Sunday 22 January 2023

"The Case for Open Borders"



What should immigration should look like in a free society? it should look something like this, argues Harry Binswanger: Borders should be open, but defended. Something like the Schengen borders in today's Europe.

People risk their lives every day to flee dire conditions in their home countries to build a new life in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the USA ... what right do you have to stop them? Shouldn't they be allowed in?
"During his talk at OCON 2022, Dr. Harry Binswanger answered: yes, and without restriction.
    "Dr. Binswanger is aware that his position is radical and controversial. There are many arguments against open borders — from economic to cultural to political. Binswanger addresses the main objections, which he says are based on collectivist premises. But first he grounds his positive argument on the individualist principles of the Declaration of Independence: the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which are possessed by any individual from any nation. This includes [all and any locals] who wish to trade and engage with immigrants.
    "Binswanger understands, however, that open borders are an ideal for a free society that cannot be achieved overnight. But that shouldn’t deter us, he says, from using that ideal to guide us in the right direction and start implementing certain incremental changes toward that end. He makes some concrete policy suggestions to that end.
In the Q&A portion of the talk, Binswanger addresses questions on topics such as:
 
    * Screening at the border for infectious disease and during times of war;
    * The relevance of the political sympathies of immigrants and whether they should be allowed to vote;
     * The 'overpopulation' objection to immigration.
       "Binswanger closes by relating how, when asked about her position on immigration, Ayn Rand said, 'How could I advocate restricting immigration when I wouldn’t be alive today if our borders were closed?'”

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