One of the great “gotchas” of history is currently sprinting through our collective consciousness with regards to the migrant crisis in the European Union, and it goes something like this:
“The migrant crisis is payback for Western destabilization of Middle Eastern governments – if you don't want these refugees, you shouldn't have bombed their countries – Karma is a bitch, so suck it up!”
This is an emotionally compelling argument for many people – and here is where we need to exercise the greatest caution. Emotionally compelling arguments by their very definition need to be rigidly examined and resisted – to avoid intellectual bigotry, we must subject seductive arguments to the greatest tests.
