The Searcher Who Wants to Give

The modern justification of uncontrolled immigration by saying “you invaded them so now they invade you”, is wrong. Here’s why.

It is intellectually dishonest and ahistorical to equate the complex dynamics of empire-building throughout human civilization and history with the modern phenomenon of uncontrolled immigration and the cultural shifts and tensions that follow.

Each historical event, be it a colonial invasion or today’s unrestricted waves of immigration, must be judged on its own merits and within the context of its time.

Invasions and colonization is also not equatable with only the West. Practically all civilizations have done it in one way or another. The West was only among the most recent to do so. So to hold the West exclusively accountable for it is wrong.

And to paint the West as only a colonizing entity ignores the nuance of trade, exploration and other forms of exchanges that comes from international relationships and dynamics.

Colonization, despite causing its fair share of suffering, also brought with it good things to the colonized, such as advances in medicine and technology. This is something that differs from today’s unchecked immigration and its willful upheaval of the host nation.

The word ‘invasion’ is also a bit misleading and simplistic. It wasn’t just a homogenous group of “white people” descending upon innocent and peaceful lands. It was an interplay of economic, political and social factors that drove expansion, exploration, and yes, conflict.

Lastly, the sins of the past do not justify the wrongs of the present. The opposite is a dangerous recipe for endless vengeance and societal decay.

Every nation on Earth has a unique story of struggle, conflict, and evolution. It is by learning from them, without being shackled by them, that we build a prosperous and constructive future.