Bolt Neck’s World of Open Borders
Posted on May 10, 2016 by Robert Ringer — Comments (26)
John Kerry (a.k.a “Bolt Neck” by the incomparable Chris Plante) upset quite a few folks with his open-borders comments in a commencement speech at Northeastern University last week.
Allow me to shock you by saying that I, too, believe in open borders — in theory, that is. Human beings have an inalienable right to be free, and that includes the right to live anywhere they so desire, without the permission of any government. This is how the anarchist libertarian side of my brain sees the issue.
But with age, I’ve come to realize that there are very few things in life that have simple answers, and the open-borders issue is a good example. The problem with allowing anyone who wants to live in the United States to do so is that the country he came from will not reciprocate in kind. You can confirm this very easily by trying to emigrate to Mexico or Canada without going through a long, drawn-out immigration process, a process that is likely to produce a rejection.
Which raises the obvious question, by what laws of logic and fairness can one country — with limited resources — give everyone in the world a free pass through the immigration door when the very countries they come from refuse to reciprocate?
When I lived in Australia, the political thugs (i.e., “government”) wanted a $600,000 shakedown payment in exchange for permanent residency. In the United States, by contrast, it seems like the only requirement to be admitted is to have no money and no profession. And promising to go on welfare immediately and engage in criminal activity probably increases a would-be immigrant’s chances of being allowed to stay in the country.
So-called free trade is a similar issue. Believe me, I have a lot of concern that Trump-imposed tariffs not only would increase the cost of living in the United States, but could also start a trade war (which history teaches us can lead to a real, live shooting war).
The problem again is that, as we have seen for so many years now, other countries don’t reciprocate. China, for example, has come up with myriad schemes (in addition to tariffs) to raise the price of American products and, in many cases, shut them out of the country entirely.
All this plays into my argument that in the real world, the ideology of total freedom is up against a number of other factors that need to be considered. And at the top of the list is that most people want their society not only to have rules, but a generally accepted code of conduct.
The reason the United States is hurtling toward the trash bin of history is that it has devolved into a society where many laws are aimed at law-abiding citizens rather than criminals and, at an accelerating pace, our once cherished Western civilization code of conduct is being dismantled.
Public safety is another factor that gets in the way of total freedom. A person is free to get alcohol inebriated, but when he drives while drunk (or while under the influence of drugs), he endangers the lives of others. If I were king, the penalty for killing someone with a two-ton machine would be something close to life in prison.
Ditto with killer animals such as poisonous snakes, lions, and tigers. It’s nice to say that a free person should be able to keep wild beasts on his property, but the reality is that if those creatures manage to escape their captivity, they become killing machines. You may remember that in 2011, a nutcase in Zanesville, Ohio released fifty-six killer animals from his farm — including lions, tigers, wolves, and bears — to take revenge on his neighbors.
Luckily, police reacted quickly and put down all but six of the animals, the latter being captured and put in a shelter. The perpetrator of the crime killed himself before police could get to him.
The point is there is ideological purity, there’s civilized culture, and there’s public safety, and the latter two are often in conflict with the former. Open borders sounds like a great idea a thousand years or so down the road when perhaps all of mankind will have become civilized. But right now, Mr. Bolt Neck, it’s in conflict with what’s important to most people — public safety, strict laws against criminal activity, and a civilized code of conduct.
If anyone had any doubts about this, the success of the Trump revolution should have convinced them by now how a majority of Americans feel about the current state of the union — with the question of open borders being at the top of the list.
Maybe it's the plan…remember the scene from Atlas Shrugged where the government guy was saying that they wanted so many laws that everyone was breaking a rule and it would break down society. It sure feels like that's happening here.
There's a certain amount of truth to what you're saying. As long as a common sense of morality is denigrated (as it has been over the past 60 years), then laws are enacted to substitute for individual restraint. The concept of behavior leading to consequences has also been destroyed, as there are so many "safety nets" available for people who use bad judgment that the logical consequences of sheer stupidity often are circumvented in the name of compassion.
There no other countries beside the USA that have open borders simply because you won't have a country, just open space.We are the only country that allows strangers to come in and get a full welfare package and pay the religious organizations $1500 for each child they can conceal.. We have the first half-white president that promotes the importation of Heroin and other poisons. It appears we are on a path of complete destruction .A lot of this is planned by George Soros and his gang.
Reciprocation is the key to fairness. Many of the people who want to immigrate don't share the same "civilized code of conduct" that most Americans do. Hillsdale College has a great lecture on this, here is the link. https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/public-polic…
That's a little bit of a stretch. 47% of us legals here don't have a "civilized code of conduct".
I say…open the borders. But before we do that, get rid of our welfare system, our SS system, our Medicare and Medicad system. That way before someone comes, they know they are going to have to work for a living.
Yep, that's right. It creates, in effect, an invisible wall. People self-deport.
And while we are at it, deport all the liberals and conservatives. They are seriously a drain on society.
How great that would be.
