Is one motive for our rulers’ aversion to immigration restrictions the thought that if you have them that suggests there’s a particular people to whom you have special obligations and that has the right to tell you what to do? If you have easy immigration it seems clear that you’re not subordinated to anybody in particular. You’re in the business of running an overall structure in accordance with standards determined by consensus among you and other professionals. You get to run the world in the way that makes most sense from the standpoint of people in your position. That’s obviously a lot more appealing.
Yes
See Fredo Arias-King’s essay Immigration and Usurpation.
Ruling Elites
“You’re in the business of running an overall structure in accordance with standards determined by consensus among you and other professionals.”
A touch of Burnham, Mr. Kalb?
It’s spread
The paleocons complain about the managerial state and the Frankfurt School about the totally administered society, so it’s not just Burnham. At a more concrete level the EU works rather like a union of ruling classes to improve their bargaining position over against their peoples.