Take your town example. In rural Japan, there are entire villages where the median age is over 70. They're literally disappearing. A skills-based system could let in young construction workers or caregivers to keep those towns alive. That's not arbitrary—that's responding to a real, human need.
You're right that immigrants pay more in taxes. But that's actually my point. If we bring in people who can immediately contribute at high levels, they generate even more tax revenue. That pays for infrastructure, schools, and safety nets that help everyone, including lower-skilled immigrants who come later.
And I don't buy that borders are just arbitrary lines. They're real things with real consequences. A country can't just open its doors and hope for the best. We've seen what happens when infrastructure can't keep up—housing crises, strained healthcare, social tension. A skills-based system isn't perfect, but it's a way to manage growth without blowing things up.
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