So-called legal border crossings are claimed as a right by international corporations. According to its free enterprise principles, Wal-Mart, for example, has the right to set up shop wherever it wishes, regardless of any resulting impact on local merchants, farmers, or suppliers. Thus, capitalists claim license to cross into Mexico in pursuit of profit. They legalize their border crossing by signing agreements like NAFTA with their rich Mexican counterparts.
Meanwhile, workers (the second equally key factor in the capitalist equation) who are impoverished by "free trade" enjoy no similar entitlements. For them, borders are supposed to be inviolable, even though the boundaries create a captive labor force and prevent labor from imitating the rich by serving its own economic interests -- by emigrating to wherever the availability of good wages dictates.
Workers everywhere intuitively recognize the double standard operative here. So, they defiantly cross borders without permission.
The other disrespect for borders on the part of the rich is more insidious. It takes the form of their own defiant transgression of international law by crossing borders to drop bombs on poor people wherever and whenever they wish, without formal declaration of war. (Imagine if poor countries claimed that same right vis a vis their wealthy counterparts, because they consider the wealthy's bombing raids and drone operations as "terrorism.") Let's face it: in the so-called "war on terror," borders have become completely meaningless -- for the rich.
The point is that we "Americans" need to re-examine our attitudes towards borders and border walls. Borders, after all, are not sacred to the rich. Never have been. So why should rich corporatists expect workers and refugees from their destructive and illegal border-crossings to respect boundaries the elite have drawn so arbitrarily and violated so cavalierly?
I'll say it again: in the eyes of Mr. Trump, borders are for suckers and poor working stiffs, not for people like him.
The truth is, however, that borders should be the same for everyone, regardless of wealth and power. If capital has the right to disregard borders, so should labor. If the workers cannot cross them, neither should rich investors.
Mr. Trump, tear down that wall!
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
6
6
4
