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2005-12-22 Caribbean-Latin America

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Posted by Steve 2005-12-22 08:40|| || Front Page|| [11128 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 If anything should serve to solidify Congressional resolve for a barrier, this Mexican "united front" effort should do it. Unfortunately, there are probably some in the Senate who will seek to align with the Fox and Berger. Kudos to the House for backing the fence.

Posted by Besoeker 2005-12-22 08:55|| 2005-12-22 08:55|| Front Page Top

#2 Of course the another choice is to start talking up the Western Hemisphere Commonwealth composed of former nations which decided to piss off the Yankees. Time to notify Fox that the NAFTA is to be terminated, we'll see who needs who in the end. I'm sure the expanded trade with Hugo and Fidel will make up for it.

Posted by Slinesing Uninemble3662 2005-12-22 09:35|| 2005-12-22 09:35|| Front Page Top

#3 I saw the headline and wondered if he was talkin' to Germany since he's been using the "It's the next Berlin Wall(tm)" analogy so much. I also wonder how some of these countries will act knowing how Mexico treats those in come in from their southern border. A few of these phone calls may result in *crickets chirping* methinks.

Posted by BA 2005-12-22 10:05|| 2005-12-22 10:05|| Front Page Top

#4 I love the Berlin Wall analogy. Look which way the people are fleeing, Comrade Fox.

Posted by Darrell 2005-12-22 10:15|| 2005-12-22 10:15|| Front Page Top

#5 "the Senate is due to debate in February"

Okay, lessee... we pull out the old pre-vote checklist...
Stevens - Promise bridge to the Moon.
Kennedy - Swimming Lessons and a truckload of Old Blubbernose.
Kerry - A phone call, a note, an email, anything!
Harkin - Changing the records to say he really did fly combat.
Leahy - Annex New Hampshire so Vermont sorta looks like it counts.
Voinovich - A case of linen hankies.
Durban - Change the spelling of Turban.
Clinton - Pretend she really is a "moderate" 'n stuff.
Schumer - Pretend that he's more important than the Jr Senator, NY.
Specter - Pretend that he really is an important Constitutional Scholar.

So how many izzat? 10? Okay, only 50 more to go - or 41 if you believe in the Consitution...

Posted by .com 2005-12-22 10:32|| 2005-12-22 10:32|| Front Page Top

#6 I think its time we took the gloves off. Many of the Mexican immigrants come with talk of conquest and Mexican support of this could be considered nearly an act of war. Nearly 60% of Mexicans polled say they want to come to the US.

Clearly Mexico is a failed and hostile state and we are considering invading and nation-building to set up a proper government that won't keep the people in poverty.

Posted by rjschwarz 2005-12-22 10:43|| 2005-12-22 10:43|| Front Page Top

#7 Guest Worker/Amnesty Bullshit aside.
It boils down to one simple question.
Is the pourus southern border a threat to US national security?
If the answer is no, then fuck it and just open it up! Seriously, don't waste another cent on a silly half-ass feely-good make it look like we are doing something policy.
If the answer is yes, then have the balls to put the resources and manpower to best eliminate the threat. I no longer chuckle at suggestions of electricfied fences, armed centuries with shoot-to-kill orders, and landmines. At least they are sincere suggestions for deterrents. Bottom line, if someone gets shot or breaks thier neck attempting to break into a nuclear facility, it is not the fault of the facility rather it is the fault of the tresspassers. Once you sift through all the double-speak the only difference is in degree of threat.

Posted by DepotGuy 2005-12-22 11:58|| 2005-12-22 11:58|| Front Page Top

#8 Mr Derbez said it would not just affect Mexicans, but also migrants from El Salvador to Brazil.

Yeah. You know. The ones the Mexicans beat the shit outta if they catch them trying to sneak into Mexico on the way up to sneak in here.

Posted by tu3031 2005-12-22 12:03|| 2005-12-22 12:03|| Front Page Top

#9 Build the fence out of stone, a modern Great Wall of China, and make it into a giant tourist attraction.

I'm sure we can find a source of cheap labor nearby to help build it.

Posted by rjschwarz 2005-12-22 12:06|| 2005-12-22 12:06|| Front Page Top

#10 ..and we are considering invading and nation-building to set up a proper government..

No, no, no. They've had more than enough time to watch what goes on here, copy it, and tweak it to their satisfaction. Either they do what needs to be done on their own, or they suffer the consequences of their laziness/apathy. Enough dollars have gone south already, without us having to waste money directly by trying to straighten out a mess of their own creation. I'm done with cutting Mexico any slack; ten million illegal immigrant Mexicans already here and more trying to cross every day and every night is too, TOO much.

Critics of the plan say some of the measures would be impossible to enforce..

Bullshit. This is nothing more than a ploy to allow the current intolerable situation to continue unabated until a solution is proposed that would satisfy these so-called critics. Such a solution, however, isn't likely to make the public happy, nor really solve the problem.

..and would push illegal immigrants further underground.

Tough.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-12-22 12:40|| 2005-12-22 12:40|| Front Page Top

#11 The reason Fox et al are scared of the fence is that people will have to stay in Mexico and they might start looking real close at the corruption and ineptitude of the Mexican Government. Once the people realize they have to change things at home in order to have a better life the ruling class might get the French revolution treatment. Make no mistake the Mexican working in the U.S. are propping up the economy of Mexico, so if that flow is stopped or interrupted then the Federalies will be in big financial and then political trouble.

