Talks to Watch

Bernie Sanders: "Open borders? That's a Koch brothers proposal"

410K views · Jul 29, 2015 · 3:52 · 0 HN recommenders · 18 mentions · discussed 2015–2026

A short clip of Bernie Sanders in conversation with Ezra Klein of Vox, where he rejects open borders as a proposal that serves the Koch brothers. It is an excerpt from a longer interview on global poverty.

Why Hacker News points people here: HN commenters cite it in immigration debates as evidence of Sanders' 2015 position that open borders and high immigration hurt wages.

“Here's bernie sanders talking about how open boarders is pushed by the koch brothers to give them cheap labor”HN comment, 2018

What Hacker News said 18

Cites itlumberjackNov 2015

“I think Bernie Sanders elucidates well on this issue in this video.”

Sanders calls open borders a Koch brothers proposal

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I think Bernie Sanders elucidates well on this issue in this video. It's about immigration but essentially the same situation: this video Basically whether it is morally right or wrong is irrelevant because the US government has a duty to put the American people first.

in “Text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership” · view on HN
Cites itrdtscFeb 2017

“Here is Bernie Sanders being visibly upset at raising immigration levels and instituting "open borders" policy”

Sanders opposing open borders, cited in an argument about the left

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Anti-globalization was always a hot topic for the left. Read Chomsky on NAFTA for example and free trade: link Here is Bernie Sanders being visibly upset at raising immigration levels and instituting "open borders" policy: this video I am kind of interested how the current liberals become pro-globalization all of the sudden. They went from organizing large anti-globalization riots, and getting tear gased fighting it, to "What do you mean? We love globalization!". I want to see a more specific analysis in how the shift happened, and maybe a more detailed timeline. Certainly an interesting topic. Here is of course Zuckerberg with his letter worrying that people are not buying the globalization shtick very well anymore: link If you squint enough to not notice the liberal veneer he puts on you might think he is one of the Koch brothers.

in “As Obesity Rises, Remote Pacific Islands Plan to Abandon Junk Food” · view on HN
Cites itrdtscFeb 2017

“Sanders calls it a Koch brothers proposal here”

Sanders calling open borders a Koch idea

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I made a few tangential points regard globalization in a similar discussion. Basically wondering how globalization which was a very right wing corporatist idea (Sanders calls it a Koch brothers proposal here this video basically) became a favorite of the new left. And conversely anti-globalization was a top issue for the left along with TPP, NAFTA and other such stuff. I think it is rather ironic that the new "left" love them globalization all of the sudden, even when their younger brothers were tear-gassed protesting it, just a decade ago or so protesting against it. (More discussion here link along with a promising book on the subject, 'The Technological Society' by Jacques Ellul suggested by Drumlin. Still waiting for it to come from Amazon)

in “Encouraging individual sovereignty and a healthy commons” · view on HN
Cites itrdtscOct 2017

“Listen to how he says it, it's a thing he really hates.”

Sanders strongly against open borders

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There an interesting thing there. Bernie, believe or not, was very much against globalization, TPP and open borders in general: this video Listen to how he says it, it's a thing he really hates. This is not fluke or anything, Chomsky another leftist thinker also has been anti-NAFTA well, since it was signed pretty much: link Notice how he correctly predicted an influx of poor South American farmers who are pretty much forced to abandon their family to come and wash toilets and pick crops here.

in “Reddit hires first lobbyists” · view on HN
Cites itbuboardOct 2018

“For context , this is the video”

Context video for the open borders remark

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For context , this is the video this video and yeah, open borders was a libertarian idea but somehow the tables have turned.

in “Amazon Pitches Facial Recognition to Monitor Immigrants” · view on HN
Cites ithopefulengineerOct 2018

“Here's bernie sanders talking about how open boarders is pushed by the koch brothers to give them cheap labor”

Sanders on open borders giving Kochs cheap labor

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It's supply and demand 101, illegal immigration combined with offshoring lowers wages and increases profit margin for the wealthy. Low wage jobs are taken by illegal immigrants, forcing US citizens to take on debt to go to college, where wages are also lowered because there are now thousands of college grads desperate to pay off their debt that can't be eliminated through bankruptcy due to congress being lobbied. A wonderful scam. Same thing with big tech companies pushing for more H1B to push down engineering wages and lower standard of living. This stuff shouldn't even be left vs right, it should be common sense. Here's bernie sanders talking about how open boarders is pushed by the koch brothers to give them cheap labor this video We're rapidly heading towards feudalism 2.0. You can already see it in the Bay Area(and essentially any major urban area) where only the wealthy can afford a home. The majority pay a large chunk of their income to their landlord

in “Do the Rich Capture All the Gains from Economic Growth?” · view on HN
Cites ithopefulengineerNov 2018

“There's a reason people like the Koch brothers spend millions in support of illegal immigration”

Sanders interview cited on immigration and wages

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Older family friend made $30/hr in the 60-70s with pension and benefits working in a meat packing plant with a high school education. Same job today pays $15/hr with no benefits thanks to illegal immigration. There's a reason people like the Koch brothers spend millions in support of illegal immigration, they wanted to drive down the labor cost for jobs like the above. this video Offshoring and illegal immigration has killed low skill jobs and given billion dollar multinational corporations the ability to demand whatever they want from workers because they have unlimited labor supply. This doesn't just effect low skill labor either, it forces more people to go to college and take on debt which then drives down the wages of high skill work as well. It's a scam and the american people should be angry

in “Suicide increasing among American workers” · view on HN
Cites itdeogeoJun 2019

