Debate between Mike Tuggle, author of Confederates in the Boardroom, and Roderick Long, editor of the Journal of Libertarian Studies, over immigration. Is "liberty" a philosophical abstraction whose principles must ever be defended, or is it grounded in a society with a history and culture?
Long believes immigration restrictions are a restriction on liberty, whereas Tuggle believes open borders is a long-run threat to liberty as foreign peoples not familiar to our traditions would vote to take them away.
I still say that the first concern should be the rights of the American taxpayer. The principles of freedom of association and private property are paramount, but the government respects neither. It is easy to see that, on the one hand, open immigration is most consistent with ideal liberty. But it is also probable that open immigration grows government by forcing greater expenditures on various services. I am against open borders if they harm the taxpayer, and for open borders if they don't.
LOS BLOG
James Leroy Wilson's one-man magazine.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
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Remember, that's how Mexico lost Texas, wasn't it? They welcomed Gringos to Texas with open arms. Enough Gringos arrived over time that eventually they took over the territory.
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