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Two leftist policies where I can understand the power dynamics but not the attitude: open borders for military-aged third-world men, relaxed (or none at all) prosecution on criminals, especially military-aged minorities who commit brazen acts of murder/assault/robbery.
As is always the case, these policies exist because a lot of parties benefit. Open borders is supported by capital, homeowners (keeps housing prices pumping), and leftists who gain the patronage of the newcomers. Criminals also help various parties. They drive out right-wingers (i.e. families). They use a huge amount of services that employ leftists. Like immigrants they become patrons to the left, to some degree.
I can see why these things are allowed to continue, but the above analysis is missing the source of intense passion that these issues receive. I don't think Amazon ever pushed for open borders, they just didn't complain end enjoyed the cheap labour. Homeowners don't go to open borders rallies because they want another point of appreciation. Chesa Boudin wants prisoners released because it's strategic. On these two issues specifically, there is only one source of intense passion: single, college-educated women.
This is confusing. Women are more risk-averse and place a higher value on safety, but at the same time they are advocating for violent criminals and random foreigners. There is also a strong element of hatred towards their own countrymen present in this, which makes sense given the policy but does not make sense given that they're ladies. It's similar to the pit bull owner thing. What's up with this? I've seen the meme around pseudopregnancy before and it fits OK, but it's not clear why criminals and foreigners would be the subject of this affection over anything else.
Maybe if a women feel rejected by or reject their own tribe themselves, they attempt to undermine it in the hopes of getting conquered by a different tribe? That seems overly complicated though, the answer to this should feel simple because it's emotional. Help me out here.
(I'm obviously speaking from an European perspective. American perspective may have differences)
There are no "open borders for military-aged third-world men", and apart from some groups of committed anarchists and other subject-oriented activists, it's not a real thing that is advocated. There are refugee and asylum programs, sure and these enjoy support from the Left, but these are not "open borders", any more than, say, any nightclub that lets in some people but also applies selectiveness as to who it lets in and for how long has "open doors". It should be noted that by far the largest and the most popular entry of refugees to Europe in recent years has not been military-aged third-world men - it has been Ukrainian women, of all ages, and children. Insofar as I've observed, the same peolple advocating for refugee/asylum policies have advocated for that entry just as eagerly.
Furthermore, in my experience, for an average left-winger (again, in Europe), this is really not a major issue. Right-wingers get far more fervent than immigration and borders than left-wingers at any time, and also seem to assume that the opposite side must by its nature share that same fervor, expect in opposite direction. This has frequently caused some consternation and bafflement amongst the left, especially when right-wingers bring the immigration issue to random other topics and then accuse the left of wishing to dodge the issue when the left wants to continue discussing the topic itself, not the immigration sidetrack.
What's the reason for supporting refugee and asylum programs? Again, in my experience, it's a belief that they're an essential part of the framework of human rights treaties that underpins democracy and the entire international system and would cause considerable danger of backsliding on these fronts if it comes down. The concept of "human rights" is etched in the minds of the modern Left very firmly indeed, and once something's written in a treaty, well, it's a part of the system now and must be defended among the other parts. However, as said, in this view it's just one issue among many others, not (generally) the central part of this worldview.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2022/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned
So if you illegally cross the border, there is a 90% chance that you get to stay. Even if you are removed, nothing stops you just... trying again. What can that possibly be but de facto open borders?
If the UK were to implement an official policy of open borders (i.e. no legal restraints on the freedom of non-citizens to live and work within the borders of the UK), do you think the immigration would rise, fall, or remain the same compared to the current "de facto open borders"?
It would assumedly rise, as some number of people will be law-abiding even when it's widely known that breaking said law is never punished (and in fact rewarded with 4-star hotel stays at the taxpayer's expense.) In the same way that smoking weed is, in many ways, de facto legal, in that the police don't generally bother to arrest people for possession of it. But still a lot of people won't partake just because of the fact that it's illegal.
But the fact remains that there is no serious effort made to remove illegals from our borders. If you can come here illegally and most likely never be removed, what else can I possibly call it?
Salutary neglect? The outcome of the tension between competing priorities? The point remains that calling the status quo 'open borders' is Frankfurtian bullshit, a rhetorical flourish meant to provoke an emotional response, not an accurate description.
I find this analogy apposite, in that formal legalization of marijuana has led to a dramatic uptick in usage. It wasn't just that people were deterred by the illegality (though that was certainly a part of it); marijuana became significantly more accessible. Similarly, an actual open borders policy would lead to far more immigration than what you see under a regime of half-assed immigration enforcement. Being an illegal immigrant puts you in a precarious position - not only are you effectively barred from all but the lowest rungs of the employment ladder, you are perpetually concerned with the threat of deportation. It's not particularly likely, but it is non-trivial (again, the marijuana analogy is somewhat apt). Legal immigration is a lot more secure and appealing. Making access to that status unqualified would draw far more people.
How many NGOs operating boats from Africa have been shut down, leaders arrested, assets seized?
The Greeks have arrested a few people but I'm not sure how that turned out. Don't think any other countries have.
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