Lowry: The UK's Dumb Exclusion of Left-Wing Influencers

Sort of agree?

I mean...probably mostly agree...

But I haven't through my way through the State Department's argument that coming into the U.S. is a privilege, not a right. And the state has a weighty interest in not allowing in those who plan to preach the gospel of anti-Americanism and sow division. If you're already an American citizen, then you have the right to do that--misguided though it may be. But foreigners who are here by the grace of the government--not to mention foreigners who aren't here yet...have no such rights? Or, perhaps: our compelling interest in keeping them out balances against those rights?

   Anyway... Seems to me that there's at least an interesting question here. 

   Certainly this is much less horrific than the UK's denial of free speech rights to its own citizens... There's no doubt about that.

   Forced to push a button that would set policy either [i] in accordance with the State Department's view or [ii] against it, I'd pick [ii]. When in doubt, favor free speech.