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The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

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Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#11

Post by klipt »

red_phone wrote: post #8
ralph84 wrote: post #3

Looking at Google Maps it appears several other buildings in the area also straddle the border. The reporter mentioned an insurance dispute in passing, but it would be interesting to have more details on how it all works from a legal perspective. Presumably they get two different property tax bills. Are two different building codes enforced depending on which part of the building you're in?

I’d imagine many of the same considerations come into play when a structure straddles a state line in the US. I wonder how that’s handled?

International borders are much more complicated. For example a Canadian citizen couldn't work on the US side without a visa and vice versa.

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#12

Post by no_wizard »

one piece that is omitted from this is how the border is enforced. From the looks of it, unless you’re looking at becoming employed here they don’t really check your citizenship. That’s a win in my book.

Reminds me that when I was a kid you could travel to / from Canada without a passport (only nation with that privilege if I recall correctly) and now you can’t. I recall no real good reasoning for it other than the DOH wanted to close the loop hole, without any real evidence it was a cause of issues

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#13

Post by gaudat »

According to their web site, you can visit the place without a US visitor visa from the Canada side.

    As the only entrance to the library is in the US, all non-American visitors passing through US territory to enter the library must understand that their movements will be monitored by the US Border Patrol and the RCMP.

    Passports and visas are not necessary to enter the Haskell Free Library & Opera House. However, please be aware that both the US Border Patrol and the RCMP have the right to ask to see personal identification and detain anyone who is not of legal status. We do encourage you to bring your papers with you, just in case.
Also see Canusa Avenue just a km/mile or two to the west. Just as the name described the Canada-US border runs through the middle of the road.

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#14

Post by morelisp »

no_wizard wrote: post #12

one piece that is omitted from this is how the border is enforced. From the looks of it, unless you’re looking at becoming employed here they don’t really check your citizenship. That’s a win in my book. Reminds me that when I was a kid you could travel to / from Canada without a passport (only nation with that privilege if I recall correctly) and now you can’t. I recall no real good reasoning for it other than the D…

Not only Canada; also Bermuda and fewer restrictions for Mexico. All gone now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere_Travel_Init...

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#15

Post by serial_dev »

klyrs wrote: post #6
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #2

It's interesting to see the efforts to lock down our once permeable borders succeeding in recent decades. It seems that for much of our history we had no issue with free passage across, but we have in my lifetime used the politics of fear to militarize our borders. Obviously some will disagree but this seems to me a regressive change.

Freedom of movement is tenuous, and one of the greater paradoxes of the modern "libertarian" movement. The freedom isn't even universally supported on the left -- democratic socialist countries rely on high taxes and low economic inequality to maintain their systems, which, the reasoning goes, is unsustainable in the face of an unrestricted influx of economic refugees.

> The freedom isn't even universally supported on the left

It could be argued from a "leftist" position (whatever that means nowadays) that: it's mostly working class people that need to compete with immigrants. If the immigrants are undocumented or very poor, they are more likely to tolerate lower wages and unsafe working conditions, meaning that I (if I was a working class American) would have less negotiating power when it comes to my wages and work conditions, as there are plenty of people who would be happy to replace me. Also, working class people are more likely to meet with the immigrants that are engaged in illegal activities, whereas if you are middle-upper class or rich, you'll meet the educated, immigrants that maybe help your business growing or at the very least help you keep your household running.

I'm just trying to show a different "leftist" take, I don't really have a strong opinion on this issue as I believe there are good people on both sides and figuring out the best approach is basically impossible.

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#16

Post by SequoiaHope »

klyrs wrote: post #6
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #2

It's interesting to see the efforts to lock down our once permeable borders succeeding in recent decades. It seems that for much of our history we had no issue with free passage across, but we have in my lifetime used the politics of fear to militarize our borders. Obviously some will disagree but this seems to me a regressive change.

Freedom of movement is tenuous, and one of the greater paradoxes of the modern "libertarian" movement. The freedom isn't even universally supported on the left -- democratic socialist countries rely on high taxes and low economic inequality to maintain their systems, which, the reasoning goes, is unsustainable in the face of an unrestricted influx of economic refugees.

What you say is correct, but I am reminded of something David Harvey says: “wealth redistribution is the lowest form of socialism.”

If you have true community ownership of the means of production, then people gain wealth by working for cooperatives, not by state guaranteed benefits. In such a system I would think there is more flexibility in how benefits are distributed.

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#17

Post by FpUser »

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #2

It's interesting to see the efforts to lock down our once permeable borders succeeding in recent decades. It seems that for much of our history we had no issue with free passage across, but we have in my lifetime used the politics of fear to militarize our borders. Obviously some will disagree but this seems to me a regressive change.

Yes this is very regressive change. I remember times when I could drive into US and back with just regular driver license. I see a zero reason other than turning people into a cattle for sacrificing freedom of movement.

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#18

Post by rascul »

serial_dev wrote: post #15
klyrs wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Freedom of movement is tenuous, and one of the greater paradoxes of the modern "libertarian" movement. The freedom isn't even universally supported on the left -- democratic socialist countries rely on high taxes and low economic inequality to maintain their systems, which, the reasoning goes, is unsustainable in the face of an unrestricted influx of economic refugees.

> The freedom isn't even universally supported on the left It could be argued from a "leftist" position (whatever that means nowadays) that: it's mostly working class people that need to compete with immigrants. If the immigrants are undocumented or very poor, they are more likely to tolerate lower wages and unsafe working conditions, meaning that I (if I was a working class American) would have less negotiating powe…

> It could be argued from a "leftist" position (whatever that means nowadays) that: it's mostly working class people that need to compete with immigrants. If the immigrants are undocumented or very poor, they are more likely to tolerate lower wages and unsafe working conditions, meaning that I (if I was a working class American) would have less negotiating power when it comes to my wages and work conditions, as there are plenty of people who would be happy to replace me.

That sounds very similar to the "they're stealing our jobs" argument I hear sometimes from people on the right.

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#19

Post by dragonwriter »

klyrs wrote: post #6
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #2

It's interesting to see the efforts to lock down our once permeable borders succeeding in recent decades. It seems that for much of our history we had no issue with free passage across, but we have in my lifetime used the politics of fear to militarize our borders. Obviously some will disagree but this seems to me a regressive change.

Freedom of movement is tenuous, and one of the greater paradoxes of the modern "libertarian" movement. The freedom isn't even universally supported on the left -- democratic socialist countries rely on high taxes and low economic inequality to maintain their systems, which, the reasoning goes, is unsustainable in the face of an unrestricted influx of economic refugees.

> The freedom isn't even universally supported on the left

Freedom of movement is tied to left internationalism, but radical (i.e., all-at-once/revolutionary) internationalism is not as strong as it once was, and even people that see freedom of movement as a long-term goal often see unrestricted freedom of movement as having unacceptable costs between states that aren't both much further along than any actually are as having practical problems.

Re: The US-Canada border cuts through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

#20

Post by mynameisvlad »

morelisp wrote: post #14
no_wizard wrote: post #12

one piece that is omitted from this is how the border is enforced. From the looks of it, unless you’re looking at becoming employed here they don’t really check your citizenship. That’s a win in my book. Reminds me that when I was a kid you could travel to / from Canada without a passport (only nation with that privilege if I recall correctly) and now you can’t. I recall no real good reasoning for it other than the D…

Not only Canada; also Bermuda and fewer restrictions for Mexico. All gone now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere_Travel_Init...

The page you linked mentions several non-passport alternatives.

Yes, the requirements are stricter in that you have to prove citizenship in some way but there are multiple ways to do that which are WHTI-compliant.

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