I'm a journalist for publications such as The Guardian, Vice, The Diplomat and Narratively and my first book, a memoir, came out just over a year ago [Amazon link]. It's won numerous awards and sold thousands of copies. And now I want to give it away. This is the thirty-fifth and final installment. [Prologue | Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9 | Ch 10 | Ch 11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14 | Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17 | Ch 18 | Ch 19 | Ch 20 | Ch 21 | Ch 22 | Ch 23 | Ch 24 | Ch 25 | Ch 26 | Ch 27 | Ch 28 | Ch 29 | Ch 30 | Ch 31 | Ch 32 | Ch 33 | Ch 34] From the back cover:
A raw account of a young American abroad grasping for meaning, this pulsating story of violent protests, illegal border crossings and loss of innocence raises questions about the futility of borders and the irresistible power of nationalism.
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Epilogue: Ecuador 2017 (4) [Chapter Thirty-Five]
Borders are everywhere. They exist between nations, fortified with guns and walls, and they exist inside each of our own minds.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The world has become globalized for products and it could be for people too. When we buy phones made in China and toys manufactured in Mexico, we don’t question that products have freedom of movement. Why shouldn’t the people who made those products be afforded the same freedom? We can still have borders and still have some restrictions but why shouldn’t admission to migrants be the norm, and their exclusion the exception? Why shouldn’t we all be born with freedom of movement as a universal human right, and only lose that right after committing a crime?
Borders are built on a fear of the unknown. Critics will argue that as we tear down walls nations will lose their identity, but real-world examples demonstrate that this is not true. Within the European Union, though travel is unrestricted, each nation maintains its unique identity. On an even smaller scale, within any major global city there are a multitude of unique culture hubs that exist within adjacent neighborhoods.
Economics are a different issue. The familiarity of home has a strong pull and small or moderate monetary advantage alone is unlikely to be enough to break that magnetism; although when the difference becomes great enough it may suffice. Tearing down walls built by governments would not erase economic inequality; but it might lessen the gap. That shouldn’t be a fear though, it should be a hope.
It’s worth restating that I was born with significant privilege; that I was only able to travel abroad so easily because I happen to have been born in the United States. At times, this was a sad chapter in my life, but it could have been much worse. For the most part they were my own decisions and actions that caused my struggle. How different would my story be if I was born in Latacunga rather than Long Island?
My life will be forever changed by my own deportation. Not because it’s scarred me, but because it opened my eyes to something that had been hidden in plain sight.
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visit http://illegalbook.com/
Without borders would you not get people migrating to more well off countries, of course you would now if this continued for many years where would you house them.
Take Britain for example we already have a shortage of houses and yes we could build more but how many years could this go on for before we totally change Britain for ever.
I think our population is about 80 million ish I don’t believe over many years increasing the population to say 200 million would make it a better place to live.
Thanks mike
I agree with you that greater freedom of movement would lead to migration to nations with better job prospects. I don't think that's a bad thing though. Within England, different cities are better or worse off in terms of their economies. Cities doing better may attract people from distant cities within England, though this has a limit as the opportunity would have to be great enough for someone to leave their home. Overall, England is better off because of this. That same concept and logic could work for the whole world. It would probably lessen (though not eliminate) economic disparity between nations--but I think that's a good thing. The UK population has grown as the EU has expanded but by small measures that are very manageable. This is obviously a controversial topic with a variety of valid opinions with England going forward with Brexit, but as you may imagine I was pro-Remain. (I did my MA at UEA in Norwich a few years back).
Before you know it, this is the last chapter. It's over, but it's also a new beginning. Come on! @johndennehy
Cheers! Hope you enjoyed it!
This is the FINAL chapter! Thanks for reading!
If you want to buy the ebook or paperback you can find it on Amazon. And if you want purchase using Steem or other crypto then reply to this message or send an email to [email protected]
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Got it!
Have some reading to catch up on. Thanks @johndennehy Great work
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