Posted by: Vivant September 19, 2013
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A couple of points
(1) If a borderless world means peace, I am all for it. But I seriously doubt whether erasing borders will necessarily erase violent conflict. It is a noble thought and a good starting point but there is more to it as you explore the idea further. After all people fight and kill within borders too. More Americans are killed by each other within America's borders than are killed by Al Qaeda or other terrorists. (source: here and here) . People may stop killing each other in the name of religion or country, but they are going to find other reasons to kill for. The cause of violence is within us. If we don't kill for country or religion, we will kill for jealousy, anger, lust, greed, pride or out of sheer insanity.
(2) The powerful have too much at stake in today's borders. Many in the richer societies of America and Europe tend to see themselves as better than the rest of the world because of their societal and economic achievements. I doubt they will want a borderless world where they have to live next to a poor Mexican or Algerian and deal with their problems. Lenon might have been a Britisher who enamored Americans, French and Russians - to name a few - but many in these countries see a borderless world as very much against their social, economic and political interests.
(3) The spirit of John Lenon's song is well taken and lives on but it should be re-purposed towards decreasing violence within societies. UJL's point is also well taken. Reality is a mental construct. The one thing I would add is we need to live in our own realities but be mindful of the reality of others. My reality may tell me borders and immigration controls are horse manure. Of course the immigration officer at JFK or TIA lives in a different reality. When I am at the airport, his reality trumps mine. In my house, it's the opposite. Contextual, and not absolute, reality operates in our lives.
(1) If a borderless world means peace, I am all for it. But I seriously doubt whether erasing borders will necessarily erase violent conflict. It is a noble thought and a good starting point but there is more to it as you explore the idea further. After all people fight and kill within borders too. More Americans are killed by each other within America's borders than are killed by Al Qaeda or other terrorists. (source: here and here) . People may stop killing each other in the name of religion or country, but they are going to find other reasons to kill for. The cause of violence is within us. If we don't kill for country or religion, we will kill for jealousy, anger, lust, greed, pride or out of sheer insanity.
(2) The powerful have too much at stake in today's borders. Many in the richer societies of America and Europe tend to see themselves as better than the rest of the world because of their societal and economic achievements. I doubt they will want a borderless world where they have to live next to a poor Mexican or Algerian and deal with their problems. Lenon might have been a Britisher who enamored Americans, French and Russians - to name a few - but many in these countries see a borderless world as very much against their social, economic and political interests.
(3) The spirit of John Lenon's song is well taken and lives on but it should be re-purposed towards decreasing violence within societies. UJL's point is also well taken. Reality is a mental construct. The one thing I would add is we need to live in our own realities but be mindful of the reality of others. My reality may tell me borders and immigration controls are horse manure. Of course the immigration officer at JFK or TIA lives in a different reality. When I am at the airport, his reality trumps mine. In my house, it's the opposite. Contextual, and not absolute, reality operates in our lives.