Thread

Supreme Court permits states to use SAVE database for citizenship checks

79 points · 105 comments · speckx

m463 · 1790365757 · focus · HN ↗
I was wondering what this was.
SAVE - Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_Alien_Verification_for_Entitlements" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_Alien_Verification_...
1. delichon · 1790366051 · focus · HN ↗
  You cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state. -- Milton Friedman
  Turns out you can, but for how long?
  1. goatlover · 1790366162 · focus · HN ↗
    As long as the government doesn't spend trillions on fighting endless wars in the ME, while making it difficult for immigrants to become citizens, then over funding an agency to crack down on immigrants while claiming there is some sort of invasion, all the while cutting taxes for the super wealthy.
    tekla · 1790367276 · focus · HN ↗
    Have fun comparing defense vs welfare/entitlements per year.
    Link the comparison please. I already know what the numbers are
    jjk166 · 1790375734 · focus · HN ↗
    Since 2001 the US has spent 29.7 Trillion on entitlements excluding social security vs 18 Trillion of military spending.
    Of course the entitlements are useful spending - these are things people need and benefit from. Had these dollars not been spent by the US government, they would have been spent directly by the taxpayers for the same goods and services. While some money may have been saved if this spending were private, it probably wouldn't change the total economic impact by much.
    On the other hand we have nothing to show for the $18 trillion burned on wars that went horrifically. If we'd put that money into useful investments such that it paid interest and stopped our defense spending, we would be running a $300 billion per year surplus right now with no cuts to any other government services, to say nothing of the potential economic advantages if the wars had just never happened.
    And don't get me started on the $10 trillion lost to the Bush tax cuts and their extensions.
    tekla · 1790386275 · focus · HN ↗
    > 29.7 Trillion on entitlements excluding social security
    Convenient to exclude SS for ... no reason other than it makes your numbers look better because its a vast majority of entitlement spending so it makes your argument look bad.
    May I ask you provide numbers including all entitlement spending, which includes SS?
    This is what I meant by knowing what the numbers are.
    goatlover · 1790392558 · focus · HN ↗
    The purpose of my response was that using Friedman's quote was hypocritical when expensive wars are fought and taxes on the wealthy are cut (a point ignored). It's also unclear to what extend the undocumented are a burden on the welfare state in relation to the above. The current party in power, with the exception of Senator Rand Paul, seem remarkably unconcerned with the $40 trillion deficit.
    tekla · 1790417396 · focus · HN ↗
    So no numbers?

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