Originally posted 07/21/07:

Clearly, Mexico does not have the political will to examine why so many of its citizens come here to work.   Mexico has corruption, lack of education, and an enormous wealth disparity to deal with, among other things.  They’re getting angry at us for not solving their problems to their satisfaction.

A wall could work as a deterrent, but personally, I don’t think think it’s the most effective long term solution.  People climb around walls, or under them, or tear them down.  Walls can get covered in resentment, graffiti and wasted dollars.  I think it’s more of a way for some politicians to release the steam of their constituents at the moment.

Here’s a recent wall proposal:

from 10 miles west of the Tecate, California, port of entry to 10 miles east of the Tecate, California, port of entry;

from 10 miles west of the Calexico, California, port of entry to 5 miles east of the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry;

from 5 miles west of the Columbus, New Mexico, port of entry to 10 miles east of El Paso, Texas;

from 5 miles northwest of the Del Rio, Texas, port of entry to 5 miles southeast of the Eagle Pass, Texas, port of entry; and

15 miles northwest of the Laredo, Texas, port of entry to the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry.

Estimated cost: at least $2.1 billion dollars

Here’s some Robert Frost.

It’s a long, difficult border to police, and if you’re worried about cost after the virtual fence project (boondoggle?), the minutemen have their own proposal.

Addition:

1.  Perhaps we’re still suffering from the logic of excessive relativism and multiculturalism, the closest some elements of the left can get back to reasonable nationalism (at the moment, anyways), and enforcing the laws that illegal immigrant are breaking…is not close enough for my taste (or at least the other side…those who would take the law into their own hands and in their own mission statements).  We’re losing our middle ground, and the more effective solutions that come with it.

This would not merely a problem of the left, of course…and that is if this is a proper analysis.

2.  Sadly, this is politics, and once we leave it to the politicans, it will be used accordingly…from where I sit (generally center right, and libertarian) I expect Obama will use the broad middle ground election appeal (still!) but then end up having to fire up the base on immigration too.  Such is politics.  I would not likely be happy with the result.

I’ll leave the rest of the debate to those most directly affected who live with these issues every day (jobs, crime, safety, taxes, local government) and people who know more than I do (too many to count).