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June 9, 2008
Open Borders, Global Future
An important essay by Brian Murphy at opendemocracy.net:
At least 200 million of the world's people - between 3% and 5% of its total population - are currently on the move outside their country of origin. Many of these would have preferred to stay where they were if they could. Another untold number would move if they could, but can't. Many simply are looking for better opportunities, as human beings have done for millennia. The realities of globalisation - economic, environmental, familial - mean that these numbers are bound to increase.
Migration is perhaps the major issue of our times. It is an issue that dominates the daily lives of people around the world - those who are in transit, and those they leave behind - and preoccupies governments everywhere. At the same time, the measures that have been put in place to deal with migration, and those measures being contemplated, are woefully inadequate. Closing and militarising borders, restricting mobility, criminalising movement, incarcerating and deporting those who somehow manage to arrive in the places closed to them, is not an effective response to the phenomenon of widespread "irregular" global migration; it is merely one more tragic element of the phenomenon itself. It is not working, for migrants, or for the countries trying to control the influx of migrants they see as a "threat". And it is not going to work no matter how much more money, arms and surveillance equipment are invested in border control. Click here for the rest of the piece.
bh
June 9, 2008 | Permalink
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Comments
It' amazing how much we hear from the tinfoil hat crowd in these times of turmoil. Murphy's thinking is so simplistic as to be almost childlike. Poll the third world and ask them how many would like to come to the U.S. I'd say that at least a billion would come if given the opportunity. How would the 300 million citizens of this country feel about this. According to Murphy, we'd have no say in more than tripling our population. How would we handle the enevitable conflicts that would ensue. Would be become Balkanized, turned into regions of Spanish, English and a myriad of other ghettos formed according to their tribes and ethnicity. How could our law enforcment agencies possible protect us from infiltration from our enemies?
Our environment and infrastructure are already stressed to the breaking point by our current population. The West is short of water, especially California, in which housing expansion projects have been vetoed based upon shortages. We are now a net importer of produce and global warming will not improve things. Quality of life considerations for the current citizens is a major issue in limits to migrations, one that few nations on earth will ignore.
Citing historical migration as justification is no more valid than justifying our current social and techological practices by citing those of the 16th century, i.e. we should plow using horses in lieu of tractors, or pick fruit by hand instead of by machine. Historically, migration has been due to ignorance of modern agricultural practices (depleting soil, war, and localized social unrest. Migration is an anachronism, inefficient, costly, socially traumatic for the migrant and the invaded country alike. Migrations have been the cause for war and social unrest, yet today it's used by ethnocentrists as justification for illegal immigration and the diminishment of national sovereignty. It's far more intelligent to promote social, agricultural and economic reforms in the home countries than risk worldwide strife and the stressful uprooting of the people by promoting migration. There are a hundred more reasons mitigating against open borders that I could cite. Open borders are an open invitation to world disorder and clashes of culture. Murphy and his tin foil hat advocacy groups conveniently fail to address any of these issues.
Posted by: Horace | Jun 9, 2008 7:50:42 PM
