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It is a Right

The immigrant trails into the United States from Mexico are this generation’s underground railroad. For more information on the Right to Migrate visit radicalmigration.com

Objections Number One to the Right to Migrate

“If we allow open immigration we will be overrun. The new immigrants will swamp our schools and our welfare system. We can’t allow it to happen.” This is the most common argument against the right to migrate. The big fallacy is that it presumes that the State has obligations and that the migrant has none. However in a world where we are reducing the power of the state over people by allowing them to leave one country and join another they also have obligations. The… Read More »Objections Number One to the Right to Migrate

Why do We Restrict Immigration?

Government’s policies are in general a reflection of the best interest of the people who run the government. In democracies where the rulers have to get reelected the policy advocated by the elected officials is therefore something of a reflection of the hopes and fears of the voting population. People who vote don’t like change and they don’t like strangers. These two “don’t like” statements are the cause xenophobic anti-immigrant laws. Historically there was a good reason for sovereign states to restrict migration. Ethics are… Read More »Why do We Restrict Immigration?

The Essence of Stone and Water (1)

These are some pictures from the first step we took toward building a granite water element in our back yard. First we found a stone (boulder?) with the right proportions. Thanks to Rainbow Canyon Ranch for allowing us to scour their river bank. The rock is selected. This is a great piece of river smoothed banded gneiss that has been tumbling down the San Gabriel River for tens of thousands of years. The first move. We were experimenting with a variety of methods to move… Read More »The Essence of Stone and Water (1)

The Automobile Pension Mess

Here is an idea worth thinking about. The US automobile manufacturers are at a competitive disadvantage to importers. They have a large pool of retired workers who have been promised benefits that add to the cost of US cars versus the imports. What if as a part of a comprehensive plan to reform pensions (make them all defined contribution, self directed not defined benefit, company or union managed) that we spread the burden of the unfunded portion of auto workers pensions to a cost on… Read More »The Automobile Pension Mess