Observations that aren't new, probably for you or me, but came together again for me-
Hypocrisy:
Saying there should be restrictions on who moves to your country but believing you have the right to move to and work anywhere in the world and never questioning the experience of being permitted into other countries without a visa.
Being upset that wealthier foreigners are buying property here and driving up costs but supporting the "capitalist right" of our citizens to do the same in whatever local city and neighborhood, and in whatever foreign city and country as well.
Saying there is no justice issue with the cultural impacts of gentrification and then making rules or inaccessible barriers and literal "community covenants" that keep people of certain backgrounds out of your neighborhood.
Glorifying your ancestors' pursuit of a better life and the sacrifices they made to come here and completely ignoring the magnitude of those traits in modern immigrants to our nation.
Telling me that my ancestors deserved to have sanctuary here but that others facing deprivation do not.
Claiming that immigrants are taking your jobs when our trade agreements and political meddling have led to their disenfranchisement. Not to mention the offshoring of our jobs in the first place.
Saying there should be restrictions on who moves to your country but believing you have the right to move to and work anywhere in the world and never questioning the experience of being permitted into other countries without a visa.
Being upset that wealthier foreigners are buying property here and driving up costs but supporting the "capitalist right" of our citizens to do the same in whatever local city and neighborhood, and in whatever foreign city and country as well.
Saying there is no justice issue with the cultural impacts of gentrification and then making rules or inaccessible barriers and literal "community covenants" that keep people of certain backgrounds out of your neighborhood.
Glorifying your ancestors' pursuit of a better life and the sacrifices they made to come here and completely ignoring the magnitude of those traits in modern immigrants to our nation.
Telling me that my ancestors deserved to have sanctuary here but that others facing deprivation do not.
Claiming that immigrants are taking your jobs when our trade agreements and political meddling have led to their disenfranchisement. Not to mention the offshoring of our jobs in the first place.
I'm not saying it's not hard or complex, or that there is no point to a nation-state. I sense that I have a tendency to love rules and policy, have uncertainty about zero restrictions, and I too am caught up in the migration game of trying to afford housing and contributing to gentrification. But I feel these observations from real life should be my guides. Can you imagine that we can come in and buy up property that indigenous people have been fighting for the titles to for centuries? Where are the policies there? Did you know that when the dollar gets stronger many developing nations' currencies go down? I didn't until I felt it hurting my Colombian friends all this last year. So let's just keep thinking about which policies and which freedoms we are biased towards, and when those biases stand in fundamental contradiction to one another.
