CHAPTER II THE PROBLEM OF MIGRATION UNDER SOCIALISM
§ 1 Migration and Differences in National Conditions
People migrate from areas where living and working conditions are not as good to places where they are better. If trade were completely free, production would happen where it is most efficient, and workers would gather around those production areas. Migration is often caused by changes in economic conditions, leading people to seek better opportunities. This movement can weaken the original nation as individuals leave or create challenges in the new nation if immigrants keep their identity. Being part of a national minority can bring many political disadvantages, especially in societies with strict systems like Socialism. Imperialism used economic tools to control migration, but ultimately, conflict or war may arise as a final solution.
§ 2 the Tendency Towards Decentralization Under Socialism
Under capitalism, the movement of labor and capital aims for equal marginal productivity. When workers migrate to new areas, they can lower wages for existing employees, leading them to see newcomers as a threat. This creates a desire among existing workers to restrict immigration to protect their wages. However, liberal ideas argue that such protection ultimately harms everyone, including the workers it aims to help, by lowering overall productivity and income. Protectionist policies encourage competition among groups for special privileges, which leads to inefficiencies.
To weaken liberalism, protectionism relies on nationalism and the interests of workers who feel threatened by competition. Without the checks of liberalism, specific privileges can grow unchecked, evident in wartime scenarios where regions created barriers to defend local economies. These actions disrupt the larger economic unity that previous frameworks aimed to maintain.
If socialism were to be realized globally, it might struggle due to workers in different areas claiming ownership over local production means. This could lead to a fragmented socialist structure or even the rise of syndicalism, which emphasizes decentralized control.
§ 1 Migration and Differences in National Conditions
People migrate from areas where living and working conditions are not as good to places where they are better. If trade were completely free, production would happen where it is most efficient, and workers would gather around those production areas. Migration is often caused by changes in economic conditions, leading people to seek better opportunities. This movement can weaken the original nation as individuals leave or create challenges in the new nation if immigrants keep their identity. Being part of a national minority can bring many political disadvantages, especially in societies with strict systems like Socialism. Imperialism used economic tools to control migration, but ultimately, conflict or war may arise as a final solution.
§ 2 the Tendency Towards Decentralization Under Socialism
Under capitalism, the movement of labor and capital aims for equal marginal productivity. When workers migrate to new areas, they can lower wages for existing employees, leading them to see newcomers as a threat. This creates a desire among existing workers to restrict immigration to protect their wages. However, liberal ideas argue that such protection ultimately harms everyone, including the workers it aims to help, by lowering overall productivity and income. Protectionist policies encourage competition among groups for special privileges, which leads to inefficiencies.
To weaken liberalism, protectionism relies on nationalism and the interests of workers who feel threatened by competition. Without the checks of liberalism, specific privileges can grow unchecked, evident in wartime scenarios where regions created barriers to defend local economies. These actions disrupt the larger economic unity that previous frameworks aimed to maintain.
If socialism were to be realized globally, it might struggle due to workers in different areas claiming ownership over local production means. This could lead to a fragmented socialist structure or even the rise of syndicalism, which emphasizes decentralized control.