Posted on 12/14/2005 11:54:37 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Mexican President Vicente Fox denounced as "disgraceful and shameful" on Wednesday a proposal to build a high-tech wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to stop illegal immigrants.
Concerned about the huge numbers of illegal immigrants streaming across the border and worried it could be an entry point for terrorists, a U.S. lawmaker has proposed building two parallel steel and wire fences running from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Coast. But Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has said a wall running the length of a border would cost too much.
Mexico has expressed indignation at the idea.
Fox, speaking in Tamaulipas state across the border from Texas, said such extreme security measures would violate immigrants' rights.
"The disgraceful and shameful construction of walls, the increasing enforcement of security systems and increasing violation of human rights and labor rights will not protect the economy of the United States," he said.
He again called for the easing of U.S. immigration laws to benefit millions of undocumented Mexican fruit pickers, waiters and janitors working north of the border, a complex bilateral issue that has at times strained relations with Washington.
"I hope that next year we finally get an immigration agreement," Fox told immigrants crossing the border back to Mexico to spend the holidays with their families.
President George W. Bush pledged recently to step up the use of unmanned flying drones, fences and technology to tighten border security. A 14-mile (23-km) fence south of San Diego has already slashed illegal crossings there, officials say.
Each year, more than 1 million undocumented migrants try to slip across the rivers and deserts on the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) U.S.-Mexico border in search of work in the United States.
Many die en route in the searing desert heat.
Landmines it is, then.
When patently absurd reasoning by prominent political leaders isn't recognized and exposed for what it is, the level of political discourse sags ever lower.
"Fox, speaking in Tamaulipas state across the border from Texas, said such extreme security measures would violate immigrants' rights."
So true.
State Government, too. Now we're hooking up California and Mexico schools by video conferencing so they can practice their language skills and learn from each other; it looks like a quasi-merger of our school system! Oh, yeah. we're gonna help get Solar installed in Mexico, too! Check out the Governor's latest Radio Address.
(snip)We saw two classes linked by videoconference where the students talked back and forth, shared ideas and improved their language skills. These are the first two sister schools but we are going to expand this program to as many schools as possible so more children from California and Mexico can learn from each other.
As we find new ways to bring the leaders of tomorrow together we are also working hard to solve the challenges we face today, challenges like expanding our economy.
That's why it's important to speed up the movement of goods across our border and build new economic partnerships like the one we're creating in high tech, between our Silicon Valley and the Silicon Border, or the steps we're taking to bring California solar technology to Baja to help them meet their energy needs.
Grrr..... Just when I was hitting the hay and thinking 'happy thoughts', LOL.
Vicente Fox, your bloodsucking of our nation is disgraceful and shameful. Why don't you share some of your wealth with your countrymen so they don't keep breaking into our country to steal ours?
Cool, then he's okay with the pillboxes?
...but getting shot and raped by additional illegals in our bedroom hides the disgrace, so it's no big deal... (sarc)
Maybe thats what it'll take to get the government to take action. Maybe it will actually take a volunteer group like the Minutemen to actually start building a wall, before the government will act. Like Thomas Jefferson said, if we were to rely on the federal government to tell us when to reap and when to sow, we would soon want bread.
If I remember correctly weren't they the first ones to fire a shot in the Mexican-American War? Also, if I remember correctly, shortly thereafter, there is also the incident at the Alamo where Santa Anna could have won without firing a shot by starving them out, but declared that there was no honor without bloodshed. Hence went out the cry "Remember the Alamo!"
Sounds pretty factual to me.
The Mexican War was probably the least-justified in American history, as pointed out by many politicians of the time, including A. Lincoln, who lost his seat in Congress for opposing it. Even many of the soldiers who fought in the war, such as US Grant, believed it to be unjustified aggression.
Polk ordered American troops to occupy what was, at the least, disputed territory, then claimed that Mexico had invaded the US when it attacked these troops.
The battle at the Alamo took place during the Texas War of Independence, quite some time prior to the Mexican-American War.
The politicians in power in both countries were spoiling for a fight, largely for internal political reasons. They got one.
Of course Polk also sent the troops into the disputed teritory without Congressional Authorization. Polk of course knew it would provoke a fight. It raises a question of Presidential War Powers. Can the President intentionally provoke a war without Congress' consent?
FU Fox
> US-Mexico border wall would be 'disgraceful': Fox
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it": George Santayana
"No! Don't throw me in that Briar Patch!": Brer Rabbit
Well, he certainly can.
Polk did. Roosevelt was trying to provoke a war with Germany when Pearl Harbor took him off the hook.
Some (especially on this forum) argue that Lincoln did essentially the same thing.
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