Lloyd Russell: Don’t count on a flood of immigration from Norway
Donald Trump has made it clear that he doesn’t want immigrants from “s---hole” countries. These countries are mostly populated by the black and brown non-Christians his base despises. Trump’s ideal immigrant is a European – just not an overly smart one.
A militant Christian white supremacist who dropped out in grade school would be perfect. Trump specifically wants Norwegians, but this might be a problem. According to the UN’s “World Happiness Report,” Norway is the “world’s happiest country.” The U.S., the richest economically, is 14th happiest.
The CIA’s “ World Fact Book” lists Norway’s life expectancy as 81.9 years. The U.S.’s is 80 and declining. Life expectancy in Mississippi is 75.0 years, just under Syria’s 75.1. Comparing murder rates: Norway is 0.56 per 100,000; the U.S. is at 4.88 per 100,000. Norway’s maternal death rate is 5 per 100,000, the US’s is 14 per 100,000 (Texas is at 30 per 100,000, comparable to Mexico’s 38.9). Comparisons of infant mortality and income inequality also favor Norway. Norwegians might not chose to immigrate anywhere.
Emma Lazarus’s poem “The New Colossus” calls to the world’s tired and poor and to its huddled masses yearning to breathe free. It says nothing about race or religion.
Lloyd Russell, Stevenson
This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Lloyd Russell: Don’t count on a flood of immigration from Norway."