this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2025
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What's the liberal reasoning for why we should have borders at all? I understand having some "soft" boundaries so people can, say, choose to live in Illinois instead of Nebraska and have different tax structures or road rules, but "hard" borders don't really make sense to me.

Borders to me seem like a barrier to a fundamental human right to be able to do the best you can for yourself and your family.

It's easy for material goods to cross borders and extremely hard for humans.

I shouldn't have to go through years of paperwork and jump through legal hoops to the point where immigration attorneys are needed if I just want to leave the U.S. and live in, say, Chile.

And don't get me started on all of the wars and violence that occurs because there's some imaginary line that says being born on one side gives you special privileges that the other side doesn't. Because God forbid we trust humans the same no matter where they come from.

Kind of ranty because it's late and I'm tired, but maybe if you can share how the liberal mind justifies these invisible lines that cause so much human misery and suffering then maybe I can some up with short answers & talking points to debunk their points.

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[–] dead@hexbear.net 26 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

The Liberal's purpose of borders is to create a more exploitable underclass of labourers. People who live outside of the borders of Imperialist Nations are treated as subhumans, to be enslaved and looted. Migrants who enter the borders of Imperialist Nations are subjected to extreme legal scrutiny. Migrant workers who speak out against dangerous or unfair working conditions are subjected to threats of deportation or imprisonment.

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If you want what a liberal would say in defense of having borders. They usually invent a scary enemy that has to be kept out of the country. Either communists or criminals. People who "hate freedom and democracy". This is just fearmongering.

In rare circumstances, there will be a Liberal that says like the purpose of borders is to protect the culture of a Nation. That like traditions are sacred and need to be preserved or something. This comes off as like segregationist to me.

You can see the purpose of borders by looking at the history of border enforcement and history of migration. The concept of borders and nations has changed over time, much of it is relatively new. ICE wasn't created until GW Bush.

[–] purpleworm@hexbear.net 14 points 1 month ago

In rare circumstances, there will be a Liberal that says like the purpose of borders is to protect the culture of a Nation. That like traditions are sacred and need to be preserved or something. This comes off as like segregationist to me.

Someone seriously asserting this as a reason for the disenfranchisement of immigrants is equivalent to an apologist for apartheid.

[–] Belly_Beanis@hexbear.net 12 points 4 weeks ago

The excuse I hear most often is "so they don't waste all our tax dollars."

Liberals believe in a strawman welfare queen, just like reactionaries, except she's Latina instead of black.