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Friday, January 27, 2017

Capitalism and Xenophobia


Xenophobic tendencies have increased across the globe. The US has been the latest country to show xenophobia by electing a president who openly dislikes immigrants. He immediately embarked on constructing a wall that separated the US from Mexico. Britain led the way last year by pushing for her exit from the European Union, which allowed the establishment of a borderless Europe. These occurrences have led dormant parties that oppose immigration to re-surge across Europe. These parties believe that immigration is the cause of their problems in Europe, and it must stop as soon as possible. This belief is a fallacy and should be condemned at all costs.
 
 protesters showing xenophobia
 
Great countries, like the US, Canada, and Australia, can attest that immigration is the primary cause that has propelled their growth and development into what they are today. These countries were built through the sweat of immigrants, and they should understand the importance of immigration. They should lead the way in encouraging immigration and discouraging xenophobia.

 Britain has demonstrated double standards through Brexit. When President Mugabe of Zimbabwe unsettled white settlers and forced some of them to leave Zimbabwe, Britain vehemently opposed this move. Today, Britain tolerates xenophobia, yet she has forgotten that British and other white settlers are found worldwide. They are welcomed and given the respect they deserve as fellow humans.

 Moreover, it is unfortunate that a wave of xenophobia is sweeping across Europe. Yet, it has been the most significant source of emigrants to other continents and countries in the past centuries.
Immigration is the scapegoat for the poor performance of the economies in Europe and North America. However, the economic downturn should be blamed on the extreme capitalist tendencies practiced by these countries. It is a time that the US and Europe question their capitalist policies and practices.

 The number of family-owned businesses in the US has decreased significantly. These businesses were the primary source of permanent employment for many US citizens. Today, corporates have taken over family-owned businesses. They are more focused on profit maximization. This is why they shift their production abroad to get cheap labor, which causes unemployment in Europe and US. Immigration has nothing to do with this occurrence.

 Additionally, developing countries have significantly improved their infrastructural facilities over the past few years. India and China have infrastructural facilities that rival those of the developed world. They are attracting multinationals into their countries. The movement of MNCs (multinational corporations) into these countries is causing unemployment in Europe and North America.
 
 Kenyan roads. Developing countries are improving their infrastructure.
 
Finally, developing countries have more favorable policies that attract investment than developed countries. Developing countries are often ready to compromise the environment and labor standards for economic growth. MNCs prefer developing countries to the developed world because developing countries have little regulation. Their movement into developing countries causes unemployment in the developed world.

Immigration has nothing to do with poor economic performance. The pursuit of profit by MNCs is the primary reason for unemployment and slow economic growth in the developed world. Politicians should develop policies that help the developed world keep their MNCs and jobs to spur economic growth and development. It is unfair to promote xenophobia based on unjust reasons. Instead, the US and Europe need to restructure their extreme capitalist tendencies.

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