“Socialism today seems to agree with borders”

Sanders as evidence socialism agrees with borders

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That's not the same as against borders - see e.g. international trade, or tourism. Socialism today seems to agree with borders ( this video ), and back then, there was national socialism...

in “Einstein's Science Defied Nationalism and Crossed Borders” · view on HN
Cites itdeogeoAug 2019

“This interview would indicate that he understands that, and wants to restrict immigration for that very reason”

Interview showing Sanders wants restricted immigration over wages

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> I find it difficult to believe that a pro-trade union candidate like Bernie Sanders does not understand the basic laws of supply/demand: How a supply of cheap labour affects the wages of the individual employee. This interview would indicate that he understands that, and wants to restrict immigration for that very reason: this video Edit: The interview is from 2015, so it may be that his understanding has 'evolved' since.

in “Socialite Cordelia Scaife May Spent Her Fortune Trying to Keep Immigrants Out” · view on HN
Cites itrdtscAug 2019

“Listen to what Sanders has to say about "open borders"”

Sanders upset by open borders idea

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One of the illustrative point is also that some present day Democrat presidential candidates and legislators just 4-5 years ago were against increased immigration and open borders. Listen to what Sanders has to say about "open borders": this video he is not just slightly against it, he is quite upset by the idea altogether.

in “Socialite Cordelia Scaife May Spent Her Fortune Trying to Keep Immigrants Out” · view on HN
Cites itdeogeoOct 2019

“And Bernie Sanders (someone who has certainly applied the "least amount of reflection" to this) seems to share the GPs view”

Sanders shares the view on immigration levels

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> There are immigrants in Europe. If you look at European countries individually there is massive immigration between them, as well as immigration from outside. And yet. And yet in almost no country has the original population almost become a minority, unlike the US. So clearly the cumulative net immigration is greater in the US. And Bernie Sanders (someone who has certainly applied the "least amount of reflection" to this) seems to share the GPs view: this video

in “State of Health Report Shows Growing Despair Among American Men” · view on HN
Cites itblandcoffeeDec 2024

“This topic reminds me of the old interview Bernie Sanders gave nearly a decade ago.”

Old Sanders interview on business interests and immigration

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This topic reminds me of the old interview Bernie Sanders gave nearly a decade ago. this video I hope citizens wake up, business interests are not always aligned with your (citizen) economic interest. It doesn't matter if it's legal or illegal immigration, there are economic realities that we should talk about - stop focusing on the color of someones skin.

in “Ask HN: Are you unable to find employment?” · view on HN
Cites itblandcoffeeDec 2024

“Bernie Sanders did this interview a decade ago and he was right, unchecked immigration is not in the economic interest of the working class.”

Interview cited as correct about immigration and working class

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This policy needs a refresh - there are many issues with the H1B program today - a good article if you're interested: link We should be wary billionaires are controlling these policies. Bernie Sanders did this interview a decade ago and he was right, unchecked immigration is not in the economic interest of the working class. this video

in “Trump sides with Musk on support for H-1B visas for foreign tech workers” · view on HN
Cites itAlexandrBJul 2025

“As recently as 2016, Bernie Sanders was saying that mass immigration is a Koch Brothers strategy for keeping wages low[1]. I think he was right.”

Cited as source for Sanders' Koch strategy claim

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I don't think that's quite right. I think over the last 10 years a lot of the anti-corporate energy of Occupy Wall Street has been funnelled - by means of the culture war - into "identity" issues that have little potential to harm corporate power or profits. I would argue that this did not originate on the right or left but was the result of a political class that's beholden to endless donations. To me, one really clear example of this is immigration. As recently as 2016, Bernie Sanders was saying that mass immigration is a Koch Brothers strategy for keeping wages low[1]. I think he was right. But the left has been cajoled away from this position over time because it had the potential to harm their corporate donors. [1] this video

in “The United States withdraws from UNESCO” · view on HN
Cites itAlexandrBSep 2025

“See also, Bernie 10 years ago”

Sanders cited on corporate lobbying for immigration

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This is basically 100% backwards. In Canada it's large corporate lobbies pushing for more immigration. Why? Because it lets them keep wages low and makes unionization impossible. See also, Bernie 10 years ago: this video I don't know at what point people were convinced that the push against immigration is some kind of billionaire plot, but is has been great cover for said billionaires.

in “Oxford loses top 3 university ranking in the UK” · view on HN
Cites itslowhadokenJan 2026

“Here is Sanders saying the same thing I did”

Sanders making the commenter's point

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@Starman Noam Chomsky is far left and Bernie Sanders is also more liberal than a Democrat. Here is Sanders saying the same thing I did this video

in “ICE Releases RFI for User Tracking Tools” · view on HN
Cites itslowhadokenJan 2026

“Here is Sanders saying the same thing I did”

Sanders making the commenter's point

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Noam Chomsky is far left and Bernie Sanders is also more liberal than a Democrat. Here is Sanders saying the same thing I did this video I’m confused, what do you think a liberal is?

in “ICE Releases RFI for User Tracking Tools” · view on HN
CriticalblisseyGoAug 2020

“Here is Bernie in 2015 saying against open borders saying it was a rightwing proposal”

Used to show Sanders' flip-flop on open borders

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Here is Bernie in 2015 saying against open borders saying it was a rightwing proposal: this video link Now he's fully onboard with open border policies. He doesn't even have the same message he did 5 years ago. Just like his twitter history shows him tweeting about evil millionaires and billionaires until he became a millionaire himself and now only targets billionaires.

in “Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as his running mate” · view on HN