Momentum builds for fence along U.S.-Mexican border

[Barnabas]

so, the mexicans are like the mongols or like the picts?

[Barnabas]

Dubya´s wall, I like that name

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
Dubya´s wall, I like that name

Dubya is probably against it, so that would be a bad name for it.

[Japher]

Fox's Wall

that'll keep us out!

[Richelieu]

DON"T GET IT TWISTED!

[Sandman]

I'm sure this new wall will create lots of new, low-paying jobs. Why not double the employment benefits, and dig a big hole in front of it?

[Japher]

Sandman, you're a genious!

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Over-the-top reactions from normally rational people

Who the hell are you calling normally rational?

[vomitus]

Did somebody mention tear gas and barbed wire? The only things missing are the machine guns.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4322472.stm

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Admiral


You make an assumption which I feel to be unwarranted. You assume that the United States economy has a fixed number of jobs. Therefore, if an illegal alien gets a job, a legal citizen loses a job. This is not the way an economy works. The more people in an economy, the larger the economy, and the larger the number of jobs in that economy. That being said, there are unpleasant side effects of immigration, legal or illegal. It tends to depress wages, for one. But the economy as a whole is better off.

I'll be honest. My understanding of economics is certainly less than others here. But I know assure you that it is bad economic policy to completely stop immigration (and there isn't that great a difference between legal and illegal immigration. Both tend to take jobs for lower wages than natives).

He's right you know.

The illegals gotta eat, and unless they plan on hopping back to Mexico to buy all their food, that means increased demand in the economy of exactly the same amount of labour that they offer for supply.

[lord of the mark]

isnt it great Euros are criticizing the US for building a fence along our own damned border, when they get the Moroccan army to shoot people for them

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by JohnT
****ing using "Berlin Wall" comparisons with US policy.

Might as well torture POW's.


...

[DinoDoc]

Strange that Arrian had the only rational post in the thread. Though I don't see the need for providing special "assistance for our friends and neighbors."

[MrFun]

rationality is so passe

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Arrian
Demand is the problem. Fence or no fence, demand drives this. If illegals couldn't get jobs, then you'd have a lot less of 'em.

I think we need to do two things in concert:

1) Streamline the immigration process so it's not so hard to be a LEGAL immigrant - perhaps with some special assistance for our friends and neighbors... you know, Mexico? This includes increasing quotas, if applicable.

2) Crack down on people & corporations who hire illegals.

Arrian

There have been attempts to do number 2 for years. Its no more likely to ever be completly effective than stopping illegals at the border. Are you going to have INS at every 7-11 where folks hire day laborers? Are you going to put folks in the slammers for not doing high tech id checks on a day laborer they hire? Or are you just going to ban day labor? That'll work as well as banning pot, I suspect.


and of course it doesnt do a thing about terrorists, who may well try to come across the border.


Why should we be bothered by folks making cracks about the Berlin wall (designed to keep people IN) or fortresses. A country has a right to defend its own borders, and determine who gets in.