Discussion 2: Violent Borders, Chapters 4

First peer post

The most important argument that Jones makes in this chapter is, how the borders make decisions on whether or not to help or harm people coming in, as well as creating restrictions for their citizens, so that they would have complete control over any situation. For the past couple hundred years, people from lower class and poorer countries immigrated to the U.S. looking for a better life for themselves and their families. In the countries they lived in before, they were hardworking men and women, having no beacon of hope for a better paying job or living condition for their family, having the ability to make a better life for themselves and their family is what set America different from all other countries. The abuse of power that countries use by forcing some citizens to do their work without giving them a choice is wrongfully misplaced. This is an ongoing problem that all borders are creating with people trying to move from one area to another.

SECOND PEER POST

I think the most important and revealing argument that Jones makes in chapter four is that the whole reason for borders and documents is so that countries can have more control over the people. Every country's reason for borders and restrictions is to gain more control. These restrictions were implemented on the poor, but when these restrictions were lifted, "a new system of citizenship and documents was soon implemented" in order to gain back the control that was lost in Europe and was quickly adopted by other countries (77). Jones also points out that the "growing importance of citizenship... resulted in increasingly strict monitoring of movements at borders" because of control and also services that countries were now providing their citizens such as health care. The main point is that all of these documents and changes that affect the borders were made in order to gain more control over the people living within the borders.

This argument that Jones makes connects to one of the arguments made in chapter one. In chapter one, Jones argues that the EU purposefully tries to make migration difficult in order to deter migration. This all has to do with control. By limiting movement by placing restrictions on it, rights are limited which causes more power to the country. This was a result of the "deterrence policy that makes crossing its borders difficult" in attempt to limit the amount of free will the people have (23). Jones' argument in chapter one clearly relates to the argument made in chapter four.