And that means that a country can’t dispense with political leadership that balances particular concern for the safety and flourishing citizens with what can be called humanitarian or even Christian duties we have to all beings with rights. So, as Tom Harmon says, “I can’t see why it’s impossible to hold both that Syrian refugees pose a grave security risk to the United States — especially given the stated desire to smuggle in fighters posing as refugees — and that there is an obligation to do what we prudently can for the Syrian refugees.” The latter seems especially be true because one cause of their displacement might be misguided or unfortunate American policy. The former seems especially be true because our political leaders — and those of France and other countries too — act irresponsibly when they are so humanitarian or “post-political” as to be indifferent to the special trust they’ve been given the particular people who are the source of their power.

Read the article “A Country is a Country” on nationalreview.com.