Why the World Is Giving Up on Birthright Citizenship

Earlier this week, Donald Trump signed a new executive order which attempts to end so-called “birthright citizenship” in the United States. During the signing ceremony, Trump declared that the United States is “the only country in the world that does this with birthright…”

This is untrue and the Washington Post, among other publications, was quick to declare that Trump “falsely claimed” that the US is the only country with birthright citizenship, also known as the legal principle of unrestricted—or “pure”—jus soli.

The Great Awakening: A Libertarian Interpretation

Admittedly, it is not easy to recognize a turning point in history when it is unfolding right before your eyes, when you are a contemporary witness of events. It is far easier to label affairs as turning points in hindsight. And that is why what is happening around the world right now—I call it the “Great Awakening,” or “The New Enlightenment”—is likely difficult for many of us to fully grasp and comprehend in its consequences.

Peter Fenwick is an octogenarian libertarian who has written