Teri, this is one of the most logical, sane, and beneficial solutions I have ever heard regarding resolving the immigration crisis. I also have know doubt that you are now Number One on the Liberal's "Most Wanted" list – where are the Democrats going to get and grow the permanent underclass (AKA their "base") since they are otherwise aborting it out of existence?
You, of course, have pointed out the heart of the matter – it is the freebies offered to immigrant that are THE problem. Without a free ride, immigration would be self-regulating, and only those who can contribute would stay. Building an actual wall on the Mexican border is both ridiculously expensive, and would not solve the problem, esp. since Mexico is not the only country sending us immigrant leeches. I would love to see all the "progressives" (liberal & conservative) deported to some socialist hell, where they can all boss each other around. Good luck in them finding anyone to actually PRODUCE, so they have revenue to steal!
To have a country you need three things: borders, language and culture. Lose them, and you just have a big land mass.
Watch as our borders, culture and language are now being eliminated and obliterated.
Who is the choir that O'bama, Kerry, Lynch, Soros and their ilk are playing too?
Soros is playing to himself – he sees himself as a god and wants total control. If you know his history, he is considered a criminal in France and a few other EU countries as he manipulated financial markets successfully enough to profit from their downfall. He's doing exactly the same thing here, and O is his puppet. Kerry and Lynch have been committed leftists for a half-century, and they actually believe they will be in charge of the Marxist utopia that has been promised for eons. After all, they believe they're smarter than everyone else who has tried this, so their version of socialism will work even though a century of failure warns otherwise.
There is an old saying that “you get what you pay for”. You increasingly move towards socialism and communism (even when you change the name to “progressive” to confuse the idiots and those in denial), and you get the society that that philosophy engenders. Socialism/communism essentially destroys the fabric of any society: first economically, then morally, socially and politically.
It’s all about totalitarian control, which is why these societies descend into dictatorships. The destruction of the “civilized code of conduct” is what is used to “justify” increasing control of the population (it’s for YOUR protection, of course) – which leads to enslavement of the population – which is what socialism/communism is all about… really.
That’s the way we’re headed. I don’t have to like it, but that doesn’t mean that I have to close my eyes to reality. As for that two-bit Kerry… well, he isn’t worth a spit, so I won’t even bother.
The only humans who come in and receive benefits are Cubans and one toe in the sand makes them legal. The vast majority be they Mexican or Syrian come to work and assimilate. The American Dream lives in these people. They don't care that the game is rigged it is still better than their prior circumstances. Look at the Jewish children who were imported in to Great Britian after WW2 and the tempest that caused. You cannot differentiate the ones that survive now.Our large land mass needs more people in order to improve. Our population is ageing and needs people.For the saber rattlers just imagine if we took in those hispanic children who came to the border and turned themselves in educated them and turned them into an army.Loyalty forever!
A nation without borders ceases to be a nation. There are many things that define a nation – sometimes it is a common language, or a common religion, or a common culture – but above all else are two things: borders and laws.
In the US, a common religion has never been a prerequisite, despite the claims of those that think this is "Christian Nation" (and even if it were, there are 681 recognized Christian denominations – none of which are allowed to dominate government).
Many people enter this country with little desire to adapt a common language or culture. But there are very few who don't demand their share of the legal rights this nation is known for while ignoring the laws that establish borders.
A "nation" without borders is, in fact, NOT a national at all…it is simply a "region" or "market." a desert, the "wheat belt," the "Midwest," "Dixie" "Cajun" country are regions that have no absolute, specific borders (for example, just what areas should be included in Dixie? Should Oklahoma, which is culturally "Southern" but was "Indian Country" during the Civil War? Is Ohio REALLY in the Midwest, along with Nebraska and Kansas? Is New York really a ""Great Lakes" State- it does border a Great Lake).
And you are right, without laws, there is lawlessness, just like the wild west. Gangs out outlaws made the rules and terrorized innocent people. People were lynched without trial or evidence. Whole villages of Native Americans were wiped out at will by renegade officers. Few towns had John Wayne as sheriff to keep the peace. Vigilante posses served that purpose. Or think of Lebanon, once an oasis of peace and prosperity in the troubled Middle East. Now a lawless hellhole of various groups with nothing on common butchering each other.
Speaking of Native Americans, perhaps the single most tragic example of what happens when you don't have borders lies with the despicable treatment the invading hordes perpetuated on so-called "Indians." These pale-faced brutes certainly didn't have anything in common with Native Americans and had absolutely no intention of learning their languages or adopting their way of live either.
What happened to really good commencement speeches; you know the kind that encourage, challenge and are uplifting? People like John Kerry are so guilt-ridden and self-loathing I've come to believe that they are incapable of optimism. When addressing people who are happy and excited such as graduating college students, they drench them in negative, pessimistic drivel. Great way to commence eh?!
Silly niggling comment: The sixth word (including the words in the acronym 'a.k.a.') in this essay should be "Bolt", not "Bold". Kerry is anything but.
I believe in open borders, too, but not under the current set of circumstances.
