all people are free to move about as they please. but nations have demarcations indicating the extent of the influence of the rulers. across these imaginary boundaries people may not freely pass. if they attempt to do so, they will be physically stopped by others. possibly with the use of violence. we’ll call those who utilize force to stop others from crossing imaginary lines “guards”. the guards do this because they supposedly believe in the legitimacy of the ruler of the nation. even if they do not, failing to do their duty in stopping “trespassers” will result in the physical impediment of their freedom of movement by “guards who guard the guards”. the many obey the few and those few answer to even fewer.
visas came into widespread use relatively recently. their function is to control the movement of people. a ruler who governs no one is no ruler at all, so it’s best to keep those people who would rather be elsewhere within the borders of the state. a state with an influx of too many people faces the possibility of agitation within the existing populace. the causes of such agitation have been experienced throughout history. this includes subverting the local economy, spreading disease, espionage, and insurgency. a wise and just ruler, who is in accord with the will of the people, need not fear insurgency. however, domestic resources may not be enough to support a sudden increase in population from immigration.
the free movement of people also sows the seeds of innovation by the agglomeration of different ideas and cultures. the free movement of people is like an evolutionary algorithm for the local culture. it will change and adapt as new ideas are exchanged, debated, and resolved. ideas which cause instability in the state won’t last long and will therefore not be adopted in the long term. but stability in the state doesn’t imply happiness for the people.
who propagates the story of nations with porous borders?
“in a room sit three great men, a king, a priest, and a rich man with his gold. between them stands a sellsword, a little man of common birth and no great mind. each of the great ones bids him slay the other two. ‘do it,’ says the king, ‘for i am your lawful ruler.’ ‘do it,’ says the priest, ‘for i command you in the names of the gods.’ ‘do it,’ says the rich man, ‘and all this gold shall be yours.’ so tell me–who lives and who dies?”
