Where was I when land was being handed out?

Is Britain overcrowded?

The gypsy lent over and retorted "You didn't inform me when land was being handed out.  I wouldn't have agreed anyway.  I don't acknowledge your laws which say no one can enter this land."  And a lot of these rules go back to the day the land was forcibly taken by Norman invaders.  We, the subject people,  learned over time to kowtow to the power of the sword.  Soon the idea that you own that land, and I respect your right to privacy, is reinforced by me also acquiring my little bit of land, and wanting the same rules to apply, even if on a much smaller scale. 

We then agree together who can collectively share this space, knowing that our prosperity is affected by the value of what we hold in common.  My prosperity is dependent on my ability to concentrate wealth, not share it.

I understand that until the turn of the 19th century, anyone could come and settle in Britain. There were no restrictions on immigration.  Now it is virtually illegal to marry someone who is not British, and expect them to be allowed to live here.  An exception is always made for the 'very wealthy'.  They have the key that unlocks all doors.

My favourite economics quote:  'No one can earn a million dollars honestly.' -  William Jennings Bryon -American Lawyer 1860-1925

For money to be accumulated, a degree of exploitation is necessary.  The rubix cube craze must have made a millionaire somewhere.  We all had to believe we needed a piece of the action.  But how much does it cost to make a rubix cube? Others have to be poor in order for me to be rich.  If we were all paid £30 an hour- we might think we had found the end to all poverty.  But no, pretty soon inflation would cancel any sense of at I was at last rich.  Being rich is directly related to others being poor, just as heat is extracted from a ground pump and concentrated in modern heating systems. 

So is Britain over crowded?  People come to Britain because it has a massive accumulation of wealth.  That is the key.  The answer is to share resources in a way that affects the direction of flow.  Stable societies actually shrink in population, enabling safe and stable immigration.   Shared resources also act as a balance, stemming the flow.  Enforcing border controls brings grief to each family in the Uk as we are all affected by the 'prisons we chose to live behind'.

I once heard it said that Yehudi Menuhin said "National borders provide the prisons we choose to live behind."  I have not been able to corroborate that quote since I first heard it quoted on the radio.