In today's globalized world, how can borders be justified?

Question

Over the past 50 years, the world has experienced a massive change. The extensity, intensity, depth, and breadth of global financial, communications and transportation flows have obliterated distance through time. Given the speed at which these flows interact with our human condition, borders can be perceived as barriers to the efficient conduct of human interaction at best and at worst, catalyst which exacerbate gross inequalities in wealth and resource allocation in favor of the wealthy. While the current mantra of free trade and trade liberalization is applied to cross border flows of goods and communications, it does not fully come into being as long as boders exist as it prevent the free movement of labor. Given this and the obvious benefits of the free flow of goods and the capitalist system; aren't borders themselves anti-capitalist and anti-neoliberal? What economic basis or moral justification exists for borders in todays globalized world?

Answer 1

Because people still hold on to their national identities. There is also a large diffrence between upper and lower classes in their level of globalization in almost any nation. Is this an essay question?

Answer 2

Despite the globalization 'miracle', good fences still make good neighbors. Mexico's got it's own path to walk before americans at large will feel completely comfortable with an open border. Mexico itself does not open itself to americans freely, and would like nothing more than to keep systematically sucking money out of the US economy for all perpetuity. Many americans are fairly disenchanted about all that, and would like to see Mexico take a little 'time out' from the US economy, until maybe they elevate their own and chase all the drug dealers out of their government.
Let's be 'blunt', for a minute: Globalization is a phenomenon that's been taking place ever since the first sailing ships hit the water. It doesn't always produce good results, witness the sack of Rome. Damn foreigners. Greed is a powerful motivating factor, and the laws that are supposed to prevent things like Enron keep getting weaker, and weaker, 'globalists' see no problem with driving people halfway around the world out of business or shutting off their electricity, whereas many americans see the pitfalls and inherent instability of some of those idealistic arrangements, and know that if people in your own country will do things like that to you, what are the odds that someone from further away with even LESS public accountability might be motivated to try their business 'magic' on you....less 'pie in the sky', and more 'pie on the table' is the realistic approach to politicians' drug-dreams like 'globalization'...half the time they're either too stupid to know what they're talking about, or they're acting as compensated spokesmen for someone who'll benefit by it all financially. Besides, it's a non-term, the world is already round, it's already a globe, and foreign trade etc didn't just start last week. 'Globalization' is a euphemism for international corporat expansions and governments and citizens of countries not responding to their survival reflex. Bush likes globalism, which is why less and less people like Bush. I think the american public is more or less against globalism, at least 'eyes-closed' globalism, and while the notion of borders may seem quaint, and archaic, nonetheless the old concepts still hold true...and Mexico's still trying to walk off with our lunch. I say build the border fence.

Answer 3

The best way to justify our borders is that we live in a country with an endless amount of problems. Many of these problems are cause by our government who cares too much about the world in whole when the attention should stay on our own soil. We have illegal immigrants who do provide a great function in our society, but cost our tax payers in every way. Normal taxpayers have to worry about things such as medical benefits, but the sad thing is is that an overwhelming majority of illegal immigrants do not pay for their medical needs. The children of illegal immigrants deserve an education, but their parents don't pay taxes into the system. This causes overcrowding of classrooms because there isn't enough capitol to make new buildings, and hire more teachers. These are just a few examples of why we need to not only to keep our borders, but to strengthen them. We need politicians that aren't afraid of pissing off the Hispanic community (because most illegals are Hispanic) and just do what this country needs. I also hate the fact that a majority of the illegal immigrants don't have the common decency to learn English. Both of my parents immigrated to the states from Brazil in the 60's. They came here knowing only a few English words, but it only took them a few years to get a firm grasp of English. Again, this country has many problems to face, but it's still the best, and that's why everyone wants a piece.

Answer 4

I don't know, ask Germany, France, China, and so on, actually how can you justify not having a pronouced border.

First trade is not free, there are tariffs and duties that are payable,
Next there is even restriction of some transport from state to state within the US. There is restrictions of classes of materials.

A nation that does not secure thier border esp intodays world, is asking to be taken over or experience ruin

Answer 5

The people in countries that subsidize education and other services for their poor people should not have to bear the cost nor the degraded education and services resulting from use of those services by poor people from other countries who are in the country illegally.

The wealthy make money off the cheap labor. However, the cost of the 'benefits' for that labor in education and services is paid for by taxpayers. Those taxpayers, with their children, then have to compete with the illegal workforce and its children to try to get adequate education and services. That is wrong.

If that means we should rethink globalization, that is fine with me.

Answer 6

I think borders are very necessary if you want to remain a Nation and we do, I am not a globalist, and I don't think most Americans are either they want their own borders, language and culture, I don't want the Euro money here, or what ever, and most countries do not want undesirables in their country, and if their not screened at the border then where. your view is very liberal which I hate, and in these times of terrorism we really need our borders. we need the barriers for protection and sovereignty

Answer 7

Why stop there? Why not your yards? How about everyone can go into anyones houses. people going anywhere they want?

Its is for protection. And to keep people and their stuff their goals for their land here in America to give their children .And their land (all of it) safe from others who would just take it.

Moral Justification? God gave land to the Israelites with boundaries. Was he wrong to do so? It was for reasons.

Answer 8

Globalization is about making money, not uniting the world.

Answer 9

walk down the highway in iran next to the reactors, lemme know how it works out. send me a picture !

Answer 10

VIVA LA DEPORTATION