My position on immigration has evolved a bit over the years.

One thing that hasn't changed is that I'm not moving away from these United States unless somebody offers me a lot of money for a job that doesn't feel like work. The First and Second Amendments are too important to me.

From a strictly deontological perspective, I think Mike Huemer was right with his Starvin' Marvin argument. I don't respect the idea of government ownership of land. I can't morally justify an agent of the state stopping Starvin' Marvin from going to a local market, not trespassing on any private property, just because he crossed a border.

Arthur Brooks also had an argument that stuck with me, about this country is populated by the people who had the gumption to risk life and limb to come here. It's often said that we are a nation of immigrants. More importantly, we're a nation of immigrants with an entrepreneurial streak.

So, it's not the easiest thing for me to understand the migrant crises in much of Europe. Immigration has been one of the few issues upon which I disagree with Douglas Murray. Still, I've read just about every word that he's written, and I think I've developed an understanding.

These United States have it easy when it comes to international immigration. We have oceans to the East and West, and fairly friendly nations to the North and South. Cuba isn't exactly a great friend; but, most of the immigrants that we get from Cuba are people who know all too well what life under socialism looks like, and came here because they like our values.

The journey from nations that are theocracies and dictatorships to much of Europe is much shorter than a trip from a red state to a blue state or vice versa.

A pew poll showed that over 90% of British Muslims believed that it should be illegal for anybody to draw Muhammad. A small majority were supportive of the Charlie Hebdo shooters. Even with air travel, this country is still pretty far away from where these theocratic mindsets are being perpetuated.

As somebody living in Arizona, what I'll say is that we're talking about building the wall on the wrong border. Mexican immigrants aren't the problem. Californians are the problem.

If we lived in a world that made sense, people would move on the basis of values and comparative advantage. What we can see in this country is a microcosm of what Europe and Israel has to deal with. People are leaving California and coming to Arizona, Texas, and Florida because they can have a higher standard of living here, and they don't understand that California sucks because of their bad policies. Californians are basically parasites infecting the good states.

It's simple reality that people can understand when the grass is greener on the other side while not bothering to understand why.

If the thought that a having a free economy is a good idea has never crossed your mind, Hong Kong and Israel don't make sense. Neither of those places have any valuable natural resources aside from people. They're rich nations because they are free nations.

So, it's understandable why Hong Kong wants China to stay put. It's understandable why Israel doesn't just want to fling her borders open, and let anyone and everyone in from the Gaza, the West Bank, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, etc.

I'm all for anyone and everyone who yearns to breath free coming here. I don't want people to come here who don't want freedom.