Larry Niven on immigration

[snopes]

Comment: The comments attributed to respected science fiction author Larry
Niven in this story seem far too extreme to be true, and this is the only
non-blog citation I can find for it -

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.o...at.htm#Science

Among the group's approximately 24 members is Larry Niven, the bestselling
and award-winning author of such books as "Ringworld" and "Lucifer's
Hammer," which he co-wrote with SIGMA member Jerry Pournelle.

Niven said a good way to help hospitals stem financial losses is to spread
rumors in Spanish within the Latino community that emergency rooms are
killing patients in order to harvest their organs for transplants.

"The problem [of hospitals going broke] is hugely exaggerated by illegal
aliens who aren't going to pay for anything anyway," Niven said.

"Do you know how politically incorrect you are?" Pournelle asked.

"I know it may not be possible to use this solution, but it does work,"
Niven replied.

"I cannot guarantee I'm going to be a great help to Homeland Security,"
Niven said earlier.

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

Pournelle is accessible through his website www.jerrypournelle.com. You could ask him whether this actually took place.

[Silas Sparkhammer]

Larry Niven is well-known for making "Jonathan Swift" style "modest proposals."

One of his suggestions was to coin money out of radioactive waste, which would induce people to spend it, rather than save it, thus stimulating the economy. ("As if it were burning a hole in your pocket.")

I don't doubt that he said what is reported here, but I'm pretty sure he didn't mean it literally or practically.

Silas