Do I seriously think I am going to convert people to open borders with a short article—or even a full book? No. My immediate goal is more modest: I’d like to convince you that open borders aren’t crazy. While we take draconian regulation of migration for granted, the central goal of this regulation is to trap valuable labor in unproductive regions of the world. This sounds cruel and misguided. Shouldn’t we at least double-check our work to make sure we’re not missing a massive opportunity for ourselves and humanity?
Tag: borders
Do You Talk About X in Open Borders? Yes!
The modal question about Open Borders is, “Do you talk about X?” The answer is “YES” for all of the following…
How Republicans Can Win Back the Immigrant Vote
Today’s immigrant voters are heavily Democratic, but ’twas not always so. As Open Borders explains, immigrants were almost evenly split during the Reagan era. It’s not hard to see why. At least rhetorically, Reagan nearly endorsed open borders: I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever […]
The post How Republicans Can Win Back the Immigrant Vote appeared first on Econlib.
Open Borders: Hopes and Fears on Release Day
My first graphic novel, Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration, co-authored with the great Zach Weinersmith, releases today. Since I’ve already shared the backstory, today I’ll share my hopes and fears. All of my books have been controversial. Yet so far, almost no prominent critic has accused any of my books of being “ideological” […]
The post <i>Open Borders</i>: Hopes and Fears on Release Day appeared first on Econlib.
The USA PATRIOT Act: The Story of an Impulsive Bill That Eviscerated America’s Civil Liberties
The USA PATRIOT Act provides a textbook example of how the United States federal government expands its power. An emergency happens, legitimate or otherwise. The media, playing its dutiful role as goad for greater government oversight, demands “something must be done.” Government power is massively expanded, with little regard for whether or not what is being done is efficacious, to say nothing of the overall impact on our nation’s civil liberties.
Statism is The Strongest Witness Against Itself
Statism is incompatible with ethics; statism is incompatible with life, liberty, and property; statism is incompatible with humanity. You can tell this just by looking at the claims statism makes and where it leads.
Competing Political Gangs and Their Territories
I took a walk recently, just to the bank. It turns out that’s 1.1 miles, one way. On this walk, I crossed a state border. Twice. Strange. I felt no difference when I crossed, but suddenly a whole new collection of crimes was possible, while other activities suddenly became non-crimes. Just from crossing that imaginary line. Going both ways.
Mike Munger: Fair Trade and Free Trade (58m)
This episode features an interview of economist Mike Munger from 2007 by Russ Roberts, host of EconTalk. Does the premium for fair trade coffee end up in the hands of the grower? What economic forces might stop that from happening? They discuss the business strategy of using higher wages as a marketing strategy to attract concerned consumers. They turn to the issue of free trade agreements. If the ideal situation is open borders to foreign products, is it still worthwhile to negotiate bilateral and multilateral agreements that requires delays, exemptions and a bureaucracy to enforce? What is the cost of including environmental and various labor market regulations in these agreements?
Michael Drejka is a Political Prisoner
Just over a year ago, Michael Drejka fatally shot Markeis McGlockton in a Clearwater, Florida convenience store parking lot. On August 23, a jury found Drejka guilty of manslaughter. Drejka should never have been charged with a crime.
Don’t Fall For The Borderists’ Dishonest Trap
Here’s the dishonest setup followed by the dishonest question: “The question that no open-borders advocate has ever answered is, How many illegals should be allowed into the United States?” He’s a liar.