Closed Borders
If 'Home' gave us a glimpse of the Utopia of open borders, 'Teliko' brutally slaps the dream down.
This episode is by no means subtle. Two decades before the current world-wide immigrant crisis, the X Files dares to suggest that it is all too easy for unknown elements to enter the United States and pose a threat. Even more so today than in 1996, this seems such an obvious reason to retain some control over one's borders.
The British attitude to this matter must be somewhat different to the apparent American view. For one thing, Britain has had to deal with the question of borders for a hell of a lot longer than has the States. If we take 1776 and the Declaration of Independence as a starting point, it was a mere eighty years later that the borders of the United States are extended beyond North America. Historically, compared with the ever-shifting borders within the isles which only became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927, this is no time at all. Not so surprising that America has a more fixed view of borders and contemplate the building of a wall - a concept that only works if one has a strong sense of a fixed border.
The frequency with which the isles have been invaded throughout history and the constant need for the people to withdraw and redraw their borders, never allowed for a sense of static borders - not to mention the British habit of drawing borders around the world as the Empire expanded.
After WWII, with more than a little push from the States, the British Empire transposed itself into a Commonwealth, and people from around the world acquired a wide variety of rights regarding immigration, status and nationality.
Britain, then, has never had a fear of the illegal alien. That's not to say there hasn't been antagonism between the races but such racial tension had all but disappeared in the U.K. by the end of the 1970s. Until the War in Terror reminded us that there's always someone to hate.
Back in the 90s having a black African man arrive in the States, with the possibility of bringing over his "every brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousin", only to immediately begin a reign of terror touched upon sensitive issues - race being another issue upon which Americans and British have differing levels of fixation.
It would be a mistake to fixate on the killer in this episode being either black or African. He had to come from outside the borders of the States and he had to be from a culture older and more mysterious than that of the New World. Bukina Faso serves a purpose not a point.
With the declaration of the War in Terror, the likes of Samuel Aboah stopped being a sensitive issue and became instead a very real possibility.
'Home' dangled the utopia of open borders before us but only to show their dangers. 'Teliko' presciently revealed just what those dangers are.
This episode is by no means subtle. Two decades before the current world-wide immigrant crisis, the X Files dares to suggest that it is all too easy for unknown elements to enter the United States and pose a threat. Even more so today than in 1996, this seems such an obvious reason to retain some control over one's borders.
The British attitude to this matter must be somewhat different to the apparent American view. For one thing, Britain has had to deal with the question of borders for a hell of a lot longer than has the States. If we take 1776 and the Declaration of Independence as a starting point, it was a mere eighty years later that the borders of the United States are extended beyond North America. Historically, compared with the ever-shifting borders within the isles which only became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927, this is no time at all. Not so surprising that America has a more fixed view of borders and contemplate the building of a wall - a concept that only works if one has a strong sense of a fixed border.
The frequency with which the isles have been invaded throughout history and the constant need for the people to withdraw and redraw their borders, never allowed for a sense of static borders - not to mention the British habit of drawing borders around the world as the Empire expanded.
After WWII, with more than a little push from the States, the British Empire transposed itself into a Commonwealth, and people from around the world acquired a wide variety of rights regarding immigration, status and nationality.
Britain, then, has never had a fear of the illegal alien. That's not to say there hasn't been antagonism between the races but such racial tension had all but disappeared in the U.K. by the end of the 1970s. Until the War in Terror reminded us that there's always someone to hate.
Back in the 90s having a black African man arrive in the States, with the possibility of bringing over his "every brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousin", only to immediately begin a reign of terror touched upon sensitive issues - race being another issue upon which Americans and British have differing levels of fixation.
It would be a mistake to fixate on the killer in this episode being either black or African. He had to come from outside the borders of the States and he had to be from a culture older and more mysterious than that of the New World. Bukina Faso serves a purpose not a point.
With the declaration of the War in Terror, the likes of Samuel Aboah stopped being a sensitive issue and became instead a very real possibility.
'Home' dangled the utopia of open borders before us but only to show their dangers. 'Teliko' presciently revealed just what those dangers are.
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