Bush Backs 370-Mile Border Fence

[Eugene]

Bush Backs 370-Mile Border Fence


Thursday May 18, 2006 7:01 PM

AP Photo AZKB102

By NEDRA PICKLER

Associated Press Writer

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) - President Bush, traveling to the Southwest to witness first-hand
federal efforts to control immigration, was described Thursday as supportive of a 370-mile
long fence to seal off areas of the U.S.-Mexico border that are popular crossing points.

Bush's position was outlined by White House press secretary Tony Snow as the president flew
to Yuma, Ariz. for his inspection visit.

Bush had signaled opposition to such widespread fencing in the past, but his support
for the plan approved Wednesday by the Senate showed how eager he is to win over Republican
conservatives who want to take a tougher approach toward keeping illegal immigrants out.

"We don't think you fence off the entire border," Snow told reporters aboard Air Force One.
But, he added, "there are places when fences are appropriate."

<snip>

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5830500,00.html

[sendero]

1. I'm sure he didn't mention...

... that in order to be able to afford this monumental effort, we'll have to use illegal immigrant labor.

[sweetheart]

3. maningot line

Whatever fence, freedom knows no borders.

[fshrink]

9. Maginot.

[sweetheart]

19. knew i maningled that...

:-) Thanks.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

21. No. Maningot Line is correct.

We're talking Chimp here.

[fshrink]

2. Of course he does! That's one of

the stupidest ideas of the century. I could even make a point that it would even increase the amount of illegal immigrant.

[savemefromdumbya]

4. another dumb thing that wastes taxpayers' money?

how on earth is a fence going to keep people out. Anyone heard of work permits?

[central scrutinizer]

5. idiocy

Shows that Bushco is not a real rancher - would you fence part of your pasture and figure that the cows wouldn't just walk around the end?

[PA Democrat]

6. And the defense contractors are salivating over another chance to profit

from Americans' fears. Looks like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are ahead of the curve in their quest for another big fat juicy government contract.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/12302005/biz_nati/80535.htm

[OneBlueSky]

7. didn't they try something like this once? . . . in Berlin? . . . n/t

.

[Double T]

8. But building fences and walls are good for the economy.......

just as long as you leave gaps for the illegal aliens to pass through. buchco isn't 'on the fence' with this issue, they're on both sides of the fence, simultaneously. Tony Snow is going to wish he never took this job with the incredible un-creditable WH.

[TrogL]

10. who's going to guard the fence?

Wackenhut

http://www.eyeonwackenhut.com/

[FSogol]

11. The Bushlin Wall. Who will they hire to build it? n/t

[jobycom]

12. I'd rather a fence about... Oh, I don't know, how long is the perimeter

around the Crawford farm? That'll do until he gets his 10x10 cell.

[PATRICK]

13. Neil Bush to open

a hardware plant in Tijuana specializing in wire-cutters and educational software such as "The US National Anthem in English" and "The Born-Again Guest Worker"..

Seriously, it seems the intent of this whole issue all along was to embroil all sides of a controversy involving a critical population sector. It gave the presidential pretenders to the throne grist for any side they wished to take, with credit redounding often to Bush for shooting the starting gun. There was not an ounce of sincerity in any detail of his proposals. They had merely to cover a range while not touching the third rail of GOP politics: never give the working man an even break.

The only real issue is about illegal Americans, a happy few, easily roped in because of their business and money trails. THEY could be deported. THAT would make for an honest discussion. It is surprising that the analogy of the drug war is not used. In this case the users are few and very controllable. Select, honest prosecution with stiff punishment would work in deterring others. The addictive product, cheap labor, can be controlled with existing labor laws and especially tax laws. The one thing you can't do is spray the crops of cheap labor to destroy the source or burn those caught trying to sneak across the border in large piles stacked high with marijuana and other substances that might be a humane twofer in obviating death agonies with opiates. Instead, stupidly, beyond belief, ineffectively seizing failure out of the jaws of a simple existing solution, the current proposals nearly all seek to mimic the exact failures of the drug war in the most expensive and excruciating way. Instead of looking at the happy differences in the analogy that make the problem solvable with existing laws that will benefit the whole of America and Mexico, they blindly gravitate toward the most miserable, despairing traps they have in common- and then up the ante obscenely with bigotry and rant.

Of course, that is being kind. Were I to be malicious and suspicious to the extreme in these extreme days I might posit a further Bush motive.

The borders have been made insecure up to now and the border guards denied. Sending the National Guard and a future fence will do nothing in the short term to change this. Could this be cover for some incident related to terrorists crossing the border soon and sparking a public reaction? Bush could claim he had acted, even that Congress "slowed him down". National Guardsmen might die. Everything would work for the Bushco war machine in the short term with this kind of slapdash preparation for the reaction to events involving the Iran debacle to come. It really does belatedly cover his behind while distracting from an agenda he really cares about: war. This also shows he has a strange confidence that the borders, not the equally unprotected ports are something he has to worry about being called to account for. Or that his excuse for the ports thing, should an incident be traced there, has already, though weakly, been developed. The Israelis in that odd border incident conveying explosives around 9/11 could also be added to this darkly imaginative brew.

The wild scenario and the political distraction scenario or any other diabolical cynical analysis have a lot more probability and credibility than thinking Bush is sincere about doing anything good for anyone except his contractors and sweatshop pals, anything at all that might benefit anyone else. That is such a mammoth void all the darkest suspicions in the world could be swallowed up in it.

[sakabatou]

14. The fence would cost 3.2 million per mile... that's over $900 million

[louis-t]

15. Great photo op fer bushie

Get out there in the hot sun with yer blue shirt on with the sleeves rolled up and man that post hole digger. All 370 miles. And maybe you could pay for materials while yer at it. Dumbass.

[DrDan]

16. is Halliburton in the fence bidness?

[closeupready]

17. What an eyesore!

Why do we need to adopt such tactics in this country???? What crap.

[pinerow]

18. I wonder if we could do better by building

a 370ft fence around D.C.

[kineneb]

20. Humpty Dumpty built a wall

Humpty Dumpty took a great fall
All of Rove's horses
And all of Rove's men
Couldn't get Humpty
Good polling again.

[Blue_Tires]

22. oh...that will fix everything!

no need to worry about anything now!

[bunyip]

23. Wonderful

You could call it the "Freedom Wall".

Bush could hire Bibi Netanyahu, to build it inside Mexico.

First order of business - how could they to make sure all of Mexico's water and farmland end up on the US side of the fence?