Complicated?
I think the issue is simple if one were honest like DHH.
It’s only complicated if sentiment guides immigration policy.
Countries have borders for a reason. Countries do not have space and infrastructure to absorb unlimited number of third world immigrants
this territory is moderated
It's complicated because what is moral is complicated unless you have a trivial sense of morality.
reply
If you start with the premise, open immigration is the right thing, then anyone who opposes immigration is immoral.
reply
That's possible, but more nuanced cases are also possible, e.g., you value life and believe it to be moral to reduce suffering when you can. So now you're faced with a tradeoff of whose suffering do you reduce, under what circumstances, and how do you adjudicate between competing demands?
All of that can (and does) play out in how people think about immigration, and is one of the key constituents of politics. Accusing people who construct this incredibly complicated decision surface of 'virtue signaling' is a strategy I no longer have patience to indulge.
reply
When you say constituents, are you counting aliens and immigrants or only citizens?
reply
"Constituents" = "ingredients"
reply
The vast majority of voters support curtailing immigration, witness Denmark and Sweden
reply
You are conflating sympathy or virtue signaling with morality.
reply
You're conflating your opinions with my opinions.
reply
That was not my intent.
I must have a trivial sense of morality
reply
Immigration is a political not moral issue
reply
What do you think are the ingredients to politics?
reply
This is a difficult question which can be its own thread…
One critical ingredient is what DHH mentioned: cohesive culture.
Others are: Rule of law, Clean elections, Unbiased media, Free speech
Listening to voters. Open immigration has never been a majority view in USA and Western Europe.
From DHH: In the mid-90s, after a decade of doe-eyed optimism about immigration in general and asylum seekers in particular, a powerful nationalistic party set a tone for foreigners in Danish politics that remains to this day. At first the political establishment fought this new force, sought to keep them out of influence, but it didn’t last long, because the renegades represented the will of a large number of Danes who realized the dangers of unrestricted immigration early, and voted accordingly.
reply