Posted by Cyber Sarge">Cyber Sarge 2005-12-22 12:46|| 2005-12-22 12:46|| Front Page Top

#12 Annex Mexico, problem solved, build the fence at Mexico's southern border (It's much shorter there)

But then we've got all that open coastline to guard and defend, so it's a moot point whether or not to build a southern fence at all.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2005-12-22 14:06|| 2005-12-22 14:06|| Front Page Top

#13 I'm sure we can find a source of cheap labor nearby to help build it.

The Paleos sell the Israelis the concrete needed for the Wall on the West Bank. I don't see why we couldn't hire Mexican labor for our fence. $10 an hour, decent benefits, safe working conditions -- hell, we'd be over-subscribed.

Posted by Steve White">Steve White 2005-12-22 15:11|| 2005-12-22 15:11|| Front Page Top

#14 If they are anything like Philippino and Korean contractors (who built concealed tunnels into PX and Commisary warehouses), I'd say watch out for revolving doors in that fence.

Posted by Steve">Steve 2005-12-22 15:42|| 2005-12-22 15:42|| Front Page Top

#15 Annex Mexico, problem solved,..

No, because then there's all of Mexico's dirt-poor peasants to have to do something about. We already have our own poverty issues to tackle without compounding it further by adding millions more to the equation.

And then there's a little problem with language... (keep in mind that instead of requiring the annexed to learn English, the PC lobby would probably demand that we learn Spanish)

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-12-22 15:52|| 2005-12-22 15:52|| Front Page Top

#16 Mexicos dirt poor peasants are hard workers with no jobs to do, that is why so many come here. There are no jobs because the government is corrupt and they have laws preventing investment. These things would be demolished, investment would flow, and the economy would pick up.

In the mean time the Oil money could be used to pay to hire peasants to rebuild the Mexican infrastructure. If there is work down south the illegals will stop coming north.

Don't annex them, make the states a territory(s) and when things are going well give them the choice (statehood, independence, or wait to decide later).

Posted by rjschwarz 2005-12-22 17:14|| 2005-12-22 17:14|| Front Page Top

#17 Annex Mexico, problem solved,

Uh, no. We already annexed part of that country (the American Southwest used to be the Mexican Northwest). They still haven't forgiven us for that one.

Not that I really care....

The part that frightens Fox y amigos is not only the fact that their younger poor guys and girls are going to be hanging around back home and possibly causing unrest, but also that they are going to have a slowing of the money spigot from the workers up north.

Especially that last part....which is why they have recently gone out of their way to allow Mexican expatriates here in the US the right to vote in elections back home, get ID's from the consulates, etc. If they lose the ties to Mexico, they are far less likely to send back big chunks of their paychecks.

Now imagine...you are currently getting $ from 10 million of your citizens in America. Let's say for fun they are sending home 5k. (I don't know how much they actually send....I am using the Dr Dean/Kerry method of pulling figures outta my a$$). That's 50 billion.

Unca Sam makes it harder to get in. Fewer of your citizens get in, and there's a natural die-off rate anyway. So in a couple of years, you only have 9 1/2 million citizens here. They'll be sending back 47.5 billion. And it slowly goes down, while your population back home goes up.

Mexico can't take that kind of a hit very easily. The other countries aren't as dependent, but they still can use the money. No wonder Vicente is screaming like a little girl.

Posted by Desert Blondie 2005-12-22 17:36|| http://azjetsetchick.blogspot.com]">[http://azjetsetchick.blogspot.com] 2005-12-22 17:36|| Front Page Top

#18 It's not just the repatriated earnings, either. It's the lost payoffs to the Federales from the coyotes and drug smugglers. That will be a big pay cut for the military. Wonder what they'd do to restore their lost "wages".

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2005-12-22 18:28|| 2005-12-22 18:28|| Front Page Top

#19 Build the fence all the way across from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico. Electrify it (build a couple of nuclear generating plants to supply the power). Build guard towers every quarter-mile, with shoot-to-kill orders for anyone trying to damage the fence. Then bomb the he$$ out of Mexico City. It won't end the problem, but it'll sure reduce the stress.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2005-12-22 19:49|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2005-12-22 19:49|| Front Page Top

#20 Mexicos dirt poor peasants are hard workers with no jobs to do, that is why so many come here.

But see, we already have our own home-grown poverty problem. Our poor could do those jobs, and probably at a better wage too, since the downward pressure on wages created by the presence of all these mojados willing to work on the cheap would be largely eliminated. Sure, the public would likely feel a varying degree of pinch as higher costs might be passed on, but isn't it worth paying out a little extra knowing that all the employees up and down the chain are legit?

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-12-22 20:26|| 2005-12-22 20:26|| Front Page Top

#21 I get angry every time I walk into the US Post Office and see signs advertising the US Government's service to securely send dollars to Mexico. Banks, Western Union, and every other swinging dick out there all want a piece of illegal aliens' paychecks to send their money home. If it were illegal to remit dollars to Mexico, a lot of the incentive for illegals would go away. Further, if the US Government would enforce our f**king laws and start sending people to prison, this problem would go away. I, for one, would happily pay more in taxes to build the prisons to hold every person who employs an illegal.

Posted by RWV 2005-12-22 20:28|| 2005-12-22 20:28|| Front Page Top

#22 Mexico is the only country that shares our southern border. We don't even care that Mexico objects to the fence, why should we care about the attenuated cries from hundreds of miles further south? I mean, what are they going to do: boycott the Ambassador's Christmas tea?

Posted by trailing wife 2005-12-22 23:38|| 2005-12-22 23:38|| Front Page Top

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