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Mexico wall and restricting immigration.

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First of all he can't do much practically towards The Wall unless and until Congress votes the money for it.

Building The Wall is a public expenditure project the same as building a road or a bridge. American politicians tend to like public spending to be in their districts for their voters. The wall will distribute a lot of public spending towards the border states. How that will play out, we do not know.

Building The Wall is likely to strain the building industry's resources in the border area and there will be much media fun as building The Wall is seen to increase the number of illegal immigrants in that industry near The Wall building project. Every illegal found actually working on The Wall will be seized upon by Trump's opponents.

Bush Jr was also building a border fence (frankly the distinction between a wall and a fence is irrelevant) but abandoned it as the cost spiralled out of control.

It is likely that The Wall will not be cost effective. It is very difficult to find figures on how illegal entrants get into the USA. I have seen a suggestion that 40% of illegals in America are people who overstay visas. Obviously The Wall will do nothing to keep those people out. It also will not keep out people who are smuggled through authorised border points. The Wall is also proposed to keep drugs out but again it is unclear what proportion of narcotics is smuggled across the land border. In other words the same money as will be spent on The wall might be better spent on men checking documents away from the border.

The history of politics is littered with politicians who cannot stop spending money on pet projects that are either no longer needed or fail to achieve their policy objective. My guess is that in 20 years time whenever an American politician suggests an expensive solution to a small part of larger problem; such as a bridge or rapid transit system that will solve all a city's traffic problems it will be ridiculed as The Wall. The next President is likely to cancel The Wall in his first week in office to universal relief by which time it will have sunk billions of dollars and made no noticeable difference to illegal immigration.
(edited 7 years ago)
Yes, yes, yes - this is fantastic. I tell you, Trump is like a breath of fresh air after putting up with 8 years of a president who wasn't in it for anything but the fame. At this rate the wall will be up and ready before we know it.
Trump already seems to be doing more to help the American people than Obama did in eight years.
Original post by nulli tertius
First of all he can't do much practically towards The Wall unless and until Congress votes the money for it.

Building The Wall is a public expenditure project the same as building a road or a bridge. American politicians tend to like public spending to be in their districts for their voters. The wall will distribute a lot of public spending towards the border states. How that will play out, we do not know.

Building The Wall is likely to strain the building industry's resources in the border area and there will be much media fun as building The Wall is seen to increase the number of illegal immigrants in that industry near The Wall building project. Every illegal found actually working on The Wall will be seized upon by Trump's opponents.

Bush Jr was also building a border fence (frankly the distinction between a wall and a fence is irrelevant) but abandoned it as the cost spiralled out of control.

It is likely that The Wall will not be cost effective. It is very difficult to find figures on how illegal entrants get into the USA. I have seen a suggestion that 40% of illegals in America are people who overstay visas. Obviously The Wall will do nothing to keep those people out. It also will not keep out people who are smuggled through authorised border points. The Wall is also proposed to keep drugs out but again it is unclear what proportion of narcotics is smuggled across the land border. In other words the same money as will be spent on The wall might be better spent on men checking documents away from the border.

The history of politics is littered with politicians who cannot stop spending money on pet projects that are either no longer needed or fail to achieve their policy objective. My guess is that in 20 years time whenever an American politician suggests an expensive solution to a small part of larger problem; such as a bridge or rapid transit system that will solve all a city's traffic problems it will be ridiculed as The Wall. The next President is likely to cancel The Wall in his first week in office to universal relief by which time it will have sunk billions of dollars and made no noticeable difference to illegal immigration.


Problem is that we're living in a post truth era.
What matters more to most people is how they feel, not the objective facts of the situation.

Having a great big wall makes his voters feel that illegal immigration is being dealt with, even if it isn't.
Original post by MildredMalone
Trump already seems to be doing more to help the American people than Obama did in eight years.


So spending billions on a wall which in all likeness won't do much to reduce illegal immigration is helping the American people?
Original post by MildredMalone
Trump already seems to be doing more to help the American people than Obama did in eight years.


Explain in brief please
Reply 7
i found this gif.
Original post by Bornblue
Problem is that we're living in a post truth era.
What matters more to most people is how they feel, not the objective facts of the situation.

Having a great big wall makes his voters feel that illegal immigration is being dealt with, even if it isn't.


Well the West Bank wall the Israelis built reduced terror attacks, so why assume a wall along the US/Mexico border won't hinder those planning to cross illegally?

You do understand what a wall is don't you ?
Original post by joe cooley
Well the West Bank wall the Israelis built reduced terror attacks, so why assume a wall along the US/Mexico border won't hinder those planning to cross illegally?

You do understand what a wall is don't you ?


Please compare the size of the Gaza border with the Mexican one....
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Bornblue
Are you really this dim?
Please compare the size of the Gaza border with the Mexican one....


One is much longer than the other,so?


