God must be chuckling about conservatives’ passion for the Pledge of Allegiance — written by a Socialist minister — and Congress’ literal dividing of “one nation indivisible” with their positioning of the words “under God” within it.

But the furor over the temporary ban on those words has revitalized a much older American tradition: demanding that nonconformists leave the country.

Liberals are the usual targets, which is lucky since many other nations are more liberal than America. The problem is baby boomers, who have aged beyond the cost-effective one-third of life. Foreign nations don’t want them any more than domestic employers do.

So in the spirit of globalism, I propose an international treaty to reduce barriers to the free flow of people between developed nations.

Departing Americans’ Medicare or private insurance would pay directly into foreign national health systems at the same annual rate they spend on average for claims here. With health costs neutralized, nations would in turn drop age restrictions on immigration.

We need to make citizenship a global market commodity just as we’ve done for manufacturing, news, toys, agriculture, retail, mining, energy, politics, timber, labor, transportation, tools, fishing, management, weapons, banking, housing, medicine, recreation, investment, clothing and entertainment.

In the process, the taunt “love it or leave it” can become an anthem for greater harmony in all the developed lands. It’ll be easy — most of the work has already been done.

David Daye

Oak Harbor