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Why? Because the rejection of immigration doesn’ t rest on economic analysis. It rests on an ideological fear: fear of downward mobility, loss of status, sharing a space long reserved for certain people. A fear so deep that it transforms victims into culprits and facts into opinion.
An Old American Temptation
This reflex is nothing new. Yesterday’ s racial segregationism and isolationist politics at different times rested on the same promise: protect“ our own” to preserve prosperity. History has rendered its verdict: this promise never held. America prospered when it was open. The massive immigration of the late 19th century built American industry. International cooperation after 1945 created decades of growth. Globalized exchanges propelled the knowledge economy. Withdrawal, on the other hand, has never enriched sustainably. It has mainly fed fear and division.
Flashmag! Edition 169 Fevrier 2026
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