Two Moral Operating Systems, One Broken State
Historically, America understood this. Immigration was not just about crossing an ocean. It was about assimilation. Italians, Irish, Poles, Germans—none arrived culturally identical to Anglo-Protestant America. But the expectation was clear: you adopt the civic moral framework of the country you’re entering. Loyalty to tribe yields to loyalty to law. Institutions outrank kin networks. No exceptions, no special carve-outs.