Breaking news on border issues

[Kali]

NOTE: I tried this on the Administrators and was told to go ahead and put it up for discussion. (the incident happened a few hours ago and I am feeling calmer, but the general issue is still on my mind anybody care to comment. PS our friend is ok - 2 cracked ribs and a small facial fracture that may or may not require surgery)


Maybe this could be my first post? I just came home (ranch southeast Arizona) and found the guy that stays with us beat up and his vehicle stolen. There was no call for this violence. There were at least three vehicles here WITH THE KEYS IN THEM. 6 years ago Mexicans on foot hungry and usually lost would come by here occasionally. I always fed and tried to help however I could. I am not sure the date it started but about 5 years ago the Feds started "Operation Gatekeeper" an stupid attempt to stem the huge migration of Mexican workers flowing North. All this did, like all "WAR ON - fill in the blank"s do is escalate the problem, resulting in higher costs, profits, and therefore risks. Now we have desperate assholes who would beat up people, burn their property etc coming through with nothing to lose if they assault someone or even kill them. I (at least until today) was ambivalent about the "vigilante" groups working on the border - I understood their concerns intellectually but having never had any real problems other than trash and cut fences (and those are not minor amounts of those problems - serious but not violent or dangerous. - I take that back torn up fences along the interstate have the potential to cause loss of life by livestock getting onto the highway. - Hit a 1200 pound bovine at 75 - think you'll survive?)

What's my point? I'm not sure - but I can tell you what we are doing now in neither securing the border nor stopping anything! It is only making it MORE profitable for real CRIMINALS to get involved - just like the asinine war on drugs. In fact its the same people - less jail time for human cargo. Our friend will be ok physically, but I'm not sure about the rest of us. Out sourcing good jobs, not paying a decent livable wage to citizens so that we create the demand for these illegal workers. I don't have the answers, but I can sure tell you what's NOT working. And I guarantee doing more of what is already NOT working isn't going to cut it. Lets try something else.

[fearnobush]

1. The Bushies want them to come,

more slave labor for his buddies.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

2. The Left is progressive

The Right is regressive

Take the minimum wage issue. Today in congress the Dem's wanted to bring up a bill raising it to $7.00 an hour. They also wanted to extend unemployment insurance for the million plus who have lost all benefits in a tough job environment. Well the mean spirited republicans would have no part in it. They wouldn't even consider putting it up to vote. But the rethugs are masters at propaganda and they use untruths or half truths and twist the facts. Bush now says he will sign the unemployment bill if it's sent to his desk. Well duh! if he wanted it don't you think the 'thug' house would work with the Dem's for it? The answer is no of course. We truly have to vote these *ssholes out of office because they don't give a f**k about anyone but themselves.

[UTUSN]

3. The Border Ain't the Problem - Shrub Is n/t

[Kali]

4. I know a lot of politics is BS

But I often wonder what people in other parts of the country think about what the border is like. Its a sieve. At least where it exists in the county where I live. It' s rugged, rocky, mountainous, wild terrain. ANYBODY could get in - and they do. If some terrorists learned spanish they could travel freely - the Border Patrol won't jail anybody unless they commit a crime (besides the one of crossing illegally) until they've been caught around ten times. I am not nesecarily advocating a closed border either, its just that I see so clearly that the policy (and it was in place pre-bush) is NOT working. If we need all this "slave labor" why can't we ID them - give them some papers and let them get on a bus at the border instead of playing this idiotic game where they have to make it 60 miles this way then they can get on the bus. The environment, the people that live in this arbitrary no-man's land are suffering needlessly, as are the immigrants that die weekly making the trek. Its so insane. Now we are going to hire some more federal police and fly drones over the area (we already have a drug balloon - any of you tax payers know about these things?) I feel like they know more about my comings and goings than any smugglers or migrants. RANT, I know, and not that important if your not directly affected, but its part of the chain mentioned above. No jobs - join the military - become part of the planetary police force. This is where the manufacturing and other skilled labor workers are headed.