Anyway, if its not going to be effective why are you and the left so upset about it?
Original post by joe cooley
One is much longer than the other,so?


Anyway, if its not going to be effective why are you and the left so upset about it?


For wasting billions upon billions upon a wall that will almost certainly be scrapped and will be ineffective regardless.
Reply 12
A wall is a great idea, many illegal immigrants will benefit from working on the wall. I doubt most Americans even if they are unemployed would work in hot, dusty and dirty conditions and have to live miles away from the nearest town while they work.

But this is the type of work illegal immigrants would do

A wall would not stop illegal immigrants since people smugglers are used to tunneling past obstacles and they can also go around the wall by boat or overstay their visas.

I think its a very generous gesture for the American people to give so much to their neighbours.
Original post by joe cooley
Well the West Bank wall the Israelis built reduced terror attacks, so why assume a wall along the US/Mexico border won't hinder those planning to cross illegally?

You do understand what a wall is don't you ?

Whilst a wall may help reduce those illegally crossing the land border (but not over-stayers), it doesn't do anything to stop boats, planes, or those coming in via Canada. It is extremely expensive, without having been shown to be more effective than other, cheaper, measures.

IMO, it's another example of Trump trying to appeal to unsophisticated voters. There's also the issue that parts of the US economy rely on illegal immigration, e.g. restaurants, garden maintenance, construction. What is really needed is to make it easier for motivated workers to have a legal way of being in the US, contributing to its economy, and not being exploited by employers and people smugglers. The US is a country of immigrants, which some conveniently forget.
(edited 7 years ago)
Christ, this is unbelievable.

More Mexicans leave the US than enter. This means a wall is not just pointless, but will hinder and scare Mexicans from actually leaving the US - making illegal immigration worse.

http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/11/19/more-mexicans-leaving-than-coming-to-the-u-s/
Original post by Bornblue
For wasting billions upon billions upon a wall that will almost certainly be scrapped and will be ineffective regardless.



Aww, i thought you were going to explain why the different lengths was significant.

Give up on that, eh?

Again, as someone with a passion for illegal immigration who claims the wall will be ineffective, why are you so upset about it?
Original post by Len Goodman
Yes, yes, yes - this is fantastic. I tell you, Trump is like a breath of fresh air after putting up with 8 years of a president who wasn't in it for anything but the fame. At this rate the wall will be up and ready before we know it.


That's the funniest thing I've read in years.
Original post by joe cooley
Aww, i thought you were going to explain why the different lengths was significant.

Give up on that, eh?

Again, as someone with a passion for illegal immigration who claims the wall will be ineffective, why are you so upset about it?


Sigh. Gaza - Israel border is small. Far easier and less costly to build a wall. Also there's far less of it to guard. Also Gazan wall is not designed to prevent illegal immigration but to prevent terror attacks.

Comparing that with Mexico border is daft.

For a start 40% of illegal immigration comes from people entering legally and overstaying. A wall will not change that.
A lot more comes from people being smuggled in, a wall will not stop that.

Finally if you build a wall, people will find a way to get over/under it. It would be impossible to guard to the same extent as the wall in Gaza.
Original post by Bornblue
Sigh. Gaza - Israel border is small. Far easier and less costly to build a wall. Also there's far less of it to guard. Also Gazan wall is not designed to prevent illegal immigration but to prevent terror attacks.

Comparing that with Mexico border is daft.

For a start 40% of illegal immigration comes from people entering legally and overstaying. A wall will not change that.
A lot more comes from people being smuggled in, a wall will not stop that.

Finally if you build a wall, people will find a way to get over/under it. It would be impossible to guard to the same extent as the wall in Gaza.


I am almost certain Trump has never claimed the wall will stop 100% of illegals, and i certainly never have.

Indeed, the Israeli wall was designed to stop terror attacks, by denying the terrorists access to Israel.

See the connection?

1.The wall will stop some illegal immigration. FACT
2. The wall will make illegal entry into the US harder.FACT
3. The wall will send out a powerful message, illegals not welcome. FACT.

All of the above well worth the time and expense.

Out of curiosity, just why do you believe the US should have open borders and allow unrestricted access into the US?
Original post by joe cooley
I am almost certain Trump has never claimed the wall will stop 100% of illegals, and i certainly never have.

Indeed, the Israeli wall was designed to stop terror attacks, by denying the terrorists access to Israel.

See the connection?

1.The wall will stop some illegal immigration. FACT
2. The wall will make illegal entry into the US harder.FACT
3. The wall will send out a powerful message, illegals not welcome. FACT.

All of the above well worth the time and expense.

Out of curiosity, just why do you believe the US should have open borders and allow unrestricted access into the US?

It's far, far, far easier to defend a small wall than a huge one....
So you want to spend billions upon billions of taxpayers money on a wall to stop some immigration? Geez...

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