Reframe patriotism not as blind nationalism, but as acknowledging the immense, unearned privilege of one's birthplace and its opportunities. This creates a sense of gratitude and responsibility—a debt owed to the society, systems, and people whose sacrifices created that environment of opportunity.

As the U.S. tightens immigration for skilled workers, innovation may shift to countries with more welcoming policies. This macroeconomic trend presents a personal finance strategy: diversifying portfolios with international ETFs to capture growth in emerging tech hubs and hedge against a potential decline in U.S. competitiveness.

The U.S. has a unique global advantage in attracting the world's most brilliant minds, akin to getting the top draft pick in sports every year. However, current restrictive policies turn this talent away, sending them to competitor nations and stunting American innovation.

Thriving civilizations first become masters of imitation, openly absorbing ideas and technologies from other cultures through trade and migration. This diverse pool of borrowed 'ingredients' becomes the foundation for true innovation, which is the novel combination of existing concepts.

The lack of a unified national narrative creates profound societal division. America is fractured by two irreconcilable stories: one of colonialist oppression and another of unprecedented prosperity, making a shared identity and collective action impossible.

Immigration's success or failure is determined by values alignment, not ethnicity. The US historically integrated diverse groups because they shared a foundational ethos. Current conflicts arise when immigrant populations hold fundamentally different core values from the host nation, creating societal friction regardless of race.

Focusing on immigration misses a deeper issue: a systemic failure to inculcate core American values in both children and newcomers. A nation with a "distressing number of people... that hate America" becomes internally weak and vulnerable to fragmentation, regardless of its border policies.

The U.S. generates 25% of global GDP and holds 45% of science Nobel prizes with under 5% of the world's population. This is not an accident but a direct outcome of a system prioritizing individual liberty. This freedom acts as a gravitational pull for global talent and enables the 'permissionless innovation' that drives economic and scientific breakthroughs.

Immigration policy must account for economic incentives. Unlike in the past, modern welfare states make immigration an economically rational choice for survival, not just opportunity. This shifts the dynamic, attracting individuals based on benefits rather than a desire to contribute without a safety net.