Great Wall of America

[Lueyen]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9926087/

A wall between the Mexico and US border is being proposed, as a method of stopping illegal immigration. Views on it seem to trancend beyond political parties. What I did find interesting is critics are comparing it to the Berlin wall, the difference being that the Berlin wall was built to keep people in, not out. This did make me wonder about the possibility of it someday being used to keep people in. The whole idea also makes me think of "Esacape from New York/LA" movies lol.

I'm inclined to have a supportive opinion of the idea, however I think several things are not being taken into consideration at this time. Most of the support for it I think will be rooted in the context of illegal immigration, however it would also serve to help strictly border security issues. I'm basing this on the current situation in Laredo Texas, when I was down there a few months ago. New Laredo (the Mexican town across the border) was in chaos. Drug lords had litterally wiped out law enforcement in the town... there were no police left, or at least none willing to go to work. Mexico Federal troops were called in, and were the only law enforcement in the city. The conflicts between rival drug lords in New Laredo was spilling over into Laredo and the surrounding areas. It was not uncommon for bodies to be found on the United States side after members of the drug cartels either chased someone down into the US side or dumped the bodies here.

Of course there is also an argument that it would have a preventive effect in the realm of terrorisim in that it would make it difficult for terrorists to walk across the border... of course this fails to take into account our northern border, but that may not be neccecary, perhaps some of our Canadian posters can shed some light on that part of the issue, if indeed there even is one.

The general effectiveness of such a wall is debatable, but I do think that at the very least it will have some measureable effect. The cost would be substantial at around 4 billion dollars to build.... and who knows how much to maintain.


Some aspects I haven't seen as of yet discussed really are what if any enviromental effects it would have, mainly in interupting migratory patterns of any animal life. I assume that part of the reason the President does not support it is because of the effect it could have on relations with Latin America, since the symbolic nature of such a wall would probably have more of a drastic effect then the actual physical nature.

I'm curious as to what people think. Regardless of cost, is it a good idea or bad idea? How effective will it be? Is it worth the cost? How much of an effect would it have on relations with Latin America?

[Phlegm]

I think the wall would be effective if only they make it like the Berlin Wall with mine fields and machine guns equipped guard towers.

[Kramer]

yeah maybe it would be negative because we would look like East Germany during the cold war.... that MIGHT conjure some negative images in the mind of the world.... hhhmmmm.....

though, whatever is being done is not working... I am pretty torn over the whole issue, it is complex... do you turn away starving or opportunistic people? we surely can't claim that we are different than they are, those who started this country and exterminated the native americans, but the support structures for the immigrants are largely tax-payer funded, so should we be responsible for footing the bill for all of this....

[Minrott]

The Berlin Wall was meant to keep people in, not out.

do you turn away starving or opportunistic people?

Yes. Every other western nation does with impunity.

[Captain Insano]

I say fuck the wall... Just land mine the shit out of the entire border except for one spot labeled "SAFE" but in Mexican....

All the immigrants have to come down this long cooridor where they face "challenges" like half starved rattlesnakes, scorpions, undead pirates etc... If they make it through the fun obstacles they go into a room where they are challenged by 1000 year old stone barbarians wielding all sorts of cool swords and axes and shit...

If they make it through that alive then they can come into the states to pick strawberries and clean shitters. All of this of course will be televised and HBO and pay per view and all rights strictly owned and controlled by Ralf World Domination Incorporated.

[Lueyen]

yeah maybe it would be negative because we would look like East Germany during the cold war.... that MIGHT conjure some negative images in the mind of the world.... hhhmmmm.....

though, whatever is being done is not working... I am pretty torn over the whole issue, it is complex... do you turn away starving or opportunistic people? we surely can't claim that we are different than they are, those who started this country and exterminated the native americans, but the support structures for the immigrants are largely tax-payer funded, so should we be responsible for footing the bill for all of this....

The whole Berlin wall comparison would be applicable if Mexico built a wall. Frankly I see that line of thinking reaching and either simply trying to perpetuate a belief that the United States is the great Satan, or to condem it because of the ramifications. Unfortunatly I guess we still have to lend some credence to that ignorance, but only if that is the unbiased perception of the general masses, and not some baked up charge in opposition by those who have an axe to grind.

As far as turning away starving or opportunistic people, we wouldn't really be doing that, we would just be forcing them to do it legally... you know making them actually work for it instead of it being some freebie give away. Those who really wanted to pursue citizen ship and actually melt into our great melting pot could actually do so if they put forth the effort.. just like past immigrants, those who didn't have the motivation or wanted it handed to them could stay in Mexico~.

Lol and as far as making a comparison to citizens of the United States and Native Americans, when I can start scalping illegal aliens I'll concede to it.

[Lueyen]

Oh and to boot Ralph you could hire illegals to place the mines and build the arena.

[Captain Insano]

Thats a fantastic idea! We'll pay em in strawberries just for comedies sake, oh and a touch of irony.

[Durothil Skyreaver]

You can't go wrong with undead pirates!