[fennecfoxen]

I like the way your world-view treats intelligent people. Instead of having them being independent agents, there's some form of ownership of them... such that if they head off to foreign lands to pursue what they feel is a better life and earn more money, then it's a theft of community property.

All Sudanese should be happy with their lot in life and either work to improve it or rot. So how dare these Western companies pay the dark skinned people of Sudan as much money as rich white people could earn!!!

(No seriously though, the implications of what you say are disturbing to me.)

[h4nkoslo]

The disturbance you feel is likely at least partly cognitive dissonance at the idea of open borders amounting to labor colonialism.

It's an interesting idea, wouldn't you say? What are the effects of ensuring Sudan or wherever is unable to maintain a functional local elite? Are they good or bad, on balance? If we strip-mine all of their potentially capable administrators, do we have an obligation to administer their state for them, or just airdrop rice every couple years, or what?

The idea that states and people have reciprocal obligations beyond Maximum GDP isn't exactly novel.

[jpttsn]

Oh good I thought it was novel. I guess individuals have nothing to worry about, as long as the idea is ancient.