The real problem with Friedman 's thinking on this issue is that it is riddled with holes, as with so many of his ideas. In 1914 there was no minimum wage and virtually no labor protection laws. All low wage labor was in the same miserable boat. But long before that video was made there was in place a minimum wage, unions, and labor protection laws. Today, illegal immigrant labor is in one boat and legal immigrant and citizen labor in another.
So you are a Trump supporter? Just build a wall to protect our minimum wage? You are trying to protect something that is wrong down to it's core by introducing another wrong to right it.
It shouldn't take a renowned economist to explain this. Anyone with half-a-brain and the least bit of common sense should "get it".
social security is not means tested. Everybody pays based on their income. And everybody receives the benefit based on their contribution. They don't make you pay all your life and then only give it to poor people. Right? We all pay for food stamps, but you need to fall on really hard times (or get a job at Walmart) to receive the benefit.
when it comes to immigration Karl Marx was the greatest economist. No country that ever adopted his theory ever had an immigration problem. (although they did eventually have an emmigration problem)
One point that he was making was that unfettered immigration worked when there was not much of safety net (govt giveaways). because... the people coming here were banking on the fact that they would work hard and achieve. The self selected winners immigrated. When you have a big safety net and give away. You get a lot of the free riders and moochers. People who are not planning on adding much to host country. Therefore, when you have a big social safety net like we have in this country the the "good" (those who add value economically) immigrants are the illegal immigrants. I realize this thinking is difficult for those who like equal results as opposed to equal opportunity to understand. But... if you free your minds... you might begin to understand how cool and not unfairly biased Friedman's thoughts are. Piezoe seem to bring in a corollary or exception to Friedman's idea... allowing anchor babies encourages the type of immigration a society might not want.