Boundaries, borders and broken eggs
In order to slow illegal immigration, the US government is going to construct a fence along the international water boundary with Mexico. Not alongside the Rio Grande, but along the international water boundary.
According to the AOL News article Border Fence Sparks Outrage in Town:
"GRANJENO, Texas (Nov. 8) - Founded 240 years ago, this sleepy Texas town along the Rio Grande has outlasted the Spanish, then the Mexicans and then the short-lived independent Republic of Texas. But it may not survive the U.S. government's effort to secure the Mexican border with a steel fence.A map obtained by The Associated Press shows that the double- or triple-layer fence may be built as much as two miles from the river on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, leaving parts of Granjeno and other nearby communities in a potential no-man's-land between the barrier and the water's edge.
Based on the map and what the residents have been told, the fence could run straight through houses and backyards. Some fear it could also cut farmers off from prime farmland close to the water.
"I don't sleep right because I'm worried," said Daniel Garza, a 74-year-old retiree born and raised in Granjeno. Garza said federal agents told him that the gray brick house he built just five years ago and shares with his 72-year-old wife is squarely in the fence's path. continue reading
Poor Mr. Garza. He's just another egg waiting to be broken for the statist omelet.
Comments (10)
'Business' as usual, then.
Published: November 10, 2007 10:31 AM
Another tribute to insanity of bureaucracy. They are trying to stop people from coming into the US when they are already there? Why not move it to the original boundary of Texas the Pecos River?
This whole fence thing is nuts but what else would expect from politicians.
Published: November 10, 2007 12:39 PM
The part about stealing peoples homes (I assume for "Market Value as judged by the Government) isn't the worst part of this. The worst part is that part of the fence is not even a fence but monitored area. Why not monitor the whole area? Why even bother in the first place.
Oh yeah, someone got 1 billion to build a fence where part of it isn't even a fence. I bet that part that isn't a fence goes through a powerful persons property leaving the poor old folks to get the government price.
Published: November 10, 2007 12:44 PM
With the frontal assault on our political and economic liberties, I can't but help to wonder. Are they building a fence to keep the Mexicans out, or to lock us in?
Published: November 10, 2007 4:15 PM
"Yes"...
Published: November 10, 2007 4:51 PM
As if the Great Wall of China ever stopped the Mongols and Huns. The deaths came from constructing the cursed thing, and many more from national pride.
This wall is baseless; simply a distraction from the logical solutions. I for one am sickened by the stated desires of the ethnic/economic nationalists, politicians and wisecracks.
If birthright citizenship gets it's ugly head abolished there will be one less piece of ammo for the protectionists. How would they disguise their clear disdain for foreigners (Ethnic groups, and religions included) when MOST natives couldn't give a damn about citizenship themselves!
Open Borders on Public Lands! Free Movement of persons through the (privately) uncontrolled lands, seas, and skies.
Published: November 10, 2007 8:25 PM
At least the Great wall looks cool from outer space... :)
Published: November 10, 2007 9:00 PM
I wonder what the backlash of said border fences is. It makes it more difficult for (illegal) immigrants to reach the United States, but on the other hand, risk rewards for human traffickers go up. Opening up trade, so that intra-country income differentials go down, is the best chance to reduce illegal immigration. In that respect, fair traders are no better than those fence-huggers. Fair traders want to introduce labour-cost increasing measures in other countries, above market par; They will increase income differentials, thereby stimulating (illegal) migration.
Published: November 11, 2007 8:19 PM
Fair traders are a joke. One of them I know actually proposed that free trade hurts poorer countries! The idiots seem to have no idea that the situation is the exact reverse, i.e. that protectionist measures are what do so.
Published: November 11, 2007 8:37 PM
Private fence is built to keep people out.
Government (communist) fence is built to keep people in. Always. This is simply because private is always efficient (due to natural selection killing off all bad forecasters), and government is always inefficient (due to govt. always encouraging the fool, punishing the prudent).
Low efficiency means low on assets, high on liabilities. High efficiency means low on liabilities, high on assets.
It works like osmosis. Therefore, to prevent natural forces fences are erected.
Area with low efficiency always needs to keep assets (people) from leaking out (escaping). Area with high efficiency always needs to keep liabilities from leaking in (freeloaders).
Even in the event when it may seem like this rule doesn't work, just wait and you will see that it does, it just that the propaganda machine made it seem like there is nothing going on at first.
Thus, with border being a government fence, of course it is made to keep people in, even if currently , the propaganda machine makes this proposition seem lacking evidence and reason. You wait. The cracks will open and the truth will leak out. You can bet your bottom coin on this.
Published: November 14, 2007 2:57 AM