Faith in liberal democracy to withstand potential ‘clashes’

August 22, 2008
Chris Berg

I admit to being very uncomfortable with those supposedly free market advocates who oppose immigration, for whatever reason. Too often the objections are so strained as to be suspicious. The idea that we should stop an individual from searching for work beyond the national borders of their birthplace simply because we believe that their culture is somehow incompatable with ours is a deeply illiberal position to hold. Our existing skilled migration scheme discriminates on the basis of education, and, by implication, wealth. That is, to my mind, already unconscionable; ‘liberals’ who propose further group discrimination on the basis of culture are even more worrying.

How does the free movement of people differ in any significant way from the free movement of goods or services? Surely we have enough faith in the strength of liberal democracy - and the persuasiveness of liberal civil society - to withstand potential ‘clashes’ of culture? The only concrete thing we ask of migrants is that they obey existing laws - and in this concern we already have an elaborate mechanism to monitor and assure compliance of all those on Australian shores regardless of their birthplace.

This is not merely apologetics. I suggest that not only is immigration practically beneficial, but we have a moral obligation to accept into our borders those who want to come. For individuals born in under-developed countries, simply crossing into the developed world can dramatically increase their potential salary, as well as allow them to experience the historically unprecedented living standards that we already enjoy.

The objections to expanded immigration seem nationalistic or economically illiterate at best, and immoral at worst.

Wow, Chris Berg sounds like a high priest of liberalism, a master of prostration, with an astounding level of faith in the persuasiveness of liberal civil society to prevent conflict. The free movement of people is no different from the movement of goods? Where does this faith come from? Does it come from history? Does it come from current affairs? Nobody knows. "Surely" you do?