There is a constant moiling
and toiling going on in morality
–the effect of successful crimes
(among which, for example, are included
all innovations in moral thinking.)

Daybreak by Friedrich Nietzsche, trans. by R. G. Collingwood aphorism 98

Nietzsche the wordsmith, was adept in three languages.  A philologist by education, a specialist in classical Greek and Latin, his appreciation and skill with symbolic meaning lends rich color to his philosophical writing.

Who but Nietzsche would claim that morality is a moiling and toiling, an earthy work of fabrication, hands-on details, that over and over one is compelled to pay attention?  We fail so that we can ‘fail better’ the next time around!

A friend recently said this about immigrants from Argentina, Central America, and Mexico, the trek-in-mass to our southern border.  Since these Spanish speaking individuals of all ages are defined as illegal, our immigration law rules out participation with Americans on American soil,…

Just like viruses and bacteria invading your body, they just want to find a nice warm place to live, and you, in all likely hood, will want to get a shot and kill them.

In fairness I note these words metaphorically say that illegals are ‘like’ invading viruses and bacteria.  The language invites me to believe “they”, all of them are similar to alien life forms, foreign, ‘other’, inimical.

Here I ought to pause, to recognize that I am never responsible for anyone else’s point of view.  As Nietzsche observes our views, what we consider “known” is always nudged in a direction of change.

Consider whether the illegal crossing of the Rio Grand into Texas, and with luck finding work, legally or illegally in our country while equivalent to survival for them, is not simultaneously a successful crime for us…  Success over the arc of time catalyzes a transformation of our values, of our morality.  Individuals that we formerly regarded as outsiders, unwashed, without assets, yet unable to communicate in English, non-white — bring with them boundless courage, disposed toward risk, embracing the new. They will reinvigorate our society. This has happened before.

In fairness, change can go either way.  A people can be seduced to become more ethnocentric, increased Nativism.  Or a people becomes more open, more self-aware, able to discover mutual benefit in circumstances.  Seize up and die.  Learn and live.

The mind
loves
what is foreign.
Without it,
the well of inspiration
dries up.

All
genuine beauty
is foreign.

–BYUNG-CHUL HAN