One of the prerequisites to open borders is we must first put an end to welfare and all other collectivist programs. And that isn't happening anytime soon. So it's just not in the best interest of American citizens to allow poor, uneducated/under-educated foreigners access to our healthcare, school system and other public institutions that us and our fathers and grandfathers generations to build and fund.
I remember a time when I could go ( or drive somebody else) to any emergency room in our country and not have to wait more than a few minutes to been seen by a doctor. I remember a time when there was an orderly who was attired in an immaculate white suit and polished white shoes. He was posted at the entrance of the ER door. As soon as a car pulled up, he'd politely ask if anybody needed a wheel chair or assistance getting out of the car. Once inside, the admitting nurse quickly had the patient in a treatment room. And the ER doctor was almost immediately at the patients side.
Those days are gone forever. For example, six months ago a member of my family almost died because the emergency room was completely choked with both illegal and legal immigrants. The ER had to actually turn away ambulance(s) because to was so smothered with patients. I went inside to get help and the place looked like fucking Mexico. This is happening all across the U.S.. Political correctness is actually, literally, killing American citizens.
Our country is 10T more in debt ( much more if you count unfunded and underfunded liabilities) since that piece of excrement, Obama, took office. The American Empire is dying. The Empire needs a competent Caesar. It needs Trump. Empires can rebound with the right leadership Rome did, and we can, too. Our Empire doesn't have to collapse into a Dark Age, not yet. We can delay the collapse.
Don't buy into all that politically correct garbage, e.g., "immigration is great for the country!" That's all total bullshit. My step family is native American. And if you try and tell them how good immigration was for the Native Americans they'll laugh at you.
The fact is immigration can totally destroy a culture. Just watch how Muslim immigration wipes out what is left of Euroland.
I believe in open borders, too, but not under the current set of circumstances.
One of the prerequisites to open borders is we must first put an end to welfare and all other collectivist programs. And that isn't happening anytime soon. So it's just not in the best interest of American citizens to allow poor, uneducated/under-educated foreigners access to our healthcare, school system and other public institutions that us and our fathers and grandfathers generations to build and fund.
I remember a time when I could go ( or drive somebody else) to any emergency room in our country and not have to wait more than a few minutes to been seen by a doctor. I remember a time when there was an orderly who was attired in an immaculate white suit and polished white shoes. He was posted at the entrance of the ER door. As soon as a car pulled up, he'd politely ask if anybody needed a wheel chair or assistance getting out of the car. Once inside, the admitting nurse quickly had the patient in a treatment room. And the ER doctor was almost immediately at the patients side.
Those days are gone forever. For example, six months ago a member of my family almost died because the emergency room was completely choked with both illegal and legal immigrants. The ER had to actually turn away ambulance(s) because to was so smothered with patients. I went inside to get help and the place looked like fu#king Mexico. This is happening all across the U.S.. Political correctness is actually, literally, killing American citizens.
Our country is 10T more in debt ( much more if you count unfunded and underfunded liabilities) since that piece of excrement, Obama, took office. The American Empire is dying. The Empire needs a competent Caesar. It needs Trump. Empires can rebound with the right leadership Rome did, and we can, too. Our Empire doesn't have to collapse into a Dark Age, not yet. We can delay the collapse.
Don't buy into all that politically correct garbage, e.g., "immigration is great for the country!" That's all total bullshit. My step family is native American. And if you try and tell them how good immigration was for the Native Americans they'll laugh at you.
The fact is immigration can totally destroy a culture. Just watch how Muslim immigration wipes out what is left of Euroland.
Those with the facts don't have the power and those with the power don't have the facts.
Agree with most of this, Robert, but why are you picking on Canada? I don't think there are that many of us trying to get into the U.S., with the exception of the likes of Justin Bieber.
Thanks for taking him, by the way.
"Looking out for # 1" goes hand-in-glove with secure borders, a common language, and a fundamentally common culture with common values, including self-reliance and self-determination. These factors comprise the functional "glue" that binds together an enormous land mass (literally half a continent) into an exceptional (that's right, Barack Obama, EXCEPTIONAL ) nation of extraordinary prosperity, power, freedom, and beneficence, the likes of which the world has ever seen. The historically novel "Declaration of Independence," which constitutes our national philosophy and "mission statement," is implemented by our also historical "The Constitution of the United States," which has served as a model around the world. —–Capt. "Red"
I agree that open borders are part of any anarcho-libertarian creed, but the problem is, we do not live in a world where free choice is valued, but rather one full of criminal, thieving, killing governments. Given that, the world's citizens will go where they find a free lunch along with the best opportunities. Until the "free lunch" loophole is closed, there MUST be restrictions on people entering and thus entitling themselves to steal from the productive labor of others. Kerry can't help himself, since he not only has spent most of his life on the govt. income dole, but he is now married to the Heinz estate, so never has to worry about his economic future, but is quick to tell others what should be done. Liberland just celebrated its 1-year anniversary, and if they are ever allowed to actually have settlement there, it might be the only option for those who value freedom.
Has the Trump excitement not built up yet? He is the most unique, authentic person I have seen in my life. The most guts under pressure. You can bet your house he is 100% genuine Trump with flaws and all.