UK Wants EU's Free Movement Policy Changed

Reason

The British government wants to change one of the only good things about the European Union.

From the BBC:

Britain wants to change the rules governing the free movement of people across the EU, Home Secretary Theresa May will tell European ministers.

Mrs May will speak in Brussels, ahead of the lifting of movement controls on Bulgarians and Romanians.

She says free access to labour markets must not be allowed to lead to "mass migration".

However, some countries have already vowed to defend what they regard as a fundamental EU principle.

EU justice and home affairs ministers will meet in Brussels on Thursday.

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Comments

[Swiss Servator, referendiffic!]

Polish Plumberz!!11!1!

[Sevo]

Now, what part might your government be playing in this possible 'mass migration', Ms. May?

[DJF]

The British should give the Roma a one way ticket to Mathew Feeney's home and describing how he has nice big pockets filled with wonderful things to be picked.

[widget]

Hear, hear.

[BakedPenguin]

What with the Feeney dislike? (Other than his lack of alt-text).

[darius404]

Immigration is theft, didn't you know?

[widget]

This is often the case with welfare states. What did DJF not know?

[darius404]

It's the case with government, ignoramus. Living in the same country as you doesn't take a dime, statist shithead.

[widget]

There's a job opening at MSNBC for you, darius404.

[darius404]

I'd tell you to ask Ann Coulter for a job, too bad she isn't looking for an assistant.

[Jordan]

No, actually that's not the case. The welfare state policies themselves are theft.

[widget]

Yes, but that's the context of GB and all other western nations. Even the open borders fanatic, Bryan Caplan, has trouble with this. Notice his tacit advocacy for a government mandated minimum wage.

http://www.intelligencesquared.....b-anywhere

[Jordan]

By that logic we should ban people from having children, since their children might use welfare too.

[widget]

No, but I do advocate that government steal some of my money to hand out birth control pills like Halloween candy.

[DJF]

Who says anything about theft? It the British government advocating and supporting the free movement of Roma to Mathew Feeney's home. This is then followed by the free movement of a Roma's hand into Mathew Feeney's pocket, followed by the free movement of anything of value from Mathew Feeney's pocket into the Roma's pocket.

And as I have personally seen, the Roma will then declare that that item or items of value were always his and anyone saying differently was a liar and a bigot.

[Jordan]

That's a rather wordy way to say "I don't believe in freedom of association."

[widget]

Freedom of association means you would be free to either include or exclude people. You only will allow for the former?

[DJF]

No, its the EU which is not in favor of freedom of association. They are pushing a system where people cannot refuse association and that is not freedom.

The EU requies that all people in EU countries treat everyone the same even if they don't want too

[Jordan]

Okay, I see both of you have decided to conflate a country with private property.

[widget]

A country is not the private property of its citizens, Jordan?

[MikeP]

Ummm... No.

[Cytotoxic]

ITT nativists getty owned and then get angry.

[Acosmist]

Can't even say it better than this. "Bulgarians" and "Romanians" indeed. Reason is as PC as any prog rag.

[Jon Lester]

If only our own government would end the arbitrary and stupid visa restrictions applied to eastern Europeans, particularly single women.

[darius404]

Ok, but only if you include an addendum for single Asian women as well.

[Zeb]

She says free access to labour markets must not be allowed to lead to "mass migration".

So in other words, it must not be allowed to exist.

[Paul.]

"People are leaving our corrupt political districts! Ban automobiles, force everyone into "transit corridors" and give them a bus pass!"

[Hawk Spitui]

Look who's finally acknowledging what everyone with a brain in their head recognized all along.

When will Reason?

[Cytotoxic]

Oooh a psychologist! Watch as I don't care at all.

[MikeP]

Interesting abstract.

One problem here is that they are testing attitudes, not actions. This does not control for the fact that Americans have been raised in an environment of libertarian words yet do not necessarily exhibit libertarian voting tendencies.

To take one simple example, every American knows that the founders believed that all men were created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights. And if asked whether they agree, US-born citizens will surely say yes.

Yet these same people still keep voting for restrictions on free migration!

[Reverendcaptain]

I'll never understand Reason's devotion to open borders. You ignore facts on the ground and favor your philosophy, ignore the reality of massive loss of jobs and the undercutting of wages. I'm all for free trade and limited regulation but try finding a middle class construction worker in LA anymore. They've all been priced out of the job market. It's no longer a competitive job market. And by the way, I worked with a lot of illegal workers in LA and their lives are pretty crappy as well. Don't even mention the families they've left behind and the new ones the start.

This is the one issue where I think Libertarians are most like Liberals because they simply refuse to see the truth that is so obvious to everybody else.

[Black&Yellow]

your argument is fallacious at best.