The American birthright belongs, potentially, to everyone. This is unprecedented. Other countries accept migrants on the basis of economic necessity or as a humanitarian gesture. Only in America is it the direct consequence of our foundational ideals.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the unique nature of American ideals regarding immigration, as it ties migrant opportunities to foundational American principles rather than just economic needs.
Bret Stephens highlights the distinctive American belief that the potential for citizenship belongs to all, emphasizing that unlike other nations which may accept migrants for economic reasons or humanitarian purposes, the United States uniquely views this as a reflection of its core values and ideals. This notion marks a significant distinction in how America approaches immigration, rooting it in a foundational belief in equality and opportunity for all.
In practice
In a discussion about immigration policies, this quote can underscore the philosophical basis of American ideals.
I routinely interview college students, mostly from top schools, and I notice that their brains are like old maps, with lots of blank spaces for the uncharted terrain. It's not that they lack for motivation or IQ. It's that they can't connect the dots when they don't know where the dots are in the first place.
The most interesting conversation is not about why Donald Trump lies. Many public figures lie, and he's only a severe example of a common type. The interesting conversation concerns how we come to accept those lies.
The more afraid we are of the shadow of racism, the more conscious we might become of our own unsuspected biases.
We live in a world in which data convey authority. But authority has a way of descending to certitude, and certitude begets hubris.
Every person born in this world represents something new, something that never existed before, something original and unique.
He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy. He never dreamed about the boy. He simply woke, looked out the open door at the moon and unrolled his trousers and put them on.
That is the real spiritual awakening, when something emerges from within you that is deeper than who you thought you were. So, the person is still there, but one could almost say that something more powerful shines through the person.
We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both.
If my eyes could show my soul,everyone would cry when they saw me smile.
Non-Indian writers usually say "Great Spirit," "Mother Earth," "Two-Legged, Four-Legged, and Winged." Mixed-blood writers usually say "Creator, "Mother Earth," "Two-Legged, Four- Legged, and Winged." Indian writers usually say "God," "Mother Earth," "Human Being, Dog, and Bird."
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