Analysis of yesterday's DU poll on trade and immigration

[pampango]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5287768

Poll result (36 votes)

1. Keep foreigners and their goods out. Keep our goods here. Tourism is OK.
(3 votes, 8%)

2. I don't mind exporting stuff to them, since it is good for our jobs and paychecks, but that's about it.
(2 votes, 6%)

3. I support international trade, but it should be "fair" and balanced.
(8 votes, 22%)

4. If capital and goods can move freely between countries, so should people.
(8 votes, 22%)

5. Immigrants compete with Americans for jobs and lower pay levels, so keep them out.
(6 votes, 17%)

6. Immigrants create wealth. The trick is in distributing it equitably. Invite them in.
(6 votes, 17%)

7. I'm really gaga over "free trade" as it is defined by the RW.
(0 votes, 0%)

8. Other.
(3 votes, 8%)

Significance of the numbers

Out of 36 votes, there were 3 “other” votes. I didn’t see any posts which explained “other” votes specifically, so I’ll exclude them from the percentages.

First of all, supporters of “free trade” must have been out to lunch. Though some here accuse other DU'ers of being "free traders", no one seems to believe (or will acknowledge in an anonymous poll) that he or she is such a creature.

It’s safe to say that answers 1 & 5 represent an anti-trade and anti-immigration position. They tallied 9 votes or 27% of the 33 votes being considered. If you add in answer 2 (with 2 votes), as it endorses a very limited version of (one-way) international trade, the total comes to 11 votes or 33% of the total voters who oppose immigration and trade.

Answers 3,4, and 6 represent support for immigration (without much qualification) and trade (at least, “fair” trade – “free” trade getting no support at all). These three answers totaled 22 votes or 67% who support immigration and/or trade.

Of course there are many other questions which could have been included in the poll and more responses would have made the results more meaningful. I'll keep my eyes open for other polls on trade and immigration which may further illuminate the views of DU’ers.

That said, it is interesting that trade and immigration are issues with which there is much disagreement at DU. With many issues (national health care, civil rights, EFCA, opposition to torture, regulating/changing the financial industry, and many others) there is large scale agreement here. However, with immigration and international trade, while there may be a slightly more in favor of them, there is a almost equal number who oppose them.

A view of the posts

We love to call each other “xenophobes”, “free traders”, “racists”, “cheap (and “slave”) labor advocates”. While we may save our biggest blasts for repubs and freepers, we are not easy on each other either. We often question the motivation of the DU’er with whom we are arguing (with a derogatory term thrown in for added zing) rather than posting why we believe what we believe without trying to put the other poster into a negative category.

“There is quite a bit of xenophobia on DU.”

“I wouldn't call it xenophobia. I would call it "the strong dislike of an influx of people willing to work for less and for cash and employers willing to look the other way while they do, creating a self-propagating mess that can be overcome by well enforced labor laws, global organizing and strong unions."”

“Those who think an unlimited supply of labor can be organized have a critical thinking skill deficit.”

“Its kind of like how the racist groups hide their views by using illegal immigration as a cover. Obviously not everyone who wants to enforce immigration laws is racist.”

“US policy should assist foreigners to obtain robust human rights in their native country. If I'm going to allow them to be guests in my country, there has to be something in it for me. Their presence should improve my quality of life in some measurable way.

Our economy has not grown fast enough in the last decade to employ the kids born here. Until our economy is throttled by labor shortages, work visas should be curtailed. Given the universal refrain of the inadequate education of american students, a greater proportion of college students should be US citizens.”

“I hang onto the radical notion that they are human. I think they are entitled to the same rights as me.

I don't think it's good enough to say "they can starve and drink contaminated water and pee in open gutters cause that's the conditions they were born into in their country, but I'm compassionate so I'll write a letter or something encouraging them to fight for rights in their own country. They can't come here - that might endanger my own privilege."”

“And it's kind of like how cheap labor advocates hide their views by using cosmopolitan internationalism as a cover.”

“Xenophobia is a tool used by the ruling overclass to keep the workers distracted. They get us to scapegoat The Other - be it immigrants, minorities, the poor, gays, etc etc - so that they can continue to steal from us.”

[itsrobert]

1. Small sample size

The participants are too small to do any relevant type of analysis.

[pampango]

2. True. Just posted this for what's it's worth. I'd love to see similar polls with more responses.

It's interesting to compare poll results with the number of posts in OP's dealing with the same issues. Polls seem to measure the breadth of support or opposition to an issue (since it takes less effort to vote in a poll), while the number of posts one invests time and effort into is a better barometer of depth of the passion a poster has for that issue.