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Comment by Clamchop | Hacker News Reader

Us Americans have been taught exceptionalism all our lives. The people consider themselves to have built and to live in the freest and generally most superlative country that ever was.

We were pretty "soft" (dislike the term) on the land borders and on immigration. Fairly easy to enter, to claim asylum, to live and work on different sides, and so on.

I don't have an answer for the question of if we should be making our border security as intense as it can be elsewhere, but I don't love the story of just doing as other countries do. We're exceptional, right?

I don't think this is a great comment I'm writing, but it's how I feel about things right now.

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> have been taught

As I said, and not to be flip, but "propaganda mouthpieces." The odd part about "social media" is that it actually instills a sense of reward in people when they uncritically repeat what they've been told like a Manchurian candidate. While at the same time being an outlet for their frustrations with the outcome of these same policies and ideals.

> live in the freest and generally most superlative country

Since the 1950s the government has been opening and reading peoples mail. We had the Church Committee and the House Select Committee on Assassinations. In this era people did not make the same mistake. This notion of the "freest" country honestly started after 2001. "They hate us because of our freedom," was a useful excuse to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.

> We were pretty "soft" (dislike the term) on the land borders and on immigration.

That depends on your perspective. The cold war certainly had an impact on some citizens of the world more than others. The 2001 trade center attack just moved the goalposts. Here we are moving them again.

> but it's how I feel about things right now.

That's the most valuable thing you could possibly do. Thank you.

> We were pretty "soft" (dislike the term) on the land borders and on immigration

That's absolutely not the impression US gives to the people outside. The visa system is soft only on one specific demographic it deems worthy (educated, wealthy, commonwealth citizen), and treats everyone else with contempt at best.

Getting a visa requires extensive background checks, and an in-person interview in a part of a consulate built like a prison. The green card lottery keeps people on uncertain ground for decades, during which they are second-class citizens and can have their entire life uprooted at any moment.

Claiming asylum via safe modes of transport has been made technically impossible (anyone suspected of seeking asylum won't be sold any tickets, won't be let through any security), and deadly dangerous and intentionally cruel towards everyone desperate enough to try anyway.

Unfortunately, many countries are like that, and the USA is not better than average even on the good side.

How did you manage to somehow twist the green card lottery into something so harmful sounding? It undermines your other points.

Nobody is forcing people to join the lottery. Nobody is in “limbo” against their will. it’s something that has a huge upside if you win, and little downside (apart from the Application fees).

Which country doesn’t do some kind of background check or information gathering when letting you in (except for tourism of course).

It’s extremely onerous to get a tourist visa to the EU if you’re an Indian citizen for example. Or it used to be.

They want your bank balances to make sure you aren’t going to just get on welfare.

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