Another attack on citizenship
New York and California have long been the petri dishes for the American left. It sems that every radical, anti-social or anti-American idea is unveiled in one or both of those places. The city of New York was once one of the world's great cities, but thanks primarily to bad ideas and flight, it has become something else. Most recently it became a place where crime was encouraged and the NYPD humiliated. Currently the City Council is considering the idea of allowing non-citizens to vote in municipal elections. That would be in violation of New York State's constitution, which states that voters must be U.S. citizens age 18 or older. Of course, that has never stood in the way of progressives before and it probably won't now.
Around 808,000 New York City residents who have work permits or are lawful permanent residents would be eligible to vote under the legislation, which has the support of 34 of 51 council members, a veto-proof majority. The idea has realigned the political power in the city. The recently elected law and order mayor-elect, Eric Adams submitted testimony to the September hearing in favor of the bill. He said that “In a democracy, nothing is more fundamental than the right to vote and to say who represents you and your community in elected office,” Adams said. “Currently, almost one million New Yorkers are denied this foundational right.” On the other side is the current mayor Bill de Blasio (believe it or not) who in a rare lapse of rational thought has threatened to veto any such legislation. “We’ve done everything that we could possibly get our hands on to help immigrant New Yorkers—including undocumented folks—but…I don’t believe it is legal” .... Bill de Blasio.
If it becomes law in the city of New York it would be a major assault on the rights & privileges of Citizenship.
Victor Davis Hanson once defined it perfectly. "Citizenship is a synonym for a constitutional republic, and it's very rare. It's fragile, doesn't exist in history very much. It's the aberration. And it's very difficult to make people pick their own leaders, audit 'em, vote on issues of revenue and taxation, et cetera, so most people will outsource that to monarchs or tyrants or somebody else. But this idea that you're an independent autonomous middle-class citizen is very rare."
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An incident that took place 2,000 years ago. St. Paul is testifying in Jerusalem. The crowd reacts so violently that Roman soldiers intervene and the commander orders Paul flogged.
Verse 25: "As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the Centurion standing there, 'Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen?' When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. The commander went to Paul and asked, 'Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?' 'Yes, I am,' he answered. The commander was alarmed when he realized have had put a Roman citizen in chains." The story continues: Paul demands a trial in Rome, and, indeed, he is taken to Rome, where he is martyred. 2,000 years ago citizenship meant something so definite, so meaningful, so specific that it commands respect from a common commander hundreds of miles from Rome.
( from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 22)
It meant you were transported to Rome had your head lopped off instead.
You made a promise, don't forget.
Subdural hematomas and other ravages of aging place one in the 'born again' class of I don't give a shyte ... now where oh where did I set down my memory boosting Scotch?
Only for the village trolls.
That's an odd thing to call Paul.
For sure. He was a Roman citizen and once an officer. Later a Saint.
Allowing non-citizens to vote cheapens value of citizenship
That’s the whole point of the progressives who advocate for the non citizen vote
Well, this is apparently a desperate attempt to save globalism. The weakening of citizenship is just collateral damage; some sacrifices must be made.
The revival of Cold War politics has naturally been accompanied with a resurgence in nationalism. The neoliberal hegemony of the last 3 decades, particularly neoliberal finance, is being challenged by more basic economic factors. Credit won't solve supply chain issues. And finance can't address the increasing competition for resources that is prompting migration. Fiat currency can't feed the hungry, house the homeless, or keep physical infrastructure operating. The last gasp of neoliberalism seems to be relying on moving populations around the globe rather than distributing goods and resources.
The United States is actually lagging in the resurgence of nationalism. Brexit was about national sovereignty. Taiwan is about the right to exist as a nation. The French pushback against the AUKUS was about national interests. Foreign meddling in elections is about national security. Like it or not, China has been the triggering cause of a resurgence of nationalism around the globe. And the pandemic really has elevated the issues of national sovereignty and national security in politics.
Allowing legal residents to vote in the United States is justified by the idea of a global citizen. And global citizens enjoy the benefits of globalized finance, trade, and security provided by global institutions. Unfortunately for neoliberal globalist, global citizens have become global refugees. Neoliberals have tried national building with the result that populations must flee their home nations and become a people without a nation. Neoliberalism has resulted in a global population of migrants, indigents, and opportunists without national ties.
Neoliberals are retrenching and attempting to make the United States the last bastion of globalism. Based on the history of neoliberal attempts at nation building, this renewed effort will not end well.
These stories always make me wonder if the proponents put any value at all on citizenship. Do they think it means anything at all? If so, what?
Citizenship is a synonym for a constitutional republic
Rome was no such thing at the time. It was ruled by an Emperor. The republic having been dissolved some time before.