Deutschland series.

‘In his seminal work on the national imaginary, Benedict Anderson writes about the magical function of nationalism in turning “chance into destiny.”1 The geographical “accident” of being born on one side of a border or another can determine one’s access to or lack of rights, security, and resources. The Swedish politician’s attempt to “hold the border” against migrants was an attempt to guard this magical function. Magic changes our perceptions of the real: something turns into something else. Like magic, borders engender new perceptions. Borders turn neighbors into enemies. A short distance suddenly becomes farther. The skin of people on the other side becomes darker. Nomadic tribes become illegal border crossers. Cousins from the next village become illegal transgressors. Traders become smugglers. The value of commodities increases and decreases.’