If and where possible, we should try to limit the # of people coming to America who are less likely to assimilate to our core values of liberty and equality, and work very hard once immigrants are here to assimilate them to those.
But what do we do for existing citizens, whether they are born here or not, who explicitly reject those values or are politically and socially aligned with those who do? Some of these people are arguably part of a hate movement, calling for destruction of America or the blatant discrimination of groups of people they deem "oppressors." Do we have any options to express our intolerance of their illiberal and immoral intolerance? Can and must we treat their stated views and actions and uncritical associations as taboos that are socially unacceptable in polite society and our mainstream politics? If we don't draw that line, what will stop those hateful views from normalizing and destroying our and all liberal democracies?
I'll put a finer point on it: what are the self-limiting principles of "free speech culture?"
Great piece. It lays out clearly the case for and dilemma of mass immigration in an open society. People should read De Tocqueville he is still so relevant, even prescient. I was going to say reread, but probably most of our commentariat has never read him in the first place. Anyway, your article in forthright and simple prose makes the case and explains the dilemma beautifully. As we say in Hebrew, kol hakavod. (All honor).
If and where possible, we should try to limit the # of people coming to America who are less likely to assimilate to our core values of liberty and equality, and work very hard once immigrants are here to assimilate them to those.
But what do we do for existing citizens, whether they are born here or not, who explicitly reject those values or are politically and socially aligned with those who do? Some of these people are arguably part of a hate movement, calling for destruction of America or the blatant discrimination of groups of people they deem "oppressors." Do we have any options to express our intolerance of their illiberal and immoral intolerance? Can and must we treat their stated views and actions and uncritical associations as taboos that are socially unacceptable in polite society and our mainstream politics? If we don't draw that line, what will stop those hateful views from normalizing and destroying our and all liberal democracies?
I'll put a finer point on it: what are the self-limiting principles of "free speech culture?"
Great piece. It lays out clearly the case for and dilemma of mass immigration in an open society. People should read De Tocqueville he is still so relevant, even prescient. I was going to say reread, but probably most of our commentariat has never read him in the first place. Anyway, your article in forthright and simple prose makes the case and explains the dilemma beautifully. As we say in Hebrew, kol hakavod. (All honor).
Very well said. Thank you.