Critical Thinking: Are Borders More Important Than Ever Before?

In recent years, a lot has been said about borders and whether or not the time has come for them to be removed. And, when it comes to what someone’s views are on this topic, it can all depend on what side of the political line they are drawn to.

If someone is drawn towards the left of the line, they can believe that having open borders is the best option; whereas if someone is drawn to the right of the line, they can believe that this would be a terrible idea. This is then something that can create a fair amount of conflict between people.

Another Scenario

Along with this, even if someone is not all that interested in politics, they could still be all for open borders. There are at least two reasons as to why someone would have this position even though they are not overly political.

What it could show that they have done some research on this topic and come to the conclusion that this is the right option. Or, it may be a sign that they are someone who has simply absorbed what the mainstream media and education system has come out with.

One Purpose

These two sources are supposed to be there to inform and to educate, but this is basically a facade. The education system takes people from a young age and indoctrinates them and, once their time there is done, the mainstream media carries on from where they left off.

So, if someone has spent a lot of time in the former and spends a lot of time consumer the latter, it is not going to be a surprise for them to be all for open borders. These two sources of information often present open borders as though they are essential in today’s world.

Another Influence

Along with these two sources, one may have also heard pretty much the same thing come out of the mouths of their favourite singers and actors/actresses. This all helps to create the impression that this view is the ‘right’ view.

It’s almost as if most of the people in this profession have the same brain, lacking the ability to form their own conclusions. Perhaps there are some actors/actresses whose whole life is just one big performance, with them not knowing who they really are beyond the roles that they play.

An Easy Target

Yet, even if an actor/actress is simply repeating something that they have been told to say in regards to open borders, it doesn’t mean that someone will be able to see this. Through putting this person on a pedestal and believing that they are more-than human, one can simply swallow everything that comes out of their mouth.

This is one of the benefits of having celebrities go along with the accepted narrative; it becomes a lot easier to influence the masses. Having said that, perhaps certain actors/actresses were told that in order for them to reach the top and to become living gods, they would need to preach certain views.

Another Reason

They would then have gained the world, so to speak, but they would have lost themselves in the process. Someone like this can then seem to have it all; when in reality, they have lost the most important thing – themselves.

Then again, an actor/actress could say one thing in public and another thing to their closest friends. They will then realise that if they want to continue to do what they love, it will be vital for them to pretend that they are on board with the accepted view, and, what is ironic here, is that Hollywood is somewhere that is constantly harping on about ‘tolerance’ and ‘diversity’.

The Current State of the World

Now, while there can be a number of reasons as to why someone can believe that having open borders is a good idea, what can’t be overlooked is what has taken place in certain parts of the world over the past few decades. For one thing, certain parts of the Middle East have been torn apart and, along with the physical damage that has occurred, there is also the effect that this has had on the psyches of so many people who live in this part of the world.

So, to only think about the freedom that comes with open borders and the benefit this would have on people who generally need help, for instance, would be an oversight. What also needs to be taken into account is the other side of this; only focusing on one side will result in a lot of information being overlooked.

An Analogy

And, when it comes to making an informed decision, it is clear that the big picture needs to be looked at. One way get an idea of what has taken place in the Middle East would be to imagine that a hornets’ nest has been stirred up.

Through disrupting this nest, there are naturally going to be a lot of hornets’ that are extremely angry about what has taken place, hornets’ that are not as angry, and other hornets’ that won’t have got worked up. And while some of these hornets’ that will soon pass through this experience, there will be others that won’t.

The Sensible Approach

Taking this into account, would it really be wise for the western world to open its borders bearing in mind the carnage that has been caused in this part of the world? Clearly, not everyone who lives there is going to want to seek revenge for what has happened to their country, but there will be plenty of people who will.

And, even though most of the people in the western world played no part in what has taken place in the Middle East over the years, there are still going to be people in Middle East that have this outlook. To these people, the people who live in the western world will be seen as having played a part in what has happened to their homeland.

One Hell Of A Mess

If the leaders of the past and the present had not got involved in the Middle East, the world would probably be a lot safer. For a country to bomb another and then to open its borders to that country would be the height of insanity.

To just take any one in from a country like this would be tantamount to someone eating food that had been laced with a small amount poison. This won’t be enough to kill them, but it will be enough to cause their body a fair amount of harm.

Conclusion

When it comes to an issue like this, it is essential for someone to not only use their heart but to also use their head. Their heart can cause them to focus on the people who desperately need help, while overlooking the people who want to cause harm.

Empathy is important, that is clear, but when it comes to making sensible decisions, being able to think rationally is imperative. The heart only focuses on the here and the now and is idealistic, while the head is able to think about the future and is realistic.
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When the heart is elevated to a high position and the head is lowered and cast aside, it is inevitable that poor decisions are going to be made. And in this case, poor decisions will lead to even more harm being done.