The Left Imagines There's No Borders

John Black
Opinion

The Catholic Boy’s High school I was sentenced to during the term of my teenage years held a weekly assembly, the centrepiece of which was the principal’s address. His harangues, usually on one of the many short comings of the adolescent male, were preceded by a short poem, Bible verse, or song chosen by one of his lucky pupils. Memorably, one Monday morning some poor sap chose John Lennon’s Imagine. "Imagine there’s no heaven" and "no religion too" really went down well with this priest of thirty years or so. Departing from his notes he launched into a spirited evisceration of the song’s lyrics and Lennon’s character, adding a stern reminder of the importance of sensible haircuts. (Lennon being conspicuously without one.)

At the time I was team Lennon, but now I think the wizened old celibate was on to something.

It's a mightily silly song. On a scale of silly that dwarfs his erstwhile bandmate Ringo’s Yellow Submarine. And that’s saying something.

Not only is there "no religion" or "heaven" there are "no possessions". This from a man who tooled around London in a customized Roll Royce Phantom V complete with a TV, fridge, and double bed.

Rounding out Lennon’s utopic vision is "no countries" and people "sharing all the world". Quaint hippy nonsense perhaps, although accurate in describing a political agenda that some fools don’t just "imagine", but are keen to put into practice.

Fools such as our Prime Minister.

In her defence last week of Immigration Minister Iain-Lees Galloway’s appalling decision to allow a drug dealing hoodlum New Zealand residency, she offered "human rights" as the basis for his decision. Correct me if I’m as wrong as socks with sandals but wasn’t Madam Cindy and her cohort of chinless wonders elected by New Zealanders, not humanity as a whole, to serve our interests? How are the interests of New Zealanders advanced in any way by the importing of criminals? We have a plentiful local supply of them already, thank you very much.

Such thinking – all this internationalist, "We are the World"; borders are bad, bullshit – is as common on the left as hummus and Che Guevara t-shirts. Despite this it remains unpopular with the citizenry, hence the grande-size arse kicking dealt to the Left by Brexit and the election of Trump.

And they never learn.

There is a "caravan" of 5,000 mainly Honduran migrants marching up through Mexico destined for the U.S. border. The Don, never one to miss an opportunity to play on the fears of voters, has been acting like the drunken uncle at Halloween, jumping out from behind doors with tales of "middle easterners" (someone get the president a map) and "criminals" trying to break down America’s back door. And how does the left respond? Pontificating on how America (has always been) "welcoming" to "those who have fled harm".

That’s right, get enough of your mates together, crash the border, and voila! Welcome to America.

Sensible limits to immigration used to be the province of the left – caring about the effect an influx of cheap labour has on wage levels not to mention the bonds of community so relied upon by working class folk.

Now, not so much.

So, in comparison, the Don looks like the adult in the room. The U.S. mid-term elections are being held today (November 6th) and what has been looking like a "blue tide" of new Democrats being elected may well be reduced to a blue trickle.

It is right to have sympathy for the tired and huddled masses seeking a better life in a better country, but that sympathy shouldn’t extend to any law-breaking attempts to get there. Philosophers speak of a "circle of moral concern" where our sympathy for the plight of other human beings expands from our families and close friends outwards. It turns out we are more concerned with our sons and daughters or friends we have laughed and suffered with than strangers in a foreign land whose names we do not know and whose values we may not share.

Imagine that.

About the author

John Black