One of the main reasons expressed to oppose independent migrants is that they will supposedly overrun the country and destroy "our culture".
The culture changes all the time. Take a look at television shows, magazines, comedy routines, and popular music. Is it all the same as when you were young? Most of those who want to protect the culture are also quick to complain about the decline of that same culture.... which they then turn around and want to protect. Confused? Me too. Do you think immigrants are to blame for this "decline"? And that is just pop culture, not real life.
The predominant "culture" is just the "shared values" of the majority of society, or at least those members of society who are over a certain age. This predominant culture is already at odds with my values.
I value independence and innovation. The predominant culture values safety and conformity.
I value liberty. The majority seems to prefer "patriotism".
I value those who take responsibility; the culture would rather place blame.
I value your freedom to observe whichever religion (or none) that you have accepted, as long as you don't try to force me to pretend to agree with you. Society seems to enjoy the "we are righteously enlightened; they are monsters who eat babies" mentality when comparing religions.
I don't understand the obsession with sports and entertainment that seems to rule society.
I value justice; The culture I live among now claims torture is OK as long as it is "our side" doing it and as long as we call it something else.
Instead of becoming a short-sighted xenophobe who willingly sacrifices liberty on your altar to the "borders", try spreading a love of real liberty for ALL to your new neighbors. If they see a consistency in you, including a refusal to accept government handouts, they may be more receptive than you think. If nothing else, drown any authoritarian tendencies in lavish freedom. There are, and will always be, more good people than bad. They can't win without our help. Only by acting like the bad will we help them win.
You can't frighten me with your dire predictions of TEOTWAWKI from migrants. I already live surrounded by barbarians who think my refusal to bow to the state is a threat to them.
If "preserving our culture" is the best the statists can come up with as an excuse to "seal the borders" I'll risk it. After all, there is little left to value in this culture anyway.
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I agree with your premise. The culture I value is NOT the "pop" one of 42nd St.,Paris Hilton, Washington D.C. and the millions of bureaucrats hired by them. Please keep in mind, there are millions like me, struggling mightily everyday, to live a moral, peaceful,decent life. I value the same things as you. When you get to comparitive religions, I don't think you're going to be able to defend Islam, as it's history of oppression is more than documented and apparent. Everyone else, it seems, gives you a choice. If you look at me as a xenophobe, well, that's life. I ain't Mexican, and I don't want to be one. And I don't want Texas back in Mexico, or to look like it, or sound like it, or G*d forbid, work like it. If you're convinced that's fear of foreigners, remember half the guys in the Alamo were Hispanic, and they didn't want Mexicos' rule either. Borders mean something. And they ain't racist. Enough people here that aren't willing to live by our rules, and there will be no rules, and you'll have your anarchy. But what you won't have is clean water and sanitation, hospitals, worthwhile jobs, competent education, and futures. But you will have cops, and they'll make the ones from before, bad as they were, look like angels. It's called a third world shithole. Remember how Mexico pitched in and helped win WWI, WWII, Korea, VietNam, and the wars in the Gulf? They can't even help themselves.About the only things they're good at is, robbing,raping, and murdering their own people, while holding sway over masses that are doing the same to each other. That's the culture they're bringing here. All yours if you want it. I'll try to keep what we got and improve it. I honestly think you are a fine and decent man, and somehow you have a disconnect from the reality of history and the possible. Some things ARE impossible. I live surrounded by barbarians too. They live fat, comfortable lives, and they think everything is fine, from the view of their big screen TV. But they are a bit nervous these days.
ReplyDelete"But what you won't have is clean water and sanitation, hospitals, worthwhile jobs, competent education, and futures."
ReplyDeleteIf you honestly think government is the source of any of those things, I would say your disconnect from reality is far greater than Kent's.
I never said govt. was the source of those things. But I haven't seen my neighbors get together and create a sewer system either. Govt. of the people? They vote, they get things done. Someone has to be in charge of it. Elected, by the people. No, I don't have a disconnect from reality, maybe you could help me. Where you live, who created the clean water you drink? The idea of govt. is that it creates order. When the boffs in govt. get too big for their britches, they create tyranny. But there are a lot of good people in govt. and they really are interested and dedicated in serving the people who put them there. Seems only the rotten apples ever get any press.I suppose if I do have a disconnect from reality, it exists in my exasperation at people who see no solutions, but only problems. And where we have problems, we have the electorate that allowed it to happen. It's OUR govt., we're supposed to fix it, not carp about it. The source of our problems, and our solutions is US. Tear it down and start over again? Go ahead. Our great-grandchildren have less than a 50-50 of inheriting something better.
ReplyDeleteThe reason most neighbors don't band together to "get things done" is that they have been trained to believe those things are the government's job. Yes, someone has to be in charge of a project, but that person doesn't necessariy need to be financed with stolen (tax) money.
ReplyDeleteCoercion is wrong. It doesn't matter if the coercion can be used to do a good project or not.
If a mugger promises to spend your money feeding the poor and maybe even use a little to help fund a playground for your kids, does it make his crime less evil? I don't believe it does.
"Order" can be good or bad. Dead people are extraordinarily orderly, and government creates them on a scale unknown by freelance murderers. Liberty is more important than order. Especially since real, sustainable order can't be forced on society by "the gun in the room".
I don't see "only problems". In fact, in real liberty for ALL, I see the ultimate solution. It is so easy; it only takes you and me. Together we can change the world for the better. Together we would be unstoppable. When people get even a small taste of freedom they don't willingly let go. Not without being tricked by statists.
The problem is, instead of recognizing that liberty is ALWAYS the answer, people seek every roadblock they can imagine to keep from having to take some real action. They seem to not want the responsibility. They don't trust their neighbors. I am not the pessimist here.