Great Wall of America
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:15 pm
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?
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?