“We can’t welcome all the misery of the world but we must take our share.” This is a maxim whose popularity speaks volumes about our apprehension over poverty and immigration.

This seemingly benevolent vocabulary, however, limits debate. It insists that generous people will welcome more demands on the taxpayer’s pocketbooks. The immigrant must be welcomed, they are told. The natives have an obligation of care, which means more and more subsidies in a country where they are also being told to tighten their belts.

Today the Trump administration is announcing a $12 billion bailout plan for farmers impacted by the response from the Trump administration’s tariffs. As Politico reports: