Political rhetoric ignores reality at United States border with Mexico

[mawilson 2,133]

That's what SMR was talking about (which I was responding to) - No fence, 3 man teams patrolling 5 mile areas (you think they're just going to drive from point A to point B and back?)

Well if the 10 mile wide area was SMR's idea, it's ridiculous, if only because there is absolutely

no good reason for the government to seize that much land (through eminent domain) for this purpose.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well if the 10 mile wide area was SMR's idea, it's ridiculous, if only because there is absolutely

no good reason for the government to seize that much land (through eminent domain) for this purpose.

If only because it would probably be more expensive than building a wall.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

That's why a fully automated system of towers would be best......create a network and work with the terrain.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Sousuke

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That's why a fully automated system of towers would be best......create a network and work with the terrain.

Even if there were political will to do it, I don't see it being practical when the US is trying to cut public spending, reverse a declining economy and fight two seemingly ongoing wars.

Far better to tackle the issue from the employer side - especially if you consider that some 50% or so of illegal immigrants entered the US legally and overstayed visas (wall wouldn't really help with that).

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Even if there were political will to do it, I don't see it being practical when the US is trying to cut public spending, reverse a declining economy and fight two seemingly ongoing wars.

Far better to tackle the issue from the employer side - especially if you consider that some 50% or so of illegal immigrants entered the US legally and overstayed visas (wall wouldn't really help with that).

I bet it would cheaper than the current wall! So imagine simple steel columns with sensors every say few miles. We have the processing power to analyze everything crossing the border down to mice! The system becomes alerted when an object with the relative mass of a human or vehicle moves into the network. Then a local patrol checks it out.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Sousuke

[DEDixon 39]

Even if there were political will to do it, I don't see it being practical when the US is trying to cut public spending, reverse a declining economy and fight two seemingly ongoing wars.

Far better to tackle the issue from the employer side - especially if you consider that some 50% or so of illegal immigrants entered the US legally and overstayed visas (wall wouldn't really help with that).

did you say this while O was pushing health care?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

did you say this while O was pushing health care?

did you?

[mawilson 2,133]

did you?

He most certainly did.

[evli1966 88]

Even if there were political will to do it, I don't see it being practical when the US citizens want to cut public spending, reverse a declining economy and end two seemingly ongoing wars. Even though the current administration is increasing spending already at the highest rate ever and is boggled why the economy is going to collapse once again.

I corrected your statement for you.

Obama could add in the bill for this stuff and we wouldn't eevn notice the increase with all the spending he is already doing.

Edited June 23, 2010 by evli1966

[Pooky 3,804]

Building a 2,000 mile wall across the US/Mexico border to those specifications is not only financially unfeasible, but geographically impossible. If you don't have any original ideas of your own, feel free to post someone else's idea of how to adequately secure the border more than what we are already doing.

Excuse me? Take your ego and shove it to one side for a minute. I didn't post an idea. I didn't have the opportunity. And I certainly didn't post someone else's idea. Someone else posted their own and you just ignored it. So dial back the attitude, if you don't want to make your thread A Plea to Long Time, Level-Headed Members Who Still Post Here mean nothing more than a load of hot air.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Are you asserting that the Mexican government is encouraging, aiding, or authorizing illegal immigration? If you are that is grievous indeed and perhaps cause to war. Otherwise I fail to see your point.

The Mexican government distributes a pamphlet with instructions and tips about how to get across the border illegally. President Calderon considers his illegals to merely be migrating, not crossing a border at all. He doesn't believe we have a right to keep them out or send them back. He and the previous Mexican administration haev indeed encouraged, aided and authorized illegal entry. It's a safety valve for a country that refuses to take care of their own.

[Pooky 3,804]

Even if there were political will to do it, I don't see it being practical when the US is trying to cut public spending, reverse a declining economy and fight two seemingly ongoing wars.

Far better to tackle the issue from the employer side - especially if you consider that some 50% or so of illegal immigrants entered the US legally and overstayed visas (wall wouldn't really help with that).

There are two issues here to do with the border. For the sake of argument, let's call them the "innocent" and the "criminal".

To deal with the "innocent" illegal immigration, I'm all for targeting the demand side, making it economically unfeasible for employers to employ illegal immigrants. Enforced with "extreme prejudice", such a policy would probably not require a sealed border and strict enforcement after a while, because the majority of crossings would be the other way.

Unfortunately, we're hearing more and more about the "criminal" border jumpers, the gang members, drug runners, the human traffickers and the terrorists. It is for these animals that we need border security. We need a monitored physical barrier and an armed presence to respond to any who get past, or over this barrier. And at $10bn, in round numbers, the physical barrier would be worth it. Heck, this administration wouldn't even notice it.

To back it up, use the National Guard. Only let them carry firearms and live ammunition. The "innocent" would stop risking it almost immediately and the "criminal" element will soon realise that it's not worth the risk.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Steve, have you opened your doors or wallet for these poor folk yet? Or is it in your mind that your some how helping them through this forum? You could at least go wander in the dessert and randomly drop jugs of water for them.