid about $16 billion in taxes, leaving us with a net cost of about $10.4 billion (these are their numbers; I know $26.3-$16=$10.3, but there’s rounding error).

Let’s bias this number upward. We’ll take the high estimate of state spending ($22 billion) and assume that the $26.3 billion is all costs. Add them together and we get $48.3 billion. Let’s round it up to $50 billion and assume that there are no offsetting benefits. According to the website www.usgovernmentspending.com, state, local, and federal governments spent almost $5 trillion in 2007. Even if the money spent on welfare for immigrants had no offsetting benefits, it’s about 1% of government spending in 2007.

This is not meant to be precise: the numbers are from several different years, and the calculations are only to get a sense of the magnitude of government spending on immigrants relative to government spending on everything else. Even if you double this crude estimate of the amount being spent on immigrant welfare, you’re up to 2% of 2007 government spending. Compared to the elephants in the Federal budget (Social Security, Medicare, Defense), the money we’re spending on welfare for immigrants isn’t very much.

Chinese Tourists

They are coming to Europe.

Chuck Liddell Retires

The Iceman becomes a UFC exec. He was once one of the best fighters in MMA, but he's been on a losing streak and obviously lost a couple of steps. Glad he's not trying to stick around.

Japan and the Limits of Keynesianism

Megan McArdle says something has to give.

Robots Teach English in South Korea

But can they find Sarah Connor?

NYC City Workers at Work

Windy Scotland

Scotland has made a big push for green energy such as windmills. But they don't work too well and the Scots are only keeping themselves warm this winter by buying nuclear power from France.