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.
There should be at least one leak like the Pentagon Papers every year.
It is possible to demonstrate God's existence, although not a priori, yet a posteriori from some work of His more surely known to us.
The psychotic drowns in the same waters in which the mystic swims with delight.
When men stop believing in God, it isn't that they then believe in nothing: they believe in everything.
Your body is the ground and metaphor of your life, the expression of your existence. It is your Bible, your encyclopedia, your life story. Everything that happens to you is stored and reflected in your body. In the marriage of flesh and spirit divorce is impossible.
